Cyclones Win at Illinois, Improve to 10-1

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Iowa State (10-1, 0-0 Big 12) made the statement win in four sets at Illinois (4-4, 0-0 Big Ten), sealing the first win over Illinois since 2012. The Cyclones are now 10-1 on the season, the best start since 2017.

Amiree Hendricks-Walker and Alea Goolsby opened the match with four kills each without an error as the Cyclones went on their way to take the first. Iowa State then found themselves down 24-18 in the second, but began an epic comeback fighting off five set points and going on to win the extended set 26-24. ISU dropped the third, but commanded the fourth for the win. Set scores on the night were 25-23, 26-24, 20-25, 25-20.

Goolsby had 19 kills at .302 on the night, her fourth match in a row in double figures and seventh this season. The freshman had 16 kills at .382 through three sets, and locked up her second double-double with 11 digs.

Nayeli Ti'a and Maya Duckworth were also stars as Ti'a hit 13 at .333 hitting and Duckworth 12 at .435. Ti'a had her first match as a Cyclone with double digit kills.

Setters Ava Martin and Morgan Brandt led the Cyclones to hit at .290 through the match, with Brandt totaling 22 assists and Martin 21. Martin, making her first collegiate start, also had two aces, one behind Rachel Van Gorp with three. Van Gorp had 20 digs, her third time in four matches with 20-plus.

SET ONE
Hendricks-Walker put ISU on the board first with a kill, while the efficient attacker put down her third on as many swings to keep Iowa State up at 9-7. ISU won a challenge to reverse the score from 10-10 to 11-9, but Illinois followed tying it at 11s. The home team took its first lead at 13-12, but Iowa State took it right back for good. Iowa State reached 20 at 20-18, and an Illinois attack error came next prompting a timeout by the Fighting Illini. ISU reached set point at 24-21 as Pam McCune sent the ball to the floor, but Illinois fought it off twice before Iowa State called a timeout. Out of the timeout, Goolsby had the answer, ending the set on a kill at 25-23.

SET TWO

Illinois went up 4-1, but ISU came back knotting the score at 9s after a 4-0 run. Illinois remained with the lead at the media timeout (15-11) and built the advantage to five as ISU called a timeout at 17-12. Goolsby collected her 10th kill as ISU fought off a second Illinois set point (24-20), and the Cyclones continued their comeback. After ISU took its first lead since 1-0 at 25-24, Goolsby continued showing her power finding the floor, sealing the 2-0 match lead.

SET THREE

The third set began tight as ISU flipped the lead at 8-7, but Illinois responded with six straight. Goolsby had kill No. 14 to come within two at 13-11, and following another successful Iowa State challenge the Cyclones kept it within a pair (15-13). From there, Illinois stretched its lead to five as Iowa State called time, and the run continued bringing Illinois up 20-13. Ti'a halted the run with a kill next, but Illinois went on to extend the match with a third set score of 25-20.

SET FOUR

Iowa State took an 8-5 lead in a run including two aces by Van Gorp, and the Cyclone continued to build on the lead on Ti'a's 12th kill at .320 to put the scoreboard at 13-6. That kill made it a 10-1 run for the Cyclones. Martin dialed in ISU's seventh ace making it 18-12 and at 21-17 a rally broke out with diving saves by Brandt and Van Gorp resulting in Goolsby's 19th kill. The Cyclones kept control, taking the win 25-20 on a Duckworth kill.

NEXT UP
Iowa State opens conference next week traveling to Utah for a pair of ranked matchups. ISU first meets No. 20 Utah on Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. CT before visiting No. 16 BYU Sept. 27 at 1:00 p.m.

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Team Stats

Alea Goolsby

Nayeli Ti'a

Maya Duckworth

Amiree Hendricks-Walker

Players Mentioned

Morgan Brandt

Maya Duckworth

Alea Goolsby

Amiree Hendricks-Walker

Ava Martin

Pam McCune

Nayeli Ti'a

Rachel Van Gorp

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics