Iowa State looks to show improvement against TCU Friday

Iowa+State+celebrates+after+its+upset+win+over+No.+1+Texas+Oct.+19.

Tyler Coe

Iowa State celebrates after its upset win over No. 1 Texas Oct. 19.

Iowa State volleyball has been on a roll, picking up its sixth consecutive win Wednesday night. The Cyclones will look to continue the momentum against TCU Friday.

Since its loss against Kansas State on the road, Iowa State has failed to drop a match, including three wins on the road and a home upset over No. 1 ranked Texas. The team’s previous two wins have been sweeps at Texas Tech and West Virginia.

Following the short road stint, the Cyclones will return to Hilton Coliseum. The last time Iowa State played in Hilton, it secured a monumental upset over the Texas Longhorns. The subsequent road dominance has shown the improvement the team has made in a matter of weeks.

“Every player on the team has really just shown improvement and gotten a little bit better, and the cumulative effect is a lot better play from our team,” head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said.

After a 0-2 start on the road in conference play, the Cyclones worked to address ball control issues that devastated offensive rhythm and momentum. As passing and serving improved, Iowa State played increasingly more poised.

The improvement was on display against West Virginia, where Iowa State swept a team that it previously went to five sets with. The Cyclones will have another opportunity to show how far they have come against TCU.

The Horned Frogs handed Iowa State its first loss in Big 12 play and was part of the team’s early road struggles. Twenty-four errors with eight service errors burdened the Cyclones in a 3-1 loss. After over a month of separation between the two matchups, Iowa State will look to play a more complete match this time around.

“We’ve been a really good blocking and defensive team,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We’ve been balanced offensively, getting a lot of different people the ball, and our circuit passing is a big part of it. So, we need to keep doing the things we’ve been doing.”

Although Iowa State will be riding a six-match winning streak heading into Friday, TCU has some positive momentum of its own. The Horned Frogs have won their previous three matches and currently reside one match behind Iowa State in the Big 12 rankings.

TCU has dominated at home but holds a 1-3 record on the road in conference play. The matchup is favorable for Iowa State, who has yet to drop a Big 12 match at home this season.

Iowa State will take on TCU at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Hilton Coliseum.