A season full of ‘firsts’ for the Iowa State volleyball team continued on Saturday night in Hilton Coliseum as the Cyclones overcame Wichita State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight year. Iowa State became the third team in the Big 12 to advance to an NCAA Regional for three straight years in a row.

Senior setter Kaylee Manns became the first player in the history of the Big 12 to compile 5,500 assists, 1,000 digs, 300 kills and 300 digs after her second kill in the set two against the Shockers. A right handed flick over the net into the middle of the Shocker defense put Manns in a spot no other conference player has been in.

“She brought this program a long with her, kind of pulled it along with her,” said coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “She’s been a perfect person for that spot and I’m not sure many other setters could have done what she’s done with this program in the last four years.”

Manns has become the complete package at the setter position in her four years as Iowa State’s starting setter. She leads the Iowa State career assists record by a landslide at 5,602 and the next closest Cyclone posting 4.406 in her career.

“She’s an All-American setter, I mean what more could you want from that position,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She didn’t come in an All-American setter, but she’s leaving an All-American setter and I think that’s a tribute to her work ethic, to her mental toughness and her desire to get better.”

The 2008 All-American pick was chosen as an All-Big 12 first member this year and was the only setter in the conference to receive a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award. Not only is her digging essential to the Cyclone defense, but her jousting abilities at the net makes her look like a towering middle blocker or outside hitter at times.

“It’s an important skill because it happens so much and that was something I didn’t think she was great at when she came in but she’s gotten better,” Johnson-Lynch said in reference to Manns’ blocking abilities. “[With] balls tight to the net, setters need to be able to win that battle and she’s done that this year.”

The Topeka, Kan., native is not the prototypical blocker, or a prototypical offensive-minded setter that takes kills for herself. Many left-handed setters tend to average three to four kills per game, but Manns managed to reach this milestone even without that type of mindset.

Her last night in Hilton Coliseum displayed the type of all-around player Manns has become as she compiled her 67th double-double of her career, which she ranks second on the ISU career list for double doubles, with her 37 assists and 14 digs against the Shockers. Manns also chipped in two block assists in the Cyclone victory.

The Cyclones head to the Omaha regional next Friday, Dec. 11 to face Nebraska for the third time this season. Despite the two previous sweeps in the NCAA tournament Iowa State has had, Johnson-Lynch still wants to see improvement from her squad.

“I continue to believe and know we can continue to do better and will do better,” Johnson-Lynch said.

A packed house full of Cornhusker fans will likely await the Cyclones as they venture to Omaha next week and maintaing composure will be key for Iowa State. Co-captain Manns will be that composure for Iowa State, as she has been all year, telling teammates to relax after a mistake and pick them up even before they get down.

“We talk about that quite a bit, what you want to be saying what does your body language want to be when someone is struggling on the team or if the team’s struggling,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I think she’s getting good at encouraging players, trying to keep them relaxed. Kaylee is so good under pressure that I think that helps.”