Stadick?s Career-High Lifts Iowa State Past Missouri

Saturday, October 3

Ames, Iowa

6:30 PM

Iowa State

Missouri

Stadick?s Career-High Lifts Iowa State Past Missouri

10.03.2009 | Volleyball

By: cyclones.com

AMES, Iowa ? No. 14 Iowa State got a career-high 15 kills from sophomore Debbie Stadick and had five players with double-figure digs to overcome a sluggish offensive performance and sweep Missouri, 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 28-26), Saturday night at Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones (12-3, 4-2 Big 12) hit just .197 in the match, recording 24 attack errors in the contest. The ISU defense stepped up to the tune of 74 digs and 13.5 blocks to stop Missouri (10-6, 2-3), which hit just .106 despite having five less attack errors than the Cyclones.

“I thought our defensive effort was really good,” said ISU head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch, who won her 90th career match. “On a lot of points I think the ball went across the net several times tonight. This is a good win for us against a tough Missouri squad.”

Indeed the Cyclone defense was good, led by Ashley Mass and Caitlin Mahoney, who finished with 16 digs each. Victoria Henson was in double-figures with 14 digs to go along with 12 kills, while Rachel Hockaday also had a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Kaylee Manns posted her second-straight double-double with 39 assists and 13 digs.

Stadick, who hit .355 in the match and is now hitting .321 in Big 12 play, was dominant on the defensive side of the net as well, recording six block assists in the win.

"I thought Debbie was exceptional tonight and she helped our outside hitters,” Johnson-Lynch said. “They were hitting against a big block and she really helped us offensively in knowing that we could go to here time and time again. She got a lot of kills for us."

Stadick's fellow sophomore Kelsey Petersen finished with career-highs of two solo blocks and six block assists.

In the opening stanza, ISU never trailed en route to a 25-23 win. After Missouri drew to within one at 24-23 on a kill from Paola Ampudia, Manns was able to out muscle the Tiger defense and push over the kill to win the set. Stadick opened the set with a kill and finished with four in the frame.

The Cyclones stepped up the defensive intensity in the second set, notching 4.5 blocks and holding Missouri to a .026 hitting percentage to take the frame 25-17 and head into the break with a 2-0 edge. It was again the Stadick show, with the Watertown, Wis., native finishing with six kills.

The Cyclones were able to earn the sweep despite trailing 23-21 in the third set. Missouri took its first lead in that frame at 17-16, after trailing by as many as five earlier in the set, on an attack error by Henson. Johnson-Lynch was pleased with the comeback, but said the Cyclones need to continue to work putting teams away when they have the lead.

“Something we've struggled with is finishing off matches and Missouri is good enough, if you don't keep the pressure on them, to come back. They are just too good of a team to let up on. In any sport or in any game, when you feel like it is in your hands, the tendency is to let up. We are going to continue to train the team to push, push, push and that there is no let-up."

Missouri was led by Julianna Klein, who finished with 10 kills. Caitlyn Vann had 20 digs and Catie Wilson chipped in eight kills and four block assists in the losing effort.

The Cyclones are now 5-0 at home this season and are yet to drop a set in the friendly confines of Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones will be back in action Wednesday at Oklahoma. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.