Vondrak gives ISU volleyball spark in defensive battle against Kansas State

Max Goldberg/Iowa State Daily

Junior Natalie Vondrak goes up for a hit against the Nebraska Cornhuskers late first set. The Cyclones would go on to lose the set 25-23, and the game 3-1.

Kevin Horner
October 7, 2015

After taking the opening two sets from Kansas State (9-7, 1-3 Big 12), Iowa State (10-5, 3-1 Big 12) trailed 12-14 in the third game — battling back from a 5-10 deficit before falling behind again.

Enter redshirt junior Natalie Vondrak.

Vondrak, whose time on the court has diminished during the past five matches, had yet to see any action in the match up to that point. With the Cyclones on their heels and the Wildcats threatening to edge their way back into the match, ISU volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch knew the team needed a boost.

She also knew whose number to call.

“That’s kind of [Vondrak’s] M.O.,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She’s got a tremendous amount of will to her. She’s stubborn, and I say that in a good way. She’s just a tremendous competitor.”

Vondrak’s presence on the court seemed to be just what the doctor, or Johnson-Lynch, ordered for the ISU attack. After the Wildcats carried their momentum a bit further — expanding their lead to 17-13 — Vondrak began to fuel an ISU comeback.

It began with back-to-back kills, each assisted by sophomore Mo Harris. Vondrak then followed those kills, with the help of sophomore Alexis Conaway and freshman Grace Lazard, with a successful block to bring the Cyclones within one. 

Two more successful kills and a service ace later, along with help from her teammates, Vondrak and the Cyclones were celebrating their third conference win in four games.

“[Vondrak] comes in every day ready to work,” said senior Caitlin Nolan. “I don’t think you can see many very people come off the bench with [that] much enthusiasm and as loose as she played. It’s really great to see all of her hard work pay off.”

When Vondrak entered the match in the midst of the third set, she was entering a defensive battle. Despite the match only lasting three sets, the two Big 12 competitors combined for 146 digs — the third-highest number in an ISU match this season. None of those other three matches ended in a three-set sweep.

The defensive efficiency — digs, in particular —kept the hitting percentages at sub-.200 levels with the Cyclones and Wildcats finishing at .179 and .099, respectively.

That percentage served as somewhat of an anomaly for the Cyclones, however, as they hadn’t swept an opponent and hit that low of a percentage since their match against North Dakota on Aug. 29.

The enhanced defensive plays resulted in more digs, which resulted in longer rallies. It was Iowa State, however, that persevered and battled through those long rallies to claim the sweep.

“Kansas State is near the top for digs per set,” Nolan said. “As a libero, I think we’re a pretty good defensive team, and I prided ourselves on that for so many years. I think it just shows what both teams can do in those long rallies, who can outlast the other team.”

It was Vondrak, however, that seemed to break the defensive trend in the final 19 points of the match — generating efficiency on the ISU attack. During her limited time on the court, she managed a .375 hitting percentage — notching nearly one-third of Iowa State’s kills that set on less than one-fifth of the attacks.

Johnson-Lynch has recognized the asset she has in Vondrak coming off of the bench, and tonight, she utilized that asset to her advantage. 

“I don’t think it matters what situation you put her in,” Johnson-Lynch said of Vondrak. “It could be 15-all for the match point of the Final Four, and I think she would act just the same. She just always competes.”