Although the ISU volleyball team’s victory over Kansas on Senior Night may not have been pretty, it might have clinched a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The Cyclones (19-12, 11-9 Big 12) struggled offensively in their 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-22) victory over the Jayhawks (13-16, 7-13) but were still able to pick up a sweep in their regular season finale.

The win helped the Iowa State finish in a fourth-place tie in the Big 12 with Texas A&M and closed out its home slate with a 11-3 record. It also gave the Cyclones, who are ranked 39th in the RPI, another key late season victory to impress the NCAA selection committee, who is in the process of choosing  64 teams for the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa State hit just .190 in the victory, using tough serving and defense to take down Kansas, who hit .207. The Cyclones had a 61-59 advantage in digs and had eight service aces, despite being outblocked 6-3.

Sophomore Victoria Henson led the team with 15 kills and senior Jen Malcom had 11 kills in her final match at Hilton Coliseum. Malcom put down her 1000th career kill in the match and Henson had her first career double-double with 11 digs and had three of Iowa State’s aces as well.

Junior setter Kaylee Manns had 41 assists, nine digs and four kills and sophomore libero Ashley Mass had 18 digs.

 

Iowa State broke a 3-3 tie with six straight points in the first set to make it 9-3. Kansas was able to close within 13-12 but Henson sparked the Cyclones and one of her seven kills in the set made it 19-13. Freshman Rachel Hockaday closed the set with one her three aces.

 

The Cyclones were able to take a 17-12 lead before the Jayhawks fought back to tie it at 19. Kills from Malcom and Kelsey Petersen gave Iowa State a 21-19 lead and it was able to close it out after a Kansas service error.

 

The third set was a back-and-forth affair, with Kansas breaking a 13-13 tie with a 6-1 run. Henson and Malcom brought the Cyclones back once again, though, putting down two kills each a 9-1 run that made it 23-20 after two more Hockaday aces. Debbie Stadick put one to the floor to finish the match four points later.

Iowa State will find out its postseason fate Sunday night at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.