The Iowa State volleyball team will hit the road for its next three games. That stretch starts with a match against Kansas State.
The Cyclones remain at No. 25 after their sweep against Texas Tech. Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said there was still work to be done to keep winning.
“Priorities for us are serving and pass,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Our block and defense I didn’t think was really sharp, so we’re trying to clean that up over the next couple of days.”
A 4-1 start in Big 12 play is an impressive start, but Kansas State could prove to be a challenge. The Wildcats beat the Cyclones in both matches in 2022, one at home 3-1 and the other on the road 3-0.
“They always serve really tough at their place. We’re expecting a tough serving night from them, so just being confident in our passing is going to be super important,” Johnson-Lynch said about taming the Wildcats.
Kansas State currently sits 9-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12. Like the Cyclones, the Wildcats swept West Virginia and split the series with Baylor. Kansas State also split its series with TCU and lost to Cincinnati.
In road games this season, Iowa State is 2-0, with both wins being sweeps over West Virginia. Johnson-Lynch said she knows that her team can perform well on the road.
“I feel like we’ve always been a good road team,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I think the team does a nice job of practicing the night before, getting dialed in, knowing the scouting report, so I think it’s nothing new. The gyms we’re going to are tough places to play with tough crowds, so it’ll be pretty hostile. It’ll be a great test for us.”
That road test will continue after Kansas State with Iowa State’s first conference games against BYU the following week.
“I have not been in a BYU gym recently, and I know they have a nice crowd and they’re having a great season, so that will be a great measuring stick for us,” Johnson-Lynch said.
Two players to keep an eye on for the Cyclones on the road trip are Nayeli Gonzalez and Brooke Stonestreet. Gonzalez took home Big 12 Rookie of the Week, and Stonestreet was awarded Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for their efforts against Texas Tech.
Johnson-Lynch knows it will be a challenge but also knows her team is prepared.
The match against Kansas State will start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and can be streamed live on ESPN+.
