MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University gymnastics team returns to Morgantown for a Big 12 Conference meet against No. 17 Iowa State on Sunday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. ET, inside the WVU Coliseum.
 
Due to ongoing COVID-19 protocols, and for the overall safety of spectators at indoor events, attendance will be capped at 1,500 spectators. Priority will be given to families and guests of the gymnasts and gymnastics coaching staffs, along with a limited number of WVU students and fans.
 
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com or calling 1-800-WVU GAME to avoid lines at the gate on meet day. When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each. At the ticket window on meet day, any remaining tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors. The discounted online pricing will be available until the start of competition.
 
The Mountaineer Ticket Office, as well as the Gold Gate, opens an hour before competition on meet day. WVU students are admitted for free with a valid Student I.D. All tickets are reserved in blocks, ranging from one to six seats, and socially distanced. When purchasing tickets, the system will allocate the best seats available based on the quantity selected.
 
Facemasks will be required of all spectators entering the arena and should be worn at all times, with the exception of when eating and drinking.
 
Sunday's action will be carried live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, the conference's digital platform, with Michael Minnich and Julia Merwin on the call. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It also is available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.
 
Direct links to the video stream and live stats can be found on the gymnastics schedule page at WVUsports.com.
 
"Iowa State is a great team," Mountaineer coach Jason Butts said. "They continue to get better and better, and they are doing very well this year. It's going to be a great competition. The team also is very excited about having fans back in the Coliseum. I know that they have been putting it on their social media pages trying to get the word out like we are, so hopefully, we have a decent turnout. They are just excited to be back."
 
The Mountaineers (0-2, 0-2) are looking for their first conference regular season win since Feb. 26, 2017, when West Virginia defeated Iowa State (1-1, 1-1) by a score of 195.95-195.725, in Morgantown. WVU is 6-11-1 all-time against ISU.
 
Last season, the Mountaineers suffered a 195.800-194.500 setback to the No. 12-ranked Cyclones on Jan. 18, 2020, at the Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. Despite the loss, WVU hit 24-for-24 routines, and junior Kendra Combs scored her first career event victory with a personal-best 9.85 mark on balance beam. The last time West Virginia outscored Iowa State was at the 2017 Big 12 Championships (195.575-195.5).
 
Last week, West Virginia suffered a 195.850-194.775 loss to No. 3 Oklahoma on Jan. 31, inside the Lloyd Noble Center, in Norman, Oklahoma. Competing in their first meet away from Morgantown, the Mountaineers defeated the Sooners on beam (48.400-47.850) for the second consecutive week. Additionally, junior Esperanza Abarca was the lone Mountaineer to land on the podium, tying for second place overall on beam with a season-high 9.825 total.
 
"We are still trying to update some events, update some skills," Butts said. "We have some people that haven't had a chance to compete yet on certain events, so we are still testing all that out. It's going to be a little bit of an unknown, but this team seems to be thriving under adversity. They have learned to adapt and go with it, so they are just excited to go in there and see what happens."
 
West Virginia ranks in the top 25 of the Road to Nationals Rankings on floor for the second consecutive week, sharing the No. 24 spot with Towson. WVU earned its event ranking based on a season average of 48.950. The Mountaineers also sit just outside the top 25 on beam at No. 27 (48.613 avg).
 
Individually, senior McKenna Linnen and Combs are nationally ranked inside the top 60 on floor. The duo is currently tied at No. 52 after scoring matching 9.85s for the second week in a row to lead the Mountaineers' floor rotation.
 
Nine Mountaineers earned time in at least one lineup last week, with six gymnasts competing in three or more events. Currently, a freshman or sophomore is featured in 14 of the Mountaineers' 24 lineup positions.
 
Iowa State is coming off its first win over a top-five team since 2006 after winning at No. 5 Denver (196.050-195.850) on Jan. 31.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.