While the first time was a charm for the ISU volleyball team, a second go around might not be as easy for the improving team.

The Cyclones (13-9, 6-5 Big 12) travel to Boulder on Wednesday to face Colorado, a feat that could prove trickier the second time around.

The Colorado Buffaloes hold no ranking and were swept in three games by Iowa State the first go-round this season, but don’t expect a complacent team that hasn’t made advances of its own.

“They will be much tougher this time, and they are playing a lot better,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson. “They aren’t a whole new team, they’re just playing at a higher level.”

Colorado has captured three straight conference victories with wins over Oklahoma, No. 24 Texas A&M and No. 20 Kansas State. Iowa State succumbed to the latter two only weeks before Colorado gained upsets against both.

Although Iowa State tried to show its new winning form against Missouri on Saturday, the Tigers responded quickly with a 3-1 win and left no doubts about its No. 10 ranking.

“We are sure [the Buffaloes] improved and we have to be ready for whatever they have new against us,” said ISU sophomore hitter Erin Boeve.

The sweep over Oklahoma on Saturday upped Colorado to a 9-7 overall record and 5-6 in the Big 12. The Buffaloes churned a collective .238 hitting percentage to Oklahoma’s .161, partly because of the spectacular play of Colorado senior hitter Allie Griffin.

Griffin, the CVU.com National Player of the Week, highlighted the match with 19 kills on a .351 hitting percentage. Griffin is second in the conference in kills with 5.10 a game, as well as 2.21 digs a game. She set a new career-high against Kansas State with an overwhelming 29 kills.

“Griffin is playing really well right now and we have to make it our goal to slow her down,” Johnson said.

In the same way they will be prepared for Griffin, the Buffaloes will be counting the ways they can hold Iowa State back, Johnson said.

“They got a good look at us and will know what to expect, and they will really take us seriously this time,” Johnson said. “We have to work harder in this second round, as well as working on things Missouri exploited against us.”

Those factors include the Cyclones’ ball-handling and passing, which fell apart once the Missouri offense exploded. Johnson said the team needs to concentrate on passing to the target at all times.

“We have to stress that we must pass well at the end of games, even if we are tired,” Johnson said. “We’ve been putting them in the situation where they have to pass at the end of practice or a hard drill.”

That passing will be essential against the Buffaloes, who are pounding an average of 15.81 kills per game. Colorado junior setter Ashley Nu’u is pumping out 13.31 assists per game, placing her second in the Big 12.

Iowa State will attempt to vanquish the Colorado offense with its powerful blocking game and conference dig leader Katie Churm, who leads with an average of 4.47.

“We need to make longer runs, like four or five points at a time instead of two,” Boeve said. “Winning those long rallies will give us momentum to take more games.”