The ISU volleyball team is ready to get the swing back in its season.

After tough losses last week against No. 10 Texas and No. 15 Missouri, the Cyclones are prepared to be a competitor in the Big 12 again.

“We’ve taken the conference games that we should have, and we’re getting the wins we knew we could get,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson.

The first opportunity for that will be Wednesday night against Colorado, a team that has been staking its claim in the Big 12 standings by winning eight of its last 10 matches.

The Buffaloes (9-5, 5-2 Big 12) nabbed a 3-2 win over Missouri in their conference opener at home, and took surprise contender Oklahoma to five games before eventually succumbing. Colorado reorganized by sweeping Kansas State in last Saturday’s match.

“Colorado is a hard team to beat at home; they really play well there,” Johnson said.

Iowa State hasn’t defeated Colorado on the road since Oct. 24, 1987. The series was split last year, with each team taking a win at home.

Colorado is seated fifth in the conference, but Iowa State is sitting snugly in sixth. The Cyclones have continued to be a prominent force on defense, while the Buffaloes are churning a strong offensive output.

Colorado is fourth in the conference with a team hitting percentage of .252 and fifth in kills with 15.30 per game. Colorado junior Amber Sutherland, former Big 12 player of the week, is averaging 4.81 kills per game, second in the conference, and is the leader of the offensive charge.

“Their outsides are pretty strong and will get the most hits,” Johnson said. “We have to slow down those big hitters and be organized on defense.”

Colorado setter Ashley Nu’u is central to that offense, averaging 12.30 assists per game, sixth in the conference.

“She is a really good setter, and all-Big 12 selection,” Johnson said. “She can put the ball up from anywhere on the court.”

Kaylee Manns, Iowa State’s freshman setter, is fourth in the Big 12 with 12.70 assists per game. Junior Erin Boeve is ranked top in blocks with 1.83 per game, while junior Colorado hitter Austin Zimmerman has an average percentage of .429.

“We have to work on our quick attacks against Colorado, and we need to have our outsides learn to hit better against big blocks,” Johnson said. “Missouri really slowed down our middle and right sides, and we have to have the same from them as we do the left sides.”

Johnson said her team hopes to avenge the trials it faced at home last week with a successful stretch on the road.

“We’re in a good spot of the season right now,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of big matches coming up, and we have a great chance to move up the standings.”

First serve is at 8 p.m. (MST) at the Coors Events Conference Center in Boulder, Colo.