No. 9 Cougars calm Cyclones in 11th sweep of the season

PROVO, Utah — Erin Livingston’s 15 kills powered No. 9 BYU women’s volleyball to a 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-18) win over Iowa State on Thursday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.

BOX SCORE

With their 11^th sweep of the season, the Cougars stand at 17-3 on the year and 6-2 in Big 12 play, while a perfect 9-0 at home. Iowa State dropped to 13-5 on the season and 4-3 in league play. BYU extended its winning streak to four matches and has now swept three of its last four.

As a team, BYU posted 39 kills to Iowa State’s 32 and hit at a clip of .370, while allowing just .089 from the Cyclones, its seventh match holding opponents below .100 hitting. The Cougars totaled 12 errors on the night (nine attack and three service) to Iowa State’s 30.

Livingston added three digs and three blocks to her 15 kills on a .542 hitting performance. Kate Prior pitched in six kills and four blocks, while reigning Big 12 Rookie of the Week Mia Lee recorded five kills and four blocks. Whitney and Eden Bower contributed four kills apiece, with Whitney Bower adding 27 assists, eight digs and two blocks.

Set One
BYU and Iowa State began the set trading blows to an 8-7 Cougar lead. Momentum began to turn in favor of BYU as two kills form Livingston, a block from the McEwan-Llarenas and Whitney Bower, along with a McComber ace, helped the Cougars to a 12-8 advantage.

BYU didn’t look back from there. The Cougars quickly rolled to a 19-8 lead behind three more kills from Livingston, another combined block from McEwan-Llarenas and Whitney Bower as well as a solo block at the hands of McEwan-Llarenas. The 11-0 run marked the Cougars’ third scoring run this season of 10 or more points.

Iowa State kept the set alive with a 4-1 run of its own at the end, but an ace from Whitney Bower and kill by Lee helped BYU put the set away 25-14. The Cougars closed the set with a 12-9 advantage in kills while hitting at .417 to Iowa State’s .029. Livingston led BYU with six kills at .750 to go along with a dig and block. Whitney Bower and McEwan-Llarenas notched two kills apiece as well.

Set Two
Despite the double-digit defeat in the first set, Iowa State found its footing to begin the second, squaring the match at four early and pulling within one at 8-7. BYU steadily pulled away from there thanks to two crucial service errors from Iowa State and two more kills from Livingston.

The Cougars took further control of the set as they built an 18-11 lead on a 5-1 run. Prior and Lee powered BYU with consecutive combined blocks and an emphatic rally-ending kill from Lee. Eden Bower added a duo of kills, along with another from McEwan-Llarenas, as the Cougars rolled on to a 22-13 lead. Whitney Bower took BYU to set point as she squeezed the ball between two Cyclone blockers at the net for her second kill of the match.

BYU’s 25-17 win came as it recorded 14 kills in the second to Iowa State’s nine, while outhitting the visitors .281 to .091. Through two sets BYU had 10 errors to the Cyclones’ 19. Livingston notched four kills in the set followed by three from Eden Bower and two each from Lee and Whitney Bower.

Set Three
BYU opened the set with a 5-2 lead before Iowa State battled back to tie at eight and take its only lead of the match at 11-10. A trio of kills from Livingston kept the Cougars afloat before Elyse Stowell arrived from the bench and charged the Cougar attack with renewed momentum.

Stowell recorded her first kill of the set to knot it at 13, then seconds later combined with McEwan-Llarenas for a block to put BYU back in front 14-13. The firm of McEwan-Llarenas and Prior pitched in back-to-back blocks, and another Stowell kill helped BYU to a 17-13 advantage.

Five Cyclone errors, along with an ace from Hannah Billeter and kills from Whitney Bower and Prior, ushered the set to a close at 25-18. Iowa State edged BYU 14-13 in set three kills, though the Cougars hit at a clip of .423 to the Cyclones’ .147. Livingston posted five kills in the set, while Prior, Stowell and Whitney Bower each recorded two.

Up Next
The Cougars will play their second of two matches versus Iowa State at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday at 7 p.m. MDT. Watch BYU face the Cyclones live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.