At 15–14 in the third set, Houston had a one-point lead and plenty of work left to do. A few rallies later, the Cougars had opened a gap Iowa State couldn’t close in that set. That stretch is a good place to begin the story of Sunday’s match at Fertitta Center.
The Houston Cougars beat the Iowa State Cyclones 3–1 on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at Fertitta Center in Houston. The 25–21, 20–25, 25–17, 25–20 result moved Houston to 12–8 overall and 5–4 in the Big 12. Iowa State finished the afternoon at 12–8 and 6–3.
Houston had to earn this one after the teams split the opening two sets. The Cougars found separation in the third, then answered an early Iowa State lead in the fourth to finish the match. For readers following my NCAA volleyball photography coverage, those stretches help put the afternoon’s individual performances in context.
A response after a difficult road match
Houston came home after a five-set loss at Baylor on October 23, when the Cougars won the first two sets but couldn’t close out the match. Sunday offered a different finish.
After taking the opener 25–21, Houston dropped the second 25–20. With the match even at a set apiece, there was still plenty for both teams to work with. Houston’s response over the next two sets made the difference.
Four points that opened up the third set
The third set’s key stretch started with Houston holding a narrow 15–14 lead. Tara Greenberry put away consecutive kills, and Lily Barron followed with back-to-back service aces. Four points later, the Cougars led 19–14.
That sequence gave Houston room to work. Instead of trading points with Iowa State through another close finish, the Cougars took the set 25–17 and moved ahead 2–1.
Houston hit .345 in that third set, then .344 in the fourth. The official box score and play-by-play show how consistently the Cougars converted their attacks across the two sets that decided the match.
Houston finishes the fourth
Iowa State started the fourth set with a 6–3 lead, so Houston still had another response to make. The Cougars scored five straight points, including two Kamille Gibson aces, to go in front 8–6.
Houston eventually reached match point at 24–17, but Iowa State kept playing and cut the lead to 24–20. Sydney Jones then finished it with a kill off a Shannon Dworaczyk assist.
It was a fitting combination to close the afternoon: Jones led Houston in kills, and Dworaczyk finished with 43 assists.
Gibson and Jones lead a balanced Houston effort
Jones recorded 16 kills, while Gibson contributed 15 kills, 10 digs and six service aces. According to Houston’s match recap, Gibson’s six aces matched her career high.
The contributions extended well beyond those two. Noemi Despaigne added 10 kills, Gillian Pitts collected 15 digs, and Kaitlyn Evans supplied six kills on .500 hitting with four blocks off the bench.
Houston’s 11 aces were a season high. Its .310 hitting percentage was also its best in a Big 12 match this season. Together, those numbers explain why Iowa State had so much to answer, both at the service line and once the ball was in play.
Bettis gives Iowa State a career performance
Mesaiya Bettis led all players with a career-high 23 kills and hit .436, reaching 20 kills for the first time in her collegiate career. Even in a loss, that performance deserves its place in the story.
Alea Goolsby added 12 kills on .345 hitting. Rachel Van Gorp contributed 21 digs and three aces, giving the Cyclones production in the backcourt and from the service line. Iowa State’s recap offers more on those performances.
Volleyball photography and the athletes behind the result
I want this coverage to give athletes, families and coaches a useful record of the match, with room for the players on both sides of the net. Houston earned the win, and Iowa State’s individual performances are part of what made it worth documenting.
Matt Powell is a professional sports content creator who crafts creative assets that drive athlete and team branding strategies.
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