AMES – Iowa State grabbed its second victory in three days, beating the UCF Knights 3-1 Saturday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum. With the win, the Cyclones move to 13-2 and 3-1 in conference play.
Despite losing the first set 27-25, the Cyclones’ victory marked their fifth four-set victory this season. Set one was the second set all season that the Cyclones lost in extra volleys, with the first coming in set three against BYU.
Cyclones adjust following first set slip-ups
The Cyclones allowed the Knights 16 kills in the first set, the most kills allowed in the last seven sets played. With quick adjustments after the first set, the Cyclones held the Knights below 10 kills in the next two sets.
“After the first set, we knew we needed to come back with more energy, more offensive pressure and not make as many errors,” junior middle blocker Pam McCune said. “It was that mindset shift of being very casual and taking everything seriously, every point matters.”
The Cyclones matched the first set in kills and blocks, but with the defensive adjustments, the Knights went from 16 kills in set one to just six in set two.
“Defensively, our back row made a lot of adjustments,” McCune said. “Instead of being shallow, we got a little bit deeper.”
The Cyclones had six digs in the first set and only one from sophomore libero Rachel Van Gorp. In set two, the Cyclones had 16 total digs, six of which came from Van Gorp, who ended the match with 15.
Hanfelt leads team in blocks in second career start
Freshman middle blocker and Ankeny native Reagan Hanfelt made her second career start Saturday, with her first coming on Thursday’s game against Texas Tech. Hanfelt led the team in blocks, having been responsible for four of the team’s 11.
Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch was impressed with what she’s seen out of Hanfelt in her first two starts this season.
“She’s always into it,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Always a big smile on her face, lots of energy. You just don’t have to worry about it.”
Hanfelt ended the match with four blocks, four kills, two digs and an ace serve. Her hitting percentage was .300.
Next week, the Cyclones take a road trip to the Sunflower State, where they’ll play Kansas State at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, followed by Kansas at 6 p.m. Friday. Both games can be watched on ESPN+.
