ISU volleyball: Midseason report

Kevin Horner
October 27, 2015

The midpoint in any season presents a time for reflection and a time for continued preparation. 

Through the first eight volleyball Big 12 games of the season, Iowa State (13-6, 6-2 Big 12) sits in third place in the conference standings below No. 10 Kansas (19-1, 7-1 Big 12) and No. 2 Texas (18-1, 8-0 Big 12). Those teams have presented the Cyclones with their only conference losses.

Upperclassmen such as senior libero Caitlin Nolan have continued to produce for the Cyclones, and young talent has begun to emerge.

Here is the 2015 ISU volleyball midseason report:

Offensive MVP

Freshman outside hitter Jess Schaben: Schaben, the 2015 Des Moines Register Female High School Athlete of the Year, entered her first season at Iowa State as one of six freshmen. She received early praise from ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch at the media day press conference Aug. 19 and justified that praise almost immediately.

Schaben notched 32 kills during three matches at the season-opening Cyclone Invitational. She followed that performance with a career-high 28 kills against Appalachian State, which set the freshman record for kills in a match.

Schaben has carried her offensive efficiency into the bulk of the regular season, leading the Cyclones in total kills with 218 and in kills per set with 3.25.

She has notched at least 70 more kills than any other Cyclone and is on pace for roughly 330 kills on the season, which would be just 23 kills short of the most by an ISU freshman in a single season.

Defensive MVP

Senior libero Caitlin Nolan: Nolan was a unanimous selection to the 2015 All-Big 12 Preseason Team and has earned two Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week awards since the season began.

Nolan leads the team in digs with 401, 240 more than any other Cyclone.

Nolan is operating at a rate of 5.90 digs per set, 0.16 more than her 2014 rate, which set an ISU and Big 12 record. In 2015, she has recorded more than 30 digs on three separate occasions, notching a season-high 34 digs against Appalachian State. 

Nolan leads the Big 12 in digs and digs per set, averaging 0.91 more digs per set than any other Big 12 player. Like the liberos before her, Nolan has carried on Iowa State’s legacy of “Libero U.”

X factor

Outside hitter Natalie Vondrak: After seeing her playing time decrease in 2014, Vondrak has already played 15 matches this year. Vondrak is seventh on the team with 61 total kills.

Although she has not played nearly as much as players like Schaben and Nolan, Vondrak has provided energy and efficiency in key situations throughout the season.

When the Cyclones trailed 17-13 in the third set against Kansas State on Oct. 7, Vondrak recorded four kills on a .375 hitting percentage with two digs and an ace in the last 19 points of the set. 

“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. I don’t think it matters what situation you put her in.

“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.”

Most improved player

Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Samara West: Even after a successful season in 2014 in which she recorded a .236 hitting percentage, West has stepped up her game in 2015. 

Just 19 matches into the season, West is three kills and four blocks shy of her 2014 totals of 140 kills and 55 blocks. She recorded a career-high 14 kills in her first game action Aug. 29 against North Dakota.

The area that has seen the most improvement in West’s game, however, is the same area that set her apart in 2014 — her hitting percentage. West’s .412 hitting percentage ranks first in the Big 12 and 18th in the nation. 

Biggest win

Sept. 30, 3-1 win at Oklahoma: It was Iowa State’s second Big 12 game of the season and the first one on the road. The Cyclones were coming off a 3-0 win against Texas Tech.

The Sooners took the opening set in a 30-28 marathon, wearing down the Cyclones. In a close second set, sophomore Monique Harris buried an overpass to give the Cyclones a 25-23 set win, evening up the score heading into the break.

The Cyclones carried the momentum through the break and into the final two sets, claiming them both. Oklahoma was the only other team besides Texas to receive a first place vote in the Big 12 preseason poll.

Strengths

During the first half of the Big 12 season, two stat lines have emerged for Iowa State compared to the rest of the Big 12 — digs and service aces.

The Cyclones currently trail Kansas State by .01 in digs per set, which aligns with Johnson-Lynch’s history of successful liberos. As Nolan leads the Big 12 in digs by a substantial margin, defensive efficiency has allowed the Cyclones to extend rallies and win points.

Johnson-Lynch has always emphasized “serving tough” in order to get opponents out of a rhythm. Iowa State’s 1.44 aces per set reflects Johnson-Lynch’s efforts.

Sophomore Branen Berta has led the serving charge, leading the team with 22 aces, which is third best in the Big 12.

Weaknesses

Despite Iowa State’s defensive strengths in terms of digs, the Cyclones have had trouble succeeding at the net defensively. The Cyclones rank eighth out of nine teams in the Big 12 for blocks per set, averaging 1.96.

Iowa State is the only other team besides West Virginia to have an average below 2.0. 

On the other side of the ball, Iowa State also ranks just seventh in the conference in hitting percentage at .238.

Although the Cyclones rank fourth in kills per set, their attacking errors, 405, have significantly downgraded their hitting percentage, leaving room for improvement.

Looking Forward

“I’m excited for the second half of the Big 12 [season],” Johnson-Lynch said. “Lot of matches to be played, a lot can happen before NCAAs start, but I think, generally speaking, we’re in a good spot. I’m excited to see what the next several weeks hold.”