The ISU volleyball team returns home to Hilton Coliseum this weekend for its only home matches of the spring season.

The Cyclones (1-1) will be hosting three matches April 13, 2013 against Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Iowa and Minnesota as they move on from their 3-0 loss at Nebraska last weekend.

“It will be a lot like the club tournaments that our players played back in high school,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch of her team playing three matches so close to one another. “It’s a bit more physical, so I think it’s harder for them to hold up.

“But we do have some depth, so we’ll be able to rotate some people in and out and give them some breaks.”

Some of the players are excited about the fact that the three matches are going to be played in such rapid succession.

ISU redshirt freshman Morgan Kuhrt said the Cyclones have been preparing for the endurance of the April 13 matches all week.

“It can be tiring, but I think our practices get us pretty well prepared for that,” Kuhrt said. “We do drills that are intense and we get tired in practice, so we’re ready for that.”

The Cyclones will begin the day against Nebraska-Omaha, a team that went just 6-22 last season and ended the year on a 12-match losing streak.

The all-time series between the Cyclones and Mavericks is tied 4-4 and the two haven’t met since 1991.

The second match of the day will pit Iowa State against in-state rival Northern Iowa, which placed second in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, going 25-9 overall and 15-3 in the conference.

The Nebraska-Omaha and Northern Iowa matches will be going on simultaneously inside Hilton, which is something Johnson-Lynch said will add intrigue for fans.

“Three of the four teams were NCAA [tournament] teams last year,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Two of them were Sweet Sixteen teams. It’s going to be pretty good volleyball and you just don’t get an opportunity to see that very often, especially two courts at once. I think it’s going to be pretty special for the fans.”

The Cyclones will cap off the day against Minnesota, another formidable opponent.

The Gophers went 27-8 last season and lead the all-time series against Iowa State 22-9.

“Everybody’s pretty pumped, playing against a big team like Minnesota,” said ISU sophomore setter Jenelle Hudson, who had 37 assists at Nebraska on April 6. “I think we can improve in a lot of places, but we’ve just got to keep our energy solid and momentum going and we should be good.”

The April 13 matches are set to begin at 10 a.m. against Nebraska-Omaha, 11:15 a.m. against Northern Iowa and 1:30 p.m. against Minnesota.