No. 4 ISU hits the road for Sweet 16

AMES - Sweet 16 and then some.

That's the mentality the fourth-seeded Iowa State volleyball team takes into Friday's 7 p.m. NCAA tournament match against 13th-seeded Minnesota at Minneapolis.

The winner advances to Saturday's Elite Eight match against either Purdue or Florida.

“It's a different feeling this time than a couple years ago,” said Cyclones coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “And I think a lot of that has to do with last year. We just kind of petered out at the end of last year for a variety of reasons. This year the team has found a way to push through.”

ISU (24-5) bowed out on the second round last season - missing the Sweet 16 for the only time in the past five seasons.

The Gophers (20-11) fell at home to the Cyclones in a Sweet 16 match two years ago.

An average of 3,991 fans attend Minnesota's home matches, which ranks third nationally.

“It's always much more difficult to beat a team at home - and a very good team,” said Johnson-Lynch, who earned three-set, first- and second-round home wins last weekend. “Minnesota's incredibly athletic. Very talented. So even though we're the higher seed, we've got a big challenge.”

Johnson-Lynch said her team is relatively healthy.

Outside hitter Victorias Hurtt's been battling a sprained ankle, but recorded 10 kills and two blocks in Saturday's sweep of Miami (Fla.).

“Are we perfect, are we ideal? No, but very few teams are,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I think we've got the mental toughness to fight through that.”