A second-place finish in the Big 12 will once again be on the line when the No. 8 ISU volleyball team (23-4, 15-3 Big 12) makes the trip Columbia to face Missouri (18-11, 9-8 Big 12).

Finishing in second place would be Iowa State’s best finish in conference play since 1995 and would also mark the best finish in the conference standings for Iowa State since the Big 12 was formed.

“[Finishing second] would be such a huge step for the program if we could just come in second right behind Texas,” said senior setter Kaylee Manns . “Even knowing that we beat them in a game, knowing that we’re right up there with the best team in the Big 12 and one of the best teams in the country, would just say so much for our team and all the hard work we put in.”

A potential second-place finish no doubt excites the Cyclones, but with only two games left and the NCAA Tournament about to start, Iowa State has set goals to something even bigger: hosting tournament games.

“I don’t want to dwell on [finishing in second place] too much,” said coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “I think the most important thing is we play well here on out so we can have the best chance to host. Let’s do everything we can to show the NCAA that we want to host and that we deserve to host.”

In Johnson-Lynch’s five seasons as Cyclone head coach, the team is 1-3 in Columbia. Playing in Columbia will not be any easier as the Tigers are sitting at 18-11 and hoping to make a late-season push for a potential tournament bid.

With this extra motivation the, the Cyclones may face a daunting task defensively. After playing against big names of the Big 12 like Destinee Hooker, Sarah Ammerman and Allison Mayfield, Iowa State finds itself facing one of the Big 12’s leaders in kills: junior outside hitter Paola Ampudia.

With 350 kills, Ampudia ranks fourth in the Big 12, 10 kills shy of Iowa State’s own junior outside hitter Victoria Henson.

Despite strong numbers like these, coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said Ampudia will not be the main focus while the Cyclones are on defense.

“The key is ‘can you contain her while still doing a good job on the other players?’” Johnson-Lynch said. “If you pay too much attention to one person, you allow other players to have big nights — maybe career nights.”

“We’re going to have to be aware of where she is, but not always committed to her, and doing a good job of getting two blockers on the other hitters as well,” she said.

The Cyclones will also need to shut down Missouri’s serve. The Tigers rank first in the Big 12 in serving aces, with 129. However, with 18.14 digs per set, Iowa State tops the Big 12 in digs, setting the stage for an intriguing matchup.

Saturday’s match will be played at the Hearnes Center with the first set beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday.