Set One
The Cougars wasted no time delivering the first few blows, going up 6-2 to force an early timeout. The Cyclones kept it even over the next several points with the score at 10-6. McEwan-Llarenas then recorded a kill off an assist from Bower, followed by the Cougars’ first ace of the game off a serve from McComber to make it 12-6.
A right-side dump kill by Bower caught the Cyclones off guard before two Iowa State errors made it 15-8. With the teams trading points, BYU would score three in a row with Livingston carding a kill, an Iowa State attack error and a Stowell spike to make it 18-10.
With the score at 22-14 for the Cougars, Stowell registered a kill before Iowa State cut the deficit to 23-16 and Stowell responded with another putaway. McComber’s second ace of the night came on a return shank, putting the set away at 25-16.
Set Two
The Cyclones began the second frame with a 3-2 lead before Livingston’s left-side kill kickstarted a 3-0 run, highlighted by a cross-court slam by Kate Prior. After Iowa State scored, an off-the-block kill by Prior made it 6-4 for the Cougars. Maintaining a 9-7 lead, two Bower assists to McEwan-Llarenas and Livingston preceded another McComber ace to make it 12-7 for the Cougars’ largest lead of the set.
With the score at 15-11, Bower notched a service ace after two Iowa State errors. Prior’s weak-side put-away to center court made it 19-12. The Cyclones scored four of the next five, but the Cougars continued to stave off a comeback with a kill by Stowell and two from McEwan-Llarenas to make it 23-16. Up 24-20 at set point, McEwan-Llarenas rolled right to soar for a quick termination, claiming the set victory at 25-20.
Set Three
After trading service errors, Lee slammed down the frame’s first kill before Livingston hammered home a kill after a long point to go ahead 3-1. Lee notched two more putaways to make it 5-3 for BYU. After Iowa State knotted it up at 6-6, Stowell and McEwan Llarenas carded kills as part of a 3-0 Cougar run.
The Cyclones countered by tying it up again at 10-10. An authoritative slam by Livingston on the left side began a 5-1 run for the Cougars. The run included four kills and a Cyclone error, highlighted by Lee’s eighth kill of the night to mark a new career high for the freshman. At 15-11, Iowa State scored on a kill and then a service ace to trim the Cougar lead to 15-13.
McEwan-Llarenas scored on a tip kill, followed by a long point ending in a Cyclone error that brought the home crowd to their feet as BYU went up 18-14. After a timeout, the teams traded points as the score reached 22-18. A Cyclone score preceded three putaways by Livingston as the Cougars recorded a sweep for the second time in as many nights against Iowa State.
Up Next
BYU is back in action next week, traveling to Manhattan, Kansas for a matchup with Kansas State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. MDT. Watch the Cougars face the Wildcats live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
