2023 Volleyball Season Recap

Iowa State concludes the 2023 season at 20-10 overall and 11-7 in the Big 12 to finish tied for fourth in the league. Iowa State cemented the 10th 20-win season under Christy Johnson-Lynch while making the 17^th appearance at the NCAA Tournament in program history.

The 2023 Cyclones

Iowa State had 20 regular season victories for the first time since 2017 and eighth time overall under Johnson-Lynch. ISU also totaled 10-plus Big 12 wins for the 14^th time under Johnson-Lynch. The Cyclones hit at .240 as a team, the sixth-highest single-season hitting percentage in program history. Through the season, ISU hit at an efficiency over .300 in eight matches and posted 11 sweeps over opponents. The 2023 Cyclones featured a young squad, with freshman and sophomores accounting for 72 percent of team kills and 58 percent of blocks.

2023 VB Team

Nayeli Gonzalez (348) and Maya Duckworth (316) led the team in kills, while Jordan Hopp led the team in both hitting percentage (.325) and blocks (104). Hopp's hitting efficiency is the seventh-highest single-season hitting percentage in school history, while the senior middle blocker also set an all-time mark with her six solo blocks at GCU, tying the highest five-set total in both Iowa State and Big 12 history.

Morgan Brandt was dominant at setter, averaging 10.20 assists per set to rank fifth in the Big 12. Brandt led the team to average 13.48 kills per set, ranking third in the Big 12 and 46^th in the nation. Showing her versatility, Brandt had 247 digs, 92 kills, 49 blocks and 28 aces in addition to 1,132 assists. Brandt is one of three Big 12 setters to notch at least 200 digs, 90 kills, 45 blocks and 25 aces in 2023. Her 92 kills is the 12^th-most in a season by a setter. Brandt also had two 60-plus assist matches in 2023 to tie for the fifth-most in school history.

Brooke Stonestreet concluded the season ranked third in the Big 12 with 4.18 digs per set and brought in the third Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honor of her career on Oct. 10. The libero went out to 20 double-figure dig performances, including seven with 20 or more. Stonestreet brought her career total to 18 20-plus dig matches to now tie the sixth-highest total in school history.

Johnson-Lynch totaled her 200^th career Big 12 victory vs. No. 14 Kansas and went on to total 203 to now rank fourth in the all-time Big 12 coaching ranks.

Congrats to Christy Johnson-Lynch on totaling her 202nd Big 12 victory, now the fourth-highest total in conference history. #FightAsOne pic.twitter.com/y995DE9BlN
— Iowa State Volleyball (@CycloneVB) November 23, 2023

Top-25 Wins

Iowa State cemented three victories over Top-25 ranked teams, the most since the 2014 season. The Cyclones first took down No. 18 Baylor where Gonzalez led ISU with 24 kills at .475 hitting, the first 20-plus kill match by a freshman and fifth match since 2014 for any Cyclone to total 20-plus at over .400 hitting.

Iowa State next won in five against No. 14 Kansas where Johnson-Lynch sealed her 200^th career Big 12 victory. Gonzalez again led with 31 kills and 36.0 points, the first 30-kill or 30-point match since 2008. The kill and point total is the program record against a ranked team, highest by a freshman and highest in the rally scoring era. As a team ISU totaled 78 kills, topping 75 for the first time since Sept. 4, 2015.

The Cyclones final Big 12 road match resulted in the win over No. 21 Houston, ending the Cougars eight-match win streak. Hopp led with 14 kills at .520 hitting and led the match with seven blocks. Iowa State now totals 50 all-time Top-25 wins, with 44 happening in the Christy Johnson-Lynch era.

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝

Iowa State totaled three Top-25 wins, vs. #14 Kansas, #18 Baylor and at #21 Houston. Three ranked wins is the highest total since 2014.

🌪️🏐🌪️ pic.twitter.com/MyUg0rle7b
— Iowa State Volleyball (@CycloneVB) December 18, 2023

Historic Rookie Season

Gonzalez ended her freshman season with honors of AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, AVCA Midwest Freshman of the Year, AVCA First Team All-Region, Big 12 Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Big 12, 4x Big 12 Rookie of the Week and was a unanimous All-Rookie Team selection. The outside hitter is the first ISU freshman to earn All-America or First Team All-Big 12 honors. Gonzalez also took down the freshman point record of 405.0 with 409.5 and set the fourth- and tenth-highest single-match kill totals in Iowa State history (31 vs. No. 14 Kansas, 28 vs. Cincinnati).

Nayeli Gonzalez

17^th Tournament Appearance in Program History

Iowa State capped the season making its 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with 16 happening under Christy Johnson-Lynch. Alexis Engelbrecht capped her Cyclone career hitting at .357 in tournament matches, the highest career efficiency in school history. Duckworth also set a program record with five aces against Hawaii, topping the previous tournament single-match high of four aces set in 2009 and '10. Morgan Brandt had 43 assists vs. Hawaii to bring her career NCAA Tournament total to 83, the fourth-highest career total by a Cyclone.

For the full season release, click here.

Players Mentioned

Morgan Brandt

Maya Duckworth

Alexis Engelbrecht

Nayeli Gonzalez

Jordan Hopp

Brooke Stonestreet

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics