When a team who has yet to win a conference game goes up against the No. 5 team in the nation, there is a certain degree of intimidation that is expected to come with it.

That wasn’t the case Saturday when the ISU volleyball team took on Nebraska in Big 12 Conference play. The Cornhuskers defeated the Cyclones 3-0.

“I don’t think they were intimidated,” ISU head coach Linda Crum said of her players. “I think intimidated is that you can’t respond as a competitor. I think we are very realistic about Nebraska — a team that is a top-five team in the country.”

Senior setter Sara Stribe agreed.

“I think we came out with the attitude that we would be competitive with them,” she said.

Crum said playing against a team like Nebraska is often easier because a win may not be expected.

“We are a team that is young and we know that we are moving toward some certain goals in our program,” Crum said. “In a way, I think our team is more relaxed and can have more of a competitive focus against a team like Nebraska, because there is not an expectation.”

Iowa State struggled in the beginning of each game but was able to come back. The first game saw Nebraska score early, with seven straight points, behind the serving of Jennifer Saleaumua.

The Cornhuskers stretched their lead to 15-6 before Crum called a timeout. The Cyclones responded and fought back to 23-16. However, Nebraska went on to win the game 30-19.

Nebraska jumped out to another lead in game two, taking a 9-3 advantage. The Cyclones were down 26-16 when Mandi Harms recorded two consecutive kills. Another point for Nebraska and another kill for Harms brought the score to 27-19. Nebraska took the game 30-20.

The score was 12-4 in the third game before Iowa State responded with a variety of kills, blocks and digs to come within four points at 17-13.

The game was back and forth, with Nebraska leading 28-19 before an Amanda Craig kill and a block by Harms brought it to 28-21. The Cornhuskers again took the game 30-24 and the match.

This loss dropped Iowa State to 9-10 overall and 0-8 in Big 12 play.

Nebraska improved to 15-1 overall and 7-0 in conference action.

“I am proud of the way our kids came out and competed, minus the first 10 points of each game,” Crum said.

“I think once you get beyond those points, we did some things well. Obviously Nebraska is a good team; obviously they are a better team than we are right now. But I am proud of some of the things our kids did in the match,” she said.

Some of those things include the eight kills by Harms and five by Renae Pruess. Freshman Amanda Craig recorded 10 kills and 11 digs, her sixth career double-double.

“Amanda struggled at the beginning of game one. She is a small player — she is going to have to be creative in terms of her ability to find kills and by the end of the match she figured out how to get 10 kills,” Crum said. “That kind of stuff I am proud about, because it takes courage and creativity and the competitor in you to figure those types of things out.”

Crum was also impressed with the efforts of Pruess and Harms — especially with Nebraska’s focus on shutting them down.

“Renae Pruess, as well, figured some things out competitively and Mandi Harms did some things well in critical moments,” Crum said.

“Nebraska keyed on Mandi and Renae, which kept them more out of the game than we would have liked obviously.”

Stribe, who helped the Cyclone cause with 11 assists and 11 digs, said Crum had the team switch up some of their tactics. She said the team executed them, but it just wasn’t enough.

“We were competitive with them after point 10, but that isn’t good enough when you are playing them — the fifth-ranked team in the country,” Stribe said.

“We were very disappointed that we came out with a loss, but every match we are getting better. Our younger girls are getting more confident and more experience.”