Cyclones Sweep in Santa Barbara

The Iowa State Cyclones continued their non-conference success by sweeping the UCSB tournament in Santa Barbara, California.

Iowa State began the weekend with an 18-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-21 victory over UC Santa Barbara.

The Cyclones began the first set at 7-4, but Santa Barbara went on a 12-5 run and controlled the rest of the set. The second set had Iowa State with set point at 24-21. Santa Barbara tallied the next three points before kills from Nayeli Gonzalez and D’Aaliyah Kemp evened the match at one set each.

After the teams traded the first 10 points, ISU scored the next seven. Santa Barbara pulled to within one three times, but the Cyclones held on.

Set four was at 16-16 when a Santa Barbara attack error, a Nayeli Ti’a kill and a Abbi Brenizer/Ti’a block gave Iowa State momentum. The score was 20-19 when a Gonzalez kill and two Brenizer aces helped put the match away.

Iowa State earned a 25-20, 17-25, 28-26, 25-23 victory over Utah State. Iowa State had a 9-7 lead in the first set when a Gonzalez kill and two Kemp aces moved the advantage to five points. Utah State came to within 14-13, but the Cyclones regained the momentum for the rest of the set.

The teams exchanged the first dozen points of the second set then Utah State went on a 6-1 run. A kill and an ace from Lilly Wachholz and an attack error brought Iowa State to within 12-10. ISU led 21-20 when a Sami Blackett kill tied the score. The Cyclones had set point at 24-23 then the teams exchanged attack errors. A missed ISU serve made it 25-25. A Wachholz kill was met by a Utah State block. An Alea Goolsby kill and Ava Martin/Kemp/Goolsby block gave Iowa State the set.

ISU had set point at 24-21 in the fourth set when an attack error and Olivia Ruy kill brought Utah State to within 24-23. Then an attack error moved the Cyclones to 4-1 for the season.

Tournament leaders for Iowa State were: kills – Ti’a 28, Gonzalez 26, Wachholz 22, Kemp 10, Goolsby six, Pam McCune four and Martin one; assists – Martin 84 and Rachel Van Gorp six; aces – Wachholz three, Kemp and Brenizer two and Van Gorp and Ti’a one; blocks – Kemp six, Martin, McCune and Goolsby four, Wachholz and Ti’a two and Brenizer one; digs – Van Gorp 29, Ti’a 21, Martin 14, Gonzalez nine, Wachholz six and Reese Naeve six.