#20 Iowa State Pushes #9 Kansas to Five Sets

  0 Jesse Birdsall | September 28th, 2017 | Big 12

MATCH STATS

  • Kansas def. Iowa State 3-2 (25-27, 20-25, 25-20, 25-16, 15-11)
  • Kansas moves to 13-2, 2-0 Big 12; Iowa State falls to 10-2, 1-1 Big 12
  • Lawrence, Kansas
  • Attendance: 1302
  • Box Score

After battling Oklahoma earlier in the week, Iowa State came into this match battle tested and showed that experience in this five set match. Similarly, Kansas has played 3 five set matches already this season. ISU started the match strong winning the first two sets, behind the offensive output of Grace Lazard and Jess Schaben. On the other side of the net, Kansas stars Kelsie Payne and Madison Rigdon didn’t get on track until the later sets of the match.

Through the five set match, the Cyclones got strong attacking contributions across their front row with middle blocker Alexis Conaway, right side hitter Samara West, and outside hitter Jess Schaben recording 17.5, 17.5 and 19.5 points respectively. Iowa State was able to slow down the Jayhawk hitters early with their signature defense, outblocking Kansas 12 to 8.

Once the Jayhawks were able to get their offense going, Payne and Rigdon didn’t disappoint logging 23 and 22.5 points each. As the offense for Kansas warmed up, the back court defense impressed as well ending the match with 90 digs. The Jayhawks were able to edge out the Cyclones by minimizing their errors to tally a .267 attack efficiency compared to Iowa State’s .219.

Kansas takes on TCU on Saturday in Lawrence and ISU will travel to Lubbock to face off against Texas Tech.

PRESS RELEASES

Courtesy of Kansas Athletics

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Eleventh-ranked Kansas volleyball came from behind to top No. 18 Iowa State, 3-2, for its third top-25 win of season on Wednesday night at Horejsi Family Athletics Center (25-27, 20-25, 25-20, 25-16, 15-11). The Cyclones won the first two sets, but Kansas rallied for its first come-from-behind win after a 2-0 set deficit since Sept. 13, 2013 at No. 25 Wisconsin.

Senior right-side hitter Kelsie Payne recorded a match-high 22 kills on a .306 hitting percentage, while senior outside hitter Madison Rigdon notched a 20-kill, 14-dig performance for her seventh double-double of the season.

“This is our house and we knew we had to come back with some fire and get the crowd into it because that really helps us,” Rigdon said. “Kelsie was great, we definitely feed off of each other.”

A total of five Jayhawks reached double-figure digs, led by sophomore libero Allie Nelson‘s 24, as KU’s defense held Iowa State to under a .200 hitting percentage in the last three sets. Senior setter Ainise Havili reached 60 assists for the second time this season, while adding 17 digs for her 13th double-double of the year.

The first set began as a back-and-forth battle, but as it progressed Kansas got into a groove that Iowa State couldn’t match. A 4-0 Jayhawk run put KU up 15-8, but just as Kansas earned a comfortable lead, the Cyclones found their zone. Iowa State went on an 8-0 run to take a 22-21 lead over Kansas, a team that once led by eight. The matchup was closely contested from that point on as the Jayhawks and Cyclones traded kills to close out the set. One final 3-0 run by Iowa State would secure their first set victory, 27-25.

The second set was controlled entirely by the Cyclones beginning with a 3-0 run to take an early 5-1 lead. After trailing for the entirety of the game, the Jayhawks went on a 3-0 run to cut Iowa State’s lead to three. The Cyclones answered with another 3-0 run of their own to take a steady 16-10 lead. Kansas was never able to cut the lead to less than three in this matchup, despite going on multiple runs. Iowa State notched the second set victory.

KU maintained a close lead throughout the third set, but an attack error by ISU middle blocker Grace Lazard put the Jayhawks up by three, 14-11, and forced an Iowa State timeout. The Jayhawks and Cyclones played to a 20-20 tie before Kansas slammed the door with a 5-0 run to take a 25-20 third set win. Rigdon tallied eight of her 20 kills in the third set alone to carry the Jayhawks’ offense.

Kansas and Iowa State traded runs in the fourth set, keeping the game close throughout. Kansas scored 10 straight points, including an ace by senior Tori Miller, to win set four and force a fifth and final set to determine the match.

KU’s second-straight five-set match set would follow the same similar back-and-forth pattern as the previous sets. After trailing 7-5, the Jayhawks went on a 7-0 run to take control of the set, 12-7. The Jayhawks momentum and the energy in Horejsi would be too much for the Cyclones down the stretch as Kansas completed a five-set comeback victory behind a terminal offense — recording 12 kills on a .385 hitting percentage to take the match-clincher, 15-11.

NEXT UP
The Jayhawks stay at home this weekend to welcome TCU to Horejsi Family Athletics Center on Saturday, Sept. 30 (12 p.m., FOX Sports Network).

POST-MATCH NOTES
• This is KU’s fourth — and second-straight — five-set match this season (3-1).
• KU is 3-1 against opponents ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll this season.
• Kansas recorded a season-high 93 digs, led by five Jayhawks with double-figure digs.
• Wednesday marked the first time Kansas came back to win after losing the first two sets of a match since defeating No. 25 Wisconsin on Sept. 13, 2013, in Madison.
• Kansas has won six-straight matches in the series against Iowa State.
• Kelsie Payne is now second at KU career kills (1,336), passing Caroline Jarmoc (2009-13; 1,333).
• Tori Miller tied her career high in digs (16).

Courtesy of Iowa State Athletics

LAWRENCE, Kansas – No. 18 Iowa State could not close out on a two-set lead as the Cyclones fell to No. 11 Kansas 3-2 (25-27, 20-25, 25-20, 25-16, 15-11) Wednesday night at the Horejsi Center. The loss drops ISU to 10-2 on the season, 1-1 in Big 12 play. KU improves to 13-2 overall, 2-0 in league play.

The Cyclone was led by double-doubles from Jess Schaben (season-high 18 kills, 10 digs), Monique Harris (season-high 53 assists, career-best 25 digs) and Alexis Conaway (season-high 15 kills, career-high 14 digs).

Set One: Iowa State 27 Kansas 25
The Cyclone defense did little to help the effort, as Kansas hit .667 en route to a 15-8 lead. ISU was able to recover via some strong transition offense, going on a 7-0 run to move ahead 18-17. The two teams kept the battle tight all the way to the end. It was the Jayhawks who got to set point first at 24-22, but ISU survived a pair of set points to extend the frame. ISU’s second set point came on a Grace Lazardkill, and was put away when Taylor Alexander fired her shot into the net at 27-25.

Set Two: Iowa State 25 Kansas 20
ISU’s momentum carried into the second set, as the Cyclones ran off five of the first six points of the frame. Lazard continued to cause problems for the Jayhawks, as she helped push ISU ahead 11-5 with three kills and a block in her shift up front. KU worked their way back into proceedings, cutting the Cyclone advantage to three on multiple occasions, but the Cyclones continued to find answers. Set point came up at 24-20 on a Samara West kill, and wrapped up on first asking on an Alexis Conaway kill.

Set Three: Kansas 25 Iowa State 20 
Kansas got out quickly in the third, running ahead to a 6-3 lead after not leading at all in the second, but Izzy Enna knotted it back up with an ace at 6-6. The Jayhawks worked back ahead, but the Cyclone offense always kept it close. KU continued to lead, but ISU kept it close and eventually strung together a 4-0 run capped by a Genesis Miranda ace to move ahead 17-16. Monique Harris was called for an illegal attack to move KU back ahead 20-19, and the home side pushed ahead to set point at 24-20. KU extended the match with a Kayla Cheadle kill to make it 25-20.

Set Four: Kansas 25 Iowa State 16
A tight frame broke towards the Cyclones via a pair of Jada Burse errors to push ISU ahead 8-7. The lead moved up to 11-8, but was erased by the Jayhawks to 11-11. Iowa State was ahead 16-15, but Kansas went on a 10-0 run to close out the set and force a fifth at 25-16.

Set Five: Kansas 15 Iowa State 11
The Cyclones moved West to middle, and brought Hannah Bailey on to play RS to begin the fifth. Conaway and Lazard teamed for a block to put ISU ahead by a pair at 4-2. Iowa State was ahead 7-5, but Kansas went on a 7-0 to pull ahead 12-7. Schaben’s solo block made it a two-point set at 12-10 KU, but that was as close as ISU would get. Match point arrived at 14-10 KU, and was put away on the second asking when Kelsie Payne got her 22nd kill of the match at 15-11.

Up Next
Iowa State’s Big 12 road swing continues on Friday at Texas Tech. First serve between the Cyclones and the Red Raiders will be at 6 p.m., with TexasTech.TV streaming the match.

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