One of the benefits of a long, game-filled season is there is always another game just around the corner, and the ISU volleyball team hopes to take advantage of that.

After losing to No. 11 Texas on Tuesday night, the Cyclones want to wash the bad taste out of their mouths as they take on No. 17 Missouri.

“We can’t let ourselves fall into a routine, so day in and day out. We have to make sure we get excited for every game,” said senior Nicole Lorenzen. “Texas was a huge game, and we just came out flat.”

As the Cyclones have already experienced, the Big 12 competition is tough every night. Matches like the one against Texas are bound to happen, but the team is still trying to take away positives and learn from every match.

“You never want to forget a loss, but just how bad that Texas loss was just fires up more,” said freshman Kaylee Manns. “We never want that to happen again, so we want to come out with a completely new attitude.”

In addition to using the match for motivation, the Cyclones aim to make strategic improvements.

“Our hitters are going to have to get used to seeing big blocks in front of them and be able to score against the block,” said coach Christy Johnson. “We’ve got to find a way for our hitters to be successful, and that means getting as many one-on-one situations as we can, and capitalizing on those situations.”

Texas will function as a learning curve as Iowa State prepares to take on the Tigers. Missouri fields a similar line-up to the Longhorns, with tall, athletic players at each position. The Tigers may not be as physical as Texas, but they are just as good at blocking and posing an all-around challenge.

“[Missouri] is a really good team,” Johnson said. “They do everything well – they don’t have a glaring weakness.”

Johnson said one point of focus the team is working on is enthusiasm. The season is long and attentions can waver. Being able to stay focused and upbeat, even while players are wearing down physically, is integral to the team’s success, she said.

“It’s always a little bit of a fine line because you want to practice as hard as you can, but still keep the players fresh and not wear them down,” Johnson said.

The key to practice is making sure the players are staying positive and getting ready for the next match.

“We want to try and practice really hard, make it fun, make it competitive,” Johnson said. “We want to make every drill as intense as we can so when they step on the court they play the same way they’ve been practicing.”