AMES – Iowa State fell to Kansas State in five sets [21-25, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 20-22] in a game that was just about as evenly matched as it could get. Junior Faith DeRonde, redshirt sophomore Lilly Wachholz and redshirt junior Amiree Hendricks-Walker led the effort for the Cyclones. 

Set one set the tone for back-and-forth play early. Iowa State was up 21-20 before Kansas State took four out of the final five points to win the set. The Cyclones had two errors in this stretch to lose the set. 

“I think tonight we started a little flat,” Wachholz said. “We showed when we play our best volleyball we can be really good. It’s just about finding that consistency from the start.”

Set two had the same feel as set one. Iowa State led 21-15 before the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run to tie it up. Instead of conceding the set, the Cyclones dug deep to take the set 26-24 on a kill by DeRonde. 

Set three was another barn burner but ultimately resulted in Kansas State taking the set 25-23. Hendricks-Walker had two blocks to hold the front line in this set. 

The fourth set went down to the wire until Hendricks-Walker slammed the door with a block. Iowa State took the set 25-23. 

In their last meeting, the match went to five sets and this one was no different. Kansas State’s Aliyah Carter tried her best to finish off the Cyclones with 10 kills in the fifth set. This ended up being too much for Iowa State to overcome as they dropped the set 20-22. 

Came out flat

Iowa State only lost the first set 25-21, but the offense was not clicking as errors plagued the set. 

The Cyclones had nine total errors in the first set and hit their second-lowest hitting rate of the day with .219. A few handling errors and a slow offense helped Kansas State take the first set. 

“I think tonight we started a little flat and started a little slow,” Wachholz said. “We showed that when we are playing our best volleyball we are pretty good, so just finding that from the start.”

In a long match, with each set going the distance and the fifth set going an extra 12 points, it is important to start hot and stay hot to win. 

“I thought we battled, we didn’t necessarily battle at the beginning,” head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said. “We started to really battle, and I am proud of how we played.”

As for the next coming matches, Iowa State continues to build off of each match and grow as a team. Whether it is working more on blocks, receptions, or attacking, the Cyclones continue to work and learn from each match they play. 

“We’re improving every single game and that’s all we could ask for,” Hendricks-Walker said. “They are a tough team, and I feel like we brought it and fought till the very end. It was really exciting and fun to play in.”

McCune and Duckworth return

After McCune missed four matches and three for Duckworth, both were back and impactful for Iowa State. Duckworth played against Kansas, but she only saw action in one set. 

McCune added seven kills at a .400 rate and two blocks, while Duckworth had nine kills at a .500 rate. Both made plays in crucial times that helped the Cyclones keep it within striking distance at all times.

“It was really nice to have [McCune] and [Duckworth] back,” Johnson-Lynch said. “They add a lot, obviously. We are starting to get them back in the groove, and that helps a lot.”

Duckworth and McCune are top five on the team in kills per set, so a lot of offense was missing in their absence. Despite missing four matches, McCune still leads the Cyclones in total blocks. 

Something that does not show up in the stat sheet is how much energy they bring. After a big block or kill, regardless of who it is from, McCune shows her energy and it is contagious for her teammates. 

“It’s great having them back, having their energy,” Wachholz said. “[McCune] is so high energy. You can see that from her on the court, so it’s great to have them back.”

Iowa State is back in action at 7 p.m. Wednesday on the road against Baylor. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.