BERKELEY, Calif. – Ever since Iowa State secured a spot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the city of Ames has been buzzing with excitement.

“There has been a lot of people out on campus, in the grocery store – professors – who have come up to us,’ said senior Nicky Wieben minutes before the team left for the airport Thursday. “Everyone is real excited for us, and we’re just ready to go.”

The buzz surrounding the team is deserved. The Cyclones are making their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2001.

After a 23-7 finish in the regular season, Iowa State was granted a four-seed in the tournament’s Berkeley Region – the school’s highest seed since 2002.

Leading up to the tournament, there was a fair amount of concern about the Cyclones’ positioning in the bracket. Iowa State was facing the possibility of second- and third-round matchups against defending National Champion Tennessee and No. 1 seed Duke.

But thanks to No. 12 Ball State’s shocking upset of the Volunteers and No. 9 Michigan State’s shutdown of the Blue Devils, the Cyclones have a chance to advance to the Elite Eight without having to play any team higher than a nine seed.

For Fennelly, however, the situation created a negative effect masking what the team has accomplished by getting to the third round.

“We’re one of those teams that, unfortunately – and I feel bad for our kids – that nobody has given credit for being in the Sweet 16,” Fennelly said.

The road to the Sweet 16 has by no means been an easy one for the women. Iowa State has played 11 games against nationally ranked opponents, picking up wins in six. Despite the grueling schedule, the Cyclones tied a program record held by the 1997-’98 squad for wins in the regular season, with 23.

A continual knock against the team all year has been its ability to win games away from the friendly confines of Hilton Coliseum. Seven of Iowa State’s eight losses have come on the road in either unfriendly or neutral sites.

The Cyclones quelled some of their critics after their first- and second-round wins came miles away from Ames, in Bowling Green, Ky.

Iowa State opened the tournament with an 85-53 thrashing of East Tennessee State before holding off Ball State 71-57.

“It’s validation for a group of kids that have done everything I’ve asked them to do,” Fennelly said about the win over the Cardinals. “I’ve been harder on this team than any I’ve ever coached, by far. But now they are at a point that is really special, and they will get the attention they deserve.”

Now Fennelly want’s his team to absorb the experience.

“This tournament is all about the student-athletes, and that’s the way it should be,” he said. “You want them to experience everything about it. They’re going to get the attention men’s players get all the time.”