TicketsAMES, Iowa – The University of Cincinnati volleyball team fell in five sets to Iowa State on Saturday afternoon inside Hilton Coliseum.
The Bearcats (12-16, 5-13 Big 12) won the first two sets before dropping the next three in the 2023 season finale.
Senior outside hitter Elissa Alcantara recorded a team-high 15 kills at a .149 hitting percentage.
Freshman middle blocker Zeta Washington notched 14 kills at a .464 hitting percentage while junior middle blocker Abby Walker had 12.
It was Walker's 15th time this season with double-digit kills.
Junior setter Katelyn Lefler surpassed 2,000 career assists with a team-high 48 assists and 21 digs in today's match.
The Iowa State duo of Nayeli Gonzalez (28) and Maya Duckworth (20) combined for 48 total kills.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 | Cincinnati jumped out to a 12-10 lead to start to the set. Iowa State retook the lead 15-14 into the first media timeout. Iowa State took a 20-16 lead, but Cincinnati came right back to cut the deficit to one, (21-20). The Bearcats went on to go on a 3-0 scoring run (23-22) and forced the Cyclones to use their last timeout. The Bearcats took set one, 29-27 in extra points behind two huge blocks from Walker.
SET 2 | Iowa State jumped out to a 6-5 lead early in the second set. The Bearcats responded with a 3-0 run to tie the set at 8. Cincinnati went on a 7-0 run led by back-to-back aces by graduate student Carly Skrabak to take a 17-14 lead. The Bearcats took a 19-15 lead on an 8-1 run led by seven straight serves by Skrabak to force the final timeout from the Cyclones. The Bearcats grabbed the second set 25-21.
SET 3 | The Bearcats led the third set 8-3 behind a 3-0 run to force the Cyclones to burn an early timeout. Iowa State came back to lead 11-10 and forced a Cincinnati timeout. The Cyclones rode a 4-0 scoring run to take an 18-13 lead into the Bearcats final timeout. Cincinnati fought back but lost the third set, 25-20.
SET 4 | Cincinnati started the fourth set owning a 13-11 lead behind a 4-0 run. Iowa State responded with a 4-0 run of their own to take a 17-14 lead. The teams traded points back and forth as Iowa State took a 23-20 lead. The Bearcats responded with a 3-0 run to tie the set at 24 and force extra points. Iowa State would go on to take the fourth set, 26-24.
SET 5 | Iowa State started with a three-point advantage as the two teams switched sides. UC responded with a 3-0 run and cut the Cyclones advantage to 9-8. UC couldn't overcome the deficit and lost the final set, 15-12.