ISU Storms Past TCU in Five Sets

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (10-3, 2-0 Big 12) rode a wave of momentum from a big fourth-set comeback to overcome TCU (6-6, 0-2 Big 12) 3-2 (25-10, 22-25, 27-25, 25-22, 15-4) Saturday at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones were down 22-19 in the fourth, but claimed the last six points of the fourth to force a fifth which the home team dominated.

Setter Jaden Newsome was outstanding for ISU in all aspects, dishing out 44 assists, getting eight blocks (two solo, six assists), seven digs, six kills at .750 hitting and three aces. Eleanor Holthaus led the attack with 13 kills at .310 hitting and 11 digs, while Candelaria Herrera just missed out on her own double-double with 11 kills at .391 and nine blocks. Marija Popovic led the back line with a season-high 23 digs.

Iowa State fired a season-best 14 aces, the third-most by the Cyclones in the Christy Johnson-Lynch Era, and recorded 16.0 total blocks. It was the first time ISU has had at least 10 aces and 10 blocks in a match since Nov. 18, 2017 at TCU, and the first time since Sept. 20, 1996 at New Orleans that the Cyclones have had at least 14 aces and 16 blocks in the same match.

Set One: Iowa State 25 TCU 10
Iowa State broke open the first set with a 5-0 run featuring a pair of combo blocks by Herrera and Newsome and did not give up the lead from there. Herrera and Brooke Andersen both also served up 5-0 runs in the set, as the Cyclones dominated with .458 hitting, while TCU hit -.111, ISU posting four blocks. The fourth block wrapped up the set when Herrera and Holthaus denied Taylor Raiola at 25-10.

Set Two: TCU 25 Iowa State 22
A 4-0 TCU run got the visitors ahead 6-3, but the Cyclones were able to work their way back into the set and moved ahead at 12-11 on a Julia Adams attack error. Adams fired a service error to put the home team ahead 18-16, but the Frogs responded with a 6-0 run, taking advantage of a pair of ISU attack errors, to move ahead 22-18. ISU tied it up at 22-22, but the Frogs got the last three points, with Holthaus mis-timing a set to give TCU the second 25-22.

Set Three: TCU 27 Iowa State 25
Iowa State's early 5-1 advantage was wiped out by a 5-0 run of TCU's own to put the Frogs ahead 7-6. The visitors were able to keep the Cyclones at arms length and down by three at 19-16. The Cyclones battled ahead at 21-20 on an attack error from Raiola and were ahead 23-21 after Andersen killed, but TCU claimed three-straight to get to set point first. ISU was able to hold off a pair of Horned Frog set points, but TCU converted on the third asking when Kenzie Mantz fired long at 27-25.

Set Four: Iowa State 25 TCU 22
Both offenses got off to outstanding starts, each hitting over .500 for the first half of the set and not allowing the other team to build up a lead of more than two points. In a set with 13 ties and five lead changes, the visitors got a critical 3-0 run, taking advantage of a pair of Cyclone attack errors to get ahead 20-18, and eventually moved ahead 22-19 on an Afedo Manyang kill. ISU stormed back from there, getting two-straight blocks to get within one, Andersen firing an ace to tie it and then a huge Newsome block to put ISU back ahead again. Newsome killed to bring up set point, which was converted on first asking when Annie Hatch and Herrera stuffed Manyang at 25-22.

Set Five: Iowa State 15 TCU 4
Iowa State won the first four points of the set, with Engelbrecht and Holthaus blocking Adams to make it 4-0 and did not look back. Iowa State was ahead 7-4 when Herrera killed to send Andersen behind the service line and she cleaned up from there, getting a pair of aces and a back-row kill as part of an 8-0 run to close the match. Herrera and Newsome denied Raiola to wrap up the set 15-4 in ISU's favor. Iowa State hit .462 as a team, got four blocks and three aces and held TCU to -.188 hitting in the final frame.

Player of the Match
Jaden Newsome. The Cyclone setter did some of everything to help ISU complete a 2-0 weekend. Newsome posted 44 assists, a career-high eight blocks (two solo, six assists), seven digs, six kills at .750 hitting and three aces. Her solo block at 23-22 and kill at 24-22 were crucial to ISU's fourth-set comeback and victory.

Up Next
Iowa State hits the road to take on Kansas next weekend. Matches will be on Friday and Saturday, first serve each day at 4 p.m. with both matches streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Players Mentioned

Brooke Andersen

Annie Hatch

Candelaria Herrera

Eleanor Holthaus

Kenzie Mantz

Jaden Newsome

Marija Popovic