Another double-digit kill performance by offensive weapon Sheila Lopez wasn’t enough to propel the Iowa State women’s volleyball team past Big 12 opponent Oklahoma on Saturday night.

Lopez’s 12 kills and six digs proved to be inconclusive in the home opener as the Sooners converted the first serve of the match for a point and never looked back on its way to the 3-0 victory.

The double-digit kill effort was Lopez’s fourth of the still early season.

Oklahoma’s win, which spoiled the homecoaching debut of ISU head coach Linda Grensing, lifted its record to 6-6 and 1-1 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones fell to 2-6 and 0-2 in the conference with the home loss.

The Sooners came out strong in the first game of the match, easily going on to the 15-3 win.

The second game seemed to take on a different approach and saw ISU racing out to an early 4-0 lead. The Cyclones and the Sooners traded points for awhile before Oklahoma went on a tear and scored six straight points on its way to a 15-12 win.

The third game of the match went much like the first. Oklahoma raced out to the early lead and never looked back on its way to a 15-6 win and the match victory.

“At the beginning of the match, we didn’t start off well, but towards the end we came together and got pretty scrappy,” said freshman Mandi Harms, who entered the match as a reserve for the Cyclones.

“We need to work on a lot of things,” she said. “I think we’ll definitely improve as the season goes, and hopefully, we’ll be a much-improved team by the end. We’re all willing to go to practice and work hard every day, so that’s a huge benefit.”

Along with Lopez’s 12 kills and six digs, ISU was led offensively by Sarah Rollman with five kills and eight digs.

“We have definitely shown improvement as a team,” Rollman said. “It may not be reflective in the score, but we’re definitely getting better as a team.”

Sophomore transfer Sarah Stribe handled her first match as the starting setter for ISU, efficiently totaling a 26-assist performance.

Stribe joined the ISU volleyball team on September 7 after transferring from Drake. Although originally recruited as an addition to the ISU women’s basketball team, Stribe must sit out of competition for basketball during the school year but is eligible to participate in volleyball.

“I wasn’t really that nervous,” said Stribe. “I was excited for the opportunity to get out there and play. I’ve been through a couple of weeks of practice now, so I was pretty anxious to get out on the floor.”

The next match for the Cyclones will be Wednesday, when they travel to Kansas State.

“We know it’s going to be a tough match,” Rollman said. “Kansas State just beat Nebraska, who is right up there in the rankings, so they’re going to be pretty pumped about that.”

“We just have to go in and play hard,” she said. “That’s pretty much what we have to do every night.”