AMES – The Iowa State women’s volleyball team defeated No. 6 Arizona State in a five-set thriller on Halloween. The contest drew a large crowd and the Cyclone fans brought plenty of energy all night.
“You know, it’s a huge win, obviously, against a team that’s really good,” head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said.
The Sun Devils came out to play in the first set, winning the opening set 25-17. The Cyclones returned the favor by winning the second set by the same margin at 25-17.
It was in the second set that Johnson-Lynch believed this team needed a spark. That spark came by having redshirt junior outside hitter Nayeli Ti’a play in the front row.
“I think at the end of the day, everyone’s kind of going where they need to be to help the team win,” Ti’a said. “And so it’s all just about having a good attitude and really being ready for the opportunity when you get it.”
Both teams were split in the first two sets. The third set was absolute cinema. Arizona State took an early lead, but Iowa State stormed back. The teams were within two points for the majority of the set. The set would ultimately go to extra points, with the Cyclones winning 29-27.
The Devils won a very close fourth set 25-22, bringing the match to a fifth set. It would be all Cyclones in the fifth, pulling out to an early lead. The Sun Devils had one last grasp, surviving four ISU match points, forcing a timeout.
It would be senior setter Morgan Brandt assisting senior middle blocker Tierney Jackson to end the match. One of 15 kills for Jackson, while hitting a team best .407.
The trio of senior outside hitter Maya Duckworth, Ti’a and Jackson were impressive in the upset victory. Duckworth led the team with 16 kills, Jackson had 15 and Ti’a had 12.
The Cyclones celebrated in style, showering the coaching staff as they entered the locker room.
“Yeah, I just thought we executed pretty well. I thought it was a team effort,” Johnson-Lynch said.
Sun Devils not spooked in opening set
The Cyclones struggled in the first set, falling 25-17 to the Sun Devils. They struggled especially at the net, getting blocked five times while never returning the favor.
With the absence of the ISU block, the Cyclone defense struggled as a whole. Arizona State just had to get the ball over the net and a Cyclone error was likely in the first.
There were five total errors on the attack for the Cyclones in the first set, along with three service errors. The opposition had two attack errors and no service errors. Even without the statistics, the Cyclones were simply outplayed in the first set.
Cyclones win; Can’t stop Glover
Arizona State junior opposite hitter Noemie Glover showed why she was on the Big 12 preseason team. Glover, standing 6-foot-2, swings with her left arm. With a full run-up, the Cyclones couldn’t do anything about her.
Glover went for 18 kills while hitting .200. Glover did have a kill percentage of .360.
Glover’s signature move is running around the perimeter of the court with one of her teammates returning the serve. While normally allowing Glover to gain extra momentum, this almost cost the Sun Devils a valuable point in the fourth set. The initial call on the court was that the ball was touched, but a challenge from ASU head coach JJ Van Niel reversed the call on the court. The Sun Devils took the fourth set and forced a fifth set.
The Cyclones will enjoy a much-needed week off before they travel down to UCF Saturday. The match will start at noon Central and broadcast on ESPN+.
