Iowa State’s sloppy offensive play hit a valley on Wednesday.

The strength for the Cyclones this season has been their defense. The offense has been anemic at points this season, a trend that continued against Baylor.

“We did not have it tonight offensively, ourselves,” said coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “Even when we got some one-on-ones, we were not getting kills. Some of our players struggled to get much going offensively, and then when that started happening I thought we just looked rattled.”

Iowa State’s efficiency in the first set was the best the Cyclones would see, hitting .147 in the set.

On the other hand, Baylor was firing on all cylinders, compiling a .323 hitting percentage in the first set. The Cyclone’s stout defense was unable to overcome the offensive struggles.

The slow start would trickle into the next couple of sets. Junior outside hitter Jess Schaben talked about the importance of getting off to a strong start and building momentum.

The junior noted the lethargic start needs to be a point of emphasis in practice before Iowa State’s next match.

“I think we just learn from this and not let it happen again,” Schaben said. “We need to figure out a way to come out strong right from the jump [and] just not wait [until] mid-game to get going.”

The second set was even uglier for the Cyclones. Not only did the poor hitting help sink Iowa State, but the Cyclone serving deteriorated, as well.

After two service errors in the first set, Iowa State doubled its number in the second set, failing to convert on four serves.

Even when an Iowa State server managed to get the ball over the net, the Cyclone middle blockers and hitters struggled to win points.

The .147 hitting percentage dropped to .121 in the second set.

After two subpar sets, the Cyclones unravelled. The service errors were limited to two, but the hitting percentage reached a low.

With only Schaben and junior middle blocker Grace Lazard maintaining a positive hitting percentage, the Cyclones amassed a team .077 hitting percentage.

The lack of efficiency from the hitting and serving for the Cyclones was a major factor in the outcome of the match, but Johnson-Lynch put part of the blame on her and her staff.

“I think a lot of this is on our staff,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We did not prepare our team well enough to slow them down offensively.”

When hitters and blockers are struggling, it can be tough for a setter to get in rhythm and set up the team’s offense.

Senior setter Monique Harris struggled to rack up assists with Iowa State, snagging only two assists in the final set.

“[I] just try to find someone that is [having success],” Harris said. “Jess [Schaben] was really working hard there, so just mixing up where you go and trying to create something.”

The timing for a lackluster performance is convenient for the Cyclones. Iowa State has the rest of this week off, and then the Cyclones take on Kansas State next Wednesday in Hilton Coliseum.

The luxury of a free weekend should grant the Iowa State coaching staff time to work out the team’s kinks.

“I guess the good thing is we have a lot of time now to focus on ourselves,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We don’t have to worry so much about the opponent.”