The ISU volleyball team made school history Saturday with a monumental road win over Oklahoma.

The Cyclones trounced the Sooners in four games, improving their record to 12-8 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12. It is the most conference wins any team has accumulated at Iowa State and is good enough to have the Cyclones sitting fifth in the conference standings.

Iowa State reclaimed its blocking game after struggling against Texas A&M, notching 16.5 stuffs. The team hit a collective .277, controlling the net against a .230-hitting Oklahoma. The Sooners dropped to 5-13 and 0-9 in the Big 12.

ISU Coach Christy Johnson said the win was good, especially against a team that could have thrown surprises their way.

“We felt this was a dangerous team, very athletic when they get on a roll,” Johnson said. “We hung in there and responded to what they gave us. I don’t know if it was a great win, but it was a real quality win on the road.”

Both teams had trouble creating momentum in the first game, with Iowa State hitting .125 to Oklahoma’s .031. Iowa State was down 19-14 when junior Katie Jessen delivered a pair of aces to change the game around. The Cyclones rallied for a 30-24 win.

The next three games were a tighter race for both teams, as points were hard to come by. Jessen laced five kills in game two to put Iowa State ahead, but Oklahoma responded to tie the game. Iowa State dug deep to capture game two, 31-29.

Oklahoma surged back in game three behind the power of junior Eliane Santos, who notched eight kills in the third game alone. She totaled a match-high 21 kills during the night, a statistic the Cyclones had hoped to be drastically lower.

“She is one of the best players in the league, and she was one reason I knew they were a team that could win,” Johnson said. “We were committing to the block and she was still hitting over and around us. We had trouble stopping her, and a player like that can take over a game.”

Although the Cyclones outhit Oklahoma .323 to .273, the Sooners were able to rally for the 30-28 win, sending the match into a critical fourth game.

“We were hesitant on defense and let a lot of passes drop that we shouldn’t have,” Johnson said. “That’s a factor of being on the road and not quite comfortable with your setting. It got contagious and we didn’t play like we normally do.”

Iowa State had to creep from behind for a 30-28 to seal the match. Johnson said the team’s defense started to gel, but Santos was a force to be reckoned with.

“She is All-American quality, and she made it tough for us,” Johnson said.

Iowa State got a big night from junior Jessica Klein, who paced the team with 11 kills and 11 block assists. Jessen had 18 kills to lead Iowa State and Nicole Lorenzen tallied 16. Sophomore Erin Boeve rounded out the double-digit figures with 10 kills and a .333 hitting percentage.

“I thought Jessica had a great match,” Johnson said. “With her kills and blocks, as well as hitting .421, she was pretty remarkable.”

With a unprecedented conference ranking under its belt, Iowa State now faces a daunting task: keeping it. After the Cyclones face Kansas on Wednesday, the second round of Big 12 play will begin, and Johnson said this could be a turning point for the team.