AMES — Iowa State defeated Big 12 opponent Cincinnati 3-1 Wednesday night, ending the Bearcats’ seven-match win streak.
The win improved the Cyclones record to 8-5 and stayed perfect at 2-0 in Big 12 conference play. It also gave Cincinnati its third loss of the year and first on the road.
In the first set, the Iowa State offense was spread out between a few different players. Redshirt sophomore Lilly Wachholz had five kills, while junior Maya Duckworth and sophomore Nayeli Gonzalez each added four.
The Cyclone defense outplayed that of the Bearcats in set one with 23 digs compared to Cincinnati’s nine. Iowa State slowly crept away in set one with a 25-19 win.
Iowa State continued to play at a high level in the second set, but the Bearcats hurt themselves more than anything. Cincinnati had a hitting percentage of -.098 in the set and the Cyclones took advantage of it, winning 25-13.
Iowa State played slower in the third set and dropped it 25-21, a theme that is all too well-known for this team. The Cyclones played their worst in a lot of aspects in the third set, including kills, hitting percentage, digs and assists.
The fourth set was the closest yet and Iowa State had a 22-18 lead late in the set. After a quick 3-0 Bearcat run, it was 22-21 in favor of the Cyclones. A few back-and-forth points later, and Iowa State won 25-23 off a powerful Duckworth kill.
Offensive depth continues to be a difference-maker
The leader for Iowa State in kills per set is Gonzalez at 3.11, as she returned to action against Cincinnati for her first match since Sept. 15.
“It’s great having more options and healthy players,” Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said. “I don’t think she loved how she played tonight but it’s literally the first match back in awhile.”
With the absence of Gonzalez, the Cyclones were able to find an identity outside of her. Wachholz has had 10 or more kills in the past six matches, including 12 against the Bearcats. She only hit that mark once in the first seven matches.
Duckworth leads the team in kills with 136 and had a match-high with 15 against Cincinnati. Redshirt junior Amiree Hendricks-Walker has also hit the 10 or more threshold in back-to-back matches after only hitting the mark once in her first 10 matches played.
Defensive specialists shine
Senior Brooke Stonestreet totaled 24 digs against the Bearcats, reaching 20-plus for her fourth straight match. Freshman Rachel Van Gorp was sidelined since Sept. 15, so Stonestreet took a bit of a larger role in her absence.
“I think just going for everything and just not really thinking about much,” Stonestreet said. “We’ve been focusing a lot on defense, and the block helps me a lot with some good touches.”
Redshirt junior defensive specialist Paula Krzeslak has also taken a bit of a larger role since Van Gorp’s injury. Against Cincinnati, the trio dominated the defensive end. Along with Stonestreet’s 24, Van Gorp added 13 digs and Krzeslak had eight of her own.
“On defense and serve receive, it’s nice having three [defensive specialists] back there because we are all so confident in each other and trust each other,” Stonestreet said. “It’s honestly a perfect combination back there.”
Iowa State gets the job done in four sets
After nearly allowing a comeback in the last match against West Virginia, the Cyclones prevented the match against the Bearcats from going to five sets. Johnson-Lynch has preached not letting up going into the third set 2-0, but Iowa State has not been able to finish in that situation.
“I think we did a little better of grinding there at the end,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We’ve been talking about urgency, and when we feel that kind of lull, everything has got to be a little more grittier.”
The Cyclones also held Cincinnati to 30 kills compared to Iowa State’s 61. That kind of stat starts on the defensive side, but you cannot get 61 kills without offense.
“I think defense helps generate the offense with the momentum, like when the play is going on you are in the heat of the moment,” junior Morgan Brandt said. “Brooke [Stonestreet] or the [defensive specialist] is back there making plays and it makes everyone else want to go get it more.”
Iowa State now begins a three match road trip, starting with Kansas State at 4 p.m. Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
