Despite the ISU volleyball team’s impressive record and improving play, something was missing from its resume had it wanted to cement its status as a postseason-caliber team.

“We know we needed to beat the teams that were ranked below but also to knock off an opponent ranked above us,” said senior Katie Churm.

Cross that one off the list.

The Cyclones knocked off the 21st-ranked Missouri Tigers in impressive fashion Wednesday night. Iowa State only needed four games to secure the victory.

The win puts the Cyclones at 16-7 overall and 8-5 in the Big 12, and moves them into fifth place in the standings.

“[The win] goes a long way in helping us be where we want to be in a couple weeks. Plus, it helps in the conference standings,” said coach Christy Johnson.

The first time the two teams met, the Tigers won in three games. This time around, the coaching staff altered its approach and decided being well-rested would go a long way.

“We took Friday, Saturday and Sunday off, which was a little bit of a risk, but we felt that this late in the season, the most important thing was that our kids were fresh,” Johnson said. “I thought we looked really fresh against Missouri and that helped make a big difference.”

A home match on Saturday against Kansas is the only thing that stands between Iowa State and another chance at No. 1 Nebraska.

A victory over the Jayhawks would put the Cyclones on a five-match winning streak going into the Nebraska match.

Despite that pressure and opportunity, the team insists it isn’t taking any match for granted or looking past Kansas.

“I don’t think we will look past Kansas,” Churm said. “I think we are definitely confident we can win, but we have to go in and play hard.”

The team has had Kansas’ number of late, winning the last three matches, including two in Lawrence.

Despite their recent dominance over the Jayhawks, the Cyclones know that in the Big 12, any team can win on any given night.

“I hope we are mature enough to realize that we can’t look past anyone, and even a team at the bottom of the conference can beat us if we aren’t sharp and don’t play hard,” Johnson said. “We have to make sure we win the games that we should.”

A conference record of 10-10 has been a goal for the team this year for getting into the tournament.

With a win over Kansas, the team would be 9-5 in the Big 12 with six matches remaining, putting it on track to far exceed its goal.

“[A win over Kansas] could help us relax and not be afraid to lose,” Johnson said. “I think we are about where we should be. We are in a great spot to keep climbing in the conference standings.”