Jayhawks sweep Cyclones in quick match

Tony Muller

Kansas made quick work of the ISU volleyball team Saturday night at Hilton Coliseum.

The Jayhawks swept the Cyclones 3-0 in a match that only lasted one hour and 21 minutes. The loss leaves the Cyclones with an 11-17 overall record, 3-14 in the Big 12.

“We have had a number of good points this season,” head coach Linda Crum said. “This conference has a lot of parity, and our kids have played a lot of good matches. I’m proud of our kids no matter where we finish in the standings.”

Kansas dominated the match both offensively and defensively. The Jayhawks hit .286 from the floor, compared with .108 for the Cyclones. Kansas had 53 kills to Iowa State’s 28, and the Jayhawks had 53 digs to the Cyclones 29.

Kansas, in Game 1, opened a huge lead of 21-10, before Iowa State started to make a run, aided by a serving ace by senior Renae Pruess. That ace made it 21-13, but that was as close as the Cyclones would get, as the Jayhawks pulled away to a 30-16 win. Pruess had four kills to lead the Cyclones, while junior Brittany Dalager had five assists.

“We made some technical adjustments during the timeouts, but we didn’t stay focused on our game plan,” Crum said.

Iowa State stayed close early in Game 2, with kills by Dalager, Nicole Lorenzen and Pruess. But the Jayhawks pulled away to a 30-19 win and a 2-0 match lead.

“The first two games, we were not passing and serving aggressively,” Dalager said. “We did not do well until Game 3, when Ashlie [McWee] started to make things happen. We forced Kansas to make errors, while in the first two games, we were the ones making the mistakes.”

In the third game, the Cyclones began to show some life as they jumped to a quick 6-1 lead, aided by blocks by Katie Kruenegel and Pruess. The lead changed hands three times and the score was tied twice. Ultimately, the Jayhawks pulled away and held off the Cyclones near the end for a 30-27 win to sweep the match 3-0.

Pruess and Lorenzen each had three kills in Game 3. Dalager had five sets and also had two digs.

“I’m proud of the way our kids responded in Game 3,” Crum said. “Renae and Brittany did a good job of setting. We had a lot of good blocks out there tonight. Katie and Ashlie started out slow on their aggressive play, but they did a good job. We needed to communicate more aggressively, as well as focus on the first ball coming from the setter, and that would give our hitters a chance to make the play.”

Senior Lindsey Chapman did not play for the Cyclones due to an indefinite suspension for violating team rules. The next match for Iowa State is on the road Wednesday against Missouri. Match time is set for 7 p.m.