While the complicated BCS formula determines the destiny of the top-ranked teams in college football, for the ISU volleyball squad the formula is simple: Stay in the top 16.

Among the 31 automatic qualifiers and 33 at-large teams that qualify for the NCAA tournament, a selection committee will determine the top 16 teams in the country based on Ratings Percentage Index, head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents and significant wins and losses. The 16 seeded teams are guaranteed first- and second-round matches against teams outside of the top 16, making it an easier path through the NCAA tournament.

“We want to make our trip as easy as possible in terms of we don’t want to play a top-20 first-round opponent, so that will help our odds,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch.

Last season, the Cyclones received their first NCAA seed in program history when they earned the seventh seed. They were also able to host their first- and second-round games against George Mason and Wichita State.

With five matches remaining in the regular season, Iowa State currently sits at No. 16 in RPI and No. 14 in the latest AVCA poll.

The Cyclones dropped from the No. 12 spot in the poll this week following a 3-1 (19-25, 26-24, 25-22, 26-24) loss to unranked Missouri in the team’s return to Hilton Coliseum.

“Every game that we lost was close, every game that we lost we had a chance to win,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We just got tentative and didn’t make very good decisions or very aggressive decisions at the end.”

Keeping the Cyclones alive in numerous volleys was senior libero Ashley Mass, who compiled a season-high 31 digs in the losing effort.

“Getting that many digs and not being able to execute is frustrating,” Mass said. “It’s definitely fun; getting the ball hit at me that much is nice because I get to dig that many balls. It’s exciting even though the outcome wasn’t.”

For her sixth 30-plus dig performance of her career, Mass was awarded her third Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for the season. Mass is the all-time leader at Iowa State in Big 12 weekly awards with 15 over her four-year tenure as a Cyclone.

“Right now we need to win as many matches as we can, that’s kind of the bottom line for me,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We’re fighting to make sure we get into the tournament, we’re fighting for the best seed we can get, we’re fighting to host; so those things are in the back of my mind as what we’re fighting for right now.”

On the ISU side of the net, two players are also battling for playing time as junior right-side hitter Kelsey Petersen and freshman right-side hitter/middle blocker Tenisha Matlock have been sharing sets at right-side hitter. Petersen started the first 18 matches but has since been replaced by freshman Tenisha Matlock in the starting lineup.

“It’s been frustrating, but it’s also good to have Tenisha get some time in and for me to get time in, so it’s frustrating but it’s also a good experience for both of us,” Petersen said.

Petersen has played in both of the Cyclones’ last two NCAA tournament trips and is anxious to see how Johnson-Lynch will divvy up the playing time.

“It makes me really nervous to see who’s going to play in NCAAs or not, but whoever is playing, me or her, I hope we do really well and if one of us is struggling, I hope the other person comes in and just takes over,” Petersen said.

Mass has started in every NCAA tournament match for the Cyclones since 2007 and sees that, despite the pair of regular season losses to unranked opponents, this team has just as much potential in the NCAA tournament as the last three squads.

“I think we have a lot of potential, and I think [compared to] the last three years we look the same with the opportunity we have to make it far in the tournament,” Mass said. “We definitely just have to win the rest of our games and stay focused and realize that we have a chance to make it far in the tournament.”

With a pair of All-Americans in Mass and senior outside hitter Victoria Henson, Johnson-Lynch said that with that experience, she thinks this team is ready for the NCAA tournament, which begins in 22 days.

Of their five remaining regular-season opponents, the Cyclones will only face two teams that have been in the polls this season in Oklahoma and No. 7 Texas. However, Mass and the Cyclones know after the Kansas and Missouri losses to not look past any unranked opponents.

“Yeah, we have had some bumps in the road this season, more than usual, but I think that’s going to make us better in the end,” Mass said.

The Cyclones will take on the Sooners in Norman, Okla., on Saturday. First serve is set for 11 a.m.