Creighton Bluejays Volleyball Team Awaits Cyclones in Minnesota For NCAA Volleyball Tournament

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Creighton Bluejays Volleyball Team Awaits Cyclones in Minnesota For NCAA Volleyball Tournament
 
AMES, Iowa – No. 16 Iowa State (20-8) travels to Minneapolis, Minn. on Friday afternoon to play Creighton (20-11) in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This is the first time the Cyclones have played at the Spirit Pavilion at the University of Minnesota since the first two rounds of the 2008 tournament, on their way to the Elite Eight.
 
Although unfamiliar with their Missouri Valley Conference opponent, the Cyclones can be sure the Bluejays, making their first-ever trip to postseason, will be tough on the explosive Iowa State offense. Creighton has three players with over 3.00 digs per set this season in Allie Oelke (3.77), Nayka Benitez (4.40) and Julianne Mandolfo (4.47), meaning the Jays will be ready to handle a flurry of attacks to all parts of the court.
 
Fortunately for Iowa State, sophomore middle blocker Jamie Straube is entering postseason on a tear that few foes have been able to stop. Straube is averaging .355 over the Cyclones’ last five matches (.327 for the season). In Iowa State’s season finale against No. 8 Texas, Straube had a career-high 17 kills. She is also averaging 1.07 blocks per set this season.
 
First serve between the Cyclones and Bluejays is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Friday. For full coverage of the Cyclones at the NCAA Tournament, including live stats and streaming video and for ticket information, visit Cyclones Tournament Central.
Cyclone Notebook                                                                                                                      
• The Cyclones were selected for their fifth-straight NCAA tournament and sixth overall selection.  (1995, 2006-2010)• Iowa State advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2009 before being eliminated by No. 7 Nebraska.
• In the 2008 NCAA tournament, the Cyclones began their Elite Eight run in Minnesota, beating Northern Iowa and No. 10 Minnesota in the first two rounds.
• For the third consecutive year, Ashley Mass was named the Big 12 Libero of the Year and to the All-Big 12 First Team.
• Mass’ teammates Victoria Henson (unanimous vote) and Jamie Straube were also conference first team selection. It is Henson’s third-straight first team selection and the first for Straube.
• Henson is riding three-straight double-double performances into Friday’s match with the Bluejays. Henson had 23 kill and 20 digs against Texas Tech last week and posted 21 kills and 18 digs against No. 8 Texas.
• The Cyclones finished the regular season 13-7 in the Big 12, ranked third behind Nebraska and Texas.
• Henson and Mass have played in the last 10 Cyclone postseason matches, logging 37 sets each. Henson has hit .243 in the postseason, averaging 4.24 kills per set. Mass is averaging 4.86 digs per set in her postseason career.
• Straube is on a hot streak going into the tournament. Straube is hitting .355 over the last five matches and had a career-high 17 kills against No. 8 Texas in the regular season finale.
• Iowa State ends the regular season second in the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage (.170), assists per set (13.75) kills per set (14.57) and digs per set (16.99).
• The Cyclones finish third in the conference in hitting percentage (.260), sixth in blocks per set (2.27) and eighth in service aces per set (0.99)
• Henson led the league in kills per set (4.47) and points per set (4.86).
• Straube finishes the season fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.327) and eighth in blocks per set (1.07)
• Alison Landwehr led the conference in assists per set with 11.86.
• Mass had 4.94 digs per set in the regular season, third-best in the Big 12.
• Carly Jenson finishes ninth in the Big 12 in kills, with 2.98 per set.
 
Streaks and Trends                                                                                                   • The Cyclones 53-match win streak over unranked teams ended with a 3-1 loss to the Jayhawks on Oct. 6.
• Iowa State has beaten at least one ranked foe in each of Johnson-Lynch’s six years at the school.
• ISU opponents have hit over .300 just 15 times in 191 matches under Johnson-Lynch. Topping .300 has happened just nine times in 128 matches since 2007.
• Mass has posted double-digit digs in 118 of the 122 matches she has started at libero. Overall, she has been in double-digits 119 times.
 
Series Notes - Creighton (Missouri Valley Conference)                                     
• Iowa State leads the all-time series 5-2 including a four-set win in 2008, the squads’ last meeting.
• Under Christy Johnson-Lynch, the Cyclones are 2-1 against the Bluejays.
• In 2008, the teams played at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb.
• This is Creighton’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament
• The Bluejays are 7-3 in their last 10 matches, with wins over Indiana State, Illinois State, Drake (twice), Evansville and Southern Illinois. Creighton’s three losses came at Wichita State, at Missouri State and in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship match to No. 11 Northern Iowa.
• Friday’s match against Iowa State will be Creighton’s third against a Big 12 opponent this year. The Bluejays beat Kansas in four before being swept by Nebraska in August.• Alicia Runge leads the Bluejays’ offense, averaging 3.83 kills per set.
• Creighton spreads the ball around on defense, with three players with over 3.00 digs per set this season: Allie Oelke (3.77), Nayka Benitez (4.40) and Julianne Mandolfo (4.47)
• Sophomore setter Megan Bober (10.30 a/s), was selected to the MVC all-conference team.