The ISU volleyball team will have a chance Wednesday to do something it has not accomplished yet this season — a sweep over a Big 12 Conference opponent.

That opponent is Texas Tech, and the Red Raiders are fighting to get out of the cellar in the conference standings. Texas Tech is currently 2-13 in the Big 12 and 10-14 overall. The Red Raiders lost to Colorado Saturday night, while the Cyclones dropped a 3-1 match at Baylor. Iowa State is now tied for 10th in the conference with Oklahoma. The Cyclones take a 3-12 conference mark and 11-15 overall record into the 7 p.m. match at Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones took down the Red Raiders 3-1 in Lubbock, Texas, on Oct. 1.

That was then, this is now.

“Texas Tech has two players back that they didn’t have in their lineup the first time around,” head coach Linda Crum said. “They have a more balanced offense, so our blocking and defense will need to be better. Communication among our players will be the key.”

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Red Raiders’ Kelly Johnson was named Big 12 Player of the Week. Her performance that week of Oct. 20-26 helped Texas Tech snap a 10-match losing streak. For Johnson, it’s her second honor of the season.

“Kelly Johnson is the heart and soul of the Red Raiders,” Crum said. “She is their big gun, the one they go to, their offensive leader. We will have to focus on her to have a chance to win this match.”

Crum praised her players even after the loss to Baylor Saturday night.

“Lindsey [Chapman] did an awesome job out there. She was great on offense, she really got our middles going, and Katie Kruenegel and Ashlie McWee did a great job also. Our ball handling was great when we got the first ball to the middles.”

Crum also said Monday’s practice gave her team a chance to get refocused.

“We’re refocusing on our goals for the upcoming matches this week, which we didn’t achieve last week,” Crum said. “We need to be sharper, and need to be focused from the moment the first ball is served.

“Our six-on-six challenge team did a good job today of creating game-like conditions which our regular starters responded to. Everyone did a great job out there.”

If Iowa State can improve its offensive passing, good things might be in order, Crum said.

“Our outsides need to pass the ball well, and our middles need to play at the level they were at last week, which was outstanding,” she said.

With only five matches left in the season, senior Renae Pruess said she feels a lot of confidence that the team will end with a few more wins.

“We’re aiming for as high up in the standings as we can go,” Pruess said. “And in three of [the matches], we have the advantage of playing on our home court.”