Cyclones Get by K-State Wednesday

Wednesday, October 10

Ahearn Field House

7 p.m.

Kansas State University

10-7, 0-6Big 12

Iowa State

9-10, 2-4Big 12

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Iowa State	25	25	21	25	3
K-State	19	23	25	16	1

Oct 10, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Match Highlights

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State was able to take the third set from Iowa State Wednesday night, but the Cyclones closed out a four-set win behind three players in double-figure kills, 25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 25-16, at Ahearn Field House.

Freshman Gloria Mutiri led K-State (10-7, 0-6 Big 12) with 16 kills while junior Elle Sandbothe added 10 and a team-high five block assists. The Wildcats suffered their sixth straight defeat to open conference play while ISU (9-10, 2-4 Big 12) snapped a four-match skid.

"That's a very good volleyball team," head coach Suzie Fritz said of Iowa State. "We can't let anybody hit almost .400 and win, it just isn't going to happen. Right now, we've got to upgrade defensively."

The Cyclones hit .379 on the night and held a 62-52 edge in total kills, paced by Grace Lazard's 17 kills and .625 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Jess Schaben had 14 kills and 13 digs for the match's only double-double.

"We tried to make some personnel changes in hope that it might spark something in us and I was pleased with some of the changes that we made," added Fritz. "Brooke Heyne made a lot of good plays. Mutiri played really well and both middles held up well for the most part. I think, really, it came down to defensive stops and we've got to be better in transition."

Mutiri led the Cats with a .429 hitting percentage while Heyne recorded a career-best eight kills in her first extended action in a K-State uniform.

After an opening set in which Iowa State led throughout and hit .484, K-State battled in Set 2 as it tied the score 16 times and the lead changed hands seven times. A late four-point run gave ISU a two-point lead before K-State tied the score at 22. However, the Cyclones tallied three of the final four points for a 2-0 match lead.

The Cats' offense hit .500 in picking up 16 kills against two errors in the third set, led by five kills from senior Alyssa Schultejans. Macy Flowers, Mutiri and Sandbothe each collected three kills while K-State limited ISU to .250, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Set 4 saw Iowa State hit .500 while the Cats managed just a .081 team efficiency. K-State never led in the final frame and ISU's Josie Herbst picked up seven kills without an error. An 8-1 Cyclone run midway through the fourth game propelled Iowa State to a 25-16 win.

Herbst finished the night with 13 kills while libero Izzy Enna had a match-high 17 digs.

K-State libero Devan Fairfield led the Cats with 13 digs and setter Sarah Dixon handed out 47 assists to go with seven digs.

Iowa State had 14 more digs as a team than K-State and out-blocked the Wildcats, 12-6.

K-State will get a week off before in-state rival Kansas visits Ahearn Field House on October 17. The seasons' first edition of the Sunflower Showdown will air nationally on ESPNU while fans can listen on New Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

K-State hit .225 while Iowa State hit .379.
The Cyclones held a 62-52 advantage in total kills and a 56-42 edge in team digs.
K-State tallied six blocks while ISU picked up 12.
Mutiri paced the Wildcats with 16 kills to go with nine digs.
Sandbothe had 10 kills and a team-high five block assists.
Fairfield was the only Wildcat to reach double-digit digs with 13.

NOTES

Iowa State leads the all-time series, 52-41, and have won the last four in the series overall.
The loss marked the Cats' first 0-6 start to conference play since beginning 0-6 in 2009.
With 336 career wins, head coach Suzie Fritz sits in a tie for third place on the Big 12's all-time wins list with Nebraska's John Cook as members of the conference.