The last win for the ISU volleyball team was nearly a month ago, and a trip to No. 11 Texas on Saturday only added to its woes.

The Cyclones picked up their sixth consecutive conference loss in a 3-0 sweep by Texas, led by a .295 hitting game from the Longhorns.

The string of losses has slipped Iowa State to seventh in the Big 12 rankings with a record of 13-14 overall and 6-10 in the conference.

Texas is second to Nebraska at 20-3 and 14-2 in the Big 12, with one of those losses coming at the hands of the Cyclones the first time the teams met this season. The home court advantage and a floundering ISU team, however, set the stage for an effortless win.

“We were disappointed in ourselves,” said ISU hitter Nicole Lorenzen. “The first time we played them and put pressure on them, they cracked. This time we couldn’t keep the pressure on them and they put it all on us.”

ISU coach Christy Johnson said the team knew the circumstances it faced when entering Gregory Gymnasium, but couldn’t overcome the solid Longhorn offense.

“We had a couple good performances, but we didn’t click as a team,” Johnson said. “They were much better than the first time we played, but we knew that coming in.”

Texas’ Jennifer Todd got it rolling in game one, pounding five kills to add to the team’s .288 hitting. That momentum was enough to lead the Longhorns to a 30-20 win.

An early lead in game two soon disappeared for Iowa State as Texas used a 10-4 run to acquire a seven-point margin. Iowa State’s blocking game, third in the conference, came into effect with five straight points to shrink the margin to two.

Another Texas rally pushed the lead up, but Iowa State again closed the margin to two before the Longhorns sealed the game with a 30-23 win.

“We stuck with the game plan and performed it well, but not at the level that we could win,” Lorenzen said. “We didn’t keep enough fire on our side.”

Dariam Acevedo was the instigator for the Longhorns, notching seven kills in game two. The Big 12 Player of the Week accrued 17 kills to lead all players, as well as a .406 hitting percentage.

Texas repeated its success in game two with a 30-23 win over Iowa State, posting its eighth straight win on the season.

Katie Jessen paved the way for the Cyclones with nine kills, while Meghan Ferrie and Lorenzen each tallied seven.

Texas’ Michelle Moriarty had 42 assists in the win, while teammate Alyson Jennings recorded 13 digs. The Longhorns outblocked Iowa State 13-9, as well as keeping the Cyclones to a .117 hitting mark.

Johnson said Iowa State’s lackluster defense played a role in the loss, and it’s something that they need to correct.

“We need to continue to work on our defense, and we hope to see some improvement in that,” she said. “We weren’t going after balls the way we normally do, and we were a little hesitant. We need that to be able to beat good teams.”