Players and coaches know there’s one way to sum up the mentality of ISU middle blocker Jen Malcom.

“She’s a great competitor,” said coach Christy Johnson. “There are plenty of players her size with her athleticism, but aren’t nearly as good as her because she’s so determined. She’s the kind of player you love to coach and is a great teammate, and she’s a great example of what leadership is all about.”

Malcom’s 6-foot-1 frame is a below-average height for middle blockers in the Big 12, but her work ethic and desire to excel has helped her become a major part in the success of the program. In a little more than one season with the team, she has broken school records and, at one point this season, led the nation in hitting percentage. But her attitude also extends beyond what she does on the court, as Malcom has also become a key motivator for the rest of the team.

“She is intense all the time,” said junior setter Kaylee Manns. “She’s a fierce competitor and will get on you about something, but she can do it because she can back it up with how she plays. Sometimes the team can get lackadaisical, and she’s always there to put a ball down for us and get everyone back on track.”

Malcom, a fifth-year senior from Schaller, also excelled in basketball during high school, but passed up a potential chance to play basketball for the Cyclones. Instead, Malcom chose to move East and play collegiate volleyball at Syracuse.

But after two years with the Orange, where she finished fifth in the Big East in blocks her sophomore year, Malcom decided it wasn’t the right fit and transferred back to her home state with two years of eligibility remaining. Malcom was red-shirted her first year in Ames, and the next season became a starter on a team that advanced to the NCAA round of 16 for the first time in school history.

“I had a lot of fun [at Syracuse], but it wasn’t what I had expected,” Malcom said. “Then I got here my red-shirt year and learned so much from Christy, Joe [Lynch], and Dawn [Sullivan]; I learned how to become a better teammate, a better player and just a better person all around.”

Despite the fact that Malcom broke the single-season record for block assists last season, with 159, her accomplishment was somewhat overshadowed by the stellar play of two-time All-American Erin Boeve, who stole the spotlight on most occasions at the middle blocker position.

But since Boeve and fellow offensive star Lauren Cummings have now moved on, the Cyclone faithful are getting a chance to see just how dominant Malcom can be. In the fourth match of the 2008 season, she set a school record for the most efficient hitting performance in a match, as she recorded 15 kills and no errors on 19 attempts against Creighton for a scalding .789 hitting percentage.

The majority of Iowa State’s opponents this season have keyed their defensive game plan on Malcom, and only two of 11 opponents, Northern Iowa and Iowa, have held Malcom under a .350 hitting percentage. She has hit at more than .400 in eight of those 11 matches, and was above the .500 mark in four.

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

Overall in 2008 she leads the Cyclones in hitting percentage (.437) and blocks (45, 1.34 per set), and is second in kills (114, 3.00 per set). In matches played before Sept. 7, Malcom is tenth in the nation in hitting percentage (.437), and twenty-fifth in blocks (1.34 per set).

Malcom and the Cyclones (8-3) will open conference play Wednesday when they play host to the Texas A&M Aggies (6-5), who were two spots ahead of the Cyclones in the Big 12 preseason rankings. First serve between the two is set for 6:30 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.