Its next match may seem like going from one extreme to another, but the ISU volleyball team won’t let records fool it.

After downing Big 12 opponent Colorado (5-5, 1-4 Big 12) in three straight games Wednesday night, Iowa State (9-6, 3-2 Big 12) returns to action Saturday night when it hosts North Dakota State.

The Bison arrive in Ames for its first weekend venturing out of tournament play. The Division I independent squad is in its worst start in school history with a dismal record of 1-16.

The team is without a conference until its NCAA tournament eligibility begins in 2006, two years sooner than expected.

ISU coach Christy Johnson said the nonconference game will not be treated any different than that of a conference game.

“We have to have the habit of approaching every game the same,” she said. “It may be nonconference, but it still counts a lot.”

Iowa State enters the match on the heels of its home win against Colorado, the first sweep of a conference team since 2002. The Cyclones used insurmountable blocking and defense to cruise to a victory over the Buffaloes.

“We really scrapped offensively and hit pretty well,” Johnson said. “We really stuck with our game plan, and that takes a lot of alertness. It shows we can stay with a lot of teams, especially if we win that first game.”

The Cyclones have a chance to repeat success against North Dakota State, which is hitting .132 as a team compared to Iowa State’s .184. Kim Hebl leads the Bison with 2.81 kills per game, followed by Kelly Lopez with a 2.54 mark. Hebl was named to the all-tournament team Sunday at the Missouri State Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational, where she averaged 3.25 kills.

Kari Fagnan is digging out 2.98 saves a game, and Bethany Boelter is averaging 5.70 assists per game.

The Cyclones boast a nationally ranked top blocker in sophomore Erin Boeve, who is second in the country with 1.82 blocks per game.

Boeve said the team’s win over Colorado will not be missed by other conference teams.

“Before teams just looked at us like another game,” she said. “Now they will see us as a threat. But we still can’t take teams like North Dakota State for granted, because there are no easy points or wins.”

Though the game plan remains the same in the nonconference matchup, the Cyclones are optimistic with their newfound energy.

“We need to go in early and dominate,” said hitter Meghan Ferrie. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing because every win is important. Every win will get us closer to the big tournament.”