After struggling against a tough Northern Iowa defense Wednesday and hitting only 0.211, the ISU volleyball team got better offensively during its weekend tournament sweep.

The Cyclones’ (8-3) hitting percentages steadily improved as each match went on, hitting 0.250 in the opener against Iowa, 0.357 against Drake and 0.385 against Xavier. The defense played a key role as well, holding the three opponents under 0.200 for the weekend.

“A lot of us just have a lot of confidence right now,” said senior Mary Bisenius, who was named tournament MVP with 29 kills while hitting 0.355. “We’ve been trying a few different lineups and they all seem to be working for us. In practice, we have been working on our offense a lot.”

Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson said Iowa State’s passing had a lot to do with the team’s rhythm.

“When Xavier wasn’t passing well, it feels like no matter what you do you can’t get into it,” Johnson said. “When you are passing well, you feel like you are going to get a kill or at least a great swing and we passed really well.”

Along with a more efficient hitting attack, the Cyclones showcased more balance than against UNI, where Victoria Henson and Rachel Hockaday accounted for nearly 70 percent of the kills. Four players reached double figures against Iowa, three against Xavier and one against Drake, which was a much shorter match with the Bulldogs scoring no more than 15 points in a game.

“Diane Kieger is really coming along, and, as she comes along, defenses have to honor her more,” Johnson said. “That opens up the offense.”

Freshmen step up in first home matches

Fans got to see all five freshmen, who made up the 25th-ranked recruiting class in the nation, log some of their first significant minutes in front of the home crowd at Hilton Coliseum.

Right side hitter Hockaday was named to the all-tournament team with 27 kills and 23 digs on the weekend.

Four of the freshmen came in at different points in the first several matches, but Kelsey Petersen had not. Petersen saw time against both Drake and Xavier, putting down four kills against the Bulldogs. The four players who play in the front row other than defensive specialist Caitlin Mahoney all put down kills against Drake.

Defense gets Vos back

The Cyclone defense also got stronger as the weekend went on and a lot of that came with senior defensive specialist Amy Vos seeing more playing time as she came back from a shoulder injury.

Vos started her first match on Saturday night against Xavier, but the performance of libero Ashley Mass has allowed her to settle in progressively.

Mass averaged an outstanding 6.22 digs per set this weekend and said having Vos out there more helps her out.

Building momentum

The Cyclones ended non-conference play Saturday with a tournament championship and a 8-3 record. They enter Big 12 play with a home tilt against Texas A&M Wednesday.

Johnson said the tournament was big in the fact that she got to play a lot of people to prepare for the 20-match grind of the Big 12.

The Cyclones, who were picked sixth in the preseason Big 12 poll, will play four of the five teams picked ahead of them in the preseason poll in their first five matches of the Big 12 slate, including the Aggies, who were picked fourth.