Iowa State volleyball is off to a good start in this weekend’s Montana Invitational, as the Cyclones defeated Gonzaga in four sets in the first of two matches Friday.

The Cyclones got off to a fast start by taking the first set 25-12, but Gonzaga was able to rebound, taking an 8-3 lead in the second set. The Cyclones attempted to rally back and got within one point of the Zags, but ultimately lost the set 25-22.

A back-and-forth third set saw the Cyclones move into a 6-2 formation for the first time this season, giving freshman setter Jenna Brandt her first action of the season. The set stayed close throughout, but Iowa State was eventually able to grab the set point after taking a 25-24 lead.

The fourth set started off in a similar back-and-forth fashion, but Iowa State took a 10-9 lead near the midway point of the set and didn’t look back. The Cyclones pushed their lead to as high as six and took the set 25-21, giving the team its fourth win of the season.

Leading the way for the Cyclones on the attack were freshman Eleanor Holthaus, senior Jess Schaben and senior Grace Lazard, who had 16, 15 and 11 kills, respectively.

Sophomore Avery Rhodes also added eight kills and led the team with a .400 hitting percentage, while fellow sophomore Piper Mauck led the way with 54 assists at the setter position. Defensively, redshirt junior Hali Hillegas and freshman Brooke Andersen had 31 and 17 digs, respectively.

Iowa State will play one more game tonight against Montana at 8 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the Big Sky Conference website.