The Cyclone volleyball team hosted South Dakota State for the first of their two exhibitions for the 2026 season. Iowa State defeated 2025 NCAA tournament team South Dakota State 3-1 (27-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19) Friday night.
The Cyclones now lead the Jackrabbits in the all-time series with a 6-1 advantage. Iowa State hit .247 for the match and South Dakota State recorded a .124 hitting percentage.
Nayeli Ti’a led the Cyclone offense with 15 kills while hitting .281 and contributing one block. Ti’a also recorded 10 digs. Rachel Van Gorp had a solid outing, ending the night with 27 digs, a match high. Ella Florez and Ava Martin recorded 48 of Iowa State’s 53 assists with 26 and 22 respectively. Sylvie Zgonc led the Jackrabbits’ offense with 13 kills but hit .128 on the evening.
The Cyclones will be back in action on Aug. 22 when it faces Minnesota at 11 a.m. CDT. Minnesota leads the all-time series 25-10, with the Gophers and the Cyclones most recently meeting in the 2025 NCAA Second Round.