Iowa State let several chances slip through the cracks and allowed No. 24 Texas A&M to solidify its place in the rankings with a 3-1 win against the Cyclones on Wednesday night.

Iowa State (11-8, 4-4 Big 12) found themselves ahead 25-19 in the fourth game after a series of Aggie errors. The Cyclone’s advance hit the skids, however, after Texas A&M captured 11 of the next 13 points with its roster of aggressive hitters.

Texas A&M’s star hitter, Laura Jones, capsized Iowa State with a back row kill for the 30-27 match-winner. The Aggies nabbed only their second conference win of the season, pushing their record to 9-7 overall.

“We were back and forth all night, and it was whoever played better and wanted the game more was going to win,” said coach Christy Johnson. “We didn’t catch fire until the end of games, and by that time it was too late.”

Jones started off the first game with the night’s first kill, but Iowa State power hitter Erin Boeve responded with the next. Neither team appeared very focused in the first game and the Cyclones cruised to an easy 30-18 win.

The second game was a battle, as sophomores Boeve and Meghan Ferrie were pitted against Jones point for point. Each team had trouble stringing points together, and the lead changed with nearly every serve.

Laura Cady scooped up two service aces for points 24 and 25, but the Aggies reared back as Jones tied it at 28. Boeve connected on a kill for game point, but Jones powered through ISU’s block and tied it again. Points traded in heated play until several Iowa State errors sealed its fate and allowed the 36-34 Aggie win.

“We need to be able to sustain ourselves longer, especially after point 20,” Johnson said. “They passed well, and when teams do that it’s really hard to keep up with them.”

Boeve agreed that the game was within reach at every point, but it was her own side of the net that didn’t deliver.

“It was just a few points difference the whole time, and it was the small things that kept us out of the game,” Boeve said. “We didn’t stay aggressive when we needed to.”

Points scattered in the third game until Texas A&M found its momentum and turned on its blocking game. Nicole Lorenzen tied the game at 23, but the Aggies forced an ISU timeout by sweeping the next three points. Texas A&M brandished the remainder of the points and took the 30-25 win.

Iowa State’s goal of keeping Jones to a minimum fell short as Jones led all hitters with 22 kills. Teammate Christi Hahn capitalized on open shots with a total of 18 kills, as well as a match-high .452 hitting percentage. Setter Kari Kelley dished out 54 assists on the night, and she and Hahn each garnered three service aces.

ISU junior transfer Jessica Klein had a career night with 13 kills, Boeve tied her career-high 19 kills and Amanda Craig tied her season-high 16 digs.

Although the Cyclones’ blocking game was less apparent on the court than before, they still had 21 blocks to Texas A&M’s nine.

“There were no surprises in this game, because we knew what we were up against and I thought we executed our game plan well,” Johnson said. “There were just some points we wish we could take back. When you play a team that good, you really get to see what you’re made of.”