MINNEAPOLIS – Iowa State (16-12, 8-8 Big 12) saw its 2021 volleyball season come to an end on Friday evening, falling 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 25-17) to No. 18 Stanford (19-10, 13-7 Pac-12) in the First Round of the 2021 NCAA Volleyball Championship.
In defeat, ISU was led by a pair of its stars, with Eleanor Holthaus notching a double-double of 15 kills and 12 digs, while Candelaria Herrera had 12 kills at .391 hitting, along with a team-high five blocks. During the match, Herrera became the fifth player in ISU history to record 400 blocks as a Cyclone. Marija Popovic had 11 digs.
Set One: Stanford 25 Iowa State 19
Iowa State dug out of an early hole with a 4-0 run powered by the serve of Brooke Stonestreet to move ahead 6-4. The Cardinal moved back ahead on a 5-1 run and would take the lead for good in the set at 12-11 on a Holly Campbell kill. ISU struggled to find answers to a Stanford attack that hit .406 in the first set, while ISU was held to just .171 hitting in the set, with the Cardinal picking up three blocks. Stanford wrapped up the first when Jaden Newsome was called in the net on a set attempt at 25-19.
Set Two: Iowa State 25 Stanford 23
Some early positive momentum from ISU came from its star Candelaria Herrera, with the Argentine Olympian recording a solo block of McKenna Vicini and two kills to help push ISU ahead 8-6. Iowa State’s other middle, Alexis Engelbrecht, then stepped up with a block and stuff of her own to put the Cyclones ahead three at 11-8. Campbell fired wide to make it ISU by four at 14-10, but the Cardinal began to make their comeback, getting back within one at 15-14 when Catie Baird put away an overpass. After Stanford tied it at 18-18, Eleanor Holthaus fired consecutive kills to move ahead 20-18. ISU rode that to set point at 24-20, and was finally able to even the match on fourth asking when Herrera killed at 25-23.
Set Three: Stanford 25 Iowa State 18
Stanford was able to sneak ahead at 5-4 and were able to keep the Cyclones at bay until the Cardinal went on a 5-0 run, capped by a Kendall Kipp ace to move ahead 18-13. Avery Rhodes’s insertion into the lineup helped give the Cyclones a spark to get back within one at 18-17. However, the Cardinal stepped up again and put up a 3-0 run that included two blocks to move ahead four at 21-17 and get some breathing room in the set. Stanford closed the set on a 4-0 run, with Alex Lougeay getting a kind net cord for an ace at 25-18.
Set Four: Stanford 25 Iowa State 17
The Cardinal went on a 3-0 run to get some early breathing room at 6-3, and the Cyclones struggled to find a path back into the match, as the Cardinal worked ahead by four at 11-7. The ISU defense struggled to find answers to the Stanford attack, as the Cardinal put away 11 of its first 18 fourth-set swings away for kills without an error, as Stanford pushed ahead 18-10. The Cardinal hit .536 as a team in the fourth, and advanced to the second round when Kipp killed off the block at 25-17.
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Iowa State volleyball thanks all its fans for following along during the 2021 season.
