Cyclones Top School Record With Win

[clonesvb]

It wasn't pretty, but its another road win for the clones

Cyclones Top School Record With Win

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Katie Jessen had 19 kills and career-highs of 20 digs and five service aces as Iowa State rallied to take the final two games and defeat Texas A&M, 3-2 (26-30, 30-27, 29-31, 30-18, 15-13), and set a school-record with their 10th Big 12 win of the season on Sunday.

Iowa State improves to 18-8 overall and 10-6 in conference action, while Texas A&M falls to 11-14 overall and 4-13 in Big 12 play. The win was also ISU’s first-ever in College Station and gave the Cyclones a season sweep of the Aggies for the first time in school history.

In addition to Jessen’s stellar performance, Erin Boeve reached double-figures for ISU with 17 kills on a .455 hitting percentage to go along with a solo block and eight block assists. Lauren Cummings and Nicole Lorenzen added 10 kills each. Kaylee Manns led the Cyclones to a .258 hitting percentage with 59 assists.

Defensively, Iowa State outblocked the Aggies, 14 to six, and had four players with double-figure digs, led by Jessen and Katie Churm with 20 each. Manns chipped in 18 digs and Lorenzen had 15 in the winning effort.

Sarah Ammerman made things difficult for ISU, posting 27 kills for Texas A&M. Christi Hahn had 21 kills in the loss.

In the first frame, A&M came out firing, opening up an 18-12 lead before the Cyclones used a 7-1 run to knot it up at 19-19 on an ace by Manns. The game stayed tied until the Aggies took the lead 23-22 on a kill by Kelsey Bryant. Texas A&M was able to hold off the Cyclones and take the first game 30-26.

ISU would bounce back in game two to even up the match with a 30-27 win. The key point came with ISU trailing 25-22. The Cyclones rattled off four straight to go on top 26-25. After Texas A&M tied it at 27-27, the Cyclones scored the next three points, two of which came on Boeve kills, to win the game.

After the intermission it looked as though the Cyclones would go up two games to won as they held a 23-18 lead. The Aggies had other plans, fighting back to gain a tie at 28. A kill by Lorenzen gave the Cyclones game point at 29-28 but the Aggies rattled off three straight points, two on kills from Hahn, to take the game 31-29 and go up 2-1 in the match.

ISU left little doubt there would be a fifth game, opening up a 20-9 lead and cruising to a 30-18 fourth game win.

The Cyclones were red-hot in the fifth frame, blasting kills at a .706 clip to hold off A&M, 15-13.

The Aggies led 3-2 on a kill by Hahn but ISU rallied back to score the next two points. The Cyclones never gave the lead back, holding off a late charge by the home team to get the win.

The Cyclones remain in fifth place in the Big 12, a game up on Missouri, which is 9-7 in Big 12 action.

Iowa State will host Texas Tech Wednesday in a doubleheader that coincides with the women’s basketball game against Cal State Fullerton. First serve for the volleyball match is slated for 5 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum. Fans can get in free with their women’s basketball tickets.

[IdahoBoy]

clonesvb, to most of us, Iowa State is a relative "unknown" but we're recognizing their efforts this year. Thanks for the article.

Any chance you can give us a short synopsis of coaches and players that have been major contributors? Thanks!

[huskervbfan]

idahoboy said:

clonesvb, to most of us, Iowa State is a relative "unknown" but we're recognizing their efforts this year. Thanks for the article.

Any chance you can give us a short synopsis of coaches and players that have been major contributors? Thanks!

I can give you a quicky synopsis, Coach Christy Johnson. She was a setter for the Huskers 1995 National Championship and has a fantastic work ethic. She was assistant coach under John Cook at Wisconsin and then later Pete Waite before taking over as head coach for Iowa State. She has totaly turned that program around from when it was battling with Oklahoma to see who could finish last each season. They had gone through 2-3 BAAAAD coaching problems before she came that had given them no chance at improving. I thnk this is just her second year but might be third.

They are leading the conference in blocks so that says a lot about the mentoring that Christy has received.

They got ripped off of an NCAA bid last year but certainly won't this year. Their RKPI is 14 this year so SHOULDN'T be denied for a second year in a row.

I'll let clonesvb talk about the stars on the team

[IdahoBoy]

Thanks, HuskerVBFan. Iowa State has done very well this year, agreed.

[2c]

10 wins in Big10 nearly locks ISU for the tournament. One more should do it luckily since two would be pretty tough to do with TT, @ut, @ou, CU left. Big help to Mich and NoIowa.

Since I'm not allowed or just don't care to further comment on so many other threads... I'l chime in.

Smaller but upperclassman-oriented ballcontrol team that digs well.

Coach Christy Johnson took over last year so she's mainly using former coaches kids but immediately developed a winning attitude and the team experienced immediate improvement over former years. Johnson previous position was assistant coach at Wisc first under John Cook, then Pete Waite. Johnson set Nebraska to the 95 National Championship and was a 2 time AA. No surprise both Wisc and now ISU setters have always been a team strength.

ISU's run by a Freshman setter Manns who is argued to be on level with UNLs Holloway and Barnes of Baylor. From a small school in Kansas so not sure how much recruiting attention she got.

ISU is lead this year (and for the last couple years) by Erin Boeve. All Big12 pick. Athletic 6-2 MB. 3.3 K/g, 1.6 Blks/g

Rest of hitters are all solid passing/hitting with quite a bit of experience.

Srs Jessen and Lorenzen are undersized (5-10/5-11) for todays game at OH but take most the swings. (Think UCSB style OHs)

Jr 6'-0" Cummings is Opp and hits for a high % of 325.

Sr 6'-0" MB2 Klein 1.36 Blks/g is also a little undersized for todays game.

Cady/Churm/Vos at Libero/DS are very good. (Churm led Big12 last year in digs I think.) Jr/Sr/So

[clonesvb]

2c said:

10 wins in Big10 nearly locks ISU for the tournament. One more should do it luckily since two would be pretty tough to do with TT, @ut, @ou, CU left. Big help to Mich and NoIowa.

Since I'm not allowed or just don't care to further comment on so many other threads... I'l chime in.

Smaller but upperclass-oriented ballcontrol team that digs well.

Coach Christy Johnson took over last year so she's mainly using former coaches kids but immediately developed a winning attitude and the team experienced immediate improvement over former years. Johnson previous position was assistant coach at Wisc first under John Cook, then Pete Waite. Johnson set Nebraska to the 95 National Championship and was a 2 time AA. No surprise both Wisc and now ISU setters have always been a team strength.

ISU's run by a Freshman setter Manns who is argued to be on level with UNLs Holloway and Barnes of Baylor. From a small school in Kansas so not sure how much recruiting attention she got.

ISU is lead this year (and for the last couple years) by Erin Boeve. All Big12 pick. Athletic 6-2 MB. 3.3 K/g, 1.6 Blks/g

Rest of hitters are all solid passing/hitting with quite a bit of experience.

Srs Jessen and Lorenzen are undersized (5-10/5-11) for todays game at OH but take most the swings. (Think UCSB style OHs)

Jr 6'-0" Cummings is Opp and hits for a high % of 325.

Sr 6'-0" MB2 Klein 1.36 Blks/g is also a little undersized for todays game.

Cady/Churm/Vos at Libero/DS are very good. (Churm led Big12 last year in digs I think.) Jr/Sr/So

Very good synopsis. I'll add some more. Boeve is the leader, when she is on they are tough to beat. She blocks well and has made herself into a much more efficient hitter.

Lorenzen, Jessen and Churm are the primary passers and each is probably having their best years. According to the notes on their website, ISU has averaged 19.28 digs per game the last five matches (coming into today). No small feat for a Big 12 team.

They have a chance to take Nebraska's throne as the top blocking team. The Huskers have led the Big 12 the last eight years, but ISU currently holds a small margin.

The key has probably been confidence and a winning attitude that has been instilled by the coaching staff, which has been at ISU for two years. Johnson is assisted by her husband, Joe Lynch who was a top club coach prior to coming the ISU, and Dawn Sullivan, formerly Dawn Cady an all-american at Kansas State in the late 90s. Cady's sister is the DS on the team and plays with the same grit and determination of her older sister and now coach.

Jessen leads the way in kills with a number of others getting a lot of swings. Klein, a transfer from Marquette, sat out of college volleyball for two years before joining Johnson at ISU. She immediately made an impact on the team, presenting a tough blocking tandem when teamed with Boeve.

Cummings has been the big surprise, transfering from D2 Northwest Missouri State. As was previously stated she hits for a high percentage and her blocking is solid as well.

That was long, let me know if you have any other questions.

[IdahoBoy]

Any All-American candidates? Any really solid numbers for players that stand out on this team, or is it more of a team effort?

[Cubicle No More ...]

it's great to see programs like iowa st and oklahoma move up the Big12 food chain.

it's weird to see the likes of kansas st and texas a&m at or near the bottom.....

[2c]

idahoboy said:

Any All-American candidates? Any really solid numbers for players that stand out on this team, or is it more of a team effort?

Boeve should get serious consideration for AA honors.
3.31 K/G, .321, 1.64 Blks/G, 21 aces - 34 srvErrs (Not outstanding for MB hitting % but in the consideration range.)

[Wolfgang]

I find it odd that a school would take the nickname of a phenomenon that could wreak havoc on their campus. And take lives, too.

[clonesvb]

wolfgang said:

I find it odd that a school would take the nickname of a phenomenon that could wreak havoc on their campus. And take lives, too.

the real story behind the Cyclone nickname can be found here:

www.cyclones.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=48360&SPID=4256&DB_OEM_ID=10700&ATCLID=537495

what about the hurricanes? far worse.

[mischievious]

Christy Johnson is amazing. I remember idolizing her as I learned to play volleyball. Mentioned in the Nebraska-Colorado thread was talk of how John Cook's daughter was playing for a state title that night as the starting setter for Lincoln Pius X. Yes...I'm going somewhere...hang with me. Although she is just a sophomore, it was mentioned in that thread that she wants to get away from home for college.

With Christy Johnson's strong ties to John Cook and his family, I think if Cook's daughter manages to get away from Nebraska and her dad, Iowa State could be the front runner in where she might go.

What do ya'll think about this possible situation?

[baldyballer]

I would think Cook would send her away from his conference but you never know. Could you imagine trying to recruit Cook's daughter? There would be no pulling the wool over his eyes about school/volleyball. As a big 12 fan, I have watched Iowa State "blossom" the last two years. The coaches do a great job stressing fundamentals and are good people. I hope they make a big splash in the NCAA tournament.

[maninyellowhat]

How do we know Christy's ties are that strong to Cook?

[Keystonekid]

Cook would send her away from his conference? I guess that would invlove the assumption that he values his team over what his daughter would want to do. Lauren is probably a little small to set a 5-1 in a major conference, but she is awfully good, and will be an impact setter somewhere good. She could also be a libero in any program, she is lightning quick and can really defend.