Editor’s note: The following is a look at the 16 teams in the Omaha Region, the region Iowa State is in for the NCAA Tournament.

George Mason (23–8, 10–4 CAA)

The Patriots are led by middle blocker Holly Goode, who has compiled an average of 3.23 kills per set. Goode, a junior, was chosen as the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year. This is the first time the Cyclones and Patriots have faced each other in the history of the two volleyball programs, and Iowa State will be just the third Big 12 opponent George Mason has faced in the 2009 season.

Wichita State (25–6, 14–4 Missouri Valley)

For the third straight year, senior Emily Stockman was named to the All-Missouri Valley conference first team. Stockman has averaged a hitting percentage of .220 in her three years with the Shockers, and this season the outside hitter is posting a .356 attacking percentage. Wichita State also relies on sophomore setter Mary Elizabeth Hooper and junior middle blocker Sarah McGee to lead the Shocker offense. St. Louis will be the first opponent the Shockers face in the tournament.

St. Louis (24–7, 14–1 Atlantic 10)

The Billikens are making their second straight tournament appearance and third overall. They have won 11 of their last 12 matches, with the only loss coming to No. 23 Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Outside hitter Bridget Fonke is the team’s offensive standout, leading the conference in service aces and ranking fourth in kills with 3.42 per set. Setter Whitney Roth also leads the conference in assists.

Washington State (18–12, 6–12 Pac 10)

The Cougars were in and out of the AVCA Top 25 all season, peaking at No. 21. Despite ranking seventh in the conference in most statistical categories, the Cougars have a strong defense lead by freshman Oceana Bush and senior Cassie Robbins. Outside hitter Meagan Ganzer leads the offense with 3.27 kills per set.

Northern Iowa (30–2, 18–0 Missouri Valley)

The Panthers have been red-hot since their 1–3 loss to Iowa State on Sept. 2. So hot, in fact, that it was their last loss and Northern Iowa was able to finish with 26 straight wins on the season. What hurt the Panthers was their weak schedule, with fellow tournament team Wichita State being their only real competition. They rank near the top of almost every Missouri Valley team statistic except for blocks, where they are sixth. The Panthers take on Washington State in the first round.

Coastal Carolina (20–13, 10–6 Big South)

Coastal Carolina brings a record of 20–13, as well as one of the coolest nicknames. The Chanticleers won the Big South Conference tournament as a No. 4 seed to make their way back to the tournament for the first time since 1998. The deck may be stacked against Coastal Carolina, as no team from the Big South has ever won a first round match in the tournament as it prepares for No. 7 Nebraska.

No. 15 seed LSU (24–6, 18–2 SEC)

The Tigers face familiar opponent Tulane for the first round of the tournament. LSU’s season included a sweep over then-No. 6 Florida which was part of an eight-game winning streak for the Tigers. Two senior attackers propel the LSU offense, both averaging over 3.4 kills per set. Outside hitter Marina Skender and Brittnee Cooper will be the two attackers on outside of LSU’s offense.

No. 10 seed Nebraska (23–6, 16–4 Big 12)

A team that Iowa State is becoming all too familiar with, the Huskers finished with a third-place spot in the Big 12. They are currently on a seven-game win streak, with all seven wins being sweeps. Nebraska was among the big winners in the Big 12 Awards, including Freshman of the Year Hannah Werth, three all-conference selections and two honorable mentions. ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch called Nebraska a solid team from top to bottom. The Huskers face Coastal Carolina in the first round of the tournament.

Tulane (18–9, 12–4 Conference USA)

The Green Wave faces LSU for the third time this season, and the two teams split in the regular season. Tulane will enter the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row with an at-large bid. Visnja Djurdjevic, a sophomore outside hitter, has led the wave attack with her 4.33 kills per set and .212 hitting percentage.

No. 18 seed Arizona (19–10, 8–10 Pac 10)

The Wildcats topped five ranked opponents this season, including two victories over Oregon. Arizona took a set from UCLA, but fell to the Bruins in its first loss of the season after a 12-game winning streak to begin the year. Two junior outside hitters paced the way for the Wildcats this season. Outside hitter Tiffany Owens led overall in kills, averaging 3.74 per set, while outside hitter Whitney Dosty also posted 2.95 kills per set. Sophomore middle blocker Courtney Karst was also a threat on the offensive side with her 2.49 kills per set in just her second year with Arizona.

Texas A&M (18–10, 11–9 Big 12)

The Aggies return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in four years and will face Arizona. Texas A&M remained in the middle of the Big 12 throughout most of the season, as the Aggies had a tough time overcoming opponents in the upper half of the conference. Texas A&M was able to consistently come out on top over teams in the lower half of the Big 12 to keep the Aggies at a winning record.

TCU (26–6, 13–3 Mountain West)

Led by senior middle blocker Kourtney Edwards, the Horned Frogs enter the first round of the NCAA tournament winning 10 of their last 11. Edwards ranked first in the Mountain West with a .367 hitting percentage and also ranked fifth in kills per set with 3.26. As a team, TCU ranked first in opponent hitting percentage and will have its hands full going against Rice, the team that ranked second in Conference USA in hitting percentage with .245. Rice will be the first test for the Frogs in the NCAA tournament.

Rice (23–8, 11–5 Conference USA)

Throughout most of the first half of the season, Rice struggled to be a consistent team, winning a few games one week but then losing a few more the next. However, the Owls closed out their season with a nine-game winning streak, including a sweep of LSU. The Owls hold the distinction of being one of the hottest teams entering the tournament and will probably look to get senior middle blocker Natalie Bogan and sophomore outside hitter Ashleigh McCord some scoring opportunities. McCord ranks third in the conference in kills per set with 3.93 while Bogan ranks 13th with 3.23. Rice squares off with TCU in the first round.

Texas State (22–12, 13–3 Southland)

After defeating Stephen F. Austin to claim the Southland Conference Tournament title, the Bobcats will not have an easy task on their hands as they open against Texas. Texas State is a lethal offensive team, ranking second in the Southland Conference in hitting percentage with .221 and averaging 13.02 kills per set. However, one interesting matchup will be how the Bobcats do against the Longhorns’ Destinee Hooker. The Bobcats ranked fourth in digs per set with 15.48 and will need every one of them if they want to stop Hooker and the Longhorns.

No. 2 seed Texas (24–1, 19–1 Big 12)

A very impressive season was capped off by a first-place finish in the Big 12. The Longhorns have one of the most complete teams in the tournament with players like senior outside hitter Destinee Hooker, senior setter Ashley Engle and senior libero Heather Kisner. Texas dominated most of the major offensive and defensive categories in the Big 12, ranking first in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage and blocks and ranking in the top five in kills and assists. In-state rival Texas State will be the first team in the NCAA to attempt to knock out Texas.