Freshman outside hitter Victoria Hurtt finally feels comfortable in her surroundings.

Hurtt, who stands at 6 foot 2 inches, initially tried basketball as a kid, but by her sophomore year, she wanted to shift her focus to volleyball.

“In basketball, I was the tallest one, so everyone was always touching me,” Hurtt said. “I wasn’t a big fan of the contact. In volleyball there’s a net between me and the other players. You can hit the ball hard and it’s really intense.”

Hurtt went on to become a four-time Class 3 champion at Archbishop O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo. She was voted an all-district, all-conference, all-metro, all-district and all-state honoree on multiple occasions.

Hurtt did hold her own on the basketball court before making the switch permanently to volleyball, though. She was elected to the all-tournament team for Archbishop O’Hara in 2007.

As soon as she made her visit, Hurtt was hooked on the Cyclones program.

“I wanted to come here because it was a family environment,” Hurtt said. “I loved Christy [Johnson-Lynch] and Dawn [Sullivan]. I met all the girls and everyone is so nice. It’s a place that doesn’t have a lot of distractions, so I can stay focused.”

As an outside hitter, the Kansas City, Mo., native is gaining attention for her contact with the ball. She has been sharing time at the other outside hitter position alongside senior Carly Jenson with fellow freshman Hannah Willms. Hurtt has been effective when on the court.

She has played in 18 total sets this season and has recorded 29 total kills. While her stats might not jump off the paper, she has been having an effect on the team’s attack.

“Hurtt has a big, big arm,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She hits a really heavy ball. Even if you’re in the right spot, it’s hard to dig it.”

Johnson-Lynch admitted she can get the most out of Hurtt when they play teams that attack the ISU middle blockers. Middle backs Jamie Straube and Tenisha Matlock are both hitting above .330 for the season. Hurtt has a way of making teams stretch their defense.

The most recent matchup against Texas Tech was one example of how Hurtt can be effective. Texas Tech focused its defense on Iowa State’s middle backs as well as Jenson.

That opened the door for Hurtt.

She recorded seven kills, matching Straube and Matlock. The seven-kill performance was on the heels of a nine-kill performance against Oklahoma on the road. Hurtt had a 17-kill performance against Northern Illinois early in the season.

Hurtt’s work ethic throughout the season has impressed her teammates.

“In practice, she has proved that she can be a competitor,” said junior setter Alison Landwehr. “She goes up there with the mentality that she is going to get a kill. She’s fun to play with because she brings that intensity to the drills and to the game.”

Hurtt started her collegiate volleyball career in striking fashion. She recorded nine, nine, 17 and 15 kills in four of her first five matches. Hurtt went on to record at least two kills in her first nine matches of her career.

The timeshare with Willms started at the beginning of conference play. Willms got on a roll, while Hurtt started to get out of rhythm.

The timeshare has given both individuals time to sit back and learn, as they are both early in their careers.

It has made Hurtt appreciate her time on the court more than ever.

“The mindset I had to take was that you have to work hard every day in practice,” Hurtt said. “When you’re on the court, you come in the same way every day and work hard. You have to work hard for something you love to do.”