Cy-Hawk Series Volleyball Primer

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (5-0, 0-0 Big 12) heads to Iowa City for the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk matchup against Iowa (4-2, 0-0 Big 10). The 55th meeting between the teams begins inside the Xtream Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.

The match will be streamed on the Big 10 Network+, a subscription is required. Live stats are available here.

Iowa State is coming off its second-straight tournament win, going 3-0 at the GCU Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona. Annie Hatch earned MVP while Jordan Hopp and Nayeli Gonzalez earned their spot on the All-Tournament team. Hatch totaled 30 kills at .358 and Gonzalez totaled 32 at an average of 3.20 per set. Gonzalez did a little bit of everything, also tallying 20 digs, eight blocks and four aces. Hopp was a force at the net, putting up 14 blocks and 22 kills at .386 through the weekend. The Cyclones received votes in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll.

Iowa State continues to rank in the top five nationally in opponent hitting percentage. The Cyclones have held opponents to just .092 to start the season, ranking them at No. 5 nationally and at No. 1 in the Big 12.

ISU has a trio of Pam McCune, Hopp and Hatch who rank top 10 in the Big 12 in hitting percentage through the first two weeks of the season. McCune has tallied 26 kills at .436 to rank third in the league and 38^th in the nation. Hopp has brought in 34 at .424, ranking fifth in the conference and 51^st in the nation. Hatch ranks seventh in the Big 12 after hitting 52 at .368. The Cyclones as a team are hitting at an efficiency of .287 (No. 4 Big 12, No. 28 nationally).

Iowa State blockers put on a show at GCU, totaling 16.0 in the five-set victory. The total includes 13 solos, now the No. 3-ranking single-match total in program history. Hopp put up six of those 13 to tie the third-highest individual total in ISU history.

The Opponent: Iowa

Iowa is 4-2 on the season, with wins vs. Cal Poly, Middle Tennessee State, Kent State and South Dakota State and losses to Sacramento State and Nevada. Caitlan Buettner is Iowa's kill leader with 90 at 3.91 per set on the season. The team holds an average hitting percentage of .257. Anna Davis leads Iowa blockers with 24 total at 1.09 per set while Sydney Dennis also aids the defense averaging 4.45 digs per set.

Iowa State leads the all-time series 30-24 and the Cyclones have won seven of the last 10 meetings. ISU won in four sets in 2022 in front of the third-largest volleyball crowd in Hilton history.

Next Up

Iowa State continues its road stint, heading to Omaha, Nebraska to meet Omaha this Saturday, Sept. 9 and No. 16 Creighton Sunday, Sept. 10.

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Players Mentioned

Nayeli Gonzalez

Annie Hatch

Jordan Hopp

Pam McCune

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics