Blocking Leads Iowa State in Sweep at Baylor

Sunday, October 25

Waco, Texas

2:00 PM

Iowa State

13-6

Baylor

14-8

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Iowa State	25	25	25	3
Baylor	19	21	22	0

Blocking Leads Iowa State in Sweep at Baylor

10.25.2015 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: cyclones.com

WACO, Texas – Iowa State used a strong performance by its block to sweep Baylor 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-22) Sunday afternoon at the Ferrell Center. The win, which gave Iowa State its first three-match win streak of 2015, improves ISU to 13-6 overall on the year and 6-2 in Big 12 play. Iowa State recorded two or fewer losses in the first half of Big 12 play for the fourth time under head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. Baylor is now 14-8 on the season, 2-6 in conference play.

Iowa State posted 11.0 total blocks, which helped restrict Baylor to hitting .119. Alexis Conaway and Samara West led that effort with 5.0 total blocks each. Jess Schaben led the ISU attack with nine kills, while Caitlin Nolan posted 16 digs.

Strong Serving, Schaben Guide ISU to First Set Win
Iowa State's serving was on point for the Cyclones early on to help build an early lead. After a Ciara Capezio kill on an overpass made it 6-6, Iowa State took the next three points via some strong serving by Alexis Conaway to build the lead to 9-6. A couple of points later, Monique Harris helped spark a 3-0 run, led by an ace and another great serve that led to a handling error, both at Andie Malloy, to make it 12-7 ISU.

Another turning point came via the Challenge Review System. The Bears thought that Shelly Fanning got a kill that would have made the score 15-10 ISU, but Christy Johnson-Lynch successfully challenged the call, correctly claiming ISU did not touch the shot as it sailed out to make it 16-9. ISU then took advantage of that with another two points for its biggest lead of the set to make it 18-9 Cyclones.

The Bears were able to reel ISU back within five a couple of times, but the gap was too big for BU to close. ISU brought up set point at 24-18 on a Jess Schaben kill and Schaben closed out the set on the second try with another kill to give ISU the first 25-19.

Blocking Guides ISU to Second Set Win
The Cyclones were able to hold onto the lead for the early portions of the first set, but were never ahead by more than two points. That gave Baylor the opportunity to get back into the match with a short run, and that is what they were able to do. With the Cyclones ahead 11-9, the Bears went on a 5-0 run, featuring three kills by Katie Staiger to put the Bears ahead 14-11.

The Bears kept piling on pressure from behind the service line, making it difficult for ISU to get back into the frame. It was a collective defensive effort, from the back row led by Caitlin Nolan and Branen Berta, and up front via Alexis Conaway, which got ISU back into the set. The Cyclones went on a 5-0 run, capped by a block from Conaway and Harris, to get back ahead 17-16. The lead would not last long as the Bears got back ahead at 18-17.

At 21-21, Shelly Fanning served one into the net, and that was all ISU needed to get ahead and stay ahead. Samara West landed a kill to make it 23-21, and back-to-back blocks on Andie Malloy by the trio of Kuhrt, Schaben and West closed out the frame 25-21 in ISU's favor.

ISU Hangs on to Big Lead for Sweep
After some back-and-forth early on in the set, a Samara West kill made it 9-9 and brought Berta back into the match and to serve. The sophomore made an instant impact, helping propel a 7-0 Cyclone run which included a pair of service aces, both at BU libero Jana Brusek. The run made a 9-8 Bears lead into a 15-9 Iowa State advantage that would not be returned.

Iowa State bolstered its lead to 23-15 on a kill by Schaben, but the Bears were able to reel Iowa State back in with a 6-0 run to make it 23-21. However, ISU was able to bring it home as Jess Schaben brought up match point with a kill at 24-21. After a Harris service error, ISU got it on the second try with a Samara West kill at 25-22.

Cyclone Notes
*Iowa State is now 6-2 in Big 12 play. This marks the fourth time under head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch ISU has recorded two or fewer losses in first half of Big 12 play (2009, 2011, 2013).
*Iowa State finished with 11.0 total blocks, the first time ISU has had at least 10.0 total blocks in a three-set match since having 13.0 against Milwaukee on Sept. 12, 2014.
*Baylor recorded more kills than Iowa State, 39-to-34. The last time ISU swept an opponent while recording fewer kills was in its sweep of Wisconsin during the 2007 NCAA Volleyball Championship Second Round.
*Iowa State was out-dug 53-to-50 on the afternoon, marking just the third time in 2015 ISU has recorded fewer digs than its opponents. This marks the second time in 2015 ISU has swept an opponent while being out-dug (Texas Tech, Sept. 26).
*Alexis Conaway recorded five total blocks (all block assists), the sixth time in 2015 she has recorded at least 5.0 total blocks.
*Caitlin Nolan finished the match with 16 digs, her 37th-stragith match with at least 10 digs and 67th time in double figures in her career.
*Samara West recorded a season-high five block assists (previous best, four on four occasions).

Up Next
Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum Wednesday to take on Kansas. First serve between the Cyclones and Jayhawks will be at 6 p.m. with the game being televised on ESPNU.