WVU Drops Three-Set Match to Iowa State

Saturday, October 5

Morgantown, W.Va.

11:00 a.m.

West Virginia University

8-7, 0-3

Iowa State

11-4, 2-1

Iowa State

West Virginia

Photo by: Steven Prunty

October 05, 2019 02:34 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats Highlights Photo Gallery

By: Amy Salvatore

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Unable to overcome an Iowa State offense hitting .374, the West Virginia University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 match to the Cyclones on Saturday afternoon, at the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown. The Mountaineers (8-7, 0-3) fell to the Cyclones (11-4, 2-1) in set scores of 25-18, 25-22 and 25-16.

"I thought we played a lot better when our backs were against the wall," fifth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "They fought hard and competed well, but we have to do that from the start. If we can do that from the start, then we are going to be in much better shape. When you let a team like Iowa State build a lead and add to it, it is tough to catch up. We put ourselves in a hole, and we didn't dig out of it."

Senior outside hitter Katelyn Evans and sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Kristina Jordan each put down a team-best 10 kills, followed by junior middle blocker Briana Lynch with nine. Lynch also recorded a team-high .381 hitting efficiency, adding a pair of blocks in the match.

Sophomore setter Lacey Zerwas was one dig shy of her fifth double-double this season, digging a team-high nine balls and dishing out 30 of the Mountaineers' 35 assists.

WVU finished the match hitting .193 with 38 kills and four team blocks. ISU hit .374, racking up 49 kills on 107 attacks and six team blocks.

The Mountaineers couldn't find their offense in set one, as the Cyclones rattled off six in a row for the 11-5 lead. WVU used a trio of late kills, as well as a service ace from sophomore defensive specialist Keatan Broughton, to go on a 4-0 scoring run of its own to come within four at 17-13. WVU couldn't put forth the first-set comeback though, as ISU notched three straight to end the set in its favor at 25-18.

The second set started similar to the first, with the Cyclones taking five straight points for a 7-3 lead. The Mountaineers burned a timeout, throwing down back-to-back kills out of the stoppage to cut their deficit to two at 7-5. Both squads continued to exchange points down the stretch, but a 3-0 scoring run from ISU allowed the Cyclones to pull away, holding a six-point advantage late in the frame. WVU continued to put up a fight though, capitalizing on a trio of ISU miscues to come within three at 22-19. The Mountaineers continued to chip away at the Cyclones lead, using back-to-back kills to trail by two at 23-21. Unfortunately, WVU served one into the net, as ISU reach set point. Iowa State put down a kill for the win, as West Virginia dropped the set, 25-22, to fall into a 2-0 hole in the match.

West Virginia's struggles carried over in the third, as the Mountaineers fell to the Cyclones, 25-16. Trailing by one early on, Iowa State scored on eight of 10 serves to take a 14-7 lead and never looked back. ISU later notched back-to-back-to-back points for the 19-9 advantage, forcing WVU to call its final timeout of the frame to regroup. Consecutive kills from Jordan brought the Mountaineers within eight, but the Cyclones put down a kill of their own to reach set point at 24-15. Zerwas tipped one over the net to extend the set, but another kill from Josie Herbst gave Iowa State the 25-16 win and 3-0 triumph in the match.

Looking ahead, West Virginia swings through Kansas for a pair of Big 12 Conference matchups. The Mountaineers take on the Kansas Jayhawks on Thursday, Oct. 10, followed by a match at Kansas State on Saturday, Oct. 12.

For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.