Christy Johnson left Madison late Saturday filled with conflicting emotions.

The third-year Iowa State volleyball coach was overjoyed her team had stunned the then-No. 8 University of Wisconsin in an NCAA tournament second-round match at the UW Field House.

But Johnson also felt pangs of sadness because the former UW assistant recruited and coached many of the Badgers' older players. She knew how heartbroken they must be.

"I honestly have mixed emotions," Johnson said afterward. "I'm so happy and so thrilled for our team and our players, obviously. I'm ecstatic, but also sad for Wisconsin. Those are all people I personally really care about and feel for them and I wish that for them it could have ended differently."

Just days later, Johnson and the Cyclones (19-13) -- who are in the CSTV-American Volleyball Coaches Association rankings for the first time in program history at No. 18 -- have returned to Madison. And they feel nothing but excitement as they play in the round of 16 for the first time , against another top-10 foe, sixth-ranked California (24-7).

"Obviously, we are thrilled to be here," Johnson said Thursday. "It's been, I think the word I would use is 'magical.' It's been a magical couple of weeks."

After rallying to defeat then-No. 16 San Diego and UW, Iowa State meets Cal in a regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Friday at the UW Field House. The Golden Bears are a cohesive, strong-blocking team that respects the challenge scrappy Iowa State presents.

"They are big, they are quick, they play a very good brand of volleyball and we're expecting to battle for every point that we win," Cal coach Rich Feller said.

Johnson -- who, from 1997 to 2004, was on UW coaching staffs led first by John Cook and now by Pete Waite -- has been at the center of the Cyclones ' dramatic turnaround.

"Iowa State was the doormat of the Big 12 and the first thing she did is she made them believe they can win," said Cook, who brought Johnson to UW in 1997 after she coached prep volleyball at Millard North in Omaha, Neb. "And now she's really got them believing they can win, and (Iowa State athletic director) Jamie Pollard needs to give her a bonus or someone is going to steal her away. She's done a remarkable job."

Johnson laughed when asked if she expected the Cyclones to be this far, this soon.

"Definitely not," said Johnson, a former All-American setter who led Nebraska to its first NCAA championship in 1995. "I thought, 'Let's see what happens. Let's see what we can do.' The program has turned around so much faster than I even would have dreamed of. I think the fortunate thing is when we came in, we had a lot of talent on the team already. I guess I wasn't expecting that."

Johnson inherited a team that finished 8-21 in 2004, including 1-19 in the Big 12 Conference.

"We had some talent on the team, but I would say she made us work hard and get our talents and abilities out of us," Cyclones senior middle blocker Erin Boeve said.

The Cyclones finished 16-15 in 2005, then last season were 21-11 (12-8 in the Big 12) and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995. UW eliminated the Cyclones in the second round.

"She's done a great job and if anybody in the country knows our program and our players, she does," Waite said. "She recruited the senior class and coached the senior class as freshmen ... and we are probably best friends with that staff, compared to anybody in the country. So, if anybody was going to do this, we are happy for them."

Senior right-side hitter Lauren Cummings said Johnson has talked to the Cyclones about believing in themselves no matter the opponent's ranking or the match score.

"You always act like you are winning, no matter what is happening," Johnson said. "It allows you to fight back."

That approach has paid off with three consecutive victories over ranked teams then-No. 21 Oklahoma, San Diego and UW. Iowa State rallied from a 24-16 deficit in the second game and a 13-10 deficit in the fifth game during its 25-30, 31-29, 30-19, 24-30, 16-14 win over San Diego in the NCAA tournament's first round and a 19-11 deficit in the first game against UW.

Iowa State has played in a relaxed fashion, savoring the underdog role in recent weeks. But Johnson doesn't feel her team is an underdog any longer.

"I feel like we are very deserving to be here," Johnson said. "We earned it. We earned it the hard way certainly. We are playing great. We are one of the top teams in the country just in terms of how we've been playing lately."

Regional notes

The breakdown on credential requests by media covering specific teams: California 0, Michigan State 1, Iowa State 4 and Nebraska 20. ... Michigan State outside hitter Katie Johnson said she isn't limited by a sprained left little finger that she had in a protective wrap at the Spartans' news conference. ... Nebraska coach John Cook listed outside hitter Christina Houghtelling (back injury) as day-to-day. ... California outside hitter Angie Pressey, daughter of former NBA player Paul Pressey, said she didn't recall much about her dad's playing days in Milwaukee, except that she danced with "Bango," the Bucks' mascot, once at halftime.