For the first time as a Hawkeye, sophomore guard Kylie Feuerbach will travel to Iowa State and take on the school she once called home.

Feuerbach transferred from Iowa State to Iowa following the 2020-21 season and became a key addition to the Iowa bench. The sophomore started while she was at Iowa State, but plays off of Iowa’s bench this season.

“I think it’s best to expect the worst, so then it won’t be the worst,” Feuerbach said .”I haven’t put too much thought into it. I just want to go there and play it like any other game, but I’d say I am more excited. I mean, they have a huge crowd so we’re also preparing for that.”

Feuerbach has averaged 5.3 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the field with the Hawkeyes in 2021-22. She is also averaging 33 percent from beyond the arc and 83 percent from the free throw line.

Feuerbach has also brought tenacious defense to the Hawkeyes. She has three steals, two blocks, and eight defense rebounds through six games while averaging 19 minutes.

Feuerbach did not get to play in front of a full capacity Hilton Coliseum last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I never was really surrounded by the huge amount of fans that they have, so that will be interesting to see,” Feuerbach said.” They do really have a good support system with their fans, and it will be pretty cool, but I’m just playing it like any other game.”

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Feuerbach also has family ties to the Cyclones. Her grandfather played basketball at Iowa State, and her parents and brother also attended the university.

But Feuerbach’s Hawkeye teammates and coaches are showing their support for her as she returns to Ames.

“Obviously, this is a really difficult situation, and at the end of the day we have her back and want her to be happy,” sophomore guard Caitlin Clark said. “That’s just the message our coaches preached to her, you know, ‘This is just another game.’ But there’s going to be a bit of an emotional side to it.”

No. 12 Iowa will travel to Ames on Wednesday to take on No. 15 Iowa State in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Overall, Iowa Athletics has dominated the series in the 2021-22 season, picking up wins in football, volleyball, soccer, and wrestling.

The Cyclones are led by All-Big 12 and All-American honorable mention Ashley Joens, who averages a school-record 24.2 points for Iowa State. The Cyclones are 8-1 on the season, suffering their only loss to LSU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

The Hawkeyes will take on the Cyclones at 6 p.m on Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum. The game will also air on ESPNU.