Valpo opened the Cyclone Classic in Ames, Iowa Friday night, falling to host Iowa State 30-17, 30-26, 30-23.

The Crusaders struggled offensively all night, hitting only .047 for the match and lost for the first time all season to an unranked opponent. The Cyclones, who play in the powerhouse Big 12 conference, hit .351 in game one and .300 for the match, suffocating the Valpo attack with 10 blocks and making only 19 attack errors.

Freshman Angie Porché (Lynwood, Ill./Thornton-Fractional South) again was Valpo's best offensive weapon, reaching double-digit kills for the seventh time in eight matches with a team-high 11 on Friday. Porché is now over 100 kills for the season and has 12 more than any other Crusader. The freshman was also one of only three Valpo hitters to record a hitting percentage above .000, hitting .179 for the night.

Sophomore Jill Meyer (Crystal Lake, Ill./South) was another bright spot for the Brown and Gold, playing all three games and picking up a season-high five kills on only nine attacks. Meyer also recorded her second block of the year.

The Valpo block was also effective, recording 8.0 for the match, led by five from Nicole Schulz (Kewaskum, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran). Jessie Fox (Granger, Ind./Penn) and Allison Sears (Elkhart, Ind./Memorial) each also chipped in three blocks.

Katie Jessen led the host Cyclones (7-2) with 13 kills and Jessica Klein added 12 winners. Erin Boeve led the Iowa State block with eight (one solo).

The Crusaders (4-4) will have another crack at a win in Ames Saturday morning when they meet South Dakota State in their final match at the Cyclone Classic at 11:00 a.m. Valpo will then travel down to road to Des Moines, Iowa to meet Drake at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.

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