The ISU volleyball team is preparing to go to Lawrence, Kan., to face Kansas in the Horejsi Family Athletic Center, a place that still has bad memories from last year.

“I don’t think we were really prepared for that kind of environment. [Kansas] got going, and the crowd definitely got behind them and was really loud,” said middle blocker Jamie Straube of the 3-1 loss at Kansas last season. “I think we got rattled and lost our momentum, and they definitely handled the pressure better than we did.”

The No. 16 Cyclones (11-2, 2-0 Big 12) have seemingly recovered from their first two losses of the season and have now swept Missouri and Texas Tech to start conference play.

Kansas (11-2, 0-1) was swept by No. 8 Texas in its only Big 12 Conference match of the season so far.

“Kansas is just good, and it’s nothing tricky. They’re just really athletic,” said coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “They have a couple freshmen that are very good and athletic and are helping them out a lot.”

The Jayhawks also have two of the top middle blockers in the Big 12 from a defensive standpoint in Caroline Jarmoc and Tayler Tolefree.

Jarmoc ranks second in the conference in blocks per set at 1.32, while Tolefree is sixth in the same category at 1.23.

Straube said a defense like the one Kansas presents can get into the head of an opposing hitter.

“When they’re digging up everything defensively, it can be really frustrating as a hitter when you hit balls that usually go down and then they dig them up,” Straube said. “We just need to stay composed and keep being aggressive.”

ISU setter Alison Landwehr said their unfinished business with Kansas will make it easy for the Cyclones to stay focused rather than looking ahead to their Sunday matchup with Texas.

“I think we all know that Kansas is one of the better teams in the Big 12, so we’re expecting a lot from them,” Landwehr said. “We got our butts kicked there last year, so it’s a little revenge, I think you could say. I think we’re all hungry for that game.”

The Cyclones and Jawhawks will square off this Wednesday in Lawrence at 6:30 p.m.