AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State volleyball team is ranked No. 18 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll. The Cyclones are one of three Big 12 teams ranked in the top-20 of the poll, coming in behind No. 4 Texas and No. 16 Oklahoma.
Iowa State will play seven matches against teams ranked in the top-25. The Cyclones’ first test against a ranked opponent will be on Sept. 5 when the team travels to Gainesville, Fla. to play the No. 9 Florida Gators.
On Tuesday Sept. 13, Iowa State will face in-state rival No. 14 Northern Iowa, whom the Cyclones defeated in straight sets in 2010. The non-conference schedule ends with a trip to No. 5 Nebraska on Saturday Sept. 21. The Cyclones will play two matches apiece against Texas and Oklahoma during the Big 12 conference season.
The Cyclones return five starters from last year’s NCAA tournament team, including AVCA All-American honorable mention Jamie Straube.
Redshirt freshman Hannah Willms was named the preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and Straube and Alison Landwehr were selected to the preseason All-Big 12 team.
Iowa State also welcomes the nation’s 25th-ranked recruiting class.
AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Preseason Poll
1. Penn State (54)
2. Southern California (5)
3. California (1)
4. Texas
5. Nebraska
6. Stanford
7. Washington
8. Illinois
9. Florida
10. Hawai’i
11. UCLA
12. Minnesota
13. Purdue
14. Northern Iowa
15. Colorado State
16. Oklahoma
17. Duke
18. Iowa State
19. Dayton
20. San Diego
21. Ohio State
22. Long Beach State
23. Tulsa
24. Michigan
Tennessee
Others receiving votes and appearing on two or more ballots: Pepperdine, LSU, Oregon, Missouri, Florida State, Indiana, St. Mary’(Calif.), Louisville, Arizona, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Miami (Fla.), Clemson, Wichita State, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Cal Poly, Michigan State, Northwestern, Western Kentucky