A sudden surge into the national rankings for the University of Texas will pit the ISU volleyball team against a strong Texas squad Wednesday in Austin.

The Longhorns (9-0) muscled their way to No. 22 in the recent polls, which brings the team to its highest position since the first poll of 2003.

The team is currently 2-0 in the Big 12 and one of only eight teams in the nation that still stands undefeated. It has lost only two games total this season, both in a win against Colorado.

Iowa State enters the match 7-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. The team’s losses have each come from Texas universities: Rice and Texas A&M. The Cyclones are determined not to make it a trio.

The last time the two teams met was Nov. 21, 2003, in Ames, which Iowa State won 3-1. Texas leads the series 16-1.

Texas is led by 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter Mira Topic, last week’s Big 12 player of the week, who averages 5.10 kills and 3.55 digs per game. She enters Wednesday’s game one dig shy of Texas’s top-10 list for digs

Another record is out to be smashed by 6-2 senior middle blocker Bethany Howden, who is 14 kills away from her 1,500th. She also needs only three aces to tie the career ace title and four to claim the record.

The Cyclones will use the momentum from their 3-1 road victory Friday at previously undefeated Oklahoma to set the pace against the powerful Longhorns.

Brittany Dalager again lit the fire for Iowa State, ripping 19 kills and 17 digs. Katie Jessen matched her teammate’s tenacity by notching 17 kills. Setter Amanda Craig posted her third-best assist total of the season with 53, while libero Katie Churm had 22 saves.