Leading their team to a 22-8 record and the Sweet Sixteen last season was not enough for some members of the ISU volleyball team.

Instead of spending the summer in Ames, four returning Cyclones went on to compete in USA Volleyball development programs after their 2012 season. The Cyclones competed against other elite volleyball players from across the country and around the world.

“They ate it up. I felt like they really got a lot out of that,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “Any time you do something like that I think you come back a little more confident player. You’re playing a little bit higher level than maybe you had been.”

Sophomore defensive specialist Caitlin Nolan made the USA Women’s Junior National Team this summer. 

She practiced at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Nolan traveled to the Czech Republic to compete in the Women’s Under 20 World Championship. The United States won one of its four matches in pool play in the tournament.

The United States finished in 17th place in the tournament. Nolan led her team in digs with nine in its final match, a 3-0 win against Puerto Rico.

Although the team did not advance to tournament play, Nolan said she learned from playing with athletes other than her teammates at Iowa State.

“It was just a really good experience. Definitely playing with girls that I’ve never played was good just to learn how to adapt,” Nolan said. “I think it’ll help a lot, definitely just getting my hands on the ball over summer. [It’s] just more reps that I probably wouldn’t have gotten.”

Three other Cyclones competed in the USA Women’s National Volleyball A2 program during the summer. 

Senior libero Kristen Hahn, junior outside hitter Victoria Hurtt and junior right side hitter Mackenzie Bigbee all were selected for the program.

The program was a training camp combined with a tournament held in Dallas. In total, 47 volleyball players attended the program and Iowa State was one of six schools with three or more players selected.

“I learned how to connect with different girls from all over in a very short period of time,” Hahn said. “Some people need encouragement. Some people need you to get on them. I think if you can figure those things out, then you can put a team together really quickly.”

The players were divided up into four different teams. Bigbee’s team won a silver medal in the tournament while Hahn and Hurtt’s team came in fourth place.

Bigbee had two kills in her team’s final win in pool play. Hurtt led her team with 17 kills and two blocks in the bronze medal match while Hahn totaled 12 digs for their team.

“You learn different coaching styles, how to play with different people on the spot,” Hurtt said. “It’ll help me realize that you have to work with different people all the time and you have to adjust. You have to be willing to adjust at any point in time.”