Iowa State Offense Dominates in Sweep of TCU

Saturday, November 7

Fort Worth, Texas

12:00 PM

Iowa State

15-7, 8-3Big 12

TCU

16-7, 6-5Big 12

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Iowa State	25	25	25	3
TCU	19	21	17	0

Iowa State Offense Dominates in Sweep of TCU

11.07.2015 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: cyclones.com

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Iowa State volleyball team was dominant offensively during a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-17) sweep of TCU Saturday at the University Recreation Center. The win improves ISU to 15-7 on the season and 8-3 in Big 12 play, the Horned Frogs fall to 16-7 overall and 6-5 in conference competition.

Morgan Kuhrt and Samara West led Iowa State with 12 kills as the Cyclones hit .343 as a team. Cailtin Nolan finished with 15 digs and Iowa State, ranked No. 191 in the country in blocking out-blocked TCU, ranked No. 10, 6.0-to-4.5.

Balanced Attack Gets ISU First Set
Iowa State was in total control from the start. The Cyclones ran out to a 4-0 advantage on the strong serving of Monique Harris, and we outstanding in attack, converting six of its first nine shots into kills on the way to a 9-3 lead. While the Cyclone attack could not keep up the pace it was playing at, the Cyclone defense was on its game. Both the front row and back row were strong, helping restrict the Frogs to a .231 hitting percentage in the set.

The Iowa State offense came from all across the front line. The Cyclones had a quartet of hitters finish the first with four kills in Ciara Capezio, Morgan Kuhrt, Jess Schaben and Samara West. Capezio also posted service ace, and West got her four kills on just four swings. ISU brought up set point when Capezio and Alexis Conaway blocked Regan McGuire. ISU sealed it on the next point with Schaben getting her fourth kill from the back row at 25-19.

Serving Sends ISU to 2-0 Lead
The ISU offense struggled to replicate its form from the first set, and while ISU was able to get a lead early, it would not last for long. TCU took its first lead at 8-7 when Schaben's roll shot down the line went wide. It was part of an 8-1 run that put the Horned Frogs ahead 13-8. The Cyclones got to work on the blocks and on offense and used a 5-0 run capped by a West kill to tie the set at 13-13.

It was serving that would ultimately save the set, and win the set for ISU. The Frogs got ahead 16-14 before a Kuhrt kill sent Caitlin Nolan back to serve. The All-American produced back-to-back aces to move ISU ahead 17-16. Then, with ISU up 19-18 after a kill from Conaway, Capezio went behind the service line and ripped a pair of aces to put Iowa State ahead 21-18. That was all the gap the Cyclones needed, as ISU brought up set point on a West kill. TCU did the work for ISU to close out the set, as Regan McGuire's wide shot gave Iowa State the second 25-21.

Cyclones Hustle to Sweep
The third saw the Iowa State offense get back into full swing. West was continuously fed the ball as she recorded four kills in the first 15 ISU points of the set to get the Cyclones ahead 15-9. ISU kept the pressure up with strong work from Capezio and Harris not giving the Horned Frogs much of a chance to get back into the set.

TCU started sneaking back into the set at 16-13 ISU, but the Cyclones showed the hustle that got them ahead and would keep them ahead. During a rally, Harris threw herself into the scorer's table to keep a ball in play, which was eventually converted when Capezio's overpass could not be handled by TCU to make it 17-13. The Cyclones brought up match point at 24-16 when Tory Knuth put away an overpass. A service error by Jillian Bergeson closed out the match for Iowa State at 25-17 in the third.

Cyclone Notes
*Morgan Kuhrt led Iowa State with 12 kills, her eighth match of 2015 in double figures and 21st of her career.
*Kuhrt got her 12 kills at a career-best .500 hitting percentage. Her previous best was .467 at Oklahoma on Sept. 30.
*Caitlin Nolan recorded 15 digs, her 70th career match in double figures and 40th-straight.
*In the second set, Nolan finished with 10 digs. That was her 11th set of 2015 and 21st of her career with at least 10 digs.
*Samara West posted 12 kills, her sixth match of the season with at least 10 kills and 10th of her career.
*West finished with a .500 hitting percentage, her sixth match of 2015 hitting at or better than .500.

Up Next
Iowa State's Big 12 road swing continues on Wednesday when the Cyclones visit West Virginia. First serve in Morgantown will be at 5 p.m. Central Time.