ISU volleyball player Mandi Harms is confident that tomorrow evening the University of Texas will see an Iowa State team that is determined to prove its ability. Iowa State’s last encounter with Texas was a hard-fought yet unsuccessful series ending with a three game sweep by Texas.

“We’re going to be looking for a win against Texas,” Mandi Harms said. “We’re going to come out hard and try to take the first game. If they don’t come out prepared and ready to fight, we’ll jump all over them. We can beat this team and we’re going to try and shock some people.”

Unfortunately, Harms may not be able to personally contribute in the series. She sprained her ankle during Monday nights practice and was wearing a brace Tuesday evening. She said that unless the swelling goes down she may decide not to play.

Iowa State is coming off a tough loss from a near-upset last weekend against Missouri. The match resulted in a 3-2 loss.

“I’m really happy with the determination we showed throughout the game, but it was disappointing not to take the win,” ISU senior Sara Stribe said.

Texas player Mira Topic cut through Iowa State’s defense in their last encounter by scoring 14 kills. She’ll be on the team’s mind as it prepares for the upcoming series. “Topic killed us last time,” Stribe said. “She is a very good player and is definitely a key to Texas offense. She can be stopped, though.”

“The key to stopping Topic is forcing her to hit cross-court, making her much easier to defend,” Harms said. “She has an odd arm stroke however, and it,s difficult to pinpoint where she’s aiming. Handling Topic can be the difference between loss and victory.”

Stribe said Texas also possesses physical attributes that are beneficial to volleyball success. She said Texas has an especially tall team that’s light on its feet.

“This week we’ve done a lot of drills to deal with their height,” Stribe said. “Studying their play has also been helpful in devising a way to deal with their strengths.”

The teams face off Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.