Incoming freshmen athletes can sometimes bring a lack of experience to a team. However, experience won’t be an issue this season for the ISU volleyball team.

The Cyclones produced the No. 10-ranked recruiting class in the nation by adding defensive specialist Annie Meyer, setter Alison Landwehr and middle blockers Jamie Straube, Taylor Knuth and Hannah Johnson to the roster this year.

Not only is this group the highest-ranked recruiting class Iowa State has ever seen, but it tops last year’s standout group of freshmen. Along with experience and talent, the five new faces create competition every day in practice for the upperclassmen.

Landwehr will most likely spend her first year learning from one of the nation’s top setters, senior Kaylee Manns. Manns has been a starter the last three years at Iowa State and averaged 11.69 assists per set last year, which led the Big 12 and ranked fourth nationally.

“It’s competition for me, and it’s making me get better every day,” Manns said. “It’s not something I’ve ever really had here because I’ve always been the only setter.”

Meyer will reap the benefits of watching 2008 Big 12 Libero of the Year, junior Ashley Mass. Last year as a sophomore, Mass became the fastest libero in school history to reach 1,000 digs in her career after just 59 matches.

Freshmen middle blockers Johnson, Knuth and Straube will contest senior middle blocker Diane Kieger and sophomore Deb Stadick to be the Cyclones’ top threat at the net.

Although bringing in some of the best freshmen in the country may not seem like a problem, it may give head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch a bit of a headache as she could have some of the most talented players in the nation sitting on the bench. Deciding who will be spending the most time on the court will be tough, as Johnson-Lynch mentioned a few of the freshmen look ready to play.

This could definitely be an issue for the Cyclones, as they combine leadership from last year and new experience for the upcoming season. However, Johnson-Lynch sees this as an opportunity Iowa State has never had before.

“I guess it’s a good problem,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We have a lot of depth, and we have it in every position, which is something that I don’t think I’ve had since I’ve been here.”