A prototypical outside hitter towers over the net as she slams the ball to the floor. This, however, is not the case for Iowa State’s outside hitter Victoria Henson.

It is rare to see a 5-foot 11-inch sophomore dominate the court, but Henson does just that. The secret weapon behind the Cyclones’ attacking game, Henson is a major threat to the competition this season.

Outside hitter Henson has improved in leaps and bounds. After 17 games Henson now has an overall attacking percentage of .226 and 235 total kills.

“When she gets in a groove she can be unstoppable,” said coach Christy Johnson.

Originally from Leavenworth, Kan., Henson started playing volleyball when she was in seventh grade, after her basketball coach suggested she try it out. Throughout her entire high school and club career, Henson played as a middle blocker and had to take on the challenge of transitioning from a middle to an outside hitter.

“To shift from playing middle to outside means you have to learn the timing of an outside set, which is much higher,” Johnson said.

The Cyclones have benefited ever since Henson made the difficult shift to an outside position.

“It’s hard to be an outside hitter with two really big blocks out there,” said senior middle blocker Jen Malcom. “She’s done a really good job this year with that.”

At the beginning of the season, Henson struggled with hitting low and into the block. The coaching staff worked with Henson both in the off-season and beginning of this season to improve her hitting and to train Henson to hit higher off the block.

Henson is now able to take tough sets off the net and convert them into kills, something she struggled with early on in the season.

“She’s playing at a whole other level this year offensively,” Johnson said. “A big part of her progress has been her mental game.”

The coaching staff has played a major role in Henson’s hitting and overall improvement and success.

“[Assistant coach] Dawn [Sullivan] critiquing my hitting and blocking helped a lot,” Henson said.

Henson put up big numbers against Northern Iowa and Texas A&M this year. Against Northern Iowa she had a career high of 27 kills, and against the Aggies she tied the school record for most kills in a three set match, with 18. In the Cyclones’ latest game against the Sooners on Saturday, Henson led the team with 13 kills.

“It’s really nice to have somebody that I can trust to put the ball away,” said setter Kaylee Manns. “Someone who is going to have two big blocks up no matter what, and can still get a kill.”

Part of the reason opponents are unable to stop Henson is because of her quick arm and fast release. With a quick switch, the outside hitter dominates the competition from all places on the floor.

“That’s what makes her special. She’s so quick on the ball,” Johnson said.

Henson has the highest vertical on the team with a 23.5-inch vertical jump and a 26-inch approach jump. Henson’s advantage stems from not having the build of the big hitters that teams in the Big 12 tend to see as a threat. Her speed and jumping capabilities are what make her such an important player for the Cyclones.

“She can just go in and terminate because she’s so athletic,” Johnson said.

Henson was selected for the all-tournament team in Iowa State’s home tournament. Henson finished out the tournament with a hitting percentage of .257 and 32 kills in the Cyclones’ three games. Currently, Henson is second in the Big 12 in kills with 235, just 15 kills behind senior Rita Liliom from Kansas State.

“I think she’s going to continue to improve and benefit the team and get the job done when we need her to,” Malcom said.