The ISU volleyball team built a commanding 2-0 lead Saturday at Kansas, but the Jayhawks, behind outside hitter Karina Garlington’s career-high 29 kills, stormed back to take the match, 3-2 (21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-10).

The Cyclones (9-4, 1-1 Big 12) out-blocked Kansas (7-4, 1-1 Big 12) 13-7 and out-dug them 62-57, but were out-hit 0.264 to 0.235.

Coach Christy Johnson said the biggest problem for her team was slowing down the Jayhawk outside hitters.

“One of their outsides hit over 0.300 and the other hit 0.200,” Johnson said. “That was a reflection of our tentative serving and our blocking defense.”

Senior middle blocker Jen Malcom tied her career-high in kills with 18, nine of which came in the first two sets, and hit 0.548 on her 31 attacks. Victoria Henson contributed 15 kills and Rachel Hockaday earned her second career double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs.

Ashley Mass extended her double-digit digs streak to 39 with 16 digs in the match, and Malcom and Hockaday each also had a solo block as well as seven and six block assists, respectively.

Both teams hit over 0.300 in set one, but Iowa State was able to take it because of a key run. Kansas was ahead 11-10 before the Cyclones scored six straight on Hockaday’s serve to go up 16-11, which is a lead they rode to a 25-21 win.

Iowa State trailed in set two, 18-16, but fought back to take a 22-21 lead. Hockaday ripped a kill at 24-23 to finish off the set and send her team into the intermission with a big lead.

Johnson said the first four sets, which were all close late, came down to who showed poise and made big plays.

“In [sets] one and two, we kind of won the big points at the end of [sets],” Johnson said. “We didn’t quite stay composed at the end.

“It was a somewhat hostile place to play in, and I think we just got a little rattled by that,” Johnson said.

After that is when things went sour. Kansas jumped out to an early 14-9 lead in set three and finished off an easy win, hitting 0.323.

The fourth set was the tightest of the match, featuring 14 ties and 5 lead changes, before Kansas took the lead for good at 20-19 and knotted the match after an error by Diane Kieger ended the set.

The Cyclones fell behind 4-0 in the deciding fifth set and could not get an closer than three before losing 15-10.

“I felt it was more like we faded as the match went on,” Johnson said. “The first two games were close and then we got further and further away.

“Kansas just played awesome and they were really fired up to play us,” Johnson said.

Iowa State goes back on the road to take on third-ranked Texas (6-2, 1-1 Big 12), who they pushed to five sets last season, on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin.