The ISU volleyball team will be in Madison, Wis., once again this weekend for the NCAA Tournament, marking its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament match at the UW Fieldhouse.

But, for the first time in that span, the Wisconsin Badgers won’t be there.

The No. 18 Cyclones (19-13) upset the seventh-seeded regional host Wisconsin in a 3-0 sweep at the Fieldhouse last weekend, securing the program’s first-ever berth in the round of 16.

“When we found out we were going to Madison in the first place, I was excited because we had such a great experience there last year,” said senior Lauren Cummings. “And, getting to go back now, I think we have the advantage since we’ve played there two times last year, two times this year and once in the spring.”

Standing in their way this weekend will be 10th-seeded and sixth-ranked California (24-7), which is coming off consecutive 3-1 wins over Liberty and Duke in the Durham, N.C., subregional.

Unlike the Cyclones, the Bears have seen their fair share of unfavorable travel plans in the postseason. Once they arrive in Madison this week, the Bears will have logged more than 7,000 miles in the air and set foot in three different time zones.

“We feel very comfortable in Madison,” said coach Christy Johnson. “And we feel like we’ve had a great travel schedule compared to some of the other teams that are going to be there. So if it comes down to who is more comfortable and who has had the easiest week, it’s probably us.”

Iowa State will spend most of the match trying to shut down California’s powerful outside attack, consisting of outside hitters Angie Pressey and Hana Cutura.

While both are averaging over 4.0 kills per game, the duo presents contrasting styles of play, as Cutura is 6 feet 3 inches tall, while Pressey stands at just 5 feet 8 inches.

“Last weekend, Wisconsin had a very balanced attack and everybody was a threat,” said senior Erin Boeve. “But with this team, I know they have a lot of good players, but their outside hitters stand out the most and, if we can take them out of their game we have a better chance at winning.”

The Cyclones know they have the tools to defend against the Bears’ outside attack. Last weekend, they saw a pair of tough outside hitters in San Diego’s Amy DeGroot and Wisconsin’s Brittany Dolgner, both of whom were forced into 14 total attack errors and held to a combined .172 hitting percentage.

“We have to make sure we have a solid block up against them,” Johnson said. “And that is something we’re pretty comfortable doing. Lately, we’ve also been able to play great defense behind our block, even against some pretty amazing shots, and we have to continue that.”

The matchup will feature two of the nation’s premier blocking teams, as California ranks third in the nation with 3.75 blocks per game and the Cyclones come in at ninth with 3.31.

Another factor in Iowa State’s resurgence over the last few weeks is improved consistency in the serving game.

The Cyclones struggled from the service line for the majority of the season, but registered 13 services aces in their two matches last weekend.

“I really believe that, at every level, a lot of the play comes down to serve and pass,” Johnson said. “And it has to be good for us this weekend. If we’re in our system and if [setter Kaylee Manns] can get into one-on-one situations, our offense will look very good. On the other side, if we can serve well and get them out of system, we’ll be in a good position.”

Playing this late in December – later than any other ISU volleyball – will also bring added stress to the team. With finals looming on the horizon, this week the players are caught between athletics and academics in a way they have never experienced.

But despite an unusually busy week, the team couldn’t be happier to have such a demanding schedule.

“This is definitely a stressful time,” Cummings said. “And we are obviously still trying to stay intense because that’s what helped us out so much this past weekend. But, at the same time, we’re really enjoying it. You have to be able to enjoy it, otherwise it’s not worth it – and we have to be thankful that we’re still playing right now.”