Traveling to play a host-team on its home court during the NCAA tournament is always a challenge. The Iowa State volleyball team battled with sixth-seeded Minnesota in a gym packed with Gopher fans. The Cyclones played on Minnesota’s turf, but it was Iowa State that owned the court Saturday night. After stunning the Gophers 3-1, the Cyclones are headed to the sweet sixteen for the second year in a row.

“Last year it kind of felt like magic and I didn’t know if magic would strike again and it feels like it has,” said head coach Christy Johnson.

Without starting outside hitter Brook Dieter, Minnesota suffered in blocking and hitting. Coach Christy Johnson commented on how differently the game could’ve gone had Dieter been on the floor.

“I think if Dieter was playing it would be a whole different story, a whole different night,” Johnson said. “I think it was very difficult for them to go into this match without one of their best hitters.”

Sophomore outside hitter Victoria Henson, who notched 25 kills for the second consecutive night, led Iowa State. Henson also posted 10 digs to make it a double-double.

“(Victoria) has really emerged as a go-to player this year,” Johnson said. “Her play from last year to this year is, if you look at the stats, just incredible. I think she has become one of the best outside hitters in the country.”

Freshman Rachel Hockaday also had a double-double, posting 16 kill and 17 digs. Head coach Christy Johnson commented on Henson and Hockaday’s contributions to the team’s success.

“They just made really smart attack decisions and they were aggressive, they stayed composed and they were a big reason why we were able to win this match,” Johnson said.

In just four sets, junior setter Kaylee Manns finished with 59 assists and 13 digs, another Cyclone with a double-double against the Gophers. Kaylee Manns reached 1,000 career digs Saturday night, and is now the second player in school history to accomplish the feat of 1,000 assists and digs in a career.

“I think Kaylee Manns did a great job of putting the sets up there for us to swing,” said freshman Rachel Hockaday.

Ashley Mass broke the school record for most digs in a single season, totaling now 611 digs. Mass went 23 for 23 in service receive against the Gophers, not missing a note. Five Cyclones ended with double-digits in digs. As a team, Iowa State came up with 86, seeming to dig up just about anything and Minnesota finished with only 74.

“I think Ashley Mass is outstanding, I mean she’s one of the best passers I have ever seen and when you have someone like that in your lineup you’re going to be okay no matter who you play because at some point you’re going to be able to pass that ball to target and run an offense from it,” Johnson said.

If Iowa State wasn’t digging the ball up, the Cyclone defense was blocking it. ISU out-blocked Minnesota ten to six, and as a result the Gophers ended with just 55 kills, compared to the Cyclone total of 71. Debbie Stadick led the Cyclones with seven block assists and Kelsey Peterson contributed with five.

“Malcom and Debbie really did a great job of contributing tonight,” Hockaday said. “They moved the block around so that made it easy for (Victoria) and I to swing on solo blocks.”

As a team, the Cyclones hit .288 compared to the Gophers’ .207. Iowa State’s impressive hitting percentage was due to Hockaday’s hitting percentage of .349 as well as Debbie Stadick’s attacking percentage of .409. Kelsey Peterson contributed with ten kills and a percentage of .333.

“I think everyone just did a great job contributing and just made it easy for (Victoria) and I to take some swings,” Hockaday said.

The Cyclones came out strong in set one with a side-out percentage of 85% in the set. Maintaining the lead the entire set, Iowa State ended with a powerful hitting percentage of .472 as a team.

In the second set Iowa state had the lead at 23-19, but Minnesota went on a run, turning the game around to 24-23. On a set point the Cyclones came back and won the next three points to take the set.

“One of the philosophies we have is we don’t care if we’re up ten, down ten. We just try to not worry as much about the score,” Johnson said.

With eight years of Big 10 coaching under her belt, coach Johnson understands the mental aspect of playing a school of that caliber. The Cyclones were never rattled by the tight score of the game, and instead kept their game faces on throughout the night.

Minnesota gained momentum and took set three after snatching eight of the last nine points in the set. The Cyclones suffered in the end of set three when the Gophers were stuck in their best rotation. Middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer was in the front row and took control of the set, slamming three kills in a row in the last six points of the set.

The Cyclones started off the fourth set with a six-point run and closed the game out in the deciding set 25-19.