Iowa State Storms Past Oklahoma, 3-1

Wednesday, September 30

Norman, Okla.

6:00 PM

Iowa State

9-4, 2-0Big 12

Oklahoma

6-8, 0-2Big 12

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Iowa State	28	25	25	25	3
Oklahoma	30	23	19	23	1

Iowa State Storms Past Oklahoma, 3-1

09.30.2015 | Volleyball

Box Score Stats

By: cyclones.com

NORMAN, Oklahoma – The Iowa State volleyball team kicked off Big 12 road play in style with a 3-1 (28-30, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23) win over Oklahoma Wednesday night at McCasland Field House. The win moved ISU to 9-4 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma is now 6-8 on the year, and 0-2 in conference competition.

Alexis Conaway and Morgan Kuhrt led the Iowa State attack with 17 kills each, while Caitlin Nolan recorded 33 digs out of the back row. Monique Harris had a double-double with a career-high 58 assists and 10 digs.

Oklahoma Outlasts Cyclones in Marathon First Set
Oklahoma was in control at the net on both offense and defense, as the Cyclones were slow out of the gates. A pair of 3-0 runs, with both blocking and attack being the name of the game for the Sooners, allowed OU to get out to a 9-4 lead. The Iowa State offense was able to help the Cyclones with a brief fight back, as kills from all across the front row, led by three from Jess Schaben helped bring ISU back to within one point on multiple occasions.

Each team traded 3-0 runs to bring the score back to within one at 18-17 in favor of Oklahoma. ISU was finally able to bring the game back to a tie as Samara West put away an overpass to tie things up at 19-19. Iowa State was finally able to get back ahead for the first time since the first point of the set on a West kill at 22-21. The two sides would continue to battle, as Iowa State fought off the first two set point chances for Oklahoma. After Ciara Capezio tip killed to make it 26-25, it was OU's turn to fight off a set point, which they did via a Kimmy Gardiner kill. After each team fought off another set point, Oklahoma was able to convert on its fourth set point via a Madison Ward kill to take the first 30-28.

Late Run Gives Iowa State Set Two
After starting out in a 3-0 hole, Iowa State was able to keep the Sooners close, until finally getting its first lead of the set on a bad set by OU's Julia Doyle at 9-8. However, the Sooners did not stay behind for long as Morgan Kuhrt was blocked by Kierra Holst to tie things up at 11-11. ISU was able to regain its lead the next point as Alexis Conaway put away a kill.

After a Monique Harris ace made it 16-13 ISU, the Cyclones began to hurt their own progress, as a quintet of attack errors sprung a 7-0 OU run to get the Sooners back ahead 20-16 in the set. The Cyclones bounced back to get back into the set quickly, as two kills from Kurht, one from Schaben and a block from Capezio and West tied things back up at 20-20. After Oklahoma got back ahead 22-21, the Cyclones ran off three in a row via kills from Kuhrt and Conaway and a block by Conaway and Harris brought up ISU's set point at 24-22. A kill by Marion Hazelwood held off one set point, but ISU got it the next point as Harris buried an overpass to give Iowa State the second set 25-23.

ISU Never Looks Back, Move Ahead 2-1
Iowa State flew out of the locker room, racking up an early 9-2 lead thanks to the attacking of Conaway and Kuhrt, and the team effort on the blocks as ISU gained control of the net. Kuhrt took over Grace Lazard's front row duties and was outstanding, recording seven kills in the frame at a .700 hitting percentage.

The Iowa State lead was as many as nine points, as the Cyclone offense hit .312 in the set. Iowa State continued to feed its middles and spread the ball around the attack, keeping the Sooner block on its toes. ISU brought up set point at 24-16 on a kill by Conaway, and on the fourth try ISU converted when Schaben tipped off the block to set the set 25-19.

Cyclones Pull Away Late to Claim Match
Like the second set, a 3-0 run to start the set allowed Oklahoma to have the slight edge, even though ties dominated the score line for most of the set. However, it was always close as the Cyclones never allowed the Sooners to be ahead by more than two points.

Another Kuhrt kill put Iowa State ahead 18-17, for just the second Cyclone lead of the set. At 20-20, Iowa State made its big move with a block from Conaway and Natalie Vondrak, an attack error by Kimmy Gardiner and a kill by Vondrak to make it 23-20 ISU. Vondrak stepped up again to bring up match point at 24-22 with another kill. After OU held off the first kill, the Cyclones closed the match as Jess Schaben fired her 10th kill of the night to give Iowa State the match.

Cyclone Notes
*Morgan Kuhrt finished the match with 17 kills, her second time in 2015 in double figures and 15th of her career.
*Kuhrt's .467 hitting percentage was a career-high. Her previous best was .464 against WKU in the 2014 NCAA Championship
*Alexis Conaway set a career-high with 17 kills, her previous career-best was 15 last season at Oklahoma.
*Conaway's 17 kills marked her second-straight match in double figures, third of the season and 12th of her career.
*Conaway finished with five total blocks, her fourth match in 2015 with at least five and 15th of her career.
*Caitlin Nolan finished the match with 33 digs, second match this season over 30 digs and the sixth of her career.
*Nolan recorded 10 digs in the first set and 11 in the third set, she now has six sets in 2015 with at least 10 digs and 16 in her career.
*Monique Harris posted a double-double with a career-high 58 assists and 10 digs, her fourth-straight double-double and eighth of her career.
*Harris' 58 assists were a career-high, her previous best being 47 against Texas A&M on Sept. 11.
*Samara West recorded 10 kills, her fifth match this season with at least 10 kills, and ninth of her career.
*Branen Berta recorded 12 digs, her fourth match this season in double figures and eighth of her career.
*Jess Schaben posted 10 kills, her 10th match of the season with double figures.

Up Next
Iowa State continues its Big 12 road swing Saturday at No. 3 Texas. First serve between the Longhorns and the Cyclones at Gregory Gym will be at 7 p.m. The match will be televised on the Longhorn Network.