Iowa State Volleyball Rallies Past Arizona for Big 12 Road Win
The Iowa State Cyclones showed their resilience on Friday night, storming back from a first-set loss to defeat Arizona 3-1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-10) in Big 12 conference action. The win improves the Cyclones' conference record and demonstrates the team's ability to adjust when facing early adversity on the road.
How Iowa State Turned the Match Around
Arizona came out with energy, honoring former standout Madi Kingdon Rishel with a Ring of Honor induction before the match. The Wildcats fed off that emotion and the crowd of 2,764 fans, taking the opening set 25-19. But the Cyclones responded with poise, flipping the script in the second set and never looking back.
After tying at 12-12 in the second set, Iowa State scored eight of the next nine points to seize control. The Cyclones carried that momentum into the third and fourth sets, dominating the Wildcats with aggressive play and consistent serving.
Cyclones Capitalize on Arizona Errors
Arizona's undoing came from unforced mistakes. The Wildcats committed 26 hitting errors while managing just 30 kills. Only one Arizona player hit above .211, and no Wildcat reached double-digit kills in the four-set match.
Junior outside hitter Carlie Cisneros led Arizona with eight kills, but those were offset by 11 hitting errors. Middle blocker Journey Tucker was the lone bright spot for the Wildcats, posting four kills on eight swings without an error while adding six total blocks.
Iowa State's defense frustrated Arizona throughout the final three sets, forcing the Wildcats into uncomfortable positions and preventing them from establishing any rhythm.
What's Next for Iowa State and Arizona
For Iowa State, the victory builds momentum as the Cyclones continue their Big 12 schedule. The team showed the kind of composure that travels well in conference play.
Arizona (5-8, 0-2 in Big 12) will look to secure its first conference win on Sunday when it hosts Texas Tech at McKale Center. The Red Raiders come into the match with an 8-7 overall record but are winless in conference play at 0-3.
Texas Tech has been dealing with turmoil off the court. The program fired head coach Tony Graystone on Sept. 13 after a team member accused him of abuse, including felony battery. Interim head coach Alisa Blair has guided the team to a 2-5 record since taking over.
Arizona head coach Rita Stubbs acknowledged the challenge Texas Tech presents despite their record.
I think Alisa is doing a good job getting them going, and there's some energy behind it, and they took a couple teams to five, Stubbs said. They're competing, and it's exactly what you would expect them to do. So we have to. I don't think there is a team in the conference right now that is an easy match.
The match is scheduled for Sunday at noon MST and will stream on ESPN+.