The 2008 Elite Eight berth clearly made an impact in Ames for the Iowa State volleyball team. Cyclone fans are showing support by purchasing a record-high number of season tickets for the home volleyball season.

Earlier this year, head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch made a goal to sell 300 tickets for the 2009 season.

Thursday morning, that goal was reached by a landslide. The ticket office processed more than 500 season tickets, annihilating the previous record of 116 set last year.

Season tickets are still available to purchase for $25, which includes the Cyclones’ twelve home games.

“After our Elite Eight finish last season, we really wanted to capitalize on the momentum and see if we could grow our fan base,” Johnson-Lynch said in the press release on Thursday. “We tried to reach out to fans in Ames and surrounding communities and make a push for season ticket sales. The response has been incredible.”

Last season, Iowa State finished 14th nationally in attendance, averaging over 1,600 fans per game.  With the increase in season tickets along with the new “CYd-Out-Crew” student section, the Cyclones have the potential to end this year in the top 10 nationally.