With big goals set for the upcoming season, sophomore Brittany Dalager will no doubt be a key player for the ISU volleyball team.

So far this season, Dalager leads the team in kills with 154 and digs with 187.

The 5-foot-11 outside hitter also leads the Big 12 with 4.57 digs per game.

“She’s the core of our team,” ISU head coach Linda Crum said.

Last year Dalager started all 26 matches for Iowa State, recording 245 kills and 346 digs, while ranking second in the Big 12 with a dig per game average of 4.07.

“She’s very passionate about the game,” Crum said.

“She’s one of our key people.”

Crum said Dalager is also a very solid blocker.

“She affects us in every position,” she said.

“She adds a lot of chemistry on the floor.”

Senior teammate Mandi Harms said she respects Dalager’s ability to play the game well, and believes the younger player will be a significant factor to the team’s success as the season progresses.

“She makes plays happen,” Harms said. “And does it with confidence.”

Dalager said the team “sat down and set goals for this season,” and many of teams the Cyclones will encounter this year are not expecting Iowa State to be a challenge.

“We’ve matured a lot from last year,” she said.

“We worked hard in the spring and it carried over to this season.”

The crucial contributions of the returning players and the newcomers leaves Dalager with no doubts about how the team will perform this year.

She believes they will upset a few teams and show them what the ISU volleyball team is really about.

With a 9-2 record, Dalager and her teammates have been successful so far this season.

The nine wins equals the total the team has had in the last three years combined.

The team heads to Oklahoma today for its first conference matchup of the season.