AMES, Iowa – The No. 21 Iowa State volleyball team took its first loss of the season to Marquette 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 26-24) Saturday evening at Hilton Coliseum. The loss drops ISU to 2-1 on the year, while MU finishes the Cyclone Invitational with a 3-0 record.
Jess Schaben led the ISU attack with 12 kills, but the rest of the Cyclone offense struggled as Marquette held ISU to a .077 hitting percentage in spite of hitting just .167 themselves.
Story of the Match
For the first time all season, ISU did not give itself an immediate hole. However, it was not long until Marquette began stringing together some points. The Cyclones got up 5-3, but Marquette ripped off a 7-0 run, which Iowa State supported via four attack errors to get ahead 10-5. MU was able to maintain its lead to 20-15, before a 4-0 run reeled in ISU to 20-19. However, a service error by Monique Harris killed the momentum, and Marquette got the big kills down the stretch to take the first frame 25-20.
Iowa State got out of the gates well in the second set, as Jess Schaben featured in a dynamic ISU attack that saw the Cyclones build a lead to 11-6. However, Marquette battled back to 11-10 and eventually took the lead at 15-14. The Cyclones and Golden Eagles played tight ball, with both teams exchanging points. ISU got it to 22-21 MU, but Marquette was able to finish off ISU with kills from Meghan Niemann and Taylor Louis, followed by an attack error from Morgan Kuhrt to give Marquette the set 25-21 and a 2-0 lead.
About everything that could go wrong did for Iowa State at the start of the third set. The Golden Eagles came out in machine-like fashion, as a dominant block all but shut down Iowa State. A 14-1 MU run gave the visitors a 16-3 third-set advantage. Iowa State worked well to scrap back, as a move to outside hitter did wonders for Grace Lazard, who posted four third-set kills. However, time was running out as Marquette got a 23-15 lead. ISU ran off three in a row, but MU was able to force match point at 24-18. The Cyclones showed great spirt to fight off the six match points via kills by Schaben and Lazard and four Marquette errors. However, Marquette bounced back with a kill from Niemann to get a seventh match point, which ISU could not scramble a ball back in play to win 26-24 and the match.
Cyclone Notes
*Jess Schaben led Iowa State with 12 kills, her second career match with at least 10 kills.
*Caitlin Nolan posted her 51st career match with at least 10 digs, finishing with 14.
*Nolan has now had at least 10 digs in 21-straight matches.
On Deck
Iowa State hits the road next weekend for Charlottesville, Va. And the Fairfield Inn & Suites Cavalier Classic. ISU is back in action on Friday against Appalachian State at 3 p.m. Central Time, and then has a Saturday doubleheader against VCU at 11 a.m. CT and hosts Virginia at 6 p.m. CT.
