AMES – After dropping a five-set thriller against Kansas State, the Cyclones look to get back in the win column against No. 17 Baylor.
Iowa State dropped its match against Kansas State despite an impressive offensive performance from redshirt sophomore outside hitter Lilly Wachholz, who had 17 kills. Junior middle blocker Amiree Hendricks-Walker also had seven total blocks for her second straight match.
Heading into Waco, Texas, the Cyclones have the opportunity to take down a ranked opponent for the first time this season. Iowa State sits at 9-10 and is below a .500 record for the first time all year. Additionally, the Cyclones have a 3-5 Big 12 record, which puts them at ninth in the conference.
Sophomore middle blocker Pam McCune made her presence known in her return to action against Kansas State. Although she was limited to three sets, she had seven kills and a block that came at a key moment late in the match.
Another player who is back in the lineup is junior outside hitter Maya Duckworth, who is second on the team in kills per set with 2.71. Duckworth has been a key player in some of the Cyclones’ wins and her offense has been a missing piece.
As for the Bears, they have a 13-6 record, including three wins over ranked opponents. They most recently beat No. 18 TCU at home, giving them a 5-3 conference record.
Senior outside hitter Elise McGhee leads the Bears, as she was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and was an AVCA All-Southwest Region Honorable Mention. McGhee has 235 kills on the year, with an impressive 3.41 kills per set.
Baylor senior libero Lauren Briseño has had an impressive start to the year defensively, boasting 4.09 digs per set. She has also added 11 aces and 79 assists.
Iowa State will need to put on a strong defensive performance in order to give the Bears a run for their money, especially at the net.
The Cyclones’ head coach, Christy Johnson-Lynch, has talked about the amount of time the Cyclones have spent working on blocks during practice. Hendricks-Walker is one of the players that will be most important for that to happen.
“We’ve been blocking a lot, that’s like a large portion of our practice,” Hendricks-Walker said. “I think it’s very important, like building that chemistry with the pins to make sure we are going up together and just making sure we press.”
Iowa State out-blocked Kansas State 13-11 in the loss, but a larger discrepancy in blocks might be needed to stop the Baylor offense.
The Cyclones take on the Bears to start a two-match road trip at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Waco. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.