AMES, Iowa (K-State Sports) – Brooke Sassin’s match-high 19 kills and Katie Brand’s 13th double-double of the season were not enough as the Kansas State volleyball team dropped a four-set decision (25-23, 23-25, 24-26, 15-25) at Iowa State Wednesday night.
Sassin has reached double-figure kills in six of the last seven matches, including each of the last three while Brand has three straight assist-dig double-doubles and leads the Big 12 with 13 on the season.
Junior right-side hitter Bryna Vogel also registered her second consecutive double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.
K-State (16-6, 5-4 Big 12) battled to take the opening set, 25-23, after not gaining its first lead until 24-23. Iowa State (12-9, 4-5) equaled its largest lead of the set at 23-20 before the Wildcats rattled off the final five points, including a pair of kills from Sassin. The senior outside hitter tallied seven kills on 15 swings with just one error (.400) in the set.
The Cats fought off three set points in the second set as they trailed 24-20 before Iowa State finally clinched the set, 25-23. Both teams posted an identical hitting percentage of .238 in the set while Brand had five of her nine kills in the frame. The redshirt senior setter matched her career high in kills and was just one shy of her second career triple-double, finishing the night with 48 assists and 19 digs.
The third set saw the Cyclones fend off a pair of set points on their way to taking the set, 26-24. ISU scored the final four points to take a 2-1 lead, hitting .357 in the set compared to K-State’s .217.
Behind four players in double-figure kills, Iowa State pulled away in the fourth set, 25-15, to complete the victory. ISU hit a match-best .400 (14k-2e-30ta) while K-State hit a match-low .108 (12k-8e-37ta) in the final set. The Cyclones finished the match outhitting the Cats, .308-.211.
The match marked K-State’s first loss this season when winning the first set (12-1) and extended the Wildcats’ losing streak to nine matches in Ames, Iowa, dating back to 2007.
Freshman middle blocker Elle Sandbothe set new career highs in kills (6) and blocks (7).
Senior libero Kersten Kober tallied 18 digs on the night, her 19th double-digit match this season.
Kansas State will look to rebound at home Saturday as it welcomes Baylor to Ahearn Field House. The Bears swept K-State in the season’s first meeting in Waco on Sept. 21. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.
