Cyclones Fall To Top-Ranked Nebraska

Wednesday, October 10

Lincoln, Neb.

7:00 PM

Iowa State

Nebraska

Cyclones Fall To Top-Ranked Nebraska

10.10.2007 | Volleyball

By: cyclones.com

LINCOLN, Neb. ? Iowa State made the nation's top-ranked team sweat a little in the first game but Nebraska proved too much on Wednesday night, holding off the Cyclones, 3-0 (33-31, 30-19, 30-20), at NU Coliseum to remain undefeated.

The Cyclones (11-7, 5-3 Big 12) became the first team this season to force extra points against the Huskers (15-0, 8-0). Nebraska has lost just one game all season, going four to dispose of No. 4 UCLA.

“I thought we played really well in the first game,” said ISU head coach Christy Johnson. “We came out with a lot of energy and executed everything we wanted to in game one. Now we just need to sustain that level of play for the entire match.”

Iowa State got 12 kills from Lauren Cummings and eight from Victoria Henson in the loss. Defensively, the Cyclones were paced by 13 digs each from Ashley Mass and Amy Vos and 11 from Laura Cady. As a team, ISU out dug Nebraska, 54 to 51, and held the Huskers, who entered the match hitting .347, to a .271 hitting percentage.

Last year's national player of the year Sarah Pavan had a match-high 18 kills while 2005 national player of the year Christina Houghtelling and Jordan Larson had 12 and 11, respectively.

The Cyclones and Huskers battled to extra points in the first game with Iowa State fighting off three game points before NU prevailed 33-31 on a kill by Houghtelling. The Cyclones racked up 30 digs to Nebraska's 24 and out hit the Huskers, .216 to .191. Mary Bisenius and Cummings paced ISU with five first game kills while Cady, Mass and Vos chipped in seven digs.

The Huskers came out firing in the second game to the tune of .306 and went on for the 30-19 win to go ahead 2-0 heading into the intermission. Pavan added to her six first game kills with five more in game two while ISU managed just 11 kills as a team.

The Huskers wrapped up the sweep hitting .375 while limiting Iowa State to just nine kills.

Iowa State will return home Saturday to face No. 16 Kansas State at 6:30 p.m., at Hilton Coliseum.