AMES — Iowa State narrowly avoided getting reverse swept by West Virginia through multiple clutch plays in set five to give the Cyclones a 3-2 win to start Big 12 play. [25-14, 25-15, 18-25, 23-25, 17-15]
Iowa State dominated set one, winning by a score of 25-14. After making the Syracuse Invite All-Tournament team, redshirt sophomore Lilly Wachholz continued her excellent play by leading the team in kills during the set with eight.
Set two was more of the same, as the Cyclones were a step ahead of the Mountaineers during the entire set. Big-time kills came from junior Maya Duckworth, redshirt junior Amiree Hendricks-Walker, and Wachholz. A lot of self-inflicted wounds from West Virginia helped propel Iowa State to victory in this set.
The Mountaineers then threw a curveball at the Cyclones in set three. Iowa State had no answers for its offense, as they hit at a .394 hitting percentage with 16 kills.
The Cyclones played a much better set four but just could not stop the West Virginia attack down the stretch. Iowa State had a chance to extend the set before a miscommunication led to a point for the Mountaineers, leading to a set win.
Taken to the brink in set five, the Cyclones’ grit showed when they came back after being down 6-11 early in the set. Clutch back-to-back kills by Hendricks-Walker sealed the deal for Iowa State’s first conference win.
Strong play from Hendricks-Walker and Wachholz
Hendricks-Walker played a pivotal part in the Cyclones offense throughout the match.
The USF transfer led Iowa State in kills with 18 at an incredible .593 hitting percentage. There was no better person to slam the door shut than Hendricks-Walker.
“Everyone has the ability to add to the portion, so that is a huge thing for us,” Hendricks-Walker said. “We are able to keep ourselves up with that kind of energy. That is something we definitely need to do.”
Wachholz was not far behind, with 16 kills to her name. She was crucial in getting the Cyclones out to a 2-0 set lead.
“We are working to find consistency. We found ourselves getting into that rhythm with our setters, and everything really came together,” Wachholz said. “The first two sets were great, but we want consistency to finish it in three. It shows a lot about us that we are not giving up and still battling.”
Iowa State’s resiliency and depth show up big-time
The Cyclones found themselves down 6-11 in the fifth set, which is almost always a recipe for disaster. However, Iowa State beat the odds, taking 11 of the final 15 points, to hold off a fierce comeback from West Virginia.
With sophomore Nayeli Gonzalez and freshman Rachel Van Gorp still dealing with injuries, the Cyclones had to turn to many different players off the bench. Redshirt sophomore Kiersten Schmitt excelled in her role, coming up with three kills in the final set.
Iowa State saw five players with at least five kills, including eight kills from sophomore Pam McCune and seven from Schmitt.
Starting off Big 12 play with a bang, with room to improve
With this win, the Cyclones start their Big 12 season undefeated as the team prepares to take on the rest of their conference season.
“It feels good to start off with a win and get a little boost of confidence,” Wachholz said. “It’s conference time now and everyone we play is going to be good, so this confidence booster feels good.”
However, Iowa State Head Coach Christy Johnson-Lynch knows that there is room for improvement despite the big win on Saturday.
“It’s crucial that you get that fifth set. Whether you win in three or five, you still win,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We aren’t really pleased with the way we played. Sometimes, our block lineup wasn’t right, and then we struggled to get some kills on the offensive end.”
