Emotions can run high on the opening night of any season. For the Cyclone volleyball team, those emotions were displayed after every kill was pounded to the ground on the Panthers’ side of the net.

Whether it was a fist pump from freshman Jamie Straube, a roar from Rachel Hockaday or a small grin from junior Victoria Henson, everyone could see the determination on the faces of the Cyclones’ attackers Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum as Iowa State faced Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“The adrenaline was definitely flowing. After three weeks of practice, we were just ready to start the season,” Hockaday said Friday. “Offensively, we kind of dwindled, so tomorrow we are going to focus on starting out strong and maintaining that focus.”

The Cyclones started with a sweep over the Panthers 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 26-24) on Friday and turned around Saturday to win 3-0 (25-16, 25-10, 25-15) again.

After adjusting their game, the Cyclones were able to continue an offensive attack throughout the entire match, something Iowa State struggled with during the season opener.

“When we subbed in some people, it felt like they didn’t play as focused, and we need to make sure that no matter who is in there, we carry out the game plan,” said head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch after Friday night’s game.

The offensive threat for Iowa State who was able to continue her momentum throughout the home opener was sophomore Kelsey Petersen. The 6-foot-1-inch outside hitter finished with 10 kills, one away from her career high. Aside from Petersen, most of the Cyclone attackers had a tough time remaining consistent throughout the match. The Cyclones were able to fine-tune attacking issues Saturday, after discussing the game plan with senior setter Kaylee Manns.

“We gave Kaylee some feedback on how we thought they were blocking us, how we could distribute the ball better to get some more one-on-ones,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I think we hit a lot better because she made a lot better decisions.”

With Henson leading the way for Iowa State with 16 kills Saturday, the Cyclones compiled an overall attacking percentage of .358. The Cyclones not only continued, but improved their attacking game as the match went on.

Henson produced a defensive effort in the match Friday night, leading the team in digs with 16, and compiling nine kills on the side. With two solid performances in both aspects of the game this weekend, the outside hitter displayed her improvement as an all-around player.

“What’s nice about her playing all the way around is that we can use her on that back row attack,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I think it helps with the continuity of the team if you don’t constantly have subs coming in and out.”

Iowa State took advantage of the Panthers’ lack of height and combined for 45 kills with only 11 errors. The ISU offense seemed to find every hole in the Panther defense Saturday, and the team known for its scrappy defense was left without an answer to the Cyclone attack.

Another contributor for Iowa State was the sophomore Hockaday. As a freshman, Hockaday made an impact but wasn’t always the go-to hitter. This year, she has already displayed improvement in a variety of aspects.

“She’s gotten a lot of experience over the last year,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She uses the block a lot better, hits high hands a lot better and adjusts to the set.”

In several instances Saturday, Hockaday would convert a tight set into a kill by simply tipping over the hands of Panther blockers. Her versatility has been apparent even in just the first two matches of the season.

Johnson-Lynch mentioned after Friday night’s match that the team had struggled at times when substitutions were made and the lineup was shuffled a bit.

 If outside hitters and middle blockers can develop into back row players, the Cyclones have a chance to be even more successful.

With outside hitters Manns can look to at any time and middle blockers who add height to the roster, Iowa State’s offensive attack has multiple facets. Those facets were the core of the Cyclones’ success over the weekend and were good start to the 2009 season.

“We were getting a lot of one-on-one situations, and they were putting the ball down,” Manns said. “I’m just really proud. Obviously, we’ve come a long way even since [Friday], and we just have to keep getting better offensively.”