Inconsistency has been a curse for ISU volleyball this season.

The Cyclones lost a five-set nailbiter to Big 12 rival Texas last Wednesday in Austin, Texas, getting out-shot by the Longhorns .173 to .243 in hitting percentage.

“I think we learned, just as a team, that we’ve got to be able to play hard for the whole entire match,” said junior middle blocker Debbie Stadick, who recorded four blocks against the Longhorns to reach the milestone of 200 blocks in her career. “It makes it obvious when games are that close, and in that close of a match every little thing matters.”

After having the weekend off, No. 10 Iowa State (10-3, 3-2 Big 12) will return to competition against Texas Tech (3-12, 1-5) on Wednesday night at Ames High School.

The Red Raiders may not be mentionable in the same breath with the likes of Texas or Nebraska when it comes to prestige in the Big 12, but coach Christy Johnson-Lynch is making sure her players don’t underestimate them.

“I think the thing that worries me is that Texas Tech has gone out and proven that they can upset teams,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We just have to remember that it could be the last-place team in the Big 12, that’s still a pretty good team. We’ve got to make sure we’re mentally ready and don’t get complacent.”

Last Saturday, Texas Tech snapped a 64-match losing streak to Big 12 opponents by defeating Kansas in five sets in Lubbock, Texas.

Texas Tech also leads the all-time series against Iowa State, 20-11, with 10 of its wins coming in Ames.

However, Johnson-Lynch is 9-1 against Texas Tech at the helm of Cyclone volleyball. The Cyclones also have not lost to an unranked opponent since No. 22, 2008, when they were swept by Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.

The biggest challenge the Cyclones will face will come from themselves.

“Sometimes when you play the not-as-strong teams, you kind of drop down to their level and you can kind of play along with them, play into their style of game,” said sophomore middle blocker Jamie Straube. “So I think it will be a challenge for us to just keep playing at a high level and continue to keep working hard and keep getting better.”

In two matches against Texas Tech last season, Straube combined for a .462 hitting percentage while registering 16 total kills for the cardinal and gold.

The match starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at Ames High School.