Another match, another ranked opponent
Junior right side hitter Mackenzie Bigbee gets blocked by Kansas outside hitter Tiana Dockery (left) and middle blocker Tayler Soucie (right) on Oct. 22.
October 31, 2014
The ISU volleyball team has had a barrage of matches against ranked opponents this season.
From Minnesota to Kansas, Stanford to Florida State, and now Texas for the second time, Iowa State is no stranger to combating RPI top-25 teams.
However, No. 4 Texas will travel to Ames on Nov. 2 fresh off its first loss of the season and standing on perhaps the shakiest ground it has experienced to date in 2014.
Oklahoma, the one team that found a way to vanquish Texas, lost when it made its trip to Ames in mid-October, which provides some context for a potential Iowa State upset.
Iowa State is also playing at a higher level in recent weeks, notching its first win against an RPI top-25 team against then-No. 18 Kansas, and posting a 3-2 record overall during its previous five matches.
The two losses for Iowa State came on the road in five-set matches, during which the Cyclones held 2-1 leads before letting victory slip from their grasps down the stretch.
Iowa State boasts a perfect 3-0 record in Hilton against Big 12 opponents and looks to continue that trend starting at 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 2 against Texas in Hilton Coliseum.
Find out what other circumstances may favor the Cyclones as they try to straighten our their season here.
