The ISU volleyball team will try to build off its recent hot streak Wednesday when the Cyclones hit the road to open up conference play against Baylor.

After struggling to find a groove during the first week of the season, the Cyclones (6-4) are now riding a five-match winning steak in which they have dropped just two of their last 17 games.

“This is where we really start to have fun,” said senior Erin Boeve. “Now that we’re back on track we’ve gained a lot more confidence and shown that we know how to win no matter who is on the court.”

Last weekend, the Cyclones made a statement at the Drake Classic in Des Moines, dispatching in-state opponents Iowa and Drake, as well as 21st-ranked LSU. The Cyclones hit .317 and outblocked their opponents 44 to 16 in the three matches.

“We are coming off of what might have been the best week in the program’s history,” said coach Christy Johnson. “We are definitely showing signs of how good we can be, and have improved dramatically from where we were a few weeks ago.”

Now that the train has started gaining momentum, the Cyclones are facing tough competition from one of the country’s elite conferences week-in and week-out.

“The Big 12 is going to be very, very tough,” Johnson said. “On tape, even some of the teams ranked near the bottom of the conference have looked very good so far this season.”

The Big 12 currently has four teams ranked in the CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Poll: No. 1 Nebraska, No. 7 Texas, No. 19 Kansas State and No. 25 Texas A&M. Each school in the conference has amassed a winning record thus far this season.

Baylor (7-3) is looking to bounce back after being swept twice by the Cyclones last season, and will use a stout defense in an attempt to shut down the streaky Cyclone offense.

Defense will be featured in the matchup, with the two best blocking teams and individuals in the Big 12. ISU middle blocker Jen Malcom leads the conference with 1.76 blocks per game, while Baylor’s Anna Breyfogle is second with 1.68.

“Our defense has been a big part of this turnaround,” Boeve said. “Just the little things we’ve improved on lately have made all the difference.”

Breyfogle was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the matches of Aug. 27 to Sept. 3, after posting an impressive 31 total blocks over a four-match stretch. The Bears also boast the Big 12’s second-best opponents’ hitting percentage at .144, while the Cyclones come in fourth at .153.

Iowa State is looking to build off its 12-8 conference record in 2006, marking the program’s first winning conference record since the Big 12 expanded from eight teams to twelve in 1995.

“It’s important for us to get off to a good start,” Johnson said. “Just a few matches can make the difference between a record of 9-11, 10-10 or 13-7, so all matches are important. Even though we’ve played well recently, we still have several things we need to work on and take care of in the next few weeks.”

At a glance:

Scouting the Bears

Record: 7-3, 0-0 Big 12

Preseason Big 12 ranking: Eighth

Returning starters/lost: 5/2

Good wins: Ole Miss (10-1), SMU (7-3)

Bad losses: Stony Brook (4-6)

Key offensive player: S Taylor Barnes – The sophomore setter earned preseason All-12 honors and will lead the Baylor offense after a freshman campaign in which she led the conference in aces and piloted the Bears to the fourth-best hitting percentage in the Big 12.

Key defensive player: MB Anna Breyfogle – Also a sophomore, Breyfogle is second in the conference only to Iowa State’s Jen Malcom in blocks per game with 1.68. After registering 31 blocks in four matches, she was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the matches of Aug. 27 to Sept. 3.