It may not have been the most conventional approach, but Iowa State still got the job done.

Each outside hitter struggled to get in rhythm during the first set on Wednesday night, a set in which the Cyclones only managed to hit a dismal .070.

But after constant shuffling and several substitutions, four different players took swings from the outside in the first set against Colorado, and the Cyclones finally started to find an offensive groove.  

“I think we have some nice depth this year,” said coach Christy Johnson. “So we want to make sure that if somebody is off that we are sure to rotate players and use that depth to our advantage.”  

The most noticeable difference in the lineup came before the match even started, as walk-on freshman Carly Jenson was called on to start for the first time in her young Cyclone career. Jenson struggled early, with a hitting error on her first swing and a .000 attack percentage after her first eight, but the Omaha, Neb., native settled in and recorded nine kills and four digs, both career highs.  

“I was really excited to get the start,” Jenson said. “But I knew I was going to have to step up my game. I was definitely tentative at first, and was too worried about messing up. But one of the coaches came up to me and said ‘This is your chance, and you need to take advantage of it,’ so I started to be more aggressive and the balls started to fall.”  

The decision to start Jenson dated back to last Wednesday’s matchup against Texas A&M, where she played the final two sets and put down seven kills in an impressive performance off the bench.  

“She’s been working hard in practice and did an excellent job when we subbed her in against A&M,” Johnson said. “I feel like she’s been playing well for a period of time and really deserved the start.”

Jenson also became the fifth and final freshman from the 2008 recruiting class to have their number called for the starting lineup, and like her fellow classmates, produced solid results. Even in a premier conference such as the Big 12, Iowa State’s fresh blood refuses to shy away from the challenges of tough conference competition.

“Some freshmen are tentative, and like some of our other players she became more and more aggressive as the match went on,” Johnson said. “She has a really nice, fast arm which makes her really effective as a hitter despite her smaller size.”

Jenson’s efforts, along with double-digit performances from Jen Malcom, Rachel Hockaday and Diane Kieger, allowed the Cyclones to rebound from a tough first-set loss and hit .295 in the final three. Malcom was by far the most efficient of the bunch, throwing down 17 kills on a .412 attack percentage.