Houston Outlasts Iowa State, Wins Five-Set Thriller

Wednesday, October 9

Houston

7 p.m.

University of Houston

8-7,3-2Big 12

Iowa State

8-7,2-2Big 12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Iowa St.	21	28	17	26	8	2
Houston	25	26	25	24	15	3

Houston Outlasts Iowa State, Wins Five-Set Thriller

10/10/2024 12:24:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score Match Book Photo Gallery

In longest match in Rehr era, Houston bests Iowa State in five sets

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Volleyball team played well on both sides of the ball in a five-set win over Iowa State on Wednesday night inside Fertitta Center.

Graduate libero Kate Georgiades tallied her fourth consecutive 20-plus dig performance with 26 against the Cyclones. Aided by Georgiades' 26 and graduate setter Annie Cooke's 17 digs, Houston (8-7, 3-2 Big 12) tallied 69 against Iowa State (8-7, 2-2 Big 12), helping limit the Cyclones offense to a .188 hitting percentage on the night including a pair of sets with sub-.100 efficiencies.

Multiple Cougars posted significant numbers on offense. Graduate outside hitter Angela Grieve led the team with 21 kills, her 14^thcareer match with 20-or-more. Senior Katie Corelli recorded 17 kills with a .394 hitting percentage while junior Avery Shimaitis tallied 13 kills and a .300 hitting efficiency. Graduate Julianna Dalton rounded out the Cougars with double-digit kills, earning 10 kills for the first time with Houston.

Cooke added 32 assists to her digs total for her 27^th career double-double. She also brought her career assists tally to 3,516, making her just the third Cougar to reach the milestone. Grieve also passed a milestone, clinching her 1,500^th career kill and bringing her collegiate mark to 1,509.

Adding to the defensive effort, the Cougars tallied 13 blocks in the match paced by redshirt junior Barakat Rahmon's six stuffs.

Houston started the match on a 7-1 run, forcing an early timeout from Iowa State. The Cyclones fought back, nearly tying the frame at 11-10, but another 3-0 stretch from Houston reextended the Cougars' lead, allowing Houston to cruise to a 25-21 win in the opening set.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair. After 10 serves, the teams remained tied at 5-5 before Houston rattled off a 6-2 run to take the lead. The Cougars remained in front until a late surge from Iowa State tied the second at 24-24. After tying again at 25-25 and 26-26, Iowa State clinched the frame with back-to-back points, winning 28-26.

Houston and Iowa State again remained close early in the third, evenly splitting the first 20 points. The Cougars then used a 3-0 stretch to take the lead, maintaining a multi-point lead and winning the set, 25-17.

Iowa State used multiple early runs to take a 12-7 lead in the fourth. The lead held for much of the set until a 7-2 Houston run evened the frame at 22-all. While the Cougars hit set point at 24-22, a 4-0 run from Iowa State forced a fifth set by clinching the fourth, 26-24.

Houston quickly controlled play in the final frame. Winning the first five points, Houston held an 8-3 edge as the teams switched sides. The Cougars continued to hold the momentum, stifling any chances of a fifth-set comeback by winning the frame, 15-8, and the match, 3-2.

NOTABLES
·       At two hours, 52 minutes, the match was the longest for the Cougars under Head Coach David Rehr. The previous best was 2:45.
·       Under Coach Rehr, the Cougars are now 88-7 when holding their opponent to a sub-.200 hitting percentage.
·       Georgiades has led Houston in digs in every match this season.
·       Cooke moved into a tie for 10^th on Houston's all-time matches played list. She is now even with Ginger Wittkofski (1988-91), Janelle Harmonson (1988-92) and Morgan Wallen (1997-00) with 127 matches played.
·       Cooke also played her 465^th career set, tying her with Kristin Guidish (1995-99) for 10^th on Houston's top ten list.

UP NEXT
Houston heads west for a pair of matches in Arizona. The Cougars start with a 9 p.m., Oct. 16 match against #13 Arizona State. The match will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU. Houston closes out the road trip with an 8 p.m. meeting against Arizona on Oct. 18.

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