The reality that the ISU volleyball team experienced first-hand Sept. 27 in Fort Worth, Texas, is a harsh one.

The former middle-to-lower tier Big 12 volleyball teams have taken a step up from years past, and they’re ready to challenge the rest of the pack.

During the last five seasons, Iowa State registered a 67-21 record against Big 12 foes. In that half-decade, an average of three Big 12 teams finished the year winning at least 70 percent of their matches.

After a one-third of the 2014-15 season, six teams sit at that mark or higher.

To outside hitter Victoria Hurtt, that’s just more motivation.

“They’ve got better players and better recruits coming in,” Hurtt said. “They’re more talented than they’ve been. That means we have to be that much better and we have to work that much harder every practice.”

In its conference opener Sept. 27, Iowa State fell to Texas Christian University in four sets. Until that loss, the Cyclones were 4-0 all-time against the Horned Frogs, all four matches coming since Texas Christian joined the conference in the 2012-13 season.

Hurtt and setter and defensive specialist Taylor Goetz are the only seniors on the ISU roster. With only four juniors to go along with two seniors, the Cyclones will need to continue relying on their young guns as conference play gets in full swing.

“There were times out there when it’s no upperclassmen, just freshmen and sophomores on the court,” said head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “That youth and inexperience caught up to us at times, but I also think when you’ve got a lot of young kids playing they’re going to get better fast. We’ve got talent [and] we’ve got to continue to work at it and develop it.”

Perhaps the biggest impact from Iowa State’s young talent has been up front from middle blocker Alexis Conaway. Just 11 matches into her collegiate career, Conaway is becoming a key contributor at the net.

Former ISU middle blocker and All-Big 12 honorable mention Tenisha Matlock, who graduated last spring, was at practice Sept. 29, and Conaway said she picked up on a few of Matlock’s tendencies.

“It’s fun to watch her [because] she’s great at everything,” Conaway said. “A big thing is just watching her hitting and timing. That’s something I have to work on — being early and quick to beat the block. She’s just a huge presence at the net.”

As conference play wears on, the ISU volleyball team will be exploited some nights and will show off its raw talent others. With the depth and skill of this year’s Big 12 volleyball slate, however, the Cyclones will always have to be on their toes.

“Whether home or away … there are no bad teams in the conference,” Johnson-Lynch said. “That’s a little bit different than years past. There are no ‘gimmes’ in the Big 12.”