Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Texas Tech on September 25, 2026
Volleyball
Texas Tech
Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones Start Season at Northern Illinois Invitational
08.24.2011 | Volleyball
AMES, Iowa - The No. 18 Cyclones begin their bid for a sixth-straight NCAA tournament appearance this weekend, traveling to DeKalb, Ill. to play Cincinnati, IUPUI and Northern Illinois at the Northern Illinois Invitational, Aug. 26-27.
Iowa State returns five of its starters from last season's 20-9 squad, including All-America honorable mention Jamie Straube, a unanimous selection for the 2011 All-Big 12 preseason team. Junior setter Alison Landwehr was also named to the all-conference preseason team and redshirt freshman Hannah Willms picked up the nod for the top newcomer.
None of this weekend's opponents have played Iowa State in recent years, with Northern Illinois the most recent Cyclone opponent. The Huskies defeated the Cyclones in five sets on Sept. 11, 1998.
First up for the Cyclones is Cincinnati who received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll after a 30-6 overall record a year ago. The Bearcats were the Big East regular season champions last year and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Cincinnati's 30 wins last season included wins over No. 16 Kentucky and No. 5 Illinois and marked the first 30-win season for the program since 1983.
IUPUI returns four starters and its libero from the 2010 squad which finished 8-22 overall. Libero Shari Bernhardt returns after leading the team with 5.13 digs per set in 2010, earning a spot on the All-Summit Second Team. After recording 9.10 assists per set last year, sophomore Alexis Meeks hopes to follow up her all-freshman performance with another successful year.
The hosting Huskies are coming off a 27-8 season where they finished second at the MAC championship tournament, losing to Ohio in the championship match. Having lost only one player from last season's squad, it is no surprise Northern Illinois is the favorite to be the MAC regular season and conference tournament champion in 2011. The Huskies are led by All-American Lauren Wicinski, who ranked sixth in the nation with 4.82 kills per set last season and Kristin Hoffman who was named to the first team all-conference and finished 17th in the country with 11.51 assists per set.
First serve on Friday against Cincinnati is set for 2 p.m. CDT.
Cyclone Notebook
- Iowa State opens the 2011 season at the Northern Illinois Invitational on Aug. 26-27 playing teams from Cincinnati, IUPUI and Northern Illinois.
- Iowa State is ranked No. 18 by both the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Volleyball Magazine to start the 2011 season. This marks the fourth-straight season the Cyclones have been ranked in at least one preseason poll.
- The Cyclones received two first-place votes, finishing behind only the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 coaches preseason poll and tied with Oklahoma.
- Redshirt freshman Hannah Willms was named the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year by league coaches.
- Juniors Jamie Straube and Alison Landwehr were named preseason All-Big 12 selections.
- This is the fifth time in seven years under Christy Johnson-Lynch that the Cyclones have started the season away from Ames.
- Straube looks to repeat as an All-American and All-Big 12 first team selection in 2011.
- Outside hitter Rachel Hockaday is back on the court in 2011 after a knee injury derailed her 2010 season. Hockaday was selected to the conference's preseason team in 2010.
- Iowa State has collected 20 wins for four-consecutive years under head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. The Cyclones have had 10 20+ win seasons since 1982.
2010 Rewind
- Iowa State returned to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight year and the sixth time overall.
- The Cyclones lost, 3-2, in the first round of the tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. to unseeded Creighton.
- The Cyclones finished 20-9 on the year and 13-7 in the Big 12, placing them third in the conference behind Nebraska and Texas.
- Iowa State was ranked No. 25 in the final AVCA poll of the season. The Cyclones have been ranked in the top 25 for 31-straight weeks dating back to the 2009 season.
- Iowa State finished with an RPI of 33, one of five Big 12 schools ranked in the top 50 RPI at the end of the season. Nebraska led the conference with an RPI of 6. Texas (10), Oklahoma (19) and Missouri (40) were also among the top 50.
- Playing 13 of 15 home matches at Ames High School due to flooding, Iowa State nonetheless finished 19th in the country in attendance, averaging 1,860 fans per match.
- The Cyclones ranked in the top 25 in the country in assists per set (13.77, 6th), kills per set (14.61, 7th), digs per set (17.29, 23rd) and hitting percentage (.259, 24th).
- Alison Landwehr led the Big 12 with 11.89 assists per set, ranked seventh in the country.
- Iowa State hit .259 as a team, breaking the program record for the third-straight season. In 2009, the team hit .237.
Streaks and Trends
- Iowa State opponents have hit over .300 just 15 times in 192 matches under Johnson-Lynch. Topping .300 has happened just 10 times in 129 matches since 2007. Only Texas hit over .300 against the Cyclones this season.
- Landwehr had 40+ assists in six of the last seven matches in 2010.
- The setter from St. Louis, Mo. averaged 12.65 assists per set to finish out the final five matches of last season.
- Straube hit over .342 in the final five matches of 2010, including .362 in the last three (at Texas Tech, vs. No. 8 Texas, vs. Creighton, NCAA First Round).
- Iowa State went 12-1 in three set matches in 2010. Under Johnson-Lynch, Iowa State is 75-29 in three-set matches.
- The Cyclones and Bearcats have split the all-time series at one match apiece. The last meeting between the programs was on Aug. 30, 2990 when Iowa State fell in five sets.
- The 2010 Big East regular season champions and Big East tournament runners-up advanced to second round of NCAA Championships, sweeping Western Kentucky in the first round.
- The Bearcats posted a 30-6 overall record, 13-1 in league play. Those 30 wins included wins over No. 16 Kentucky and No. 5 Illinois. The last time the Bearcats had 30 wins in a season was 1983.
- The Bearcats return first-team All-Big East middle blocker Jordanne Scott, who led UC with a .333 hitting percentage in 2010. Scott is Cincinnati's top returning player in kills with 349 in '10.
- Senior Missy Harpenau is the Bearcats' top returning digger, posting 298 digs, 2.66 digs per set, last season. Harpenau also posted 180 kills.
- Junior Becca Refenes led UC in blocks last season with 146 total blocks at 1.18 blocks per set.
Scouting IUPUI
- In the only previous meeting between the programs, IUPUI took the five-set win in 1998.
- The Jaguars are coming off of an 8-22 season, with a 7-11 record in the Summit League.
- Picked to finish seventh by the Summit League's coaches, IUPUI returns four starters plus its libero from the 2010 season.
- Kalyse Reimbold is the top returning attacker for the Jaguars. The senior led IUPUI with 2.83 kills per set last season and finished second on the squad in digs with 291.
- Libero Shari Bernhardt was a second-team All-Summit League performer for the Jaguars, leading the team in digs with 554, 5.13 digs per set, ranking 34th in the nation.
- Setter Alexis Meeks also returns. A Summit League All-Freshman team member, Meeks led the team with 9.10 assists per set last season. She also finished third on the squad in digs with 2.44 per set.
Scouting Northern Illinois
- Iowa State leads the all-time series against NIU, 7-2. The teams faced each other frequently in the 1980s and '90s but have not played since Sept. 13, 1996.
- The Huskies are coming off of a 27-8 (11-5 in Mid-American Conference) season. The Huskies advanced the MAC Conference Championship match before falling to Ohio.
- NIU has been chosen by the coaches of the Mid-American Conference to win both the regular season and conference tournament titles.
- Northern Illinois return all but one squad member from its 2010 side.
- The Huskies will be led by AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and MAC Player of the Year outside hitter Lauren Wicinski. A sophomore, Wicinski finished first in the MAC and sixth in the NCAA in kills per set at 4.82. She was also a serviceable defensive player, posting 319 digs at 2.42 per set.
- Senior outside and middle Allison McGlaughlin finished second on the Huskies with 345 kills and 342 digs last season.
- NIU also returns first-team All-MAC setter Kristin Hoffman. Hoffman's 1,496 assists at 11.51 per set ranked her second in the Mid-American Conference and 17th in the nation last season.
Home Sweet Hilton
• The Cyclones will return to Hilton for the first full season since flooding in August 2010 moved 13 of the team's 15 home matches to Ames High School.
Johnson-Lynch Fastest To 100 Wins
• Seventh-year head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch reached 100 career wins faster than any coach in the history of the program, doing so in 157 matches. Her 125 wins is just 10 shy of Vicki Mealer's school record 135 wins. Here is a look at career coaching leaders:
1. Vicki Mealer (1985-92) 135-110 (.551)
2. Christy Johnson-Lynch (2005-) 125-67 (.651)
3. Sharon Hitsman (1978-80) 85-80-7 (.494)
4. Mary Fischl (1981-84) 80-62-1 (.559)
Hockaday Returns
• Iowa State redshirt-junior outside hitter Rachel Hockaday returns to action in 2011 after missing the 2010 season with a knee injury suffered against Florida.
Hockaday averaged 3.22 kills and 2.96 digs in 2009, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades. She was a preseason All-Big 12 pick in 2010.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMonday, December 01
Sunday, November 30
Sunday, November 30
Saturday, November 29
