A season of ups, downs and everything in between has come to a close as Iowa State volleyball dropped its final match of the season against Stanford at the NCAA Tournament 3-1 on Friday.

Stanford topped the Cyclones three sets to one in Minneapolis thanks to its fluid offense.

The Cyclones were playing as a unit early in the first set, recording blocks and big swings to kick off the match. The energy helped Iowa State to keep the set close despite strong play from the Cardinals, with the Cyclones trailing 14-12.

Annie Hatch would come into the game and provide a spark for the Cyclones, recording five quick kills on just seven swings. Despite her contributions, Stanford would go on to win the set 25-19.

The most noticeable discrepancy in the set was Stanford’s .406 to .171 lead in hitting percentage.

In the second set, the physicality picked up on the Cyclones’ side of the net. Candelaria Herrera continually made her presence felt as Iowa State jumped to an 11-8 lead.

Iowa State played arguably its most complete set of the entire season, resulting in a 25-23 win.

Similar to the first two sets, the third set was a battle between two teams that would not quit. 

Caitie Baird and Kendall Kipp of Stanford each played at the top of their games in the third set. The two would finish with a combined 42 kills in the match.

When the set came to a close the Cardinal were able to take a 25-18 set win.

The Cyclones had their entire season on the line in the fourth set, but the Cardinals were the ones that came to play. Playing in-system and communicating every pass helped the team get out to a 16-10 lead. Stanford continued to cruise, finishing the set with a 25-17 win.

Leading the Iowa State offense was Eleanor Holthaus with 15 kills followed by Herrera with 12. Holthaus also led the team in digs with 12.