ISU volleyball defeats Oklahoma in four sets for second Big 12 win
Redshirt junior outside hitter Morgan Kuhrt (left) and sophomore middle blocker Alexis Conaway (right) miss the block from an Iowa hitter. Kuhrt had 11 digs and Conaway came out with four digs in the 25-17, 17-25, 18-25, 26-28 loss on Friday.
September 30, 2015
Despite a loss in the opening set, Iowa State (9-4, 2-0 Big 12) rallied to defeat Oklahoma (6-8, 0-2 Big 12) in the final three sets and the match (28-30, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23). The victory earned the Cyclones their second consecutive conference win — reversing their fortunes from last season during which they began 0-2.
Senior Caitlin Nolan led the Cyclones in the opening set, which took 58 points to complete. During the set, Iowa State was able to eliminate an early five-point deficit at 9-4, eventually tying the game at 19. From that point on, the Cyclones and Sooners traded points with each team failing to capitalize on two set points until the Sooners did on their third.
The second set provided a similar back-and-forth feel with the largest lead being four points when the Sooners led 20-16 late in the set. However, the Cyclones responded, ending on a 9-3 run to claim victory and even up the sets at one apiece. Sophomore Mo Harris ended the set by slamming an errant overpass from the Sooner side.
Iowa State carried their accrued momentum through the break and into the third set, jumping out to an early 9-2 lead. The out-of-the-gate run was fueled by sophomore Alexis Conaway, who registered four kills in the opening nine points of the third set. Redshirt junior Morgan Kuhrt also chipped in to the ISU effort, notching seven kills on a .700 hitting percentage on the set. Iowa State didn’t look back from its early lead, finishing the set with a 25-19 victory.
The final set mimicked the opening two with the largest deficit being just three points when the Sooners went up 3-0 to begin the match. Another neck-and-neck battle ended with a kill by freshman Jess Schaben as the Cyclones claimed the match.
Kuhrt and Conaway led all players with 17 kills apiece, producing at hitting percentages of .467 and .429 on the match, respectively. Nolan led the defensive effort with 33 digs on the night while Harris notched 58 assists — 36 more than any other player on either side.
Iowa State will continue its conference schedule as it travels to Austin, Tex., to take on the No. 3 Longhorns at 7 p.m. Oct. 3.
