The conference carousel has come full-circle halfway through the Big 12 season as the schedule now pits Iowa State against familiar foes until the arrival of post-season play.

The Cyclone volleyball team (11-8, 3-5 Big 12) will seek retribution by way of rematches while trying to improve on a conference record that has seen the Cyclones come up short in all five of their Big 12 matches played outside of Hilton Coliseum.

Round two against No. 4 Texas (15-1, 7-1 Big 12) is the first challenge on the road to redemption for Iowa State.

The Longhorns beat the Cyclones handily the first time around in Austin, Texas on Oct. 1, but junior libero Caitlin Nolan said that the three-set loss in which her team was only able to muster a total of 53 points – an average of just under 18 per set – was actually closer than it appeared.

“I feel like we kept up with them even though the score did not reflect that,” Nolan said.

Three particular circumstances surrounding the Iowa State and Texas rematch Nov. 2 appear to favor the Cyclones.

First, the match will be played in Ames, where Iowa State has a perfect 3-0 record in conference play, including a win over Oklahoma, the only team to defeat Texas in 2014.

The second favorable circumstance for Iowa State is that the one loss that Texas has suffered came in the Longhorns’ most recent match.

How the fourth best team in the country will rebound from and respond to its loss at the hands of the Sooners is anyone’s guess, as so far in 2014 there has been no precedent set by which a comparison can be made.

“I think we were pretty prepared the last time, but I do think [Texas has] struggled a little bit,” said ISU volleyball coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “They just dropped a match to [Oklahoma] so they are trying to search a little bit. I almost do not know what to expect from them.”

The third circumstance for Iowa State is actually favorable for Texas as well, as both teams were granted a week-long reprieve from competition eight matches into a 16-match conference schedule.

The eight-day break may bolster the Cyclones more than Texas, however, becuause they have battled nagging injuries throughout the season.

Johnson-Lynch said that the week off could not have come at a more perfect time because she typically grants her team a break every five to six weeks anyway. Also, the pause in conference play coincided with the rest periods she had already built into the schedule.

“This [week off] is great for us,” Johnson-Lynch said. “It fell exactly in that six week time, so it is perfect for us. We call it our taper week and we can allow [the players] to rest and recover a little bit.”

Nolan expressed her relief due to the temporary hiatus, highlighting that the mental toll the season has taken to this point is just as great as the physical.

“It is really nice,” Nolan said. “I cannot lie, I think everybody is pretty beat up right now. We had [Monday] off, so it is going to be kind of nice that everybody’s body will be a little bit fresher.”

Texas approached its week off differently than did Iowa State.

The Longhorns hosted unofficial matches against Zhejiang – a Chinese club team – on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, presumably hoping to address the shortcomings that led to their first loss of the year against Oklahoma.

When asked what those Texas weaknesses might be, all senior hitter Victoria Hurtt could do was shrug her shoulders and smile.

“They are a very good team and so are we, so we will see what happens,” Hurtt said. “I think it is a great opportunity for us.”

First serve for Iowa State vs. Texas is set for 2 p.m. on Nov. 2 at Hilton Coliseum.