After playing at Hilton Coliseum for just the third time since the end of August, the ISU volleyball team will be back on the road this Saturday for a conference showdown with Oklahoma.

The Cyclones (11-5, 5-1 Big 12) have spent all but five matches on the road this season, and actually have a better winning percentage on the road (.727) than at home (.600) thus far.

“We don’t seem to be affected by whether the game is home or away,” said coach Christy Johnson. “It felt like when I first got here it was a big deal, thinking we were always going to win at home and lose on the road. But now I don’t feel like it’s an issue.”

Iowa State has now won 10 of its last 11 matches, and is currently tied with Oklahoma and Texas for second place in the conference. Their 5-1 record is the best Big 12 start in school history.

Known as a defensive team for much of the last few years, Iowa State has recently seen a rise in offensive efficiency, and is hoping it continues against the Sooners (13-3, 5-1 Big 12) this weekend.

“We’ve been able to make smarter decisions on offense,” said junior Mary Bisenius. “Instead of just trying to shove it down their throats, we’ve been able to make better choices on how and where to hit the ball.”

The Cyclone offense has undergone a drastic transformation since Big 12 matches started on Sept. 12, hitting .249 against conference opponents, compared to .206 in 10 nonconference matches.

While they may not look like the most talented team on paper, Oklahoma has been the surprise of the season, being ranked ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll.

Oklahoma is currently seventh in the conference in hitting percentage and fifth in opponent hitting percentage.

“Oklahoma is a very good, scrappy team that won’t go away easily,” Johnson said. “They have won a lot of five-game matches, so we have to be prepared to win a tight four- or five-game match and be prepared for a tough fifth game.”

All six of Oklahoma’s conference matches have gone to at least four games, and four of those have gone to a full five. Iowa State has only gone to a fifth game twice this season.

Scouting the Sooners

Record: 13-3 overall, 5-1 Big 12

Good wins: No. 25 Texas A&M (12-5), No.16 Kansas State (13-4), TCU (15-5)

Bad losses: Missouri (9-6, 2-4)

Player to watch: OH Mariana Blum (3.76 kills per game, 3.19 digs per game)

Notes: Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas are currently tied for second in the Big 12, each with a 5-1 conference record. The Sooners have won six of their last seven matches, and are coming off of a five-game thriller in which they handed TCU its first home loss in 11 matches this season. The Sooners’ lone loss in the conference came to Missouri last Saturday, giving the Tigers their first conference win of the season.