For the third straight game, freshman middle blocker Jamie Straube got the start in place of senior middle blocker Diane Kieger.

It was a move that surprised few as Straube was named the starter at the beginning of the season. However, after the Minnesota match, Kieger was reinserted into the lineup. It wasn’t until the Cyclones were on the road against Oklahoma that Straube was once again named the starter over Kieger. Coach Christy Johnson-Lynch affirmed that the move was based solely on the team’s strategy against certain opponents.

“They’re both great players,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Kieger’s very strong offensively, Straube’s very strong blocking. It might be a situational thing depending on who we’re playing and what we need. It’s nice to have such great depth, they’re both great players and they all need to be ready to go because you just never know who’s going to be on and what we’re going to need.”

With Straube in the starting lineup, the Cyclones have indeed seen vast improvements in their defensive numbers ever since. Including Wednesday’s game, Iowa State has either out blocked or tied its opponents in the past five games with Straube carrying much of the load averaging a little over two blocks per game. It comes as no surprise to Johnson-Lynch as she believes that Straube’s best asset is her blocking.

“She’s a tremendous blocker,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She’s got a pretty good feel for [blocking] and she’s just big, she’s got big hands, she’s just built to be a great blocker.”

Wednesday’s game against Texas A&M saw Straube once again rise to the occasion, collecting three total blocks. For Straube, she does not feel that her recent surge in blocking numbers is something that she can take full credit for and believes the team’s hard work and emotion has helped her succeed.

“Blocking is such an emotional part of the game,” Straube said. “When you get a big block, that energy just spreads onto the whole team. So when you can get that block and pass that on energy to your teammates; I think that’s a great way to contribute.”

Straube has looked to fellow middle blockers Kieger and Debbie Stadick for support and advice. She credits them for her steady development saying they never shy away from giving her some feedback.

“They’ve been really helpful with me, just helping me with my confidence and throwing in little pointers here and there,” Straube said. “It’s really helpful and I can talk to them and they can give me some feedback because they were in the same position I was.”

The Cyclones understand the risks that can come with starting freshmen. While Straube has places the team are looking her to improve in, the Cyclones cannot help but be thrilled with how well she has been developing. Johnson-Lynch knows that she is asking a lot out of her freshman middle blocker, but believes that so far the payoff has been grand.

“We’re asking her to do some more things offensively; that’s coming along,” Johnson-Lynch said. “But she understands her blocking assignments, she never misses assignments. She’s a focused player, she’s competitive and given how much responsibility she has as a freshman, I think she’s doing a great job.”