When seniors Amy Vos and Mary Bisenius arrived in Ames four years ago, it may have been hard to believe that they would be making their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  

The two were part of the first recruiting class assembled at Iowa State by coach Christy Johnson in 2005, when they made a commitment to a program that had won just 13 of 180 (.072) conference matches in the previous nine years.  

When Johnson was pursuing her first class, there was really only one thing she could pitch to her potential recruits — promises.

“A lot of it was telling them, ‘Trust me. Believe me,’” Johnson said. “And that’s a little scary for a recruit because they don’t know if it’s going to come through.”

But four years later, it’s obvious things pulled through for Johnson and her coaching staff. All four of her squads have finished the season with a winning record, and she has been at the helm for three of the four NCAA appearances in school history. Iowa State had a record above .500 just 10 times in the 27 years before the Johnson era began.

Last season produced the most memorable of the program’s tournament appearances, as the Cyclones swept No. 7 Wisconsin in the second round on their home floor in Madison to advance to the first NCAA Regional Semifinal in school history. The Cyclones are 3-2 in the NCAA Tournament in their previous two appearances under Johnson.

“I knew the coaching staff had the potential to do great things,” Vos said. “I can’t say I expected to go to three NCAA Tournaments and make it to the Sweet 16, but I knew they were going to have a big impact on the program.”

Joining Vos and Bisenius as the final piece of the senior class is middle blocker Jen Malcom, who transferred to Iowa State after playing her freshman and sophomore years at Syracuse. The Schaller native has broken out for an outstanding senior campaign, as she ranks second on the team in kills (2.65 per set) and first in hitting percentage (.372) and blocks (1.13 per set). Her marks in hitting percentage and blocks are good enough for 27th and 54th in the nation, respectively.

Three months ago, a third-straight NCAA appearance was anything but certain for this Cyclone senior class. With all five freshman players receiving playing time, the team ran into some early struggles but has seen a steady improvement since.

“Early this season I just wasn’t sure if we were going to be a tournament team,” Johnson said. “But to get to this point, seeing how the team has progressed throughout the season and to be in the tournament, I think we can make a run. It’s going to be exciting.”