It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

The Cyclones kicked off conference play with a 3-1 win over Oklahoma (29-31, 25-15, 25-23, 25-22)

Iowa State was rusty to begin its Big 12 season. In the first set, the Cyclones amassed a .193 hitting percentage.

Iowa State dug into a hole early on, but the Cyclones inched back. Iowa State knotted the score up at 24. The Cyclones battled off five set points from the Sooners, but the sixth was too much to overcome.

Iowa State played sloppy at points in the first set, sacrificing four service errors and seven attack errors.

The Cyclones began the second set sluggish, falling behind 8-5. Iowa State cut the lead to 10-9 and something clicked.

The Cyclones scored nine-straight points, jumping out to an 18-10 lead. The run was sparked by a group effort. Five different Cyclones contributed a kill during the stretch.

After the run, the Cyclones cruised to a 10-point victory to tie the match at one apiece.

In the third set, the Sooners proved they wouldn’t be defeated easily. 

Oklahoma competed hard, but eventually the Cyclones outlasted the Sooners, giving them a 2-1 edge.

In the fourth set, the Cyclones were rolling and couldn’t be stopped. Iowa State utilized its momentum from the second and third set to squeeze out a win.