GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The No. 15 Iowa State volleyball team kicked off its 2013 season with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-18) victory over South Dakota State Friday morning at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The Cyclones begin the season 1-0, and the Jackrabbits are now 0-1.
Turning Point of the Match
With the score 16-15 in favor of Iowa State in the first set, Tenisha Matlock sparked a 7-0 with a big quick-set kill down the middle that put the first set out of South Dakota State’s reach.
Cyclone Game Ball Goes to …
Ciara Capezio. In her Iowa State debut, the freshman from Williams Bay, Wis. Led the way with 12 kills at a .458 hitting percentage and chipped in seven digs while playing all six positions for the Cyclones.
During the build-up to the season, Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch talked about the need to find a player to step up her passing to go with All-American libero Kristen Hahn and Caitlin Nolan. She also talked about finding another player to step up at outside hitter. Today, Capezio was both of those players.
Cyclone Notes
*Iowa State won its regular season debut for the seventh time in Johnson-Lynch’s nine seasons as Iowa State head coach.
*Kristen Hahn’s 22 digs in the match marked her fifth-straight match dating back to last season with at least 20 digs and the 41st straight match dating back to 2011 where Hahn had at least 10 digs.
*The Cyclones had nine service aces as a team, led by Jenelle Hudson’s three. Iowa State did not have nice aces as a team last season.
*Jenelle Hudson had six kills in 20 matches in 2012, she had three kills against the Jackrabbits.
*The match against South Dakota State marked the Iowa State debuts of redshirt freshmen Morgan Kuhrt and Natalie Vondrak and true freshman Ciara Capezio.
-North Dakota Recap Below-
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The No. 15 Iowa State volleyball team improved to 2-0 on the day and the season with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-10) win over UND Classic host North Dakota Friday evening at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The loss dropped UND to 0-1 on the year.
Turning Point of the Match
The first set was not going the way most 3-0 sweeps go for the victors as Iowa State was staring at a 17-12 deficit. The Cyclones went on a 6-0 run that included three big kills from Mackenzie Bigbee to get back the lead. The run was part of an overall 13-5 run that brought the first set back into Iowa State’s control.
Cyclone Match Ball Goes to …
Mackenzie Bigbee. The sophomore and 2012 Big 12 and AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year enjoyed one of her most efficient matches as a Cyclone as she hit a team-high 13 kills at a .500 hitting clip. During the aforementioned 13-5 run to close out the first set, Bigbee had five kills during one rotation.
An honorable mention should go to Tenisha Matlock, who recorded 10 kills at .474 hitting percentage. Matlock stepped up throughout the last two sets to ensure that her attacks would be landing in the court and in favor of the Cyclones.
Cyclone Notes
*Kristen Hahn’s 14 digs meant she recorded her 42nd straight match with at least 10 digs. However, her streak of five straight matches with 20+ digs came to an end.
*Mackenzie Bigbee had double-figure kills in both of today’s matches. She now has 18 career matches with at least 10 kills.
*Tenisha Matlock’s 10 kills marked the 12th match of her career with double-figure kills.
*Ciara Capezio had 13 digs, the first time in her ISU career she went into double figures in the digs department.
On Deck
Iowa State closes out the UND Classic Saturday with the renewal of an old Big 12 rivalry as the Cyclones take on Texas A&M at 10 a.m.
