Iowa State was down two sets to none against Marquette on Aug. 29, when junior setter Suzanne Horner told freshman right-side hitter Hannah Bailey that she should be ready for a kill — a kill that would be the first of many to come in her career.

Bailey, a native of Cameron, Wis., has been focused on volleyball since an early age. The timeline of signing to play at Iowa State and going through preseason has been relatively difficult, but she said she is looking forward to a successful season this fall.

“I always wanted to play college volleyball,” Bailey said. “I always focused on volleyball and basketball, but I knew volleyball would be my path in the future.”

Bailey was a three-sport athlete during her career at Cameron High School, participating in volleyball, basketball and track and field. Bailey lettered three times in basketball and twice in track and field. She competed in the state championship for track and field in the 800-meter run.

She also played on a traveling basketball team in high school that won the state tournament three years in a row.

And even though she played three sports, Bailey said she knew volleyball was her dream. She began playing with the Minnesota Select volleyball club starting her freshman year in high school, something that she said was huge for her game.

“I started playing club my freshman year, and that’s when I realized my potential as a volleyball player,” Bailey said. “I played with some great teams and some great coaches and saw I could compete at a high level.”

That high-level potential caught Iowa State head volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch’s eye, and she began to pursue Bailey for a possible scholarship offer. Iowa State was not the only offer Bailey received, though, as colleges like Rutgers, Xavier and Nebraska also had her on their radar.

Iowa State was Bailey’s first official visit, something that she said allowed her to compare other schools to Iowa State. She said no other school could offer the experience, the education, the camaraderie and the overall success of the program like Iowa State, and she finally made her decision to become a Cyclone.

Johnson-Lynch said she was happy with Bailey’s decision to come to Iowa State because of the potential she saw in her.

“When we were scouting her we saw a great athlete with a great arm,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We saw great frame, great athleticism and a lefty with so much potential.”

Bailey said her relationship with Johnson-Lynch during recruitment was another reason for her  to decide on Iowa State. She said the relationship has grown even more during the preseason and she appreciates having a coach that she can talk to at any time.

Besides having the coaching staff, Bailey said she’s been able to talk with the veteran players and learn from them during practices and matches. She said Horner is the person she relates to the most, but she continues to have great relationships with every player on the team.

“Hannah [Bailey] has been great this preseason and I know she will be a great player throughout the fall season,” Horner said. “It is great to have these types of players coming into Iowa State because it shows a great future for the program.”

As for the season, Bailey said the expectation is high for her as an individual and as a team. For now, though, her main goal is just to get better every day in practice and to adapt to playing at the collegiate level.

Bailey said the team has the potential to go far in the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament with the possibility of going to the Final Four.

“We are looking to win that Big 12 Championship and compete with Texas,” Bailey said. “We can beat them [Texas], no doubt about it.”