Missing key players in Eleanor Holthaus and Marija Popovic due to Big 12 Health and Safety Protocols, Iowa State volleyball was defeated by West Virginia three sets to one on Sunday.

West Virginia jumped all over the Cyclones early, taking a quick 9-1 lead. At this point it became clear that being without Holthaus and Popovic would be a huge disadvantage for the Cyclones. The players did not look clean on the attack, nor were they flying around defensively as they have done frequently this season.

The Cyclones’ struggles would continue a little longer as they fell behind 16-6. Iowa State began to manufacture some energy, cutting the Mountaineer lead to 16-10. West Virginia was ultimately able to hold on, taking the set 25-18. While the Cyclones dropped the first set, seeing the team rally together served as a confidence booster for the players.

Iowa State turned the page after the first set and performed much better early, claiming a 9-5 lead. Annie Hatch played a role in this improvement, recording three kills on four swings to open the set. The remainder of the set was evenly matched, with the Cyclones winning 25-21. Iowa State ended the second set with an extremely high .366 hitting percentage, a major improvement from finishing in the negatives in the first set.

West Virginia pulled ahead 7-3 to open the third set, digging every attack that the Cyclones made. Iowa State was able to hang around, but it would not be enough to make a push to take the set. The Mountaineers went on to take set three, 25-18. Hitting was once again the source of the problem for the Cyclones during the set, as the team hit just .109.

Looking to complete the match, West Virginia soared out to a 9-4 lead in the fourth. In a must-win set, the Cyclones needed a run, and they got one, cutting the deficit to 12-11.

The first half of the fourth set was fairly tight in nearly every statistical category, and it translated to a tie at 15 on the scoreboard. Hatch continually took some big swings for the Cyclones as they earned a 20-18 lead. The Mountaineers were able to come back and secure a 25-21 win, thanks to strong defensive play.

Hatch and Mariah Mitchell led Iowa State with 13 and 12 kills respectively. Candelaria Herrera recorded eight blocks during the match.