2025 Volleyball Season Recap

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State concludes 2025 with a 23-8 record, showing tremendous turnaround after going 10-18 last season. It is the highest win total since 2011, while ISU also went 12-6 in Big 12 play to finish tied for third after being chosen ninth in the preseason poll.

Cyclones wrapped the season earning national and conference awards including AVCA Libero of the Year, AVCA Second Team All-America, Big 12 Libero of the Year and Big 12 Setter of the Year.

Iowa State is ranked in the final AVCA Coaches Poll for the first time since 2017 earning the rank of T-No. 22. It's the highest final ranking in 13 seasons (2012, No. 14). The Cyclones capped the season in the second round of the NCAA Championship, ISU's 18th trip to the tournament.

Rachel Van Gorp, National Libero of the Year

Van Gorp showed the nation she is the best of the best becoming the inaugural AVCA Libero of the Year. The true sophomore, in her first full season at the position, compiled a list of awards also including AVCA Second Team All-America, AVCA First Team All-Region, Big 12 Libero of the Year, First Team All-Big 12 and two Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Our All-American. pic.twitter.com/rhBqaUFRXm
— Iowa State Volleyball (@CycloneVB) December 19, 2025

Big 12 Awards

Iowa State took home Big 12 Libero and Setter of the Year, while five Cyclones were placed on All-Big 12 Teams. Van Gorp was the unanimous choice for Libero of the Year, while Morgan Brandt secured Setter of the Year. Both were First Team All-Big 12 selections, and Tierney Jackson was placed on season team. True freshmen Alea Goolsby and Reagan Hanfelt earned Big 12 All-Rookie Team.

Leading the Conference

ISU ends 2025 as the Big 12 leader in digs (15.12 per set) and kills (13.98 per set). The Cyclones ranked top 25 nationally in kills (No. 18) and assists (12.91 per set, No. 24), helping lead Iowa State to hit at .245 on the season. The efficiency is the fourth-highest single-season hitting percentage in program history.

2025 By the Numbers

4 - ISU had four ranked wins on the season, the most since 2012. The Cyclones were the only Big 12 team to take down Arizona State this season and ended No. 6 ASU's 12-match win streak and 26-match Big 12 win streak.

4 – Morgan Brandt ends her Iowa State career ranking fourth in program history with 3,787 assists. The total led all 2025 Big 12 active players.

7 – The Cyclones hit over .300 in seven matches. ISU had a stretch of three straight hitting over .400, a program first, while two of those match efficiencies now rank in the program all-time top 10.

8 – Iowa State ended non-conference with a record of 10-1, the best mark in eight seasons.

10 – Maya Duckworth entered the ISU top 10 in career kills and concludes her career with 1,073. Duckworth was the 12th in program history to join the 1,000-kill club.

12 – Iowa State sealed 12 Big 12 wins for the first time since 2012.

15 – ISU opened the season at 5-0 without losing a set, one of the final three teams to begins with 15 set wins. It marked the first time in program history to open the season with a 15-0 set record.

400 – Christy Johnson-Lynch celebrated win No. 400 this season vs. No. 16 TCU. Johnson-Lynch now owns 11 20-win seasons and 48 top 25 wins, with 12 in the top 10.

Players Mentioned

Morgan Brandt

Maya Duckworth

Alea Goolsby

Reagan Hanfelt

Tierney Jackson

Rachel Van Gorp

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics