Iowa State wrestling accumulated more dual wins last weekend at the Virginia Duals than it did in all of its duals last season.

After the 4-1 finish over the weekend, the Cyclones square off against West Virginia in Hilton Coliseum on Sunday.

“We could feel if there was growth [during the 0-4 start], but the fans couldn’t,” said 141-pounder Kanen Storr. “Seeing the growth and actually proving it to our fans, I think it just released a lot of pressure.”

Iowa State leaned on redshirt freshman Storr and redshirt freshman 149-pounder Jarrett Degen at the Virginia Duals.

To sustain Iowa State’s success, the duo will likely need to consistently repeat their dominant performances moving forward.

“[To keep improving] I just gotta keep doing the same thing, trusting the coaches, trusting the teammates that I’m practicing with,” Degen said. “Then we’ll excel as a team.”

Degen and Storr set the tone early at the Virginia Duals, each finishing the first day 3-0 and combining for 16 takedowns and limiting their opponents to only one takedown.

The freshmen established themselves as a pair of Iowa State’s top wrestlers this season, but the two have developed into leaders as well.

“Those two guys feed off each other, both [are] goofy,” Dresser said. “As freshmen, those guys are leaders on our team.”

Iowa State needs strong performances from Degen and Storr to avoid a similar outcome against West Virginia as last year.

The last meeting between Iowa State and the Mountaineers, West Virginia defended its home gym, snagging a 22-20 win.

Historically, the Cyclones hold an advantage over West Virginia with Iowa State leading the all-time series 15-2. This year’s dual is anyone’s to win. West Virginia, like Iowa State, has hit its stride lately.

On Dec. 9, West Virginia knocked off then-No.25 Pittsburgh, 24-10. As the calendar flipped to a new year, West Virginia’s momentum remained unchanged.

The Mountaineers defeated then-No. 18 Oklahoma, 24-12; three days later, West Virginia picked off then-No. 25 North Dakota State, 19-12.

The catalysts for West Virginia in those three wins were 125-pounder Zeke Moisey and 197-pounder Jake Smith.

Moisey — the No. 14 125-pound wrestler according to InterMat — racked up two pins and a major decision.

Meanwhile, Smith — the No. 13 197-pounder according to InterMat — contributed three decisions.

West Virginia took down three ranked opponents, but the Mountaineers wrestled with the luxury of being at home in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Iowa State gets a crack at West Virginia in Ames, where the Cyclones are 7-0 against the Mountaineers. West Virginia not only struggles in Ames, but they’ve found trouble in other road environments this season.

West Virginia hasn’t faced many road tests, but in its two away duals, the Mountaineers lost to then-No. 10 Virginia Tech and Utah Valley.

One point Iowa State coach Kevin Dresser has reverberated throughout the season, is the importance of fan support and a home crowd.

Dresser began the season tearing down the curtain hanging in Hilton that blocked off a portion of the seats, encouraging fans to fill in the open area. Once again, Dresser encouraged Cyclone fans to attend the dual.

“We’ve got a product that’s going to roll out here in six days,” Dresser said at Monday’s press conference. “It’s our last home match in January, so I want the fans and people watching to get out and support these guys.”