K-State volleyball couldn’t overcome Iowa State’s defense Friday night, falling in straight sets on the road for its fourth straight loss.
The Wildcats started slowly as Iowa State earned the first four points. K-State responded with a 9-5 run to tie the set at 9-9, as Chandler Carter’s service ace helped fuel the Wildcats’ comeback. The Cyclones then answered with a six-point run to take a 15-11 lead.
K-State struggled to stay in the game and cut the deficit to three points after setter Emerson Van Lannen tallied a kill. Nevertheless, Iowa State finished the set with 2 kills from Mesaiya Bettis and a Wildcats attack error.
In the first set, Iowa State hit .394, scoring 16 kills and committing only 3 errors. Addison Massey led K-State with 5 kills.
In the second set, the Cyclones increased their lead with an 8-2 run to 15-7. Two consecutive kills from Nayeli Ti’a and Nayeli Gonzalez then pushed Iowa State’s lead into double figures.
K-State struggled to create offense, posting a .031 set rating. The Cyclones recorded 4 blocks and 13 digs to limit the Wildcats’ opportunities and secure a 25-15, two-set win.
The ‘Cats began building momentum for a potential third-set comeback when a kill from Camdyn Stucky and a block by Cadence Lundgren and Skylar Brady brought K-State within two points of Iowa State at 9-7.
When Iowa State increased its lead to 17-12, Massey recorded her 10th kill of the match, extending her streak to nine consecutive matches with at least 10 kills. Lundgren added a kill, and Van Lannen hit a service ace, bringing the Wildcats to 19-16.
Despite K-State’s momentum, Iowa State closed the set on a 6-1 run, giving the Wildcats only one point to complete the sweep.
Massey led with 10 kills, the most for K-State; Van Lannen made 25 assists and Fuka Sekita finished with 18 digs, the most of any player, while Lundgren added 5 kills and 4 blocks.
Head coach Jason Mansfield said he thought Iowa State played a clean game. Mansfield said K-State remains committed to improving despite recent difficulties.
“I have a great deal of confidence in this team and won’t stop looking for ways in which we can play more together and compete more effectively against these teams,” Mansfield said. “I think that we are nearly there.”
K-State can end its losing streak with a match against No. 23 Colorado at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colo. ESPN+ will stream the match.
