The Iowa State volleyball team is known for its great libero play, considered to some around the nation as “LiberoU.”

In 2001, the Big 12 Conference decided to give out an award for the best libero of the year. Seven years passed until an Iowa State libero finally achieved the honor.

Ever since, the team has dominated the award. Since 2008, an Iowa State libero has claimed the award eight times.

“If you are a good libero in high school and/or club volleyball, you are told to take a look at Iowa State,” said ISU volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch.

After two-time Big 12 Libero of the Year award winner and All-American Caitlin Nolan graduated, the Cyclones did not have to look far for a replacement.

Hali Hillegas had never played libero before, even in high school.

The 5-foot-6 Hillegas was a hitter and a setter for Charles City High School. She led her team in kills as a senior, recording 330 with a .451 hitting percentage.

Now as a redshirt sophomore, Hillegas is entering her second year as libero for the Cyclones.

As a redshirt freshman, Hillegas was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team, recording 413 digs on the season. The emergence of Hillegas couldn’t have come at a better time for the Cyclones.

Iowa State switched to a 6-2 system after the first set of the Texas match on Oct. 8, 2016, and hasn’t looked back since finding success with it.

The drawback to the 6-2 is that the setter is always in the back row, so they have to dig twice as many balls as they normally would. And when the setter digs the ball, the team is out of system, so someone else has to step up and set the ball.

Playing Hillegas at libero doesn’t completely negate the issue, but it does make it easier for the Iowa State hitters.

“Hillegas is doing a really nice job, when the setter does dig the ball, of putting up a good ball that someone else can swing at,” Johnson-Lynch said. “That’s really important for us in the 6-2. That was the one thing that I thought that may prevent us from even running it.”

The Cyclones achieved great success after the switch, winning 10 of their last 12 games of the regular season.

The Cyclones are in good hands with Hillegas.

After nearly replacing the production of an All-American her freshman year, Hillegas is set for another strong campaign with the Cyclones.