Iowa State Completes Comeback vs. Saint Louis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Iowa State (8-5) reverse swept Saint Louis (8-4) by a score of 3-2 (13-25, 37-39, 25-14, 25-14, 15-7) Saturday night to take first in the Billiken Classic. Iowa State and Saint Louis recorded the longest set in the country this season as both sides battled deep into the 30s in the second. ISU also recorded 15 aces to tie the second-highest mark under Christy Johnson-Lynch.

ISU and SLU went the distance in the second, extending it to a set score of 39-37. The set made for the second-longest played in program history, only standing behind the 2016 game against UNI where the set stretched to 40-38.

Iowa State served 15 aces to tie the 2013 match total versus Texas Tech. It is the 17^th game with Johnson-Lynch at the helm to total 10 or more and the second of the season. Johnson-Lynch now has five seasons to her name with multiple 10-plus ace games.

Brooke Stonestreet sent over five aces, making for the first time since Sept. 25, 2021 a Cyclone delivered at least five where Brooke Andersen also totaled five against TCU.

Maya Duckworth was named tournament MVP and Solei Thomas earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Duckworth set a career high of 18 kills at .341 while Thomas hit 13 at .455 against SLU.

Alexis Engelbrecht and Mariah Mitchell also notched 10 or more kills to make for four Cyclones in double digits.

SET ONE

Saint Louis began the match firing off three kills on five attempts in addition to three aces to lead 10-4 as Iowa State called a timeout. SLU continued hitting efficiently at .600 to lead 20-11 as ISU called another timeout. The Cyclones were held to .138 hitting in the frame as the Billikens took it by a score of 25-13. Mariah Mitchell led the set with four kills at .444 followed by Solei Thomas with three, hitting .500.

SET TWO

Duckworth sent her second kill of the set to give the Cyclones the lead at 3-2 while Stonestreet followed the play up with an ace. Iowa State held the lead at 9-6 as Morgan Brandt sent another Cyclone ace over. The battle kept close as both teams hit over .400 and both sides squared each other up at 12. Six ties followed, while Iowa State won a long rally to take the lead 19-18. Stonestreet served up another ace and the third of the frame for ISU to go up by two at 21-19. Duckworth hit her fifth kill and then tallied an ace to put the score at 24-23 in ISU's favor. The set extended as 15 set points were seen between the sides before SLU captured the set win 39-37. The Cyclones hit 23 kills, smashing the previous season set best of 18.

SET THREE

Iowa State responded building a lead to 15-5 as Duckworth hit her third game of the weekend in double digits. The Cyclones dialed in five aces, matching the season set best, as Brandt sent over two and Engelbrecht, Eleanor Holthaus and Jaden Newsome delivered one each. Iowa State held Saint Louis to 14 points to win the set, the fourth opponent of the season the Cyclones have held to 15 points or less.

SET FOUR

The set was marked with Iowa State setting the sixth-highest game total aces under Christy Johnson-Lynch as Duckworth brought in the 12^th of the match to go ahead 15-5, but the Cyclones were not done adding aces yet. Iowa State controlled the set, hitting .476 to force a fifth for the second day in a row. Duckworth matched her career-high 16 kills set yesterday in the frame.

SET FIVE

The Cyclones pressed on, keeping the lead through the frame. Duckworth continued adding to her career high as ISU went on a 6-0 run to lead 13-6. Allie Petry delivered the 15^th ace to officially tie the second-highest ace total in a match. The Cyclones completed the second reverse sweep in as many days and the third of the season by a set score of 15-7.

NEXT UP

Big 12 action begins Saturday, Sept. 24 meeting TCU in Fort Worth. The Cyclones return home the next Wednesday to host Baylor.

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Team Stats

Maya Duckworth

Solei Thomas

Mariah Mitchell

Alexis Engelbrecht

Players Mentioned

Brooke Andersen

Morgan Brandt

Maya Duckworth

Alexis Engelbrecht

Eleanor Holthaus

Mariah Mitchell

Jaden Newsome

Allie Petry

Brooke Stonestreet

Solei Thomas

Players Mentioned

Brooke Andersen

Morgan Brandt

Maya Duckworth

Alexis Engelbrecht

Eleanor Holthaus

Mariah Mitchell

Jaden Newsome

Allie Petry

Brooke Stonestreet

Solei Thomas

Sponsors

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