It’s a unique situation for ISU volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch, but she’s welcoming it with open arms.

Instead of easing into the regular season by steamrolling lower-level competition, the Cyclones are starting off against the same elite teams they hope to be facing when the NCAA tournament rolls around in December.

It all starts Aug. 29 when Iowa State plays host to the No. 3 Stanford Cardinal to kick off the 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association Showcase. The team has a quick turnaround before Aug. 31’s match with No. 13 Florida State.

“It causes me quite a bit of anxiety, no question,” Johnson-Lynch said in a press conference. “Playing such a great team right off the bat, you would prefer to kind of ease into it. But at the same time, it’s such a great opportunity.”

Iowa State is not entering the Stanford match blindly, as the two programs have a brief history dating back to the Sweet 16 in 2012. In that match, the Cyclones were swept by the Cardinal.

Though the teams look very different from two years ago, some of the remaining players are still fresh in libero Caitlin Nolan’s memory.

“I remember their middle [blocker], she’s my age,” Nolan said. “She’s a beast — I’ve never seen anything like her before. I think she’s like 6 feet 5 inches and jumps out of this gym. Haven’t seen a thing like her before. They have that middle and then all of their outsides are just crazy athletic.”

Combined with its height across the board, Stanford plays a fast-paced, West Coast style of volleyball. To stay sharp for that type of competition, the Cyclones are breaking out the game tape.

“We will definitely be watching some film,” said outside hitter Victoria Hurtt. “We haven’t seen the players yet, but some film will help us counteract that. I always just want to be mentally strong, making sure I’m getting after it every play.”

Though it would be simple to get swept up in planning for the Cardinal, who are six-time national champions, the ISU volleyball team also has the Florida State match in the back of its mind.

Yet another defensive challenge lies ahead for the Cyclones when the Seminoles take to the court Aug. 31.

“Florida State tends to run a little more of an unorthodox offense and we don’t totally know what to expect from them because they do have so many newcomers and a lot of transfers,” Johnson-Lynch said. “That might be a game that we’ll just have to make some adjustments as we go.”

Nolan said the best way for Iowa State to prepare for the tough slate of games this weekend is to emphasize its own style of play over that of the opponents.

“I think right now it’s mostly focusing on us and making sure that we’re crisp in our passing [and] in our serving,” Nolan said. “Just trying to focus on us right now and then have it all work out.”

It could be a rough weekend for the Cyclones. Then again, it could be a historic one, as the ISU volleyball team has never beaten two ranked teams in one weekend. Either way, Johnson-Lynch is ready.

“We want to be the type of program that is ready and embraces playing great competition right off the bat,” Johnson-Lynch said. “These are the type of teams we’ll have to play and beat if we want to get to the Final Four and win a Big 12 Championship. We’re going to embrace it.”

The AVCA Showcase gets underway at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 when Iowa State hosts Stanford and Nebraska hosts Florida State. Stanford and Florida State will then switch locations for Aug. 31’s matches, setting up the Cyclones’ 1 p.m. showdown with the Seminoles.