After splitting matches with No. 20 Illinois in Champaign, Ill., the No. 18 ISU volleyball team will return to Ames for its home debut facing in-state rival No. 25 Northern Iowa.

Iowa State volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said she expects a tough opponent to come into Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night to face the Cyclones (2-3, 0-0 Big 12). With an active setter, great middles, great passing and ball handling, Johnson-Lynch said the Panthers (4-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley) will be a challenge.

“UNI is going to be another huge match for us,” Johnson-Lynch said. “[We] are very much looking forward to playing at home finally. The thing about UNI is that some teams come into Hilton, and you have already won half the battle. They are intimidated, and it is hard for them to play here. UNI always seems to play well in our gym, so I’m anticipating another great match on Wednesday night.”

Junior libero Kristen Hahn said she, as well as the rest of the team, is very anxious to take the court against the rival Panthers after they were swept 3-0 against them in 2011 in Cedar Falls.

“I know it’s always just been kind of back and forth,” Hahn said of the competitiveness of the two teams. “Last year we got swept there, and we swept them my freshman year at home in Ames, so it’s always kind of back and forth. I know a lot of girls on the UNI team, and it’s always just a big rivalry.”

Sophomore Victoria Hurtt said being able to play Northern Iowa at home will be a nice change of pace after being on the road since the beginning of the season. And with it being an in-state matchup, it adds a little bit more.

“They are just really motivating,” Hurtt said. “They are always really loud for us, so that’s always great and makes us play better.”

Hahn said Northern Iowa provides many challenges — one of which is how quick its offense is run.

“I think they are very quick in the middle, and their coach is very smart,” Hahn said. “Last year I think she kept the ball away from me a lot. That will be huge if she chooses to do that again, to make sure that everyone is prepared to play defense and not just funnel it my way the whole time.”

UNI coach is Bobbi Petersen, now in her 13th year.  She has accumulated a record of 322-78 as coach of the Panthers as well as claiming five Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles. Johnson-Lynch said her style of recruiting and coaching works very well for the UNI program.

“She takes great athletes and turns them into great volleyball players,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I think she knows what they are about. She gets the athletes they know they can get, and that they know they can train. They are a little unorthodox and always a little hard to play and prepare for, because they usually have an active setter.”

The match against the Panthers will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum.