The ISU volleyball senior class is going to have at least one more chance to play in front of its home crowd. The Cyclones locked up the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and will host Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the first round. 

This is the highest seed for an NCAA tournament in ISU history.

“I think the field is wide open, more so than any other year,” said coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “I think that [No. 4] seed is a reflection of the very tough schedule we play and the wins we’ve had over a lot of good teams.”

Hilton Coliseum also will play host to Northern Illinois and Miami (Fla.). Iowa State will play the winner of that match should they advance to the second round.

The seniors were as excited as anybody to get a second chance to play in Hilton after ending the season with a 3-1 loss to Texas A&M. 

“This means a lot to me that we’re not going to leave Hilton on a losing note, we’re going to leave on a winning note,” said senior right-side hitter Kelsey Petersen.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Iowa State have some history as of late. The Cyclones are 3-1 against the Panthers since the 2007 season.

The ISU coaching staff also has roots in the area. Assistant coach Joe Lynch played volleyball for the men’s program and assistant Trudy Vande Berg also played for the Panthers.

“It’s a great rivalry,” Johnson-Lynch said. “It’s a great program and we know those coaches very well. They get a lot of local kids who are great ball handlers and have a great defense. It’s a tough team to play.”

The Panthers finished the season with a 25-4 record while winning the Horizon League championship.

Other seeded teams in Iowa State’s section of the bracket include No. 5 seed Purdue, No. 12 seed Florida State and No. 13 seed Arizona. Fellow Big 12 opponent Texas earned the No. 1 seed, while Nebraska earned the No. 2 seed and Illinois registered as the No. 3 seed. 

The Cyclones are set to play University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 7:30 p.m. Friday.