A year can change so much, especially in sports.

Last season, the Iowa State volleyball team had an up and down year. Some moments the Cyclones were great and at other times, they fell flat. And around this time last year, they got swept by the Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

This year, Iowa State looks to right its wrong as the Cyclones prepare for their first round tournament match against the Princeton Tigers. Also, unlike last season, Iowa State won’t have to be playing on a neutral site like it did in 2016. This year, the Cyclones play host to the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament in Hilton Coliseum this Friday and Saturday.

“[Iowa State is] so excited [to host],” said outside hitter Alexis Conaway. “We tried not to get our hopes up. We kind of heard there was a chance, but we were like, ‘OK, we will wait and see, you never know.’ Just [to] get the chance to play in Hilton again. We have an awesome crowd, awesome fanbase and it’s such a great place to play. So, I definitely think that will help us going forward.”

Iowa State and Princeton have never met. They have one common opponent this season, Iowa. Cyclones topped Iowa 3-1, Iowa beat Princeton 3-0, both very early in the season.

— PrincetonVolley (@PrincetonVolley) November 27, 2017

Although staying at home is always beneficial, Iowa State is trying to avoid a slip up like last year and isn’t overlooking Princeton.

This season, the Tigers won the Ivy League Championship to capture this NCAA bid. And on tape, Cyclones coach Christy Johnson-Lynch sees a version of a Big 12 team in the visiting university from New Jersey.

“I would compare [Princeton] to a lot of the Big 12 teams we see,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Not a lot of weaknesses. Just a good team.”

Now, there wasn’t a specific conference opponent that Johnson-Lynch saw in Princeton. She just sees the Tigers performing at the level of play the Cyclones are used to playing in the Big 12. Just solid ball control, pretty athletic middle blockers and setting perfectly to their right side hitters. And the latter could possibly cause some problems for Iowa State at 7 p.m. Friday in Hilton.

All year long Princeton has rallied on right side hitter Maggie O’Connell. This season, O’Connell is averaging 3.38 kills per set. The way she is earning those kills can also be problematic for the Cyclones.

O’Connell utilizes the slide attack method to score, which means she hops off one foot and is faster. That is something Iowa State hasn’t seen a lot of this year.

“It’s a little problematic,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We have to figure out when they attack the right side a lot, how are we going to transition out of that. Can we stay in system, that kind of stuff. So, it just presents some problems.”

While the Tigers present some issues, the Cyclones are a seasoned team. They are led by mainly seniors and juniors like Conaway, Samara West, Monique Harris, Grace Lazard and Jess Schaben. So, Iowa State should be up for the challenge.

However, Princeton is coming into Hilton after having to win the Ivy League playoffs to earn a right to play in the tournament. That could give the Tigers a chip on their shoulder when taking on the Cyclones.

“[Princeton] had to fight and show a little grit,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I think they probably feel like they have nothing to lose and when you feel like you have nothing to lose, you can play free and easy. Especially when you go into an opponent’s gym.

“You kind of feel like, ‘No one has picked us to win. So, now, we can go ahead and take some risks.’ When teams are like that, you just have to be pretty disciplined on our side and ready to go. We can’t take anything for granted.”

The Cyclones are focused on the task at hand, ready to right the wrong from last season and believe they can go deep in this year’s tournament.

“Just going with the mindset that we are in it to possibly go to the championship,” said libero Hali Hillegas. “That mentality that you play with that every team matters, and not overlooking anyone. Just saying, ‘This is the game we have to play and this is how we have to play and defend this team.’ If we can do that, we can be great.”