After a 9-11 conference record this season, the ISU volleyball team will have no chance to follow up on its much-improved year.

The Cyclones, who collected a single win in the conference last season, were denied a bid to the NCAA Tournament after posting the school’s best Big 12 record ever.

Iowa State finished tied for sixth in the conference with Texas A&M, but the Aggies had two fewer losses overall than Iowa State, which finished with a 16-15 record. The team was stumped, however, when a 7-13 Kansas team made the tournament cut after finishing seventh in the Big 12. The Cyclones swept the Jayhawks on Saturday for the second time this season.

“We are definitely disappointed and we definitely feel snubbed,” said coach Christy Johnson. “On paper, to beat a team twice and to finish ahead of them in the conference, it seems to be clear from our end.”

A possible reason for the omission may be Kansas’ nonconference schedule, which boasted a more difficult roster than the Cyclones’.

Answers seem limited for Iowa State, and Johnson said there was little she could do to provide one herself.

“You want to say something to give them a reason, and you just don’t have an answer for them,” she said. “That was certainly a tough day, especially once we saw Kansas go up on the bracket. It’s disappointing and confusing, but that’s certainly college athletics.”

Senior Amanda Craig said the team was hopeful for a tournament bid, but the players can’t let it take away from what they accomplished this season.

“We wished we had continued, and because of this wonderful season, we were optimistic,” she said. “But that doesn’t take away from everything we did to tie for sixth and beat the teams that we did.”

Those victories included the Cyclones’ first win over Northern Iowa since 1992 and an upset of then-No. 18 Texas in Hilton Coliseum.

“Beating UNI was amazing, and just being considered for the NCAA Tournament is something no other team [at Iowa State] has done,” Craig said. “There are no regrets, and we are happy with how far we’ve come.”

The team staked its place in the heart of the conference’s defense for most of the season. Junior libero Katie Churm completed the season as the Big 12’s leader in digs, as well as fourth in service aces.

Sophomore Erin Boeve was named all-Big 12 honorable mention for her efforts on the season, including placing second in blocks in the conference.

“This season was definitely an improvement and, overall, everyone is extremely pleased,” Churm said. “We showed Big 12 schools that we can be an upcoming team, and not making the tournament was good motivation. Now we know what it feels like to be so close.”

The team also credited much of its success to the new personnel, as Johnson and assistant coaches Joe Lynch and Dawn Sullivan created a new era of ISU volleyball.

“They brought enthusiasm to the court and helped us believe in ourselves,” Churm said. “Our team chemistry was a big factor, and the big games that we won were definitely character builders.”

The Cyclones will say farewell to setter Craig next season. Despite the loss, Johnson feels confident the team’s returning core could nab that tournament bid next season.

“I really feel like we’ll pick up where we left off, especially with our talented and experienced players,” she said. “Next year we’ll have to be better, and show them we deserve it.”