Redshirt junior outside hitter Kylee Zumach was the only player for K-State to reach double-figure kills as the K-State volleyball team fell to No. 22 Iowa State in straight sets Wednesday night at Ahearn Field House, 18-25, 24-26, 23-25, in front of a nation television audience on ESPNU.
Iowa State (15-4, 6-3 Big 12) limited K-State (9-13, 2-7 Big 12) to a .182 team hitting percentage in the Cyclones’ first victory in Manhattan and first season sweep in the series since 2011. The Wildcats have dropped four straight matches overall.
Zumach had a team-high 10 kills while freshman outside hitter Brynn Carlson added nine. Middle blocker Peyton Williams led the Cats in efficiency at .400 (4 kills, 10 attacks) and with three blocks. Junior libero Reilly Killeen turned in a team-best 16 digs.
“I thought we were significantly better than we were the first time we played them,” head coach Suzie Fritz said after the match. “Our first-swing offense was incredibly efficient, but our transition offense was not very good. I think they have something to do with that, too, they’re one of the best defensive teams in the league. That’s both front row, back row and the effectiveness of their serving. Defensively, they do a lot of things well.
“I did not think that we won the serve-and-pass battle,” added Fritz. “I thought that’s probably where it got away from us the most and I think we lost it in transition. As the rallies got longer, they (Iowa State) got better and I think that’s an area we can upgrade.”
K-State did not grab its first lead until scoring the first three points of the third set, courtesy of two Zumach aces to begin the frame. In Set 2, the Cats battled back from as many as six down to tie the set six different times and as late as 24-24. ISU claimed the opening set in wire-to-wire fashion.
The Cyclones were led by middle blocker Grace Lazard and her 12 kills and .524 attack percentage. Outside hitter Jess Schaben added 10 kills and 12 digs while libero Hali Hillegas had a match-high 20 digs.
ISU scored seven of the match’s first eight points, quickly prompting a Wildcat timeout. K-State clawed back in the set and cut the Cyclone lead to four points at 21-17, but Iowa State ended on a 4-1 run. Carlson had four kills in the set on seven swings while Zumach and Macy Flowers each added three. As a team in Set 1, K-State hit its highest efficiency at .235.
A 5-0 Wildcat run late in Set 2 helped level the score at 23 and again at 24, but K-State never managed to completely overcome the deficit and fell in extra points, 26-24. Zumach had four kills in the set and senior Bryna Vogel had three of her four kills in the second.
The final set was a back-and-forth affair, as it held 12 tied scores and five lead changes. Zumach’s 10th kill fended off match point for K-State, but Iowa State completed the sweep and held the Cats to a match-low .098 in the set. The Wildcats picked up three of their four aces on the night in Set 3.
Junior setter Brooke Smith dished out 21 assists to go with six digs and an ace. Fellow setter Sarah Dixon added 13 assists and seven digs.
Iowa State ended the night hitting .226 and held a 44-36 edge in total kills. K-State out-dug the Cyclones, 56-50.
K-State travels south to Lubbock, Texas, for its second meeting with Texas Tech (13-9, 2-7 Big 12) on Saturday at 1 p.m.