🏐 Jayhawks Fall to Cyclones 3-0
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas volleyball could not overcome an efficient Iowa State team as the Cyclones ended a KU nine-match winning streak with a 3-0 (20-25, 20-25, 20-25) decision at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena Saturday.
Kansas suffered its first conference in the 2021 season, falling to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play. Iowa State improved to 11-4 and 3-1.
For the match Iowa State had just seven errors in 114 attacks, with five of those errors coming from KU blocks. The Cyclones outhit KU .368 to .235 for the match. ISU also led in digs, 57-48, and in total blocks, 8-5.
“They (Iowa State) played really clean volleyball today,” KU head coach Ray Bechard said. “They only had two unforced errors. That’s playing at a pretty high level. Hats off to Iowa State for playing a really clean match.”
Kansas freshman Caroline Bien led the Jayhawks with 11 kills, while super-senior Jenny Mosser had 10 kills and sophomore Caroline Crawford added seven for the match. Mosser posted a team-high 11 digs, while junior Kennedy Farris had 10 digs and Bien totaled eight for the match. KU went with combo-setters as sophomore Elise McGhie led with 20 assists and freshman Camryn Turner had 16.
Iowa State hit lights out in the first set, recording a .439 hitting efficiency en route to a 25-20 set win. The Cyclones led by eight at 13-5 and the Jayhawks fought back to 21-18 on one of Crawford’s four kills for the set. Bien recorded three of her four kills in the set during the KU comeback.
Iowa State scored nine of the final 10 points to take the second set, 25-20. KU led 9-6 following kills from Bien and Mosser but the Jayhawks’ could not increase their three-point lead in the set. Down 19-17, Iowa State took control connecting on six-straight points to lead 23-19. There were no KU mishaps in ISU’s final nine points scored of the set.
Iowa State led 12-10 in the third set and would score six of the next seven points to make it 18-11. KU sophomore Karli Schmidt recorded both her kills in the third set with her second sparking a KU 3-0 run to make the score 21-18. A Bien kill put the Jayhawks within two at 21-19 but the Cyclones would score four of the last five points ending the match.
Kansas will next host No. 1 Texas, Oct 9-10, in the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. The Saturday, Oct. 9 match will begin at 4 p.m. and will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+. Sunday’s Oct. 10 contest will start at 3 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.
