For the third consecutive year, the ISU volleyball team has earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The team will head to Minneapolis for a first-round grudge match against in-state rival Northern Iowa at 5 p.m. Friday. The Panthers (25-8) defeated the Cyclones 3-1 in Ames earlier this season.  

Iowa State has had its share of ups and down this season, but the Cyclones finished with a 19-12 overall record and a 11-9 mark in the Big 12, which included two marquee wins over No. 13 Kansas State. It is the program’s fourth straight winning season and third straight with a conference record above .500.  

“Early this season I just wasn’t sure if we were going to be a tournament team,” said coach Christy Johnson. “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.”  

This marks the fourth time Iowa State has advanced to the tournament. Last season the Cyclones advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time in school history after upsetting San Diego and seventh-seeded Wisconsin at the UW-Fieldhouse in Madison. Iowa State defeated UW-Milwaukee in the first round of the 2006 tournament before losing to the Badgers, both matches also in Madison.

The other side of the bracket features Summit League champion North Dakota State (24-3) and the No. 6 national seed and host university, Minnesota (26-6).