Iowa State Drops Match to No. 11 KU, 1-3

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (10-18, 4-13 Big 12) dropped the match to No. 11 Kansas (24-4, 15-3 Big 12) in four sets Friday to close the 2024 season. Iowa State won the first and fought hard in extras to try to force a fifth, but ultimately fell by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 21-25, 26-28.

Iowa State celebrated its lone senior Brooke Stonestreet, who totaled 15 digs, four assists and two aces in her final game at Hilton.

Lilly Wachholz led the Cyclones with 17 kills at a .308 clip, while Maya Duckworth (13), Faith DeRonde (12) and Tierney Jackson (10) also had 10-plus.

Morgan Brandt had her ninth double-double and 26^th of her career with 49 assists and 12 digs. Rachel Van Gorp (16) and Emily Bobbitt (14) joined Brandt and Stonestreet in double-figure digs.

SET ONE

ISU began with the 6-2 lead as Duckworth picked up where she left off Wednesday putting down her second kill early. DeRonde sent over a no-doubt kill to keep ISU up at 10-7, and the Cyclones would take the next two as KU called a timeout. Duckworth then went back-to-back to stretch a six-point lead (14-8). Iowa State won the race to 20 while KU held 12 as Wachholz hit her third kill on six swings and DeRonde got her third on five swings. Kansas then responded with a run of four to cause a Cyclone timeout. The Jayhawk run was brought to 8-1 as KU flipped the lead at 22-21 and ISU called its second timeout. Iowa State continued to battle as Duckworth's seventh kill brought the home team to set point, and the set was sealed on a Pam McCune block.

SET TWO

The set began tight at 7-7, while Jackson sent over two straight kills to break the tie. Iowa State remained with the lead at the media timeout 15-11 as Wachholz slammed down her seventh kill at a .545 clip. Brandt brought the scoreboard to 17-13 as she snuck over her second setter kill, prompting a KU timeout. Jackson put down another kill then followed it with an ace (20-15), but the Jayhawks came back to knot the score. Duckworth halted the run with kill No. 10, but KU took the lead at 22-21. ISU came within one at 23-22 after Wachholz kill was confirmed after an unsuccessful challenge and Wachholz again brought ISU back within a point with her ninth (24-23). Kansas evened the match score next with a kill.

SET THREE

KU led early, while Wachholz continued hitting efficiently totaling her 10^th kill at a clip of .400 and came within a pair at 6-4. After kills by DeRonde and Wachholz and two aces by Stonestreet, ISU took the lead at 8-7. The run continued to six straight (10-7), and Iowa State held the lead at 14-9 as Jackson collected her sixth kill. As KU cut into ISU's lead, Duckworth put down yet another kill to make it 15-12, but Kansas pressed on take the lead at 16-15. Iowa State would win a challenge on a touch call to make it 23-20, and another Jackson kill brought ISU within two but KU would keep the lead to win the set 25-21.

SET FOUR

With the Jayhawks again leading early, Wachholz brought ISU back within a point twice with kills to make it 6-5 and 7-6. Kansas stayed with the lead, while Van Gorp hit her fourth kill of the set to keep it within three (12-9). DeRonde then entered double figures to draw within two. Following a Jackson kill and a McCune solo block Iowa State made it 13-12, but an ISU service error kept the Cyclones from tying it. ISU again came within one at 17-16 after Van Gorp's fifth kill of the set, while KU answered with a run of three. Iowa State hit its own run of three including a solo block and a kill by Jackson, making it 20-19 late. The run continued, with Van Gorp delivering her sixth kill as ISU took the lead at 21-20 causing a KU timeout. The Cyclones were not done there, ISU extended it to 8-0 to reach set point at 24-20. The Jayhawks did not let up fighting it off four times to tie it at 24s and send the set to extras. The battle continued as ISU reached set point again at 26-25 on a DeRonde kill, but KU followed to find a set point of their own (27-26). On the next point Kansas took its victory after an unsuccessful Iowa State challenge.

Team Stats

Lilly Wachholz

Maya Duckworth

Faith DeRonde

Tierney Jackson

Players Mentioned

Emily Bobbitt

Morgan Brandt

Faith DeRonde

Maya Duckworth

Tierney Jackson

Pam McCune

Brooke Stonestreet

Rachel Van Gorp

Lilly Wachholz

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics