The ISU volleyball team plays its final road match of the season Saturday and it may be the biggest match of the regular season.

After dropping a 3-1 decision Wednesday at Missouri, Iowa State travels to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks (12-16, 5-13 Big 12), still looking for one more victory to become eligible for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.

In the loss to Missouri, the Cyclones (15-12, 9-8) had a strong night defensively, averaging more than four blocks and almost 19 digs per game, both well above their season averages. The problem was that Iowa State hit only .143 with 34 hitting errors.

Coach Christy Johnson said one thing the Cyclones need to do to help their offense is get healthy.

“We weren’t feeling 100 percent Wednesday,” Johnson said. “Some of it is experience, some of it is getting healthy and getting back to where we want to be.”

Sophomore setter Kaylee Manns said shoring up the offensive part of Iowa State’s game starts with passing.

“We’ve been kind of on and off with passing, but it’s also up to me to make the ball better if the pass isn’t as good,” Manns said. “We need to continue to hit more shots and execute.”

The Cyclones are now tied with the Tigers for fifth in the conference, but have the chance to pick up a game with a victory. Missouri has to travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies, a trip in which the Cyclones and several other teams have been unsuccessful on this season.

The Jayhawks are coming off a four-game loss Wednesday to their in-state rivals, the 12th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats. Kansas had won two of three matches coming into that match, however, and one of those was a five-game victory over the 22nd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

Kansas is led by possibly the most well-rounded player in the conference, senior setter/right side hitter Emily Brown. Brown leads the team in assists and service aces, but is also second in digs and kills and third in blocks, as part of the Jayhawks’ two-setter offense.

Johnson said Kansas runs an offense similar to Missouri’s.

“They always have three hitters up every rotation,” Johnson said. “That means we have to pay close attention to who our hitters are and not get confused or lost and stay organized in our block.”

Brown and Katie Martincich set the ball to a very balanced attack that has four players averaging more than two kills per game. Freshman outside hitter Jenna Kaiser leads the team with 292 kills. Kansas hits only .181 on the season, however, and allows a .237 hitting percentage, compared to .213 and .185 for Iowa State, respectively.

The Jayhawks will be celebrating their senior day with their final home match.