It may have taken a couple of matches, but by the end of the weekend the ISU volleyball team was able to see indications that it was nearing midseason form.

Iowa State (2-1) started the season on the right foot Friday morning with a 3-1 win in the opener against Illinois State (25-21, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21), but was shaky in a 3-2 loss to UW-Milwaukee in the nightcap (25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 23-25, 15-11).

“I thought we looked a little tight in both matches on Friday,” said coach Christy Johnson. “It took us awhile to get comfortable and get the nerves out, and Milwaukee played us very tough. I thought we played well but we really had trouble getting the ball down against them.”

The No. 18 Cyclones were able to shake off the loss before the next match, as they dominated from beginning to end in a 3-0 thrashing of Mississippi (25-11, 25-17, 25-19), clinching the tournament title in the process. The Cyclones hit .333 against the Rebels, while holding them to a dismal .049 and outblocking them 12.5 to 2.

“We looked more in-system on Saturday and our offense was clicking much better,” Johnson said. “At times, this weekend, we had three freshmen out on the floor, and sometimes it just takes awhile to get relaxed and used to each other. But by Saturday I thought we looked really good.”

After being heralded as one of the best recruiting classes in program history, four of the five freshmen from the highly touted class saw action over the weekend. Right outside hitter Rachel Hockaday and middle blocker Debbie Stadick both played big roles immediately for the Cyclones, as they were faced with the task of filling the shoes of departed seniors Lauren Cummings and Erin Boeve.

Hockaday tallied 31 kills in three matches, while Stadick stole the show at the net by notching 20 blocks, leading an Cyclones’ defense that allowed its three opponents to hit just .132 over the weekend.

“They are being asked to carry a very big load for us,” Johnson said. “Rachel looked like she had been playing at this level for a long time; passing well and putting the ball away, and she became a go-to player for us.”

“Debbie puts up such a huge block, and she is very intelligent in the way she processes information and executes the game plan. When a hitter sees that size of a block in front of them it can be very intimidating, so they try to hit around it and will make more errors.”

With a high-profile preseason and just one weekend of matches behind them, the accolades are already starting to pile up for the Cyclones. In addition to the tournament title, three Cyclones turned in all-tournament team performances, only lengthening a list of awards that includes several preseason honors.

Senior Jen Malcom’s all-around play paved the way for the Cyclones as she slammed down 36 kills on a blistering .464 hitting percentage, and added 16 blocks on her way to winning the tournament’s MVP award.

“Jen is definitely our most consistent player and is showing great leadership right now,” Johnson said. “She is able to put the ball away against anybody. She has such quick feet and is so fast that even if the block is trying to commit to her, it’s still very difficult for them to keep up.”

Junior setter Kaylee Manns recorded assist-dig double-doubles in all three matches to increase her career total to 37, while Victoria Henson led the Cyclones with 43 kills. Both were named to the all-tournament team. Sophomore libero Ashley Mass extended her streak of consecutive double-digit dig matches to 29 after recording 21, 27, and 10 in three matches this weekend.

The Cyclones now look to carry their momentum over to Tuesday, when Johnson returns to her hometown of Omaha, Neb., to face the Creighton Bluejays (1-2).

Iowa State is playing a nonconference match up with the Bluejays for the second season in a row, this coming one year after Creighton left Ames with a 3-1 road victory. The two teams also met in a preseason clash this spring, when the Cyclones took two of three sets from the Bluejays.

The two teams have become familiar with each other after having consistent contact over the last two seasons, and Johnson has begun to find several parallels between the two programs.

“Their program is getting better and better every year,” Johnson said. “They are an exceptional defensive team and will be able to match up very well with us defensively. Like most matches for us, this one is going to come down to offense, serving and passing, and seeing who is going to be able to put the ball away.”

First serve between the Cyclones and Bluejays is set for 7 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha.