AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State volleyball team will open the 2013 spring season on Thursday night with a neutral-site match against Creighton at Harlan High School in Harlan, Iowa. Creighton defeated the Cyclones, 2-1, last spring in a best-of-three match.
The 2013 Cyclones sport a new look after the graduation of decorated seniors Alison Landwehr, Rachel Hockaday, Jamie Straube and Taylor Knuth. However, Iowa State will return seven players who played in at least 50 sets last season, including Big 12 Libero of the Year Kristen Hahn and the league’s top freshman, Mackenzie Bigbee.
Fans are likely to see both Andie Malloy and Jenelle Hudson getting time at setter this spring as the team experiments with and develops a new offense around its new personnel. Two-time all-American Landwehr ran the Cyclone offense from 2010-12. Redshirt freshmen Natalie Vondrak and Morgan Kuhrt will also be on the court in their first collegiate matches after playing in last season’s Cardinal and Gold scrimmage.
In last spring’s meeting with the Bluejays, Victoria Hurtt tallied eight kills and Tenisha Matlock added eight kills and two service aces. Tory Knuth was solid in the match as well, with four kills, an ace and one of Iowa State’s three solo blocks.
Only Hahn and Matlock have ever faced Creighton during the fall season, both seeing time against the Bluejays in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, in which Creighton eliminated Iowa State in five sets.
Iowa State and Creighton are set for a 6:30 p.m. CST first serve on Thursday, March 28, in Harlan.
