Sophomore libero Ashley Mass notched 1,000 digs in her career in the second set Saturday against Texas.

“She is just so good passing and defensively,” coach Christy Johnson said. “There are not many liberos in the country that are exceptional at both.”

Mass is the tenth player at Iowa State to reach 1,000 career digs and is currently 24th in the nation in digs with 473 this season.

“I think she’s got the all-around game and you just know what you are going to get from her every night,” said Johnson.

Mass reached the mark in just 59 matches — quicker than any other Cyclone. The previous fastest to 1,000 was Brittany Dalager in 75 matches.

“Without her, our defense would be nothing,” said junior setter Kaylee Manns.

Mass is now ninth on the all-time dig list with 1,005 digs in her career, and is now fourth in single-season digs. Teammates expressed how important having Mass as a libero is to the team’s success.

“She’s outstanding. She’s a huge part of the team,” said senior middle blocker Jen Malcom. “I’m lucky to have her as a teammate.”

Mass takes hits from nearly every hitter on the other side of the net.

“She plays left back and that’s where a lot of the balls come from, from outside, from middle, a lot of right sides hit down the line,” Manns said. “She’s so important — she reads the ball so well.”

Mass leads the Big 12 in digs, averaging 4.98 digs per set. Mass also leads the Big 12 in digs in a three-set match with 24.

“She’s very consistent. She’s probably our most consistent player because you know every single night she’s going to pass really well,” Johnson said.

Mass serves as a key player and keeps the team together with her collectedness.

“Even when we were playing her as a freshman she never seemed to be bothered, by anything,” Johnson said.

As a freshman last year, Mass crushed the previous freshman digs record of 359 by posting 532. Mass never ceases to show her unshakable performances for the Cyclones this season.

Record attendance

The ISU volleyball team continues to bring in a crowd night after night.

“For us, one of our big goals has always been ‘let’s further the fan base,’” Johnson said.

The Cyclone match against Texas seated 4,026 fans Saturday night. That night Hilton Coliseum went over 20,000 total fans in a volleyball season for the first time ever.

“I think we’re becoming a program for them that [the fans] really can get excited about and get behind,” Johnson said.

Not only are the fans excited about the games, but the players benefit from the huge fan size at Hilton.

“That’s why we play so well at home, I think,” Manns said. “We have such a great fan base.”

The energy the team has at Hilton is crucial to the Cyclones’ success. The Cyclones have only lost two home games this season.

“It’s great to have that support and it gets everybody pumped up,” Malcom said.

The Cyclones home attendance is now 20,831.

“I think everyone is understanding how well Iowa State volleyball is playing and Iowa State volleyball is an up-and-coming program and it’s probably one of the best things at Iowa State right now,” Malcom said.