Cyclones Dismiss Mountaineers, 3-0

AMES, Iowa – No. 23 Iowa State (10-6, 4-2 Big 12) swept Big 12 newcomer West Virginia (8-12, 0-6 Big 12) on Wednesday night, 25-14, 25-13, 25-16, controlling the match from the start to earn the program’s 700th victory.

“We felt like if we played well, we should really be in control of that match and we did that,” Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said. “We’re not going to take for granted that there was a good separation in the score, that’s something that is not always easy to do. Even when we came out in set three we still focused and played pretty crisp.”

Mackenzie Bigbee and Victoria Hurtt got the Cyclones going in set one, each player notching three kills en route to the first set win. Caleah Wells and Elzbieta Klein posted three kills apiece for the Mountaineers but the team hit only .048 with nine kills and seven errors. The Cyclones posted three blocks in the set, led by Bigbee with a solo block and one block assist.

Set two belonged to Iowa State again as Jamie Straube and Alison Landwehr provided three kills each as the Cyclones cruised to take the set, 25-13. Nikki Attea led the Mountaineers with three kills in the set.

The Cyclones put on another dominant performance in the third set, jumping out to a 20-7 lead as Bigbee, Hurtt and Tenisha Matlock each had three kills in the set. Iowa State also posted four blocks in the final set, including three block assists from Straube.

On the night, the Cyclones held the Mountaineers to just .010 hitting, the lowest hitting percentage of a Cyclone opponent this year, while recording eight blocks. Hurtt led the way offensively with eight kills, followed by Bigbee with seven. Klein and Attea led the Mountaineer attack with six kills each.

The Cyclones are off on Saturday before returning to the court at No. 9 Texas next Wednesday, Oct. 17. At 7 p.m. CDT.