A string of 13 consecutive conference losses would be enough to have any team lying low, but the ISU volleyball squad’s season isn’t over.

With five more Big 12 matches looming in the future, it’s do or die for the Cyclones, and they haven’t given up on the “do.”

“We’re always so close, and our record could easily have seven to eight more wins on it,” said senior Brittany Dalager.

“We have to concentrate on what’s on our side of the net and put together a whole match — we have to take care of the little things.”

Iowa State suffered its 16th loss of the year Saturday at Baylor, 3-1. Dalager blamed the team’s lack of consistency and on relaxing too much after a game two victory and allowing the points to creep in.

Katie Jessen led in offense with 15 kills. Nicole Lorenzen tallied 13 kills and 10 digs for her eighth double-double.

The Cyclones, now 8-16 overall and 1-14 in the conference, host a powerful Missouri club Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum; Missouri blanked Iowa State in three straight games on Sept. 29 in Columbia.

The Tigers (15-6 overall, 10-4 in the Big 12) boast an impressive hitter in sophomore and Iowa native Jessica Vander Kooi, who ranks fourth in the Big 12 in kills with 4.47 a game.

She helped her team defeat Texas Tech on Saturday in four games, posting 20 kills and 16 digs for her 16th double-double of the year.

Creating those possibilities for Vander Kooi is junior setter Lindsey Hunter, who easily tops the Big 12 in assists with 14.43 a game.

“They have a very good setter who will run a tough offense, and we have to handle that well,” said ISU head coach Linda Crum. “We’re going to have to be consistent against them, in passing especially.”

Dalager agrees that the team will capitalize on its setter to make things happen.

“She runs a fast slide, and their outside hitters are good with it. It’s fine for them to get kills against us, but we have to come back and get a sideout the next point,” Dalager said. “We have to shut down the hitters and create transition points.”

Missouri is ranked first in the Big 12 in kills with 17.45 a game.

Crum said the team’s passing and serving will be as crucial as ever in seeking that elusive Big 12 victory, along with the Cyclones’ blocking game.

“We have to allow our offense to develop and spread out,” she said. “A win for us would obviously be huge right now, and every match is our chance to try and win and be successful. It would be a great reinforcement to them that they’re putting their effort in the right direction.”

Action begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum.