MADISON, Wis. – Just three years ago, the ISU volleyball team was searching for an answer. A program that was struggling to win just 10 matches a season needed something drastic to get back on its feet. Christy Johnson provided the spark the team was looking for.

Since the creation of the Big 12 in 1996, Iowa State had not had a winning percentage above .400 and had only won more than one conference match twice.

But, in her three-year tenure, Johnson has found a way to take the Cyclones out of the cellar and put them on the national radar.

“The program has turned around so much faster than I ever would have dreamed of,” Johnson said. “But I feel lucky for the situation I walked into. The talent was there – we just needed to work on getting everything organized.”

Under Johnson’s leadership, the Cyclones have had records over .500 each season and, in two seasons, appeared in the NCAA Tournament – including this year’s first-ever visit to the round of 16. The team’s Big 12 record under Johnson is a solid 32-28 – a far different sight from the dismal 13-167 record the team posted over the previous eight years.

“From where this program has come in the last couple of years, advancing this far in the tournament is a great accomplishment,” said senior middle blocker Erin Boeve. “And I’m looking forward to keeping track of Iowa State and watching what this program can continue to do over the next few years.”

Their victory over seventh-seeded Wisconsin in Madison on Saturday night was somewhat bittersweet for Johnson and assistant Joe Lynch, who have many roots in the Badger volleyball program. For six years, Johnson worked as an assistant under Wisconsin coach Pete Waite, and Lynch coached many Wisconsin players on club volleyball teams in the Milwaukee area.

Wisconsin’s senior class was also the last that was recruited by Johnson during her time in Madison.

“[Johnson] has done a fantastic job with that program,” Waite said. “And if anyone in the country knows our program and our players, it’s her. And [Lynch] has also coached many of our players, so we’re probably better friends with that staff than anyone else in the country. So if anybody were to do this, we’re happy it’s them.”

The last two weeks could arguably be looked at as the best two weeks in program history, as the Cyclones have advanced to the round of 16 by going 3-1 in four consecutive matches against ranked teams. The lone loss came against No. 3 Texas in a five-game thriller in Ames on Nov. 21.

Iowa State has defeated ranked teams consecutively for the first time in the history of the program and is looking to make it four in a row when it faces No. 10 seed California at 5 p.m. on Friday in Madison.