Houston celebrates after scoring a point during an NCAA college volleyball game against Iowa State on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 in Houston. | Kylie Scarrow/The Cougar
The Houston Cougars Volleyball team faced the Iowa State Cyclones in a 3-1 win at the Fertitta Center on Oct. 25. The Cyclones and Houston have met seven times since 1979, with Houston losing only two of those matchups.
The first set began with a series of kills from Iowa State. Houston scored their first point off a block by senior middle blocker Alexis Roberson and another point off an attack error from Iowa’s sophomore outside hitter Alea Goolsby.
Iowa State maintained an early lead with multiple kills from Goolsby and sophomore outside hitter Mesaiya Bettis with a score of 7-3.
Houston started to lower the deficit with a kill from sophomore outside hitter Noemi Despaigne and back-to-back service aces from junior outside hitter Kamille Gibson, leaving the score 8-6.
For the duration of the set, the score remained tight until an attack error from Bettis and a kill from Gibson put Houston in a two-point lead with 22-19.
Jones and Gibson both managed kills against Iowa State. After a block by Greenberry and Gibson, Houston won the final point, leaving the score 25-21.
A service ace landed Iowa State the first point of the second set but Houston challenged the play, claiming there was no touch, causing the call to be reversed. This gave Houston the first point of the set with a service error. This was followed by a kill from Gibson.
Iowa State closed the gap and eventually took the lead with a kill from Bettis and a pair of attack errors from Despaigne and Gibson. A kill from Goolsby left the score 7-5.
Iowa State remained in the lead for the remainder of the set but Houston closed the point gap with kills from Jones, Gibson, Greenberry and Despaigne for a score of 15-15.
A service ace and multiple kills from Bettis widened the gap again and eventually led to a second-set win for Iowa State after a final kill from freshman middle blocker Daaliyah Kemp, 25-20.
The third set began with a kill from Bettis that put the first point on the board for Iowa State. An attack error from freshman middle blocker Taylor Johnson gave Houston its first point of the set.
For the early part of the set, the score stayed close to each other, but Houston ultimately pulled ahead with two kills from senior middle blocker Kaitlyn Evans, which left the score 12-9.
A service error from Gibson helped close Iowa State’s point deficit, accompanied by a kill from Kemp to 15-14.
Houston immediately followed it with a kill from Greenberry. Iowa State recorded consecutive service aces from Goolsby and senior outside hitter Nayeli Ti’a, pushing Houston’s lead to 19-14.
Houston held the lead through the set, with kills from Jones and Gibson and multiple attack errors from Iowa State. The third set ended with a final score of 25-17.
Houston scored the first point of the final set off an attack error from Ti’a. Iowa State responded with a series of kills from Goolsby and Bettis, then a service ace, to take an early 3-1 lead.
Iowa State stayed ahead until a kill by Gibson, back-to-back service aces and another kill from Greenberry left the score 7-6. The score stayed close until a kill from Despaigne gave Houston a three-point lead at 13-10.
A kill by Gibson and an attack error from Goolsby gave Houston the final match point, ending the set with a 25-17 score. Houston won the game 3-1.
Gibson and Jones had notable performances with 15 and 16 kills, respectively. Despaigne followed behind with 10 kills.
The Houston Cougars next face off against the University of Arizona Wildcats in an away game on Oct.30 at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona, at 2:00 pm.
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