The conference drought continued for the ISU volleyball squad in its first contest of three consecutive matches against Texas teams.

The Cyclones were trampled by Texas Tech in three straight games, 31-29, 30-27 and 30-25, in Lubbock on Saturday, descending to 8-18 overall and 1-17 in the Big 12.

Despite a solid night of defense that kept Texas Tech to a .167 hitting percentage, the Red Raiders tallied its own remarkable defense by only allowing Iowa State a .066 clip.

“We had trouble of not stopping their strings of points,” said ISU hitter Katy Amundson. “We knew what to expect from them, but we just didn’t execute. I just tried to find shots that would get us points and play smart.”

Juniors Amundson and Ashlie McWee paced ISU hitting with nine kills apiece. McWee put up six blocks in her offensive effort. Brittany Dalager notched 19 digs on the night.

The Cyclones will attempt to start anew at College Station on Wednesday night when they take on No. 13 Texas A&M, which is stinging from a 3-2 weekend loss to No. 9 Texas.

The Aggies are pounding conference opponents, with a record of 16-6 overall and 12-4 in league play, tied for third place with Missouri.

“They are a higher level of competition, and we have to go out and try to play our game that we haven’t done yet,” Amundson said.

ISU head coach Linda Crum said the task will not be easy.

“Texas A&M has had a great season, and we have to go in and see what we can do with this opportunity,” she said. “They have a couple of key players who will have double-digit kills, but we have to decide whether we make it high or low digits.”

In the teams’ last match, the Cyclones opened game one with abrasive play for the win. But Texas A&M wouldn’t relent and blazed back to win three consecutive games.

Much of the Aggies’ success stemmed from its scrappy defense and show-stopping saves. Iowa State suffered 12 errors on a lackadaisical serving night. Floundering defense kept front-row options limited.

The Cyclones were no match for Aggie All-American Melissa Munsch, who smacked 20 kills on the night. Junior Laura Jones blasted 18 kills.

The Aggie squad is second in the Big 12 in blocks with 3.20 a game, as well as runner-up in service aces at 1.59. Texas A&M ranks fourth in the conference for digs and assists.

Crum said the team has been continuously mixing its lineup throughout the season, and the players who are fighting will see court time.

“Everyone has made an impact this season, and we hope that we create a good combination,” she said.

“We are trying to create the most competitive environment we can.”