After its first-ever appearance in the Elite Eight, the ISU volleyball team has raised the bar even higher in spring training. 

“I think our players and our staff see ourselves in that elite group now and when we go into these competitions we expect to play at a certain level,” said head coach Christy Johnson. “And once you start to think of yourself as a top team, you start to have certain expectations.” 

The Cyclones have remained perfect in spring exhibition play with wins against San Diego State, San Diego and Wisconsin. In its spring opener on March 18, Iowa State beat San Diego State 4-1.

“I think we get a lot out of our spring competition,” Johnson said. “It allows us to see the things that we need to work on, what our strengths and weaknesses are going into the fall.” 

Freshmen Rachel Hockaday and Carly Jenson led the Cyclones with 15 kills apiece in the San Diego State game. Another Cyclone in double figures was sophomore Victoria Henson, with a dozen. 

Freshman Caitlin Mahoney led the Cyclones in aces with three of Iowa State’s nine. 

A balanced attack led the Cyclones to a win over San Diego 3-1 the following day. The Toreros finished 19th in the country in the 2008 season and won the West Coast Conference Championship over Pepperdine University. 

Because spring play doesn’t count for anything, Johnson was more concerned with how Iowa State matched up with a team of that caliber. 

“Win-loss wise it doesn’t matter so much, but it’s more that they are doing a good job of the things we ask, and getting better at it,” Johnson said. “It was good to see players like Hockaday go up against a good block and still get kills.” 

Iowa State was led by freshman Debbie Stadick who powered down ten kills while Hockaday and Henson were difference-makers yet again with nine kills each. 

Mahoney rocketed four aces in the contest against San Diego to extend her spring season count to seven. 

The Cyclones traveled to Wisconsin on March 28 to sweep the Badgers 4-0. Iowa State held Wisconsin to a -.100 hitting percentage and out-blocked the Badgers 20-3 — 18 of which came from a combined effort of Stadick and Diane Kieger. 

“They are definitely a big presence out there,” Johnson said. “Diane [Kieger] and Deb [Stadick] committed well and blocked the way they should have.” 

Kaylee Manns set the Cyclones up on offense with 29 assists to create a .239 attacking percentage. 

Henson led Iowa State with a dozen kills against Wisconsin, to extend her spring total to 33 in three games. Hockaday added eight kills and ten digs for the Cyclones to increase her exhibition total to 32 kills. 

“The thing I’ve appreciated about [Hockaday] more and more, especially this spring is that she’s always ready to play,” Johnson said. “Every scrimmage we have had she’s been ready to play from point one. To be able to do that as a freshman, I think is a real talent.” 

Exhibition has allowed the Cyclones to fine-tune certain things and expose the newer players to a side of the game they aren’t used to. 

“It really gives the younger players a chance to do some things that we haven’t asked of them before,” Johnson said. “Players just get to do things that they weren’t doing in the fall.” 

Freshman Kelsey Peterson has had some chances to pass, especially during spring training, something the outside hitter normally doesn’t get a shot at. Henson has been able to play a full-rotation in the spring, whereas in the fall she only saw the front row. 

“A couple years ago we may have been satisfied with playing some of the teams we’re playing this spring, but now our expectations are a lot higher,” Johnson said. 

The Cyclones look to continue the exhibition-run on April 11th in the Iowa State tournament hosting UNI, Iowa, UMKC and Drake in the Forker Building. 

Manns named to U.S. A2 team.

One member of the Cyclone team will continue her spring training at the national level. Junior setter Kaylee Manns has been chosen to participate in the 2009 U.S. Women’s National A2 Program. 

“It’s certainly an honor because they select pretty much the top players in the country, so for [Manns] to be selected to join them is pretty neat,” Johnson said.