Kansas State’s Shaylee Myers wrapped up her collegiate career with All-America recognition, as the senior was named an All-American Honorable Mention by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Wednesday.

Myers becomes the 12th player in program history to earn AVCA All-America honors and the second under head coach Jason Mansfield, joining former Wildcat teammate Aliyah Carter.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post KSU’s Myers earns All-America honors appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Zander White

Kansas State volleyball punched its ticket to the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday with a five-set upset win over No. 8 seed San Diego (21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12).

The Wildcats earned their first win in the NCAA Tournament since 2016, winning their sixth five-set victory of the year.

K-State hits .542 in the 2nd to overcome an opening set loss

Aniyah Clinton totaled five kills in the second set of Friday’s match as the Wildcats bounced back from down 1-0 to grab their largest single-set victory, 25-17.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Myers totals 26 kills as Wildcats upset No. 8 seed San Diego 3-2 appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

For the first time since 2021, K-State volleyball was awarded an at-large bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, as the committee announced the 64-team bracket during the NCAA Volleyball Selection Show on ESPN Sunday night. This is the program’s 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and first under head coach Jason Mansfield.

K-State (17-9, 10-8 Big 12), which finished in a four-way tie for sixth in the Big 12 standings, will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to face San Diego (25-4, 18-0 WCC) on Friday, December 5 at 4:30 p.m. in the opening round at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

To read the rest of the story subscribe to the Manhattan Mercury!

The post K-State volleyball selected for 2025 NCAA Tournament appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

K-State’s Ava LeGrand and Shaylee Myers each recorded a double-double Wednesday night as the Wildcats returned to the win column with a three-set sweep of Houston at the Fertitta Center, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20.

K-State (16-8, 9-7 Big 12) hit at a .257 clip (45 kills, 16 errors) on its way to picking up its first win over Houston since August 28, 2007, and first as Big 12 opponents. The Wildcats improved to 8-4 overall on the road, including a 5-3 record in league action.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State volleyball sweeps at Houston appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Kamden Tatkenhorst

For the third consecutive match, Kansas State volleyball played to five sets. But unlike the last two, the Wildcats did not come away with a win.

In a back-and-forth battle, K-State (9-4) came up short against Iowa State (14-2) 25-16, 22-25, 27-25, 19-25, 11-15.

To view the entire article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State volleyball falls short at home to Iowa State appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By K-State Athletics

Senior Shaylee Myers’ record-breaking 34 kills highlighted Kansas State volleyball’s five-set victory (25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-27, 20-18) over West Virginia, as the Wildcats rallied to secure their first Big 12 win of the season Wednesday night at WVU Coliseum.

A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Myers became the first player in the rally-scoring era to reach 34 kills in a single match and only the fourth in program history to achieve the milestone, joining K-State greats Dawn Cady, Kathy Saxton, and Liz Wegner-Busch.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Myers’ big night powers K-State volleyball’s 5-set victory at WVU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

From the Manhattan Mercury

The Big 12 Conference named Kansas State star outside hitter Aliyah Carter as its offensive player of the week after leading the Wildcats to a sweep over then-No. 18 TCU, the league office announced Tuesday.

Carter earns her second weekly honor of the season after picking up 22 kills against TCU, her eighth 20-kill match of the year, to power K-State to its first victory over a ranked opponent this season.

Read the rest of the article at the mercury.com

The post KSU’s Carter named Big 12 offensive player of the week appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

MANHATTAN, KS (K-State) – K-State volleyball and second-year head coach Jason Mansfield unveiled the complete 2024 schedule Thursday, featuring 13 home matches at Morgan Family Arena.

The Cats’ 27-match schedule also features 14 matches against teams from last season’s NCAA Tournament field, including seven Big 12 foes and non-conference opponents USC, UMBC, UC Santa Barbara and Purdue.

The season officially begins Friday, August 30 in West Layfette, Ind., as the Wildcats take part in the Purdue Volleyball’s Stacey Clark Classic. The three-day tournament will include matchups against tournament host Purdue (Aug. 30), UC Davis (Aug. 31), and UMBC (Sept. 1).

The non-conference slate continues at the Bluejay Invite hosted by Creighton in Omaha, Neb., where the Cats will face USC (Sept. 6) and the Bluejays (Sept. 7).

The Wildcats open their home schedule with a six-match homestand at Morgan Family Arena, starting with the K-State Invitational from September 12-15. K-State will take on Lipscomb in the home opener on Thursday, Sept. 12, before rounding out the invitational against North Carolina (Sept. 15).

After the home tournament, the Wildcats will host UC Santa Barbara on September 19 before a battle of the Mansfield brothers on September 21 when former Big 12 rival Oklahoma makes the trip to Manhattan.

K-State’s conference schedule gets underway with a midweek matchup against Houston on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Morgan Family Arena, highlighting the nine-match home Big 12 slate. The Wildcats will also host UCF (Sept. 27), Iowa State (Oct. 5), Utah (Oct. 24), West Virginia (Oct. 31), Baylor (Nov. 13), TCU (Nov. 15), KU (Nov. 24) and BYU (Nov. 29).

In Big 12 play, the Wildcats travel to Texas Tech (Oct. 3), Cincinnati (Oct. 10), West Virginia (Oct. 13), KU (Oct. 17), Iowa State (Oct. 26), Arizona (Nov. 6), Arizona State (Nov. 8), UCF (Nov. 20) and Colorado (Nov. 27).

Ticket information and the 2024 broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.

The Wildcats retained 10 letterwinners from last year’s roster, including All-Big 12 honorees Aliyah Carter and Aniya Clinton. In its first season of the Mansfield era, K-State concluded its 2023 campaign 16-11 overall and 10-8 in Big 12 action. The Cats turned in a program record five Top 25 victories, that included a historic sweep over reigning National Champion Texas at Morgan Family Arena.

The post K-State Unveils Complete 2024 Volleyball Schedule appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

From K-State Athletics

Manhattan, KS – K-State head volleyball coach Jason Mansfield announced the addition of middle blocker transfers Meg Brown and Jordyn Williams to the 2024 roster Wednesday afternoon.

Brown, a 6-foot-3 product of Santa Ana, Calif., comes to K-State after four seasons at Pepperdine where she garnered All-West Coast Conference accolades each year including three first team nods. The 2020 WCC Freshman of the Year also earned a spot on the U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team last summer.

Welcome to the family, Meg! #KStateVB pic.twitter.com/nyDqLYjehK

— K-State Volleyball (@KStateVB) January 3, 2024

“We are so excited to welcome Meg to our Wildcat family,” stated Mansfield. “Meg brings incredible experience to our program from her time at Pepperdine, competing against some of the best teams in the country while making the NCAA tournament multiple times. Her character, athleticism, skill, and leadership are all elite and will make an immediate impact for us at K-State.”

During her time with the Waves, Brown amassed 930 kills while hitting .339 to go with 334 total blocks and 81 service aces, as she helped Pepperdine to four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Brown produced a career-high 312 kills (2.82/set) in her junior campaign on a team-best .365 hitting percentage. She also was good for 0.92 blocks, 0.29 aces and 0.86 digs per set for the squad, leading the team with 399.0 points in total.

“I am very excited about my commitment and the future of K-State volleyball,” Brown commented. “With only one year of eligibility left, I was looking for a place where I could continue to be challenged on and off the court, as well as an environment that has a high emphasis on relationships and culture.”

“The moment I stepped on campus, I immediately felt the impact that coach Mansfield and the coaching staff has made on the program in one year, as well as the commitment the team has to strive for success in the future. I am grateful to be a part of the K-State volleyball family and look forward to being in Manhattan this fall,” said Brown.

Prior to her time at Pepperdine, Brown played in 355 total sets for Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, helping her team to CIF Championship titles in 2017 and 2018. She collected 822 kills for a .385 hitting percentage and totaled 252 blocks, including 43 solo stops. As a senior, Brown picked up Under Armour Third Team All-American honors and received First Team All-State and All-CIF recognition.

A native of Lantana, Texas, Williams makes her way to Manhattan following two seasons at Kentucky where she competed in 46 sets over 17 matches.

Welcome to the family, @JordynWilliamsm #KStateVB pic.twitter.com/0uPiKUhD5x

— K-State Volleyball (@KStateVB) January 3, 2024

“We are thrilled to welcome Jordyn to K-State Volleyball,” Mansfield said. “She is an incredible athlete who is very skilled and fiercely competitive, she will fit in extremely well with the culture we are creating here.”

“Jordyn has battled through injuries early in her career at Kentucky and it has shaped her character, drive, and love for the game. We are so excited to help Jordyn continue to grow her game as an athlete and continue to build upon her strong character,” said Mansfield.

In 2023, the 6-foot-2 middle blocker turned in a career-high nine kills at a .500 clip in a four-set victory over Missouri on October 6. She followed that performance two days later with a career-high six blocks against Ole Miss to go with six kills.

Williams produced 62 kills (1.59 per set) during her redshirt sophomore campaign for a .331 hitting efficiency which was good for fourth on the team, while her average of one block per set led the team.

“I walk through faith, and I know without God none of this would be possible,” said Williams. “I’m also very thankful for my family and friends for all the support through this process. I’m very blessed to be given another opportunity and excited for my future with K-State volleyball.”

Prior to her time at UK, Williams attended John H. Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. She collected Under Armour First Team All-American recognition in 2020 and was a member of two national championship teams with her club organization, Texas Advantage Volleyball.

Brown and Williams will join opposite Tatum Tindall, setter Emerson Van Lannen and libero Alyss Kelly as part of the Cats 2024 class.

K-State ended the 2023 season 16-11 under first-year head coach Jason Mansfield, including 10-8 in Big 12 play which tied sixth in the league standings and a program record five Top 25 victories.

The post Two Transfers Added to K-State’s 2024 Volleyball Roster appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Hour 1:

Seg. 1 – Will Howard enters the transfer portal

Seg. 2 – Will with the media

Seg. 3 – K-State falls to Iowa State, 42-35

Hour 2:

Seg. 1 – Latest bowl projections and players transferring

Seg. 2 – MBB 4-2 after blowout over C. Arkansas

Seg. 3 – This week in the Big 12

The post Wildcat Insider – 11/27/23 appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – Jason Mansfield, who has been a part of seven NCAA Final Fours and one national championship during stints at Stanford and Washington, has been named the ninth head volleyball coach at Kansas State, Athletics Director Gene Taylor announced today.

Mansfield, who has spent the past five seasons at Washington, will be formally introduced at a press conference next week. More details will be announced soon.

“We are very excited to welcome Jason and his family to Manhattan and the Wildcat Volleyball family,” Taylor said. “The search for our new head coach drew significant interest from all over the country, and we feel Jason is the perfect fit to lead us. His championship pedigree, emphasis on team culture and building relationships – both inside a program and on the recruiting circuit – are what set him apart from other candidates. I know he is excited to get started, and I cannot wait for our student-athletes and all of Wildcat Nation to meet him.”

One of the most experienced and accomplished assistant coaches in the country, Mansfield has mentored a total of 25 individual players that have earned 65 All-America honors during his 20 years of coaching and has coached five athletes that have gone on to compete in the Olympic Games for Team USA.

“I first would like to thank (Athletics Director) Gene Taylor and (Deputy AD/SWA) Jill Shields for their trust and belief in me,” Mansfield said. “They both are a huge reason why I am so excited to be a part of Kansas State Athletics. I next would like to thank my family – my mom and dad who have always supported me, my wife, Kim, for being the best partner and teammate, my brother, Aaron, who continues to inspire me every day to be better, and finally, my daughter, Rylee, and son, Dylan – they are my biggest inspiration. Lastly, I would like to thank my incredible mentors – Keegan Cook, Chris Tamas, Kevin Hambly and, especially, John Dunning. I’ve learned so much from them, and I know I am well prepared to be a head coach in large part because of who they are as coaches and as people.

“I’m so excited to get started. I can’t wait to meet the team and to start forming those relationships. Growth is the most important thing to me. It’s something we will talk about every day and continue to find ways to grow in all aspects of our lives. We will compete at the highest level that we can every day, and we will do it with passion and unity. I came to Kansas State to build a great program, a program with high character, strong connections and a passion for learning.”

In his five seasons at Washington, Mansfield helped the Huskies advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament four times, the Elite Eight in 2019, and then to the Final Four in the spring of 2021. His work with the outside hitters netted seven All-America honors for three Huskies: Kara Bajema, Samantha Drechsel, and Claire Hoffman, with Bajema and Drechsel each garnering first-team status. Bajema broke the UW single season kills record in 2019 and ranked fourth in the NCAA with 597 and has since gone on to a stellar pro career overseas and a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team. Hoffman landed on the second team in 2020 and 2022 and was a third-team selection in 2021. With her third All-America honor, Hoffman joined an elite group of Husky outside hitters with three or more All-America honors.

As an assistant coach at Stanford working with AVCA Hall of Fame Head Coach John Dunning, Mansfield coached 17 different All-Americans, four National Players of the Year, and four future Olympians (Logan Tom, Ogonna Nnamani, Foluke Akinradewo, Alix Klineman). The 2004 squad won the national championship, while the Cardinal advanced to the Final Four six times in 14 total NCAA Tournament appearances with Mansfield on staff.

At Illinois (2016-2018), he coached three more All-Americans in two seasons and another future U.S. Olympian in Jordyn Poulter. The 20 All-America players he coached at Stanford and Illinois combined for 46 total AVCA honors. In his second and final season at Illinois, the Fighting Illini advanced to the NCAA Round of 16, upsetting Washington in the second round.

Mansfield also compiled a stellar run as a club coach with the Vision Volleyball Club from 2000 to 2016 with his teams earning seven Junior Olympic medals, 26 Junior Olympic All-Tournament selections, and the club producing 19 Volleyball Magazine “Fab 50” recruits. His first volleyball coaching experience came at Foothill Community College from 1997-99.

Mansfield and his wife, Kim, have an eight-year-old daughter, Rylee, and a six-year-old son, Dylan. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in 2016 from Ashworth College.

Other Quotes on Jason Mansfield:
“Jason Mansfield represents the best of college volleyball coaching.  His ability to develop student-athletes is matched only by his integrity as a leader.  Kansas State has made a tremendous decision for the future of their program.” Keegan Cook, University of Minnesota Head Coach

“I am very excited for Jay! He has worked so hard for a chance to run a very good program at this level. Jay is a great hire; he is a really solid, family-oriented person, who has been preparing for this moment for a long time. I am sure he will have a very positive impact on the Kansas State program.” John Dunning, Former Stanford and Hall of Fame Head Coach

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State has decided to part with longtime volleyball coach Suzie Fritz after 22 years.

The school announced Sunday that Fritz would not return next year despite having a 393-263 overall record and leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament 13 times as the head coach.

“Coach Fritz has poured all of her energy into this program for the last 20-plus years, and we will forever be grateful for her leadership and advancement of K-State Volleyball,” athletic director Gene Taylor said in a statement.

Fritz won more games than any other Kansas State volleyball coach, but her teams have struggled in recent years and recorded only 15 wins in each of the past two seasons.

The Wildcats are preparing to open a new volleyball arena next year.

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

LAWRENCE, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – In the second Sunflower Showdown of the season, Kansas State was unable to overcome rival Kansas on the road, falling in straight sets (23-25, 16-15, 15-25) Wednesday night at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

K-State (12-11, 3-7 Big 12) struggled offensively, gathering 35 kills at a .183 pace. The Wildcats were led by seniors Elena Baka and Haley Warner with nine kills each. Warner earned her fourth-best hitting percentage at .316 efficiency. Baka contributed nine digs on the defensive end.

Loren Hinkle posted a 27-assist night and notched nine digs in the process. The setter and Shaylee Myers collected one ace each. Myers also saw six kills and four digs on the night.

Kansas (16-7, 6-5 Big 12) collected 52 kills at a .394 pace, the highest of any opponent the Wildcats have faced thus far in the season. Anezka Szabo turned in 12 kills (.435) and Rachel Langs followed with ten (.529) and three blocks.

Setter Camryn Turner notched a double-double on 41 assists and 13 digs, leading the match in both categories. Molly Schultz registered the Jayhawks’ only ace on the night.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

Overall thoughts from the match…
“It’s a disappointing night for us.  We have felt as though we’ve been improving over the past several weeks, so it’s frustrating that we were not the best version of ourselves. I know the team wants more and we will continue to fight to become the team we are capable of becoming. We have an opportunity to make a late run in the second half of league play and that’s what we intend to do.”

On players that stood out…
“Mack Morris continues to be an elite defender as she keeps us in rallies. That’s a testament to her hard work. It was also good to see Haley Warner put up good production offensively tonight. She made some good connections on the ball.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – KU 25, K-State 23
Kansas took off on a 6-2 spurt to start the match, fueled by Rachel Langs’ two kills. The Jayhawks pushed the lead to as far as seven points.

Shaylee Myers’ back-to-back kill and ace combo spurred the Wildcats in a 5-1 run. The team closed the gap to 20-17 and clinched five consecutive points to tie the set at 22-22.

KU rebounded and closed the 25-23 set on Langs’ fifth kill. The Jayhawks swung at .244 hitting percentage with Brynn Kirsch picking up six digs.

Myers led the set with six kills (.400) as the Wildcats donned a .233 clip. Elena Baka and Loren Hinkle collected six kills each.

Set Two – KU 25, K-State 16
Kansas got a hot start again, this time with a 4-1 run. Lauren Dooley contributed two kills and one block in the train. The Cats got points back on two consecutive Jayhawk errors.

The home team then found 10-1 point spurt with seven straight points. Szabo and Ayah Elnday each notched back-to-back kills in the spurt. This helped KU lead by as much as 11 points at a 19-8 score.

K-State was able to knock it down to a seven point divide with help from two Baka kills and a Hinkle ace. Kansas clinched the set 25-16 on Dooley’s third kill.

KU posted 17 kills (.457) and was led by Elnady with four. Dooley added two block assists and three kills (1.000). K-State saw 12 kills (.156) with Baka claiming six (.333).

Set Three – KU 25, K-State 15
The home side opened the final set with a 5-1 run, turned by Lang’s three blocks. KU steadily built the lead to eight points as Szabo popped three of her five total kills.

The match point was propelled by five straight scores by the Jayhawks. Caroline Bien grabbed two kills in the run.

K-State tried to battle back with help from Warner’s two kills followed by a block assist but could not avail. Warner led all attackers with six kills. Ava LeGrand earned two assists and four digs. K-State’s hitting percentage landed at .148 for the set.

Szabo posted five kills as Bien added four (.667). Elnady totaled five digs as Turner completed 14 assists. The Jayhawks swung at a .552 pace to finish the match.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State swung at a .183 pace, with the best hitting percentage in set one (.233).
• The team gathered 35 kills, one of the second lowest totals on the season.
• Baka and Warner each collected nine kills.
• Warner’s .316 clip is the fourth-higest of the season.
• Baka and Hinkle combined for 18 digs.
• Hinkle tallied 27 assists while upping her career ace count to 103.
• Myers donned six kills at a .250 hitting percentage.
• The freshman added four digs and an ace.
• Morris and Ramsey pocketed seven and five digs apiece.
• Bolding notched two of the team’s four block assists for two total team stops.
• The senior registered her second lowest output (-.091) of the year.
• KU hit at a .394 clip, the highest of any Wildcat opponent (52 kills).
• Szabo led all attackers with 12 kills (.435).
• Langs followed with ten kills while Bien and Elnady donned nine each.
• Langs and Bien pocketed a .529 clip.
• Turner posted a double-double for the Jayhawks (13 digs, 41 assists).
• Schultz tallied the Kansas’ only ace.
• KU walked away with five blocks.

NOTES

• K-State leads the series with the Jayhawks, 67-58-1.
• KU took both matches in this year’s series.
• K-State is 31-19 when playing in Lawrence.
• The Jayhawks have claimed six of the last seven meetings and 13 of the last 17, spanning back to 2014.
• Additionally, Kansas is 17-5 in the rivalry since the 2012 season.
• The Cats last picked up an away win over Kansas in 2020, winning in five sets (Oct. 30).
• There has not been a straight-set victory for either side since the 2016 season (11 matches).
• Head coach Suzie Fritz is 23-21 in her career against KU.

UP NEXT
Kansas State finishes the week on the road in Ames to take on Iowa State. The Wildcats and the Cyclones go head-to-head on Friday, November 4, with the Big 12 contest kicking off at 6:30 p.m. The match will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ while Rob Voelker will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – After putting together a set one victory, Kansas State could not hold off #2 Texas as the Wildcats fell 1-3 (25-23, 13-25, 16-25, 21-25) to the Longhorns on Friday night at Bramlage Coliseum.

K-State (12-10, 3-6) collected 42 kills (.152) and was led by Kayde Fernholz with nine at a .241 clip. The middle blocker added a block assist for 9.5 points on the night.

Loren Hinkle posted a career-best four kills in addition to her double-double numbers of 34 assists and ten digs. This is the setter’s fifth double-double match this season.

Mackenzie Morris tabbed 17 digs for the Wildcats on Friday night. The junior tallied 17 or more digs in the last four matches. Aliyah Carter crept in with eight kills and nine digs.

Texas (17-1, 9-1) finished with 63 kills at a .307 clip. The Longhorns were paced by Logan Eggleston and Madisen Skinner with 17 kills each. Eggleston completed her double-double with 12 digs.

Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres also notched a double-double with 52 assists and 10 digs. Kayla Caffey and Molly Phillips led the Longhorns with a combined eight block assists.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

Overall thoughts from the match…
“We were well prepared and I was proud of them. We started well and played hard in a lot of stretches, but we broke down in serve receive in the middle part of the match. It is very difficult team to generate offense against out of system. I thought we played hard and we are improving. We have that fight to get two or three points better both individually and collectively.”

On the difference in the first set…
“We had consistency and we had a good clip offensively at .313. That is really good for us. Side-out efficiency had a lot to do with it too. Our serving and passing were strong as well. Our focus was on and we clicked. We were composed for most of the course of the match and it started there.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One –K-State 25, Texas 23
In a set with 15 tie scores and two lead changes, neither side saw more than a two-point run to kick off the match. The Wildcats and the Longhorns traded points until a three-point run in the final steps gave K-State the 25-23 win.

Loren Hinkle collected two aces in the last two points of the set. The setter added 11 assists. Elena Baka and Aliyah Carter each tallied four kills with Carter walking away at a .375 clip.

Logan Eggleston led all attackers with six kills at a .250 pace and posted four digs. Madisen Skinner added three kills while Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres donned 14 assists.

The Cats held UT to a .242 output with 15 kills. K-State completed a .312 hitting percentage with 13 kills in the set.

Set Two – Texas 25, K-State 13
Texas led from start to finish on set two. The Longhorns’ run was bolstered by 7-1 and 8-1 spurts mid-match.

Eggleston donned six kills at a .414 pace. Ka’aha’aina-Torres, Zoe Fleck, and Keonilei Akana each collected four digs on the back line.

Kadye Fernholz saw three kills (.375) while Baka followed with two on twelve attempts. Mackenzie Morris picked up four digs for the Wildcats. Hinkle tallied five assists and a block assist.

K-State posted .062 hitting percentage with just seven kills while Texas had 15 kills at a .414 pace.

Set Three – Texas 25, K-State 16
UT started on a hot streak, earning a 4-1 lead to start the set. K-State battled back within one point at 8-7 on back-to-back Haley Warner kills. The Longhorns found the 25-16 win on a 9-2 run at the end of the set. Molly Phillips posted two kills and a block assist in the spurt.

Sydney Bolding and Carter pocketed three kills apiece with Bolding swinging at a .750 pace. Carter collected four digs. Hinkle had a busy set with two kills, ten assists, and five digs. Morris added seven digs to the Wildcats’ total.

Phillips led with six kills for UT (.667). Emma Halter picked up an ace and Kayla Caffey had two block assists.

The Longhorns paced at .302 with 16 kills while the Wildcats swung at a .106 clip with 12 kills.

Set Four – Texas 25, K-State 21
Texas had the upperhand for the entire set again, but K-State fought to tie it up at 8-8. A three-point run, spurred by a Shaylee Myers block and kill, helped the Wildcats secure a 17-17 tie once more.

Asjia O’Neal tallied three of the Longhorns’ final four kills to put the set and match away.

The middle blocker collected four kills at a .667 [ace while Skinner added six (.308). Ka’aha’aina-Torres finished with 13 assists. Fleck and Akana combined for 11 digs as O’Neal and Phillips posted two block assists each.

For the Wildcats, Fernholz walked away with three kills at a .429 hitting percentage as Myers donned two kills in the set. Hinkle added eight assists. Morris swept up three digs and Molly Ramsey notched two of her own.

K-State grabbed ten kills (.147) and Texas saw 17 (.286).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State swung at a .152 pace as Texas hit at a .307 clip.
• This is the Longhorns’ sixth lowest attack percentage this season.
• The Wildcats posted 42 kills.
• Fernholz led the Wildcats for the second time this season with nine kills (.241).
• Carter followed with eight kills and nine digs.
• Bolidng and Baka each notched seven kills.
• Bolding put together a .417 clip (7 kills on 12 attacks).
• She collected three blocks (one solo, two assists).
• Hinkle posted a career-high 4 kills (.800).
• She added her fifth double-double (34 assists, 10 digs).
• Morris grabbed 17 digs for the Cats.
• The Longhorns gathered 63 kills, their third-highest output.
• Eggleston and Skinner led the match with 17 kills each.
• Eggleston completed the double-double with 12 digs.
• Phillips and Caffey each bought four blocks assists.
• Caffey led UT with a .600 clip (six kills on ten attacks).
• Ka’aha’aina-Torres also notched a double-double (52 assists, 10 digs).
• Fleck led both teams with 25 digs.
• She and Halter had two aces apiece.

NOTES

• Texas leads the all-time series at 49-7 and is 23-4 against the Wildcats in Manhattan.
• UT took the first match this season, 3-0, on Oct. 12, in Austin.
• The Cats are 2-4 in four set matches.
• K-State is 2-7 when hitting under .200.
• Fernholz has led the Cats in kills twice this season – in both matches against Texas.
• Fritz is 3-41 in her career against Texas.

UP NEXT
Kansas State begins a two match road stand next week, starting with the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas. The Wildcats and the Jayhawks go head-to-head for the second time this season on Wednesday, November 2. The Big 12 contest kicks-off at 6:30 p.m. in Lawrence. The match will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ while Rob Voelker will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

NORMAN, Okla. (Kansas State Athletics) – After dropping four consecutive five-set matches, Kansa State was able to turn the tables and overcome Oklahoma 20-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-13, at McCasland Field House on Wednesday night.

K-State (12-8, 3-4) tallied 53 kills (.227) in Norman, led by Aliyah Carter who boasted 16 kills in her highest output since Sept. 24. The junior outside hitter swung at a .297 hitting percentage while completing two aces and seven digs for 19 points.

Mackenzie Morris led both squads with 29 digs, a career-best for the junior libero. Senior setter Loren Hinkle was just shy of another double-double with 43 assists and nine digs. Hinkle tallied her 99^th career ace against the Sooners.

Shaylee Myers and Sydney Bolding add 13 and 11 kills to the Cats’ total as Bolding paced both teams at a .381 clip. Bolding also adds four block assists along with fellow senior Haley Warner.

Oklahoma (11-8, 1-6) posted 58 kills in five sets and led K-State with ten team blocks. Megan Wilson and Adria Oliver tallied five block assists each.

The Sooners were led offensively by Savannah Davison who notched a career-high 17 kills at a .289 pace. Wilson followed with 15 smacks (.156) and eight digs.

Payton Chamberlain collected her second double-double of the season on 44 assists and 19 digs while Callie Kemohah sent a career-high seven aces. The sophomore libero added nine digs.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On overall thoughts from the match…
“We are thrilled with the end results and the grit and tenacity that we showed in the latter part of the match. I thought we came out of the break far more aggressively and we controlled the ball on our side well. It was hard because we came out slow that we had to put ourselves in that position, but in the end, we responded well.”

On who stood out in the match…
“Sydney Bolding did with hitting well and creating problems at the net for them. She is really doing some special things as a middle. And our lefts, Shay and Aliyah, both hitting high .200s is a really good night. In the end, our left side was better than theirs and that dictated the match.”

On completing the comeback win…
“We have been in a lot of close matches and battled in many five-set matches. To be in a position where you are down two sets and it goes five where you can figure out a way to win and play well is special. This was very meaningful to us and we needed that kind of a breakthrough.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – OU 25, K-State 20
Following a 1-1 tie, Oklahoma found a four-point run before K-State fought back to even the score at 10 on consecutive Sooner errors.

OU rebounded with a 6-1 stunt, propelled by two Alexis Shelton kills, to gain a six-point lead at 21-15.

Savannah Davison concluded the set on her fouth kill, swinging at a .250 pace. Adria Oliver also collected four kills for the Sooners while Payton Chamberlain tallied nine assists and six digs.

Aliyah Carter led all hitters with five kills (.143) and notched an ace. The Wildcats had eight team kills at a .108 pace.

Oklahoma grabbed 15 kills on 46 total attacks and added 24 digs.

Set Two – OU 25, K-State 15
The home side started set two on a hot 6-1 run, which was fueled by four consecutive Callie Kemohah aces. Kayde Fernholz’s second kill of the match and the Cats’ first kill of the set ended the streak at 7-2.

K-State was able to climb back within four at 13-9 on Shaylee Myers’ first putdown of the game. The freshman tallied two kills at a .250 clip for the set.

Cats fight back three points on Loren Hinkle’s first ace of the match, but a three-point stretch leads OU to the final 25-15 score.

The Sooners held the Wildcats to seven kills at a .095 hitting percentage. Carter, Myers, and Sydney Bolding had two kills apiece, with Bolding going two for two. K-State did not have any blocks in set two.

OU tallied 11 kills at a .474 clip, its best pace of the match. Davison led with four kills (.600) and Kemohah secured five aces for Oklahoma.

Set Three – K-State 25, OU 22
The Wildcats started strong in set three. After taking the first point, K-State found the lead again at 7-6 on Hinkle’s third ace of the game. Kills by Bolding, Myers and Haley Warner pushed a five-point run for the visitors to take the 12-7 lead.

Megan Wilson had two kills in Oklahoma’s 6-2 stretch to bring the score to 17-15. The two teams traded points until the Cats walked away with the 25-22 victory.

Bolding collected five kills at a .833 pace and added two blocks while Morris tabbed ten digs from the back line. Hinkle saw 14 assists and two blocks in the set.

Wilson and Davison drew five kills each and Chamberlain had 13 assists and seven digs.

The Wildcats’ .375 hitting percentage in the third was the best of the match while the Sooners swung at a .229 pace.

Set Four – K-State 25, OU 15
The Cats continued the push in set four as they led the entirety of the set sans two tie scores. Myers brought two kills and an ace in the team’s first six points.

Back-to-back kills by Carter gave K-State a four-point lead at 11-7 Oklahoma caught back within two on Wildcat errors and a kill by Wilson.

K-State held off the Sooners with an 8-2 run in which Morris banked the last point on her first service ace since Oct. 5. Bolding concluded the set with her second kill.
The Cats continued to swing high at a .360 pace while keeping the Sooners at a match low .100 hitting percentage. Carter and Myers combined for six kills as Wilson led OU with four.

Set Five – K-State 15, OU 13
The fifth set was comprised of six ties and three lead changes. The Sooners had made three consecutive errors to give K-State an early lead.

They responded with a 6-1 spurt. Wilson pushed the run on two kills and a block to give the home side an 8-4 lead.

The Wildcats came back with a 5-1 run of their own to take the tie at 9-9. Carter notched two kills in the train. Carter added another kill along with Baka’s ace to give K-State the two-point lead that would take them to the set and match win.

Myers and Carter again combined for eight kills with Carter hitting at a .667 pace. As a team, the Cats swung at a .148 clip and stopped the Sooners at a .120 hitting percentage.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .227 as a team, the best of any five-set match this season.
• The Wildcats collected 53 kills.
• The team had 17 kills in set three, more than the first two sets combined.
• This is the Wildcats’ third win this season when traling in blocks (3-5).
• Carter led the Cats with 16 kills (.297).
• This is the fifth time that Carter topped the team in kills.
• Bolding paced the team at a .381 hitting percentage.
• Morris collected a career-high 29 digs.
• 29 digs is the fourth-highest single-match dig total in the Big 12.
• Hinkle tied her career-best with three aces.
• She posted the 99^th ace of her career.
• She added 43 assists and was one dig away from a double-double.
• Baka had one kill in her lowest output of the season.
• Oklahoma tallied 58 kills (.201).
• Davison led both teams with 17 kills at a .289 clip.
• Davison (17 kills, 10 digs) and Chamberlain (44 assists, 19 digs) collected double-doubles for the Sooners.
• All seven of OU’s aces were by Callie Kemohah.
• This is the most aces scored by one individual against K-State this season.
• Oliver and Wilson each bagged a match-high five block assists.

NOTES

• Oklahoma leads the all-time series 58-38-1 and is 28-16 at home against K-State.
• This is the Wildcats’ second road win in Big 12 play.
• Fritz is 25-18 in her career against OU.
• The Cats are 2-4 in five-set matches this season.
• This is the first reverse sweep.
• The Wildcats are 5-0 when they wear grey jerseys.

UP NEXT
K-State returns to Manhattan, Kansas, for the first of a two-match home stretch. The Wildcats take on #14 Baylor on Saturday, Oct. 22, to conclude the first half of Big 12 play. The conference contest is set for 1 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum. The match will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ while Emma Wiley will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State hits the road to face Oklahoma in a Big 12 match at McCasland Field House in Norman, Okla. The Wednesday night battle is set for 6 p.m.

The Wildcats (11-8, 2-4 Big 12) are coming off back-to-back losses at the hands of #1 Texas and TCU. The Cats went to five sets with the Horned Frogs on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.

Senior Elena Baka collected 17 kills at a .333 pace to lead K-State. The outside hitter added four block assists for 20 points on the night. Junior Aliyah Carter contributed 14 kills (.192), two aces, and five blocks.

As a team, the Cats tallied a season-best 18 blocks in the match. Sydney Bolding tied her season-best output of eight blocks at the net. Senior setter Loren Hinkle dished out 42 assists for her eighth consecutive 20+ assists match while junior Mackenzie Morris boasted 17 digs.

Oklahoma (11-7, 1-5 Big 12) has dropped its last three matches and is 6-2 when playing at home this season. The Sooners are one spot below K-State in the Big 12 standings.

OU leads the all-time series 58-37-1, which began in 1975. The Cats are 15-28 when playing in Norman while head coach Suzie Fritz is 24-18 in her career against Oklahoma.

Saturday’s match will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also listen to Emma Wiley on News Radio KMAN (93.3FM) with online audio available at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MATCH #20
K-STATE (11-8, 2-4 BIG 12) at Oklahoma (8-9, 3-3 BIG 12)
Wednesday, Oct. 19 // 6 p.m. // McCasland Field House // Norman, Okla.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM) // Emma Wiley
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

• K-State travels to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night.
• The Wildcats are coming off their second five-set Big 12 defeat, coming at the hands of TCU on Saturday.
• K-State hit .204 as a team with 48 kills while TCU swung at a .263 hitting percentage with 67 kills.
• Baka led the Wildcats with 17 kills (.333).
• This was her seventh match leading the team in kills.
• Hinkle tallied 42 assists, her sixth 40+ performance.
• K-State collected a season-best 18 team blocks (30 assists, 3 solo).
• Bolding matched her season-high of eight blocks.
• Morris has turned in at least 15 digs in six of the last seven matches and holds sole possession of third place in K-State history with 17 20-dig matches in her career (rally-scoring era).
• The Wildcats have not lost in straight sets at home this season.
• K-State sits second in the Big 12 with 192.5 blocks and with a 2.71 per set average.
• The Cats lead the conference with 1.79 average aces.
• The eight three-set wins tie the most by the Wildcats since eight during the 2018 season.
• Against Iowa State, Myers averaged 4.50 kills per set and was tabbed Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Oct. 04.
• It marked the first honor of Myers’ career and the first conference weekly award by any Wildcat this season.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA

• OU (11-7, 1-5 Big 12) enters Saturday one place behind K-State in the Big 12 standings.
• The Sooners have lost their last three matches, including a 1-3 drop to Iowa State at home.
• Oklahoma is 6-2 at McCasland Field House this season.
• OU’s sweep of West Virginia on Oct. 1 was its only Big 12 home win.
• The Sooners are last in the conference with a 1.41 opponent average ace pace.
• Their offense is powered by sophomore Megan Wilson, who sits fifth in the Big 12 with 224 blocks and a 3.67 average.
• The Kingwood, Texas, product tops the conference with 0.61 aces per set (37 total).
• Libero Callie Kemohah is the conference leader with 304 digs (4.75/set).
• Sophomore Payton Chamberlain owns a 9.63 assist average, ranking fourth in the Big 12.
• Freshman Morgan Perkins was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Sept. 20.
• The Rosharon, Texas, native has paces the Sooners with a .415 hitting percentage and a 1.31 block average.
• Oklahoma sits fourth in the Big 12 with a team hitting percentage of .262 (824 kills).
• The Sooners raked up a conference third-highest 1.47 aces per set (94 total).

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Oklahoma leads the all-time series K-State leads the all-time series 58-37-1, which began in 1975.
• The Wildcats are 15-28 on the road against the Sooners.
• K-State’s last victory at McCasland Field House was last year on a 3-1 victory (10/2/2021).
• The two teams split the series in 2021 where OU took a 3-1 home win (10/1/21).
• The Wildcats and the Sooners are 5-5 in the last ten matches.
• Head coach Suzie Fritz is 24-18 in her career against the Sooners.

IN DA CLUB

• With her 20 digs against Kansas (Sept. 24), K-State junior libero Mackenzie Morris joined the 1,000-digs club.
• She became the seventh Wildcat to play her entire career in the rally-scoring era to reach career dig No. 1,000.
• Additionally, Morris is the fastest player in program history (rally-scoring era) to reach the milestone, doing so in just 63 matches.
• Earlier this season, Morris set a career-high with 25 digs against UCF and produced three straight 20-dig outings – the longest such stretch of her career.
• Morris has carded at least 17 digs in eight of her last nine matches.
• The junior was held to her lowest output against the Longhorns with six digs.
• Her 22 digs against Iowa State equaled the highest total in a three-set match in the Big 12 this season (Zoe Fleck, Texas).
• The Dallas native now owns 17 career matches with at least 20 digs, as she now has sole possession of third place in program history.
• At 4.11 digs per set, she is currently one of just two players in the rally-scoring era to average over 4.00 digs per set (Angie Lastra, 4.37).
• Morris is one of just four active players in the Big 12 with at least 1,000 career digs (third among active Big 12 athletes).

ACE ACE BABY

• After recording six aces against TCU, K-State has racked up 127 service aces, ranking first in the Big 12 and tied for 37th nationally with a 1.79 average.
• Sydney Bolding added three aces against the Horned Frogs, bringing her season total to 31 and landing third in the conference.
• Bolding has eight matches with multiple aces and has equaled her career high of four aces three times this season.
• The senior has at least one ace in the last six matches to help her sit fourth in the Big 12 ranks with a 0.46 average.
• Elena Baka is second on the team and sixth in the league with 25 aces while Loren Hinkle is ninth at 17 aces.
• Six times the Cats have eclipsed the 10-ace mark, including in back-to-back matches at the UCF Challenge with 11 against Syracuse and a season-high 12 vs. North Florida.
• The 12 aces were the most in a three-set match since the 2007 season and were tied for fourth-most in the rally-scoring era.
• It was the first time K-State produced back-to-back matches with at least 10 aces since 2007.
• Last season, K-State finished with 10 or more aces just twice.
• Additionally, the six matches with 10 or more aces are the most since a rally- scoring-record seven matches in 2007.

BAKA BREAKS THROUGH

• Senior transfer Elena Baka has had an immediate impact through 19 matches with the Wildcats.
• Playing six rotations, Baka leads the team in total kills with 199, needing one more to eclipse the 200 mark for the season.
• She pairs this with 25 aces.
• The Saint Mary’s transfer set a career-high with 19 kills against UCF on the way to her second straight all-tournament team selection.
• Baka has led K-State in kills seven times this season and finished as the team leader in digs twice.
• She has a team-leading six double-doubles on the season.
• Her 25 aces are fifth-most in the Big 12, as she has served up multiple aces eight times – including in each of K-State’s first five contests.

BOLD BOLDING

• Senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding is off to a fast start for K-State in 2022, averaging 1.90 kills per set with 1.33 blocks per set and 31 aces.
• The senior’s hitting .309 hitting percentage tops the Wildcats for the season.
• Bolding three times has produced four aces this season, including in K-State’s conference match against Iowa State and four coming in the first set alone against St. Thomas.
• The four aces matched a career-high, as she has seven matches with multiple aces this season (two such matches last season).
• Her 31 aces match the most by a Wildcat middle blocker since Zsofia Gyimes’ 31 in 2018.
• The record for a K-State middle blocker in the rally-scoring era is 37 aces, done by Lauren Goehring (2001) and Kaitlynn Pelger (2013).
• She was named to the Rambler Challenge All-Tournament Team, her second all-tournament team selection after also being voted to the K-State Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Bolding, who missed the first three weeks of the 2021 season due to injury, turned in a season-high eight blocks against Kansas City.
• She repeated the feat on Saturday versus TCU, tallying eight block assists.
• The Pickens, South Carolina, product has eclipsed double-figure kills six times this season and has hit .350 or better eight times, including a career-best .588 at Rice.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• K-State has won the opening set in 15 of 19 outings to begin the campaign, going 10-5 in those matches.
• The Wildcats are unbeaten (9-0) when hitting at a higher hitting percentage and are 9-1 when producing more kills than their opponents.
• Additionally, the Cats are 8-2 when they have limited their opponents to a hitting efficiency under .200.
• The Wildcats’ 3-0 over Kansas City marked the 200th sweep under head coach Suzie Fritz.
• Fritz collected her 200th career home win against Missouri on Sept. 7 and is 13 away from her 400th career win at the helm of the Wildcats.

AUSTIN, Texas (Kansas State Athletics) – After collecting back-to-back conference wins in the last two weeks, Kansas State’s run is cut short by No. 1 ranked Texas. The Wildcats fell to the Longhorns in three sets, 25-16, 25-17, 25-13, at Gregory Gymnasium on Wednesday.

K-State (11-7, 2-3) was paced by juniors Kadye Fernholz and Aliyah Carter on the offensive side, tallying eight and seven kills. Sydney Bolding chipped in six at a team-best .417 hitting percentage and four blocks.

Lauren Hinkle just missed what would have been her fifth double-double with 24 assists and nine digs.

Despite the offensive bright spots, the Longhorns held the Wildcats to a season-low 29 kills (.137) and four team blocks. Texas notched its highest hitting efficiency of the season at .380 (45 kills, 10 errors).

Texas was led by Madisen Skinner with 14 kills (.219) and Logan Eggleston at a .684 pace (13 kills). Eggleston added a match-high four aces while Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres collected her second double-double this year with 11 digs and 29 assists.

Zoe Fleck and Asjia O’Neal paced all players on the defensive end with 13 digs and five block assists, respectively.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On the positive players in the match…
“Our middles were a bright spot for us tonight. We woud have liked to get the ball to them a little bit more, but the credit all goes to Kayde, Sydney, and Loren. Overall, it was a pretty good match for Loren Hinkle. Aliyah Carter was another mover. She is someone who gives us everything she has every day and I was happy to see her have a good night. She has been working hard to have that kind of a breakthrough.”

On the team’s overall performance…
“We were prepared going into tonight and I am proud of how composed we were in the match. Coming out of it we want to take the lessons we learned and try to fight for greatness on our side of the net. We want to play with greater consistency and at a higher level of execution.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – Texas 25, K-State 16
K-State kept step-for-step with the Longhorns on two Shaylee Myers kills, who led the Wildcats with four total for the set.

A five-point run set UT for the largest lead of the game until the Cats cut it to two on Baka’s kill.

Back-to-back kills by Logan Eggleston helped the home side grow the lead to nine. She led all attackers in the first set with seven kills (.778).

Madisen Skinner clinched the set at 25-16 with her fifth kill. The Longhorns swung at a .378 efficiency while holding the Wildcats at .171.

Molly Ramsey secured the only ace of the set.

Set Two – Texas 25, K-State 17
The Wildcats posted their first three points and the lead on Aliyah Carter’s three swings. She led all attackers with five kills at a .154 clip.

Texas tied it up at 4-4 and kept in front the rest of the set. K-State closed the gap to 6-7 until Skinner (4 kills) and Molly Phillips (4 kills, .600) helped propel the Longhorns to the 25-17 finish.

Sydney Bolding collected three block assists and added three kills while Loren Hinkle posted seven assists and two block assits.

Asjia O’Neal turned in two blocks and two kills and Bella Bergmark tabbed three stops at the net.

Both teams weren’t as efficient on the net with K-State holding a .062 hitting percentage and UT swinging at .250 though the teams were almost even on kills (10 KSU and 12 UT).

Set Three – Texas 25, K-State 13
The two teams traded points up to Texas’ 6-4 advantage when the Longhorns hit a five-point run with assistance from Kayla Caffey’s two kills and block assist. She tallied three kills for the set while Skinner led with five.

The Wildcats could not close the gap as Eggleston picked up two aces in a 6-0 run for UT to close the set at 25-13. She tallied four kills with a .800 hitting percentage.

Fernholz picked up three of K-State’s eight kills at a .500 pace. The Cats turned at .179 efficiency while Texas chugged along at a match-high .519 hitting percent.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .137 as a team with a season-low 29 kills (16 errors, 95 attacks).
• Texas finished with a season-high .380 hitting percentage (45 kills, 10 errors, 92 swings).
• Fernholz led the Wildcats for the first time this season with eight kills (.333)
• Bolding produced the highest hitting percentage for the Cats at .417 (six kills)
• Bolding and Ramsey each tallied a service ace
• K-State tallied four team blocks – the lowest of the season
• Texas tied their season-high blocks with 11
• Morris was held to single-digit digs for the first time this season (6)
• Hinkle was one dig short of her second double-double (24 assists, nine digs)
• Skinner and Eggleson paced Texas with 14 and 13 kills apiece
• Eggleson led all players with a .684 clip and four aces
• Ka’aha’aina-Torres collected her second double-double of the season (11 digs, 29 assists)
• Fleck donned 13 digs for a match-best
• O’Neal led with five blocks on the night

NOTES

• Texas leads the all-time series at 48-7 and is 25-3 against the Wildcats in Austin
• The Wildcats last road loss to a ranked opponent was Nov. 19, 2021 at #2 Texas
• The Cats are 8-2 in three-set matches this season
• Both of K-State’s three-set losses this season were in Texas (Texas Tech and Texas)
• Fritz is 3-40 in her career against Texas
• This is the Wildcats’ first loss in the October this season

UP NEXT
K-State returns home to Manhattan, Kansas, to welcome TCU to Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats and the Horned Frogs will face off in a Big 12 battle on Saturday, Oct. 15 with a 6:30 pm. start. The match will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ while Rob Voelker will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Kansas State Athletics) – In its first Big 12 road victory, K-State was able to hold off West Virginia in three sets, 25-22, 28-26, 25-18, at WVU Coliseum on Wednesday.

K-State (11-6, 2-2) was led by seniors Elena Baka and Sydney Bolding with eight kills each. Baka kept the tempo at a .412 hitting efficiency while Bolding swung at .235 for the night.

K-State concluded the night with 10 blocks with Kadye Fernholz logging a five-block performance. Bolding added four stops at the net.

Mackenzie Morris collected her sixth straight match with at least 15 digs, turning in 16 to lead all players. Baka contributed eight passes.

The Cats notched four service aces from Bolding, Morris, Loren Hinkle and Molly Ramsey. Hinkle finished with 26 assists against the Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers produced 38 kills to the Cats’ 33, but tallied a their second-lowest hitting percentage at .075. Melanie McGann (7 kills, 5 digs) led all players with a .462 hitting ratio.

Adrian Ell tallied a match-high 13 kills at a .167 efficiency. Kamiah Gibson put up 29 assists and two of the Mountaineers’ three aces.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On the difference in the match…
“Our serving continues to put pressure on opponents. It kept West Virginia out of system and we were able to get productive touches in the net and score points defensively. It wasn’t always pretty, but we found a way to win and showed resilience and composure in some tough moments. Credit to West Virginia, they made it tough on us and fought hard all night.”

On the team’s offensive performance…
“It was good to have a balanced attack, credit to Loren for getting everyone involved. She was able to keep West Virginia’s defense off balance. Elena really came on strong late, especially in game three. I loved the grit of our team tonight.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – K-State 25, West Virginia 22
West Virginia raced to a 5-0 lead to begin the match. K-State won seven of the next eight points to cut the deficit and tie the Mountaineers at 7-7.

K-State continued the run to gain its first lead of the match at 10-9 on back-to-back errors by West Virginia.

The Big 12 teams traded points until WVU used a 5-0 spurt to lead 21-18. The Wildcats closed the set on a 4-0 run to take the 25-22 victory.

The K-State defense racked up three blocks (Bolding 2, Fernholz 1) and held West Virginia to hitting .081. Bolding led the Cats’ offense with four kills while Shaylee Myers (.222) and Baka (.200) contributed three each.

Set Two – K-State 28, West Virginia 26
The Wildcats broke away from the Mountaineers on a 5-1 run, earning a 15-12 lead. Haley Warner popped three kills in the train.

WVU returned the favor on a 6-1 roll for a two-point cushion. Cats then evened the score at 24 with three straight points to take hope alive. The team finished the set 28-26 with four of the final five tallies.

The second set saw 14 ties and nine lead changes as both teams hit under .200. West Virginia tallied 17 kills while keeping K-State at 12.

Myers and Bolding each collected four kills.

Set Three – K-State 25, West Virginia 18

West Virginia’s largest lead of the set originated in the first six points as they kept the Cats quiet at 0. K-State chipped away to get within two on a pair of Baka kills.

K-State turned the tables on a 13-1 cruise to bring the 25-18 victory.

West Virginia outpaced the Wildcats with 10 kills versus nine. K-State pulled two service aces behind Bolding and Morris.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .163 as a team with a season-low 33 kills (16 errors, 104 attacks).
• West Virginia finished with its second-lowest hitting percentage of the season at .075 (38 kills, 29 errors, 120 swings).
• Baka and Bolding led K-State with eight kills apiece.
• Four Wildcats (Ramsey, Hinkle, Bolding, Morris) tallied an ace.
• Baka produced a team-best .412 hitting percentage.
• The Wildcats registered 10 blocks, their fifth double-figure outing over their last seven matches.
• Fernholz tallied five blocks while Bolding added four.
• Morris registered 16 digs, notching 15+ in the last six matches
• McGann led all players with .462 hitting percentage.
• Ell collected a match-high 13 kills (hitting .167).

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with West Virginia 13-8, winning four of the last five matches.
• The Wildcats are 7-3 in three-set matches versus WVU.
• Fritz is 13-8 in her career against West Virginia.
• The Cats are 8-1 in three-set matches this season.

UP NEXT
K-State continues Big 12 play on the road as it heads to Austin, Texas next week to take on No. 1 Texas. The Wildcats and the Longhorns face-off on Wednesday, Oct 12 with a 7 p.m. start. The match will be broadcast on Longhorn Network while Rob Voelker will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State freshman outside hitter Shaylee Myers, after leading the Wildcats in kills last week, was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday.

Myers produced a match-high 17 kills in the Wildcats’ sweep of Iowa State Sunday, hitting .311 while adding three blocks, two digs and an ace. Earlier in the week, Myers logged 10 kills over three sets at Texas Tech last Wednesday.

Her 4.50 kills per set were tops among league freshmen during the week and her season average of 3.95 a set ranks fourth in the league and best among freshmen.

Myers, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, has led the Cats in kills six times this season, including in three of the last five contests. During Big 12 play, Myers has a team-best 4.00 kills-per-set average.

Her honor marks the first Big 12 weekly award of the season for K-State and the 71^st honor under 22-year head coach Suzie Fritz. Fritz has overseen 22 rookie-of-the-week winners since 2007.

The Wildcats (10-6, 1-2 Big 12) head to Morgantown, West Virginia, Wednesday to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. First serve is set for 5 p.m. CT with broadcast coverage on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM).

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State served up 11 aces and got a match-high 17 kills from freshman Shaylee Myers en route to a straight-set victory over Iowa State Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum, 25-18, 26-24, 25-20.

Myers picked up nine kills in the third set alone and finished the match with a .311 hitting percentage. Senior Sydney Bolding hummed at a .500 pace in recording 10 kills. Bolding also pitched in four aces to equal her career high in helping the Wildcats (10-6, 1-2 Big 12) to their first Big 12 win of the season.

The Cats’ 11 aces marked the sixth time this season in which they have produced double-digit aces, one shy of the program’s rally-scoring record of seven such matches set in 2007.

Iowa State (9-7, 1-2 Big 12) finished with just two aces while committing eight service errors.

Libero Mackenzie Morris led all players with 22 digs. Morris, who joined the 1,000-dig club a week ago, has produced four 20-dig outings over her last five matches. Sophomore Molly Ramsey added 10 digs from the back row.

Elena Baka and Kadye Fernholz both ended the day with six kills, as Fernholz hit .286 and also led the front line with five total blocks (two solo, three assists). Myers added three block assists to help K-State to seven total team blocks.

Setter Loren Hinkle handed out 37 assists to go with seven digs and three aces.

The Cyclones were led by 10 kills from Eleanor Holthaus, who finished with a double-double with 10 digs. Solei Thomas produced nine kills at a .316 clip.

Brooke Stonestreet picked up 18 digs to lead ISU’s back row while Abby Greiman logged a team-best five blocks.

K-State finished with a 43-29 edge in total kills. Iowa State hit .248 to the Wildcats’ .243.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On the match overall …
“It feels great, I am really proud of them. We had a little gauntlet of top-25 teams that we had to roll through a little bit, by design. We felt like we wanted to test ourselves and get ourselves prepared for Big 12-level competition and then we hit Tech at Tech, who I think is going to have a very good year in the league, but a disappointing performance on our part Wednesday night. So to be able to show some resilience, bounce back and play well against a good Iowa State team that’s coming off a win over Baylor. This is what the Big 12 looks like, so you’ve got to be able to bring it every night. I’m pretty proud of them.”

On her team’s success from the service line …
“Early in the match, in particular, that was the difference, serve and pass. I thought we attacked them from the service line and it made a big difference.”

On what stood out in the match …
“Bolding just continues to do what Bolding does. She is really productive right now. I thought Elena Baka, Mack Morris, Molly Ramsey in the back row really stood out. You can’t kill balls in transition unless you can dig them. Being able to connect those touches, go from productive touch and then to convert those for points felt really good.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – K-State 25, Iowa State 18
Despite Iowa State producing 11 kills to K-State’s nine, the Wildcats racked up six service aces while taking advantage of six service errors by the Cyclones. Hinkle picked up three aces in the set, including two during a five-point run that gave the Wildcats a 23-16 lead.

Myers was responsible for four of the Cats’ nine kills while Bolding tallied three kills on four swings. K-State hit .139 as an offense to ISU’s .235.

K-State opened an early five-point lead at 11-6 before Iowa State began cutting the deficit, using a 5-1 spurt to even the score at 14. However, the Cyclones were never able to capture the lead as the Cats went on a 9-2 stretch after ISU evened the score.

Morris added a pair of aces and a team-leading seven digs in the frame.

Set Two – K-State 26, Iowa State 24
K-State offense clicked to the tune of 16 kills at a .257 pace, getting five kills on seven attacks from Bolding. Baka and Myers added four kills apiece, as the trio accounted for 13 of the 16 kills in the set.

Holding a 17-13 lead midway through set two, Iowa State went on a 7-0 spurt behind the serve of Morgan Brandt to take a 20-17 advantage.

Bolding responded by scoring the next three points on her own for the Cats with back-to-back kills followed by a stuff block to level the score at 20. A tandem block by Fernholz and Myers gave K-State two set-point tries at 24-22, which the Cyclones fought off to push the frame to extra points.

Fernholz ended the set with a kill and solo block to give the Cats a two-set lead.

Iowa State was led by Holthaus’ five kills on nine attempts while Thomas picked up four kills. ISU hit .222 and tallied six blocks in the frame.

The Wildcats picked up five blocks, with Fernholz accounting for four blocks (two solo, two assists). The set saw 13 tie scores and five lead changes.

Set Three – K-State 25, Iowa State 20
K-State hit a match-high .318 in closing out its second consecutive sweep of Iowa State. Myers was responsible for half of the Wildcats’ 18 kills in the third, hitting .529 in producing nine kills on 17 attempts without an error.

Fernholz collected three of her six kills in the third set while hitting at a .400 efficiency.

Each side traded six-point scoring runs, as the Cyclones broke an 8-8 tie to claim a 14-8 lead. Out of a Wildcat timeout, K-State put together an 11-2 stretch, including six unanswered points to take a 19-16 edge.

Bolding served up three of her team’s four aces in the third set, including two in the Cats’ six-point run, upping K-State’s total to 11 aces on the day.

K-State finished the match by scoring six of the final seven points, including a match-ending kill by Fernholz.

The Cats limited ISU to 13 kills at a .279 pace behind 26 digs in the set. Morris had 10 digs while Baka added five.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .243 as a team (43 kills, 15 errors, 115 attacks).
• Iowa State finished with a .248 hitting percentage (39 kills, 11 errors, 113 swings).
• Myers led all players with 17 kills while hitting .311.
• Nine of Myers’ kills came in the third set.
• Bolding hit a team-best .500 in registering 10 kills.
• Baka and Fernholz each finished with six kills.
• Bolding matched her career high with four aces.
• Hinkle added a season-high three aces, increasing her career total to 96.
• K-State’s 11 aces were one shy of matching its season high.
• Fernholz paced the front line with five total blocks while Myers added three.
• Morris carded a match-high 22 digs and has registered 20 or more digs in four of her last five outings.
• Holthaus led Iowa State with 10 kills.
• Thomas added nine kills and Engelbrecht hit a team-best .429 with six kills.
• Stonestreet produced 18 digs to lead the Cyclones.

NOTES

• Iowa State leads the all-time series 57-44.
• The Wildcats are 23-23 at home against the Cyclones.
• Fritz is 20-23 in her career against ISU.
• K-State has won three of the last four in the series, including back-to-back sweeps.
• The Cats have swept Iowa State in consecutive matches for the first time since 2002.
• K-State ended its season-long four-match.
• The 11 aces mark the sixth time this season K-State has reached double-figure aces – one shy of the program’s rally-scoring record of seven such matches in 2007.
• The Wildcats are 7-1 in three-set matches this season, their most straight-set victories since eight in 2018.

UP NEXT
K-State travels to West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT. The match will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Rob Voelker will also have the call on News Radio KMAN with streaming audio available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

LUBBOCK, Texas (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State got a double-double from Elena Baka, but Texas Tech handed the Wildcats their first straight-set defeat of the season Wednesday night at United Supermarkets Arena, 25-22, 25-23, 25-15.

Baka produced 12 kills while adding 10 digs for her team-leading sixth double-double of the season. The senior outside hitter hit .250 on the night and had 11 kills through two sets.

K-State (9-6, 0-2 Big 12) was limited to 37 total kills while Texas Tech (13-2 2-0 Big 12) hit .272 in racking up 44 kills. Shaylee Myers finished with 10 kills while Kadye Fernholz hit .500 in tallying eight kills.

Libero Mackenzie Morris racked up a match-high 17 digs while Fernholz added three blocks to lead K-State’s defense.

TTU’s Kenna Sauer led all players with 16 kills, coming at a .325 clip. Sauer added 11 digs for her double-double while setter Reese Rhodes handed out 35 assists to go with 16 digs. Reagan Cooper and Brooke Kanas added eight kills apiece.

The Red Raiders ended up with 10 total blocks and 60 digs in limiting the Cats to a .144 team hitting efficiency. Kanas led the TTU front line with six block assists.

K-State’s season-long losing streak hit four matches while Texas Tech has won four consecutive matches.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On the match overall …
“It was a frustrating evening or us. We were attacking them with our serving and creating out-of-system situations, but we were unable to convert on those opportunities. Texas Tech’s outside hitters were taking really aggressive swings and it felt like we were fighting them off all night. Our serve-pass was a bright spot, but we have to be able to connect the next phase to it.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – Texas Tech 25, K-State 20
Baka (5) and Myers (3) accounted for eight of K-State’s 12 kills in the first set, as the duo combined to hit .400 without an error. As a team, the Wildcats hit .211 in the set while Texas Tech hit .343.

An Aliyah Carter kill evened the score early in the set at 7-apiece. TTU responded by going on an 8-3 scoring run to open a 15-10 lead as the set hit the media timeout.

Scoring five of seven points, K-State inched within two at 22-20 after a kill from Baka. The Cats fought off two set-point tries before Texas Tech was able to close the set with a kill from Cooper.

Cooper finished the frame with five kills on just seven attempts to lead the Red Raiders. Kanas and Sauer each tallied four kills.

Set Two – Texas Tech 25, K-State 23
A six-point scoring run turned a four-point deficit into a two-point lead for K-State (19-17) late in set two. The burst came behind the serve of Myers, who added two kills while Baka registered three kills during the run.

The Red Raiders clawed back and scored the next three points to take a one-point lead. Later the score stood level at 23 and back-to-back kills from Kanas and Jones handed TTU a 2-0 match lead.

Baka added six more kills in the set and Myers picked up five. The Cats produced 16 kills but hit .154 after committing eight attacking errors due in part to five Texas Tech blocks.

Sauer produced seven kills and seven digs, as she had a double-double after the second set (11 kills, 10 digs through two sets).

The set saw 13 tie scores and six lead changes.

Set Three – Texas Tech 25, K-State 15
K-State hit a match-low .057 in the final set, recording only nine kills while committing seven errors. Tech added four more blocks in the set, finishing with 10 on the night.

Texas Tech put together a 10-2 stretch that included seven unanswered points to create a 16-7 advantage. The Red Raiders put the match away on a four-point scoring run that was capped by kill from Karrington Jones.

Fernholz produced four of her eight kills in the third, needing six swings while not committing an error (.667). Myers and Haley Warner chipped in a pair of kills.

Sauer had 10 errorless attacks in recording five kills to lead the Red Raider attack.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .144 as a team (37 kills, 19 errors, 125 attacks).
• Texas Tech finished with a .272 hitting percentage (60 kills, 18 errors, 151 swings).
• Baka led K-State with 12 kills while hitting .250.
• Myers finished with 10 kills and Fernholz added eight at a team-high .500 pace.
• Baka produced her team-leading sixth double-double with 10 digs.
• Morris led all players with 17 digs.
• The Wildcats finished with a season-low two service aces (entered match leading the Big 12 in aces).
• The Cats’ 37 kills marked the second-lowest output on the season.
• Fernholz led K-State with three blocks, as the team’s five total blocks equaled a season low.
• TTU held a 60-49 edge in total digs.
• Sauer turned in a match-best 16 kills at a .325 efficiency.
• Sauer added 11 digs for her double-double.
• Cooper and Kanas added eight kills apiece, with Kanas hitting .400.
• TTU finished with 10 blocks, led by six by Kanas.
• Tech saw three players reach double-figure digs, with 16 coming from Rhodes.
• Rhodes dished out 35 assists for her double-double.

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with Texas Tech 42-15.
• The Wildcats are 17-10 on the road against the Red Raiders.
• Fritz is 34-9 in her career against TTU.
• K-State snapped a five-match winning streak against Texas Tech.
• The Cats suffered their first straight-set loss of the season (6-1)
• K-State’s season-long skid is at four matches.

UP NEXT
K-State returns home Sunday for a nationally televised broadcast on ESPNU against Iowa State. First serve at Bramlage Coliseum is set for 3:30 p.m. Rob Voelker will also have the call on News Radio KMAN with streaming audio available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State embarks on its first Big 12 road match Wednesday, taking on Texas Tech at 6 p.m. at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.

The Wildcats (9-5, 0-1 Big 12) opened their conference slate at home against rival Kansas last Saturday. The Cats dug themselves out of a 2-0 deficit to force a decisive final set, however the Jayhawks claimed a five-set victory.

In the match, junior libero Mackenzie Morris reached 1,000 career digs, as she carded a match-best 20. Morris became the fastest player in program history during the rally-scoring era to reach career dig No. 1,000, needing just 63 matches – breaking the previous mark of 64 matches by Angie Lastra (2004-07).

Texas Tech (12-2, 1-0 Big 12) began its Big 12 schedule at West Virginia. The Red Raiders saw four players reach double-figure kills in a reverse sweep of the Mountaineers Saturday. TTU is 4-1 at home and enters Wednesday on a three-match winning streak.

The Wildcats lead the all-time series 42-14 and have won the last five matchups in the series. The Cats are 17-9 all-time in Lubbock while head coach Suzie Fritz is 34-8 in her career against the Red Raiders.

Wednesday’s match will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also listen to Rob Voelker on News Radio KMAN (93.3FM) with online audio available at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MATCH #15
K-STATE (9-5, 0-1 BIG 12) at TEXAS TECH (12-2, 1-0 BIG 12)
Wednesday, Sept. 28 // 6 p.m. // United Supermarkets Arena // Lubbock, Texas
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM) // Rob Voelker
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

• After opening its Big 12 schedule at home with a five-set loss to Kansas, K-State hits the road for its first Big 12 road tilt at Texas Tech Wednesday.
• The Wildcats, after falling behind by two sets, rallied to force a fifth set against the Jayhawks.
• Libero Mackenzie Morris registered a match-high 20 digs, pushing her over the 1,000-dig mark for her career.
• In just her 63rd career match, Morris became the fastest player in program history in the rally-scoring era to join the 1,000-digs club – breaking the previous mark of 64 matches set by Angie Lastra (2004-07).
• Morris logged her third straight 20-dig performance and now owns 16 career outings with at least 20 digs (tied for third in program history).
• Aliyah Carter paced the Wildcats’ offense with 20 digs, equaling her season high, producing her 13th career 20-kill match.
• Off the bench, freshman Shaylee Myers was next with 13 kills at a team-best .407 clip.
• Middle blockers Sydney Bolding and Kadye Fernholz each carded 10 kills, as Bolding also added seven blocks.
• Setter Loren Hinkle turned in her third straight double-double, dishing out a career-high 57 assists to go with 10 digs.
• Four players eclipsed double-figure digs, including 13 from Elena Baka and a career-best 12 by Molly Ramsey.
• The loss marked the Cats’ third straight overall, extending their season-long skid, while the five-set defeat was also K-State’s third consecutive loss to its in-state rival.

SCOUTING TEXAS TECH

• Texas Tech is off to an 12-2 start after winning its Big 12 opener at West Virginia in five sets on Saturday.
• The Red Raiders extended their winning streak to three consecutive matches, with each of the last two coming in five sets.
• Overall, Tech has won four of its last five contests and have only suffered losses to Rice and Oral Roberts.
• TTU overcame a two-set deficit to reverse sweep the Mountaineers in Morgantown in its Big 12 opener.
• The Red Raiders saw four players in double-figure kills Saturday, led by 16 from Kenna Sauer.
• Brooke Kanas added 13, Reagan Cooper had 12 and Maddie O’Brien finished with 10.
• Sauer is second in the Big 12 at 4.16 kills per set while Kanas ranks seventh in the league with her .360 hitting efficiency.
• Setter Reese Rhodes’ 10.56 assists a set are second-highest in the conference and libero Maddie Correa is fourth at 4.11 digs per set.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• K-State holds a 42-14 lead in the all-time series with Texas Tech, dating back to 1982.
• The Wildcats are 17-9 in Lubbock while head coach Suzie Fritz is 34-8 in her 22-year career against the Red Raiders.
• The Cats have swept the season series with TTU 14 times in Fritz’s 22 seasons at K-State.
• K-State has won the last five matchups in the series and 12 of the last 16, going back to 2014
• K-State last went to Lubbock during the 2020 season, claiming both matches at United Supermarkets Arena during an adjust schedule (playing same opponent on consecutive days in one location).

MORRIS’ MILESTONE

• With her 20 digs Saturday against Kansas, K-State junior libero Mackenzie Morris joined the 1,000-digs club.
• She became the seventh Wildcat to play her entire career in the rally-scoring era to reach career dig No. 1,000.
• Additionally, Morris is the fastest player in program history (rally-scoring era) to reach the milestone, doing so in just 63 matches.
• Earlier this season, Morris set a career high with 25 digs against UCF and has now produced three straight 20-dig outings – the longest such stretch of her career.
• The Dallas native now owns 16 career matches with at least 20 digs, which is tied for third-most in program history.
• At 4.07 digs per set, she is currently one of just two players in the rally-scoring era to average over 4.00 digs per set (Angie Lastra, 4.37).

ACES IN SPADES

• K-State has racked up 103 service aces, which is tops in the Big 12 and ranks 15th nationally.
• Additionally, the team’s 1.91 aces-per-set average is 31st nationally and best in the conference.
• Elena Baka is the team leader with 24 aces to rank third in the Big 12 and 39th in the country while Sydney Bolding’s 21 aces are fourth in the league.
• Baka has logged multiple aces eight times this season while Bolding has produced a career-best four aces twice this season.
• Five times the Cats have eclipsed the 10-ace mark, including in back-to-back matches at the UCF Challenge with 11 against Syracuse and a season-high 12 vs. North Florida.
• The 12 aces were the most in a three-set match since the 2007 season and were tied for fourth-most in the rally-scoring era.
• It was the first time K-State produced back-to-back matches with at least 10 aces since 2007.
• Last season, K-State finished with 10 or more aces just twice.
• Additionally, the five matches with 10 or more aces are the most since a rally-scoring-record seven matches in 2007.
• Currently, three Wildcats make up the league’s top 10 in aces per set: Baka (fourth), Bolding (sixth), and Hinkle (ninth).

BOLDING BREAKING OUT

• Senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding is off to a fast start for K-State in 2022, hitting .344 and averaging 1.98 kills per set with 1.33 blocks per set and 21 aces.
• Bolding twice produced four aces this season, with four against Missouri and four coming in the first set alone against St. Thomas.
• The four aces matched a career high, as she has six matches with multiple aces this season (two such matches last season).
• Her 21 aces are the most by a Wildcat middle blocker since Peyton Williams’ 23 in 2019.
• The record for a K-State middle blocker in the rally-scoring era is 37 aces, done by Lauren Goehring (2001) and Kaitlynn Pelger (2013).
• She was named to the Rambler Challenge All-Tournament Team, her second all-tournament team selection after also being voted to the K-State Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Bolding, who missed the first three weeks of the 2021 season due to injury, turned in a season-high eight blocks against Kansas City.
• The Pickens, South Carolina, product has eclipsed double-figure kills five times this season and has hit .350 or better six times, including a career-best .588 at Rice.
• Against NC State, she set a career high with 13 kills while also totaling seven blocks.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• K-State has won the opening set in 11 of 14 outings to begin the campaign, going 8-3 in those matches.
• The Wildcats are unbeaten (8-0) when hitting at a higher hitting percentage and are 8-1 when producing more kills than their opponents.
• Additionally, the Cats have won all eight matches in which they have limited their opponents to a hitting efficiency under .200.
• With six straight-set victories this season, K-State has already doubled its total from last season (3).
• The Wildcats’ 3-0 over Kansas City marked the 200th sweep under head coach Suzie Fritz.
• Fritz collected her 200th career home win against Missouri on Sept. 7 and is 13 away from her 400th career win at the helm of the Wildcats.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State’s Mackenzie Morris joined the 1,000-dig club Saturday in helping her team force a fifth set against rival Kansas, but the Jayhawks managed to outlast the Wildcats, 25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 15-7, in the season’s first Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Bramlage Coliseum.

Morris reached career dig No. 1,000 in just her 63^rd match in a Wildcat uniform, becoming the fastest player in program history to reach the milestone in the rally-scoring era. The junior libero from Dallas, Texas, finished with a match-high 20 digs for her 16^th career 20-dig outing.

K-State (9-5, 0-1 Big 12) owned a slim edge in total kills, 62-60, but hit .183 to Kansas’ .278 – marking a single-match high of any Wildcat opponent this season. The Cats out-killed KU 29-23 over sets three and four, helping erase a two-set deficit and force a decisive frame.

London Davis paced all players with 22 kills while hitting .647 for the Jayhawks (11-3, 1-1 Big 12).

Aliyah Carter equaled her season-best output with 20 kills while Shaylee Myers added 13 at a .407 clip. Middle blockers Sydney Bolding and Kadye Fernholz finished with 10 kills apiece.

Setter Loren Hinkle turned in her third straight double-double, as she handed out a career-high 57 assists to go with 10 digs. Elena Baka added 13 digs while Molly Ramsey’s dozen digs set a career high. Baka also chipped in a pair of aces.

The Wildcat defense produced 12.5 total team blocks and has now carded at least 10 blocks in seven of the last eight matches, including four straight. Bolding produced seven blocks while Hinkle ended with six and Fernholz logged four.

KU setter Camryn Turner handed out 41 assists to go with 16 digs and libero Kennedy Farris picked up 17 digs along with 11 assists.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On her thoughts on the match…
“A lot of ebbs and flows. I loved the game three and game four comeback, but then you can’t come back in game five and hit (.059). I felt a pretty significant letdown in terms of focus and aggressiveness. I think there’s a mentality that comes with winning in the fifth and it felt like we lacked it. It felt like we had the momentum going into it and missed a tremendous opportunity.”

On the team’s mentality after falling behind two sets…
“We’re competitive as heck. They do it every day. They challenge for playing time and get after each other every day and practicing well. We are putting ourselves in a position to play with just about everybody. We’ve had three pretty legitimate top-25 teams on our schedule back-to-back-to-back, and we are in them – we’re in all of them. But I think we are still trying to attack that breakthrough of consistency from point one. We have to play better at the beginning of the match, frankly, and we have to play better at the end of the match.”

On Mackenzie Morris…
“She’s special. I’ve been telling anybody that’ll listen, she’s special. Doesn’t say much, but what you see in a match is what you see every day and that’s pretty unusual, to be honest. There’s not that many players that you know exactly what you’re going to get, every single day. The effort, the focus, the plays you see in the match are the plays she makes every day. She rehearses her greatness and I think that is what makes her really special. She attacks greatness and settles for nothing less than and says very little about it.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – KU 25, K-State 19
Kansas hit .300 while limiting K-State to a .100 team efficiency behind four team blocks. Davis picked up four kills on six swings.

The Wildcats went on an early 7-1 run to take an 8-7 lead and, later, a three-point burst gave K-State an 11-9 lead. KU responded by rattling off the next five points. Two separate 3-0 scoring runs gave the Jayhawks a 24-16 advantage.

K-State thwarted three consecutive set-point tries before a kill by Caroline Bien handed KU the first set.

Carter put down four kills to lead K-State while Baka finished with three.

Set Two – KU 25, K-State 23
Seven unanswered points gave K-State its largest lead of the set at 14-8. KU chipped away at the deficit and a four-point spurt evened the score at 19 and with the score sitting at 22-22, a kill by Davis followed by a tandem block by Davis and Lauren Dooley brought the Jayhawks to set point.

Davis fifth kill of the second set put KU in front 2-0.

Despite a 16-13 edge in kills, K-State hit just .146 while the Jayhawks offense hummed at a .278 pace. Davis needed eight swings for her five kills.

Bolding and Carter led the way for the Wildcats with five kills each. Bolding did not commit an error on 11 attacks, hitting .455.

Kansas picked up five blocks in the set, with four block assists coming from Dooley.

Set Three – K-State 25, KU 20
K-State never trailed in picking up its first set victory. Carter put down five kills while both Bolding and Myers added three.

A pair of Davis kills led to a three-point run late in the set, evening the score at 20. Following a timeout, K-State strung together five straight points to take the set.

KU hit .154 – its lowest output of any set, as K-State picked up four blocks and 18 digs. Hinkle was responsible for three block assists while Ramsey added five digs.

Set Four – K-State 25, KU 20
For the second straight set, K-State never relinquished its lead in forcing a final set.

The Wildcats hit .353 for its highest single-set efficiency, logging 17 kills to KU’s 11. Fernholz and Myers led the way with six kills apiece, as neither committed an attacking error. Carter added five kills and the trio made up all 17 kills for the Cats in the set.

K-State jumped out to an 8-4 lead, including four straight points on the serve of Morris. K-State’s lead reached five at 20-15 and the teams traded points until a Myers kill sealed the set victory.

The Cats’ defense tallied three blocks in the set while KU did not record a single block.

Set Five – KU 15, K-State 7
In the decisive fifth set, it was Kansas that never trailed in earning its third straight win in the series. The Jayhawks tallied six of the set’s first seven points, with two kills from both Bien and Davis in that stretch.

The Wildcats were unable to put together consecutive points in the frame, hitting a match-low .059 (five kills, four errors, 17 attacks). Haley Warner was the only player to register multiple kills with two.

Davis logged five of her team’s 11 kills, needing just six swings in not committing an error (.833).

Kansas added three blocks to K-State’s one.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .183 as a team (62 kills, 30 errors, 175 attacks).
• Kansas finished with a .278 hitting percentage (60 kills, 18 errors, 151 swings).
• Morris’ match-high 20 digs put her over 1,000 career digs.
• It marked the 16^th career match with at least 20 digs for Morris.
• Hinkle handed out a career-high 57 assists in producing her third straight double-double (10 digs).
• Carter equaled her season high with 20 kills, her 13^th career 20-kill outing.
• Myers added 13 kills while hitting a team-leading .407.
• Bolding and Fernholz each logged 10 kills.
• Baka finished with 13 digs while Ramsey set a career high with 12.
• Baka picked up two of the Wildcats’ five aces for her eighth multi-ace match.
• The Cats totaled 12.5 team blocks, with seven coming from Bolding and six by Hinkle.
• Davis led all players with 22 kills at a .647 clip.
• Turner produced a double-double with 41 assists and 16 digs.
• Farris also turned in a double-double, leading KU with 17 digs to go with 11 assists.
• The Jayhawks’ .278 hitting percentage was the highest of any K-State opponent this season.

NOTES

• Morris became the fastest player in program history during the rally-scoring era to reach 1,000 career digs (63 matches).
• KU is the third straight team K-State has faced that was either ranked for receiving votes in the AVCA poll.
• K-State leads the all-time series with KU 67-57-1.
• The Wildcats are 30-22 at home all-time in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown.
• Fritz is 23-20 in her career against the Jayhawks.
• KU has won five of the last six meetings in the series, including the last three in Manhattan.
• Five of the last eight Dillons Sunflower Showdowns have gone the full five sets.
• The Cats are 1-3 in five-set matches this season.
• K-State has lost three consecutive matches for the first time this season.
• The Cats have produced double-figure blocks in four straight matches and in seven of the last eight matches overall.

UP NEXT
K-State travels to Texas Tech Wednesday for its first road conference tilt against the Red Raiders. First serve is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Rob Voelker will be on the call on News Radio KMAN with streaming audio available at K-StateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State begins its Big 12 schedule with the Dillons Sunflower Showdown, as Kansas visits Bramlage Coliseum Saturday at 4 p.m. for the 125^th installment of the in-state rivalry.

K-State (9-4, 0-0 Big 12) looks to rebound after an 0-2 showing at the Rice Adidas Invitational last weekend to finish its non-conference slate. The Wildcats dropped a five-setter to host Rice before a four-set setback to 17^th-ranked Creighton.

KU (10-3, 0-1 Big 12) kicked off its league schedule at home Wednesday against No. 1 Texas and saw the Longhorns erase a two-set deficit to defeat the Jayhawks in five sets. Kansas, who has been ranked as high as No. 19, dropped out of the latest AVCA coaches’ poll and is unranked for the first time this season.

The Wildcats own a 67-56-1 edge in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown, including a 30-21 record at home. KU will be K-State’s third consecutive opponent ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA coaches’ poll.

Tickets start at just $5 when purchased in advance. A $15 t-shirt package is also available, which includes a general-admission ticket and an exclusive Wildcats lavender t-shirt. General-admission tickets are $8 at the Northwest and Northeast ticket windows on game days.

Saturday’s match will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, with Brian Smoller and Liz Wegner-Busch on the call. Fans can also listen online to Rob Voelker’s broadcast at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MATCH #14
K-STATE (9-4, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. RV KANSAS (10-3, 0-1 BIG 12)
Saturday, Sept. 24 // 4 p.m. // Bramlage Coliseum // Manhattan, Kan.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ // Brian Smoller, Liz Wegner-Busch
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com // Rob Voelker
Tickets | Live Stats

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

• K-State hosts in-state rival Kansas to open its Big 12 schedule Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.
• The Wildcats wrapped up the non-conference portion of their schedule last week with a sweep at Kansas City before a weekend at the Rice Adidas Invitational against Rice and Creighton.
• While in Houston, the Cats fell to Rice, who is now in the nation’s top 25, in five sets before dropping a four-set decision to then-17th-ranked Creighton in four sets.
• Freshman Shaylee Myers led K-State’s offense with 41 kills over 11 sets (3.73 per set) and produced her first career double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs against the Owls.
• In total, three Wildcats turned in double-doubles against Rice, including Elena Baka (14 kills, 12 digs) and Loren Hinkle (41 assists, 11 digs).
• With a 13-kill, 16-dig double-double against Creighton, Baka upped her team-leading total to five through 13 matches.
• Libero Mackenzie Morris finished with 23 digs at Rice and 22 more against Creighton for her second and third 20-dig performances of the season and 14th and 15th of her career.
• Morris’ career dig total now sits at 982, as she now needs just 18 to join the 1,000-digs club at K-State.
• The pair of losses in Houston marked the first time this season in which the Cats have lost consecutive matches.

SCOUTING KANSAS

• After being ranked every week to start the season, Kansas dropped out of the AVCA top-25 poll Monday for the first time after going 2-1 at the Jayhawk Classic last weekend.
• KU, who has been ranked as high as No. 19, sits just outside the nation’s top-25 (26th) and is receiving votes.
• The Jayhawks are coming off a five-set home defeat at the hands of No. 1 Texas Wednesday.
• After starting the season 8-0, KU has gone 2-3 over its last five matches – all at home – including a straight-set loss to future Big 12 member UCF.
• The duo of Caroline Bien and Ayah Elnady lead the Jayhawks’ offense with 130 and 125 kills on the season, respectively, while no other player on Kansas’ roster has more than 80 kills.
• Middle blocker Lauren Dooley is second in the Big 12 with her .429 hitting efficiency while ranking fifth in the conference at 1.20 blocks per set.
• Setter Camryn Turner ranks in the Big 12’s top 10 in both assists per set (fifth) and digs per set (ninth).

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Saturday’s contest will mark the 125th all-time meeting between K-State and Kansas.
• K-State owns 67-56-1 edge in the series which dates back to 1974, as the teams have met every season since the inception of the Wildcats’ volleyball program.
• K-State is 30-21 at home against its in-state rival, but lost both matchups at Bramlage Coliseum last season.
• The Jayhawks have claimed four of the last five meetings and 11 of the last 15, spanning back to 2014.
• Additionally, Kansas is 15-5 in the rivalry since the 2012 season.
• The Cats last picked up a home win over Kansas in 2019, winning in five sets.
• Four of the last seven matches have gone to five sets, while there have been six five-setters in the series since 2016.
• There has not been a straight-set victory for either side since the 2016 season (11 matches).
• The last three Wildcat victories in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown have come in five sets.
• Head coach Suzie Fritz is 23-19 in her career against KU with a record of 11-10 at home.

ACES IN SPADES

• K-State has racked up 98 service aces, which is tops in the Big 12 and ranks 10th nationally.
• Additionally, the team’s 2.00 aces-per-set average is 22nd nationally and best in the conference.
• Elena Baka is the team leader with 22 aces to rank third in the Big 12 and 28th in the country while Sydney Bolding’s 20 aces are fourth in the league and 54th-most in the nation.
• Baka has logged multiple aces seven times this season while Bolding has produced a career-best four aces twice this season.
• Five times the Cats have eclipsed the 10-ace mark, including in back-to-back matches at the UCF Challenge with 11 against Syracuse and a season-high 12 vs. North Florida.
• The 12 aces were the most in a three-set match since the 2007 season and were tied for fourth-most in the rally-scoring era.
• It was the first time K-State produced back-to-back matches with at least 10 aces since 2007.
• Last season, K-State finished with 10 or more aces just twice.
• Additionally, the five matches with 10 or more aces are the most since a rally-scoring-record seven matches in 2007.
• Currently, three Wildcats make up the league’s top 10 in aces per set: Baka (fourth), Bolding (fifth), and Hinkle (10th).

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

• Senior transfer Elena Baka has had an immediate impact through 13 matches with the Wildcats.
• Playing six rotations, Baka leads the team in total kills with 149 while hitting at a .200 efficiency along with a team-high 22 aces.
• The Saint Mary’s transfer set a career-high with 19 kills against UCF on the way to her second straight all-tournament team selection.
• She has a team-leading five double-doubles on the season and turned in a double-double in back-to-back matches at the Rice Adidas Invitational.
• Her 22 aces are third-most in the Big 12, as she has served up multiple aces seven times – including in each of K-State’s first five contests.

BOLDING BREAKING OUT

• Senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding is off to a fast start for K-State in 2022, hitting .338 and averaging 1.98 kills per set with 1.33 blocks per set and 20 aces.
• Bolding twice produced four aces this season, with four against Missouri and four coming in the first set alone against St. Thomas.
• The four aces matched a career high, as she has six matches with multiple aces this season (two such matches last season).
• She was named to the Rambler Challenge All-Tournament Team, her second all-tournament team selection after also being voted to the K-State Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Bolding, who missed the first three weeks of the 2021 season due to injury, turned in a season-high eight blocks against Kansas City.
• The Pickens, South Carolina, product has eclipsed double-figure kills four times this season and has hit .350 or better five times, including a career-best .588 at Rice.
• Against NC State, she set a career high with 13 kills while also totaling seven blocks.

THE MACK ATTACK IS BACK, JACK

• K-State junior libero Mackenzie Morris sits just 18 digs away from joining the 1,000-digs club.
• If she reaches the 1,000-dig mark Saturday against Kansas, Morris will be the fastest player in program history (rally-scoring era) to reach the milestone, doing so in just 63 matches.
• Earlier this season, Morris set a career high with 25 digs against UCF.
• The Dallas native is coming off back-to-back 20-dig performances at the Rice Adidas Invitational, as she now sits at 15 career matches with at least 20 digs (fourth-most in program history).
• Currently, she is one of just two players in the rally-scoring era to average over 4.00 digs per set (Angie Lastra, 4.37).

SAY HEY, SHAY

• K-State freshman Shaylee Myers has made the most of her opportunities this season, hitting .335 while averaging a team-best 3.93 kills per set.
• Six times she has eclipsed double-figure kills, with a season-high 23 coming in a five-set win over Missouri on Sept. 7.
• The 23 kills are the highest single-match total of any Wildcat this season.
• Myers produced her first career double-double at Rice last weekend, logging 17 kills and 10 digs.
• She has led or tied for the team lead in kills five times, including three of the last four matches.

00:00 – K-State Falls to Tulane
18:13 – K-State Volleyball Coach Suzie Fritz
30:00 – Kade Warner with Media after Saturday’s Game
37:47 – Big 12 last weekend

00:00 – Adrian Martinez needs to cut it loose
11:07 – K-State AD Gene Taylor
22:20 – Twitter Questions
33:01 – Preview of Oklahoma

HOUSTON (Kansas State Athletics) – In its first matchup with a top-25 team, K-State was unable to produce the upset, as No. 17 Creighton came away with a four-set victory at the Rice Adidas Invitational Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse, 16-25, 22-25, 25-13, 19-25.

K-State (9-4) was led by 16 kills from Shaylee Myers at a .326 hitting efficiency while Elena Baka (13 kills, 16 digs) and Loren Hinkle (37 assists, 10 digs) turned in double-doubles for the second straight day.

Mackenzie Morris logged her second consecutive 20-dig performance, turning in 22 to lead all players. Molly Ramsey set a career high with 11 digs and Myers was responsible for three of K-State’s four service aces.

The Wildcats finished with 10 blocks, with a team-leading five coming from Kadye Fernholz. Sydney Bolding and Myers each finished with four block assists. Fernholz led the Cats in hitting efficiency with a .438 mark in totaling eight kills on 16 swings (one error).

Creighton (8-2) got 17 kills from Keely Davis at a .351 pace. Norah Sis recorded a 13-kill, 12-dig double-double and libero Allison Whitten carded 21 digs.

The Bluejays hit .225 to the Cats’ .192 and held a 55-48 edge in total kills. K-State hit below .200 in three of four sets while Creighton hit above .290 twice.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On a challenging final non-conference weekend…
“The end of a productive and difficult preseason, I think is what we’re feeling. This was the challenge we were ready for this weekend. The teams of the caliber of Rice and Creighton and, frankly, I think we are in it and capable of playing with and beating those kind of teams because we are one of those kinds of teams. Defensively, I thought we were pretty tenacious today. We extended rallies, we were pretty good out of system. I thought we did some really good things playing a rested Creighton team.”

On what stood out in today’s match…
“Mack Morris really stood out to me, in terms of the shots that she took. Shaylee Myers is really doing some tremendous things from an offensive perspective. Honestly, this weekend was one of Loren Hinkle’s best weekends in terms of set location and getting hitters in a pretty good rhythm. She’s gotten a lot better as she’s went along.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – Creighton 25, K-State 16
Creighton raced out to a 7-2 lead to begin the match, including four unanswered points to prompt a K-State timeout. The Wildcats produced just one kill over their first 10 swings while the Bluejays put down five kills on 11 attacks in that span.

K-State put together a 6-0 run to trim Creighton’s lead to just two at 13-11, as the stretch featured four straight kills. Myers was responsible for two of those kills with Baka and Fernholz each adding one.

The Bluejays responded with five consecutive points to expand its lead to 19-12 and later finished with a 25-15 set victory.

Myers led the Cats’ offense with four kills while hitting .364. Baka and Fernholz each put down a pair of kills while Baka also added six digs.

Davis and Kiana Schmitt both contributed five kills to lead Creighton’s offense to 17 kills at a .342 clip. Schmitt needed just six swings to produce her kill total, hitting .833.

Set Two – Creighton 25, K-State 22
Creighton closed the second set by scoring eight of the final 10 points, including a set-ending four-point, to erase K-State’s 20-17 late lead. Davis tallied back-to-back kills before Ava Martin completed the comeback with her only kill of the set.

The Wildcats built a lead as large as five at 18-13 before a 4-1 stretch cut the lead to just two, 19-17.

Davis picked up five more kills while Creighton got three more from Sis and Kendra Wait.

Six of Baka’s 13 kills came in the second set while she also picked up five digs. Morris tallied seven digs and Bolding and Myers teams up for two blocks.

Set Three – K-State 25, Creighton 13
Five straight points early in set three handed the Wildcats an 11-5 cushion. The run was highlighted by three kills by Myers along with a block and a kill by Bolding. K-State opened a lead as large as 13 (21-8) after three straight kills by Haley Warner, Baka and Fernholz.

K-State’s offense hummed at a .444 clip – its best of any set – in putting down 13 kills. Myers produced six kills on 10 attacks without an error.

Conversely, Creighton hit just .061 for its lowest output of the day, due to four blocks and 16 digs by the Cats. Morris led the way with six digs and Bolding, Fernholz and Myers all tallied two blocks.

Set Four – Creighton 25, K-State 19
The Wildcats never led in the final frame in which they hit. 122 to Creighton’s .297. A 5-1 spurt by the Bluejays turned a 5-5 score into a 10-6 advantage.

Davis needed only nine attacks in recording seven kills while not committing an error (.778). Sis picked up three kills for CU.

Bolding, Fernholz and Myers each turned in a team-high three kills in the fourth.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .192 as a team (48 kills, 18 errors, 156 attacks).
• Creighton finished with a .226 hitting percentage (55 kills, 20 errors, 155 swings).
• Baka (13 kills, 16 digs) and Hinkle (37 assists, 10 digs) each logged double-doubles for the second straight match.
• Baka produced her team-high fifth double-double while it marked Hinkle’s third.
• Morris carded a match-high 22 digs for her second straight 20-dig outing.
• Fernholz’s .438 hitting percentage led K-State (8 kills, 1 error, 16 swings).
• The Wildcats registered 10 blocks, their sixth double-figure outing over their last seven matches.
• Fernholz recorded five blocks while Bolding and Myers each finished with four.
• Myers was responsible for three of the Cats’ four service aces.
• Davis led all players with 17 kills while hitting .351.
• Sis finished with a 13-kill, 12-dig double-double.
• Whitten turned in 21 digs while Wait had 19.

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with Creighton 8-5.
• This was the first meeting between the teams since March 20, 2021, when the Wildcats defeated the then-24^th-ranked Bluejays.
• The match marked the Cats’ first contest against a ranked opponent.
• Fritz is 5-2 in her career against Creighton and 6-3 against current members of the BIG EAST.
• Morris collected her 15^th career match with 20 or more dig (fourth in program history during the rally-scoring era)
• The Cats are 2-2 in four-set matches this season.
• K-State has lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

UP NEXT
K-State opens its Big 12 schedule against KU Saturday, as the first installment of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown is set for a 4 p.m. start at Bramlage Coliseum. The match will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app while Rob Voelker will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

HOUSTON (Kansas State Athletics) – Three different players finished with a double-double for K-State, but the Wildcats dropped a five-set decision at Rice to open the Rice Adidas Invitational Friday night at Tudor Fieldhouse, 25-20, 26-24, 21-25, 18-25, 13-15.

Elena Baka (14 kills, 12 digs), Loren Hinkle (41 assists, 11 digs) and Shaylee Myers (17 kills, 10 digs) helped K-State (9-3) open a two-set lead. The Owls (9-1), who are receiving votes in the latest AVCA top-25 poll, rallied to win the next three sets to push their winning streak to five matches.

The Wildcat defense totaled 14 blocks, with nine coming over the night’s first two frames. Kadye Fernholz and Haley Warner led the way with seven blocks apiece while Sydney Bolding added six.

Bolding produced 11 kills while hitting a team-best .588.

Mackenzie Morris recorded a match-high 23 digs for her second 20-dig outing of the season and 14^th of her career.

Rice saw four players reach double-figure kills, including 15 at a .522 clip from Anota Adekunle. Sahara Maruska finished with 13, Ellie Bichelmeyer had 12 and Danyle Courtley turned in 11.

Setter Carly Graham dished out 51 assists and libero Nia McCardell racked up 20 digs and four aces.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On what changed after the second set …
“I thought we were playing extremely well after the first few points in game one. Game two was about as good as we’ve been, a lot of defensive pressure and not giving up lots of points. I thought, frankly, they upgraded. I thought maybe we got a little bit conservative from the service line and a little bit conservative from an attacking perspective, as well. They started managing the match, there was a pretty significant upgrade for them in game three. Ultimately, we’ve got to be able to not allow runs of points and be able to side out at a higher clip.”

On Rice’s Anota Adekunle…
“(Adekunle) is special for sure. We felt like we were going to have to serve with a lot of purpose and a lot of velocity to be able to contain some of the things that she can do. Their setter, Graham, is a pretty special player as well, and can find her in a lot of different situations. She was pretty unstoppable.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – K-State 25, Rice 20
K-State’s used five blocks and 19 digs in allowing Rice to just 11 kills at a .103 pace. Bolding teamed up for three blocks while Hinkle, Fernholz and Warner each contributed a pair. Eight digs from Morris and four from both Baka and Myers spearheaded the Cats’ back row.

Myers hit .333 while picking up a team-leading five kills in the set. Bolding added two kills on just four swings.

Rice tallied the first four points of the match, including two aces from Adekunle to force an early Wildcat timeout. K-State then began to gain traction and chipped away at the Owls’ lead, tying the score at 10 after a three-point run behind Hinkle’s serve.

A 6-1 run of their own handed the Cats their first lead, as an ace from Molly Ramsey put the score at 16-15, with the scoring stretch later resulting in an 18-15 edge.

With the score even at 19, K-State went on another 6-1 burst to finish the opening set. The spurt featured two blocks to go with kills by Baka and Bolding before Hinkle’s service ace completed the set win.

Set Two – K-State 26, Rice 24
K-State withstood 16 tie scores and four lead changes for a deuce-set victory. With the Wildcats leading 18-17, the sides then alternated 12 consecutive points before back-to-back kills from Warner gave K-State its first set-point try at 24-23.

Fernholz and Warner later closed the set with a tandem block, upping the Cats’ total to nine team blocks through two sets.

It was the Wildcats that jumped out to the early lead in the second set, scoring seven of the first 10 points before the Owls took a timeout. Rice then ate away at the lead and scored six of seven points to go in front 12-11.

Six kills from Baka on 10 attempts increased her total to eight after two frames while Myers added two more kills. On five attacks, Bolding put down four kills.

K-State’s offense turned in a match-high 17 kills while hitting .308 – its highest total in any set.

Adekunle led Rice by hitting .833 in registering five kills.

Set Three – Rice 25, K-State 21
A four-point run midway through set three gave the Owls their first lead at 12-10. From there, Rice used a 4-1 burst to open a three-point advantage at 16-13. Three unanswered points tied the score at 16, but the Owls closed on a 9-5 run to earn their first set victory.

Rice hit .333 in racking up 15 kills, five coming from Maruska while Courtley added three.

K-State hit .159 due to 22 digs by the Owls’ defense. The Cats got four kills from Myers and three from Baka and Bolding.

Set Four – Rice 25, K-State 18
The Wildcats were suppressed to a .094 team efficiency in the fourth set – their lowest number in any set. Warner led the way with four kills but was forced into four errors on nine attempts.

Each side produced 11 kills, but Rice hit at a .233 pace and got three kills from Adekunle and Graham.

A 9-2 run midway through the set turned a one-point Rice lead (10-9) into an eight-point lead at 19-11.

Set Five – Rice 15, K-State 13
For the second time, the Owls hit above .300 as a team, as they logged 11 kills and hit .318. K-State tallied eight kills at a .250 pace, with Myers picking up four kills on eight swings without an error.

K-State took its first timeout after falling into a 6-3 hole. The Cats clawed back and evened the score at 10 after a Myers kill and later were within a point at 14-13 before Maruska’s 13^th kills sealed the comeback victory.

All four of Adekunle’s swings resulted in a kill, as she hit a perfect 1.000. Graham handed out 10 assists in helping her team win the race to 15.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .187 as a team (59 kills, 27 errors, 171 attacks).
• Rice finished with a .235 hitting percentage (62 kills, 23 errors, 166 swings).
• K-State had three players register double-doubles: Baka, Hinkle and Myers.
• Baka turned in her team-high fourth double-double.
• Hinkle produced her second double-double while it was the first of Myers’ career.
• Myers led all players with 17 kills while adding 10 digs.
• Baka added 14 kills and a dozen digs and Hinkle handed out 41 assists with 11 digs.
• Bolding hit .588 to pace the Cats in picking up 11 kills.
• Fernholz and Warner led the defense with seven blocks apiece.
• K-State tallied 14 total team blocks, its fifth double-digit block performance over the last six matches.
• Morris produced a match-high 23 digs for her second 20-dig outing of the season.
• K-State served up seven aces, as Baka, Bolding and Molly Ramey each tallied a pair.
• Rice was led by 15 kills at a .522 clip from Adekunle.
• Maruska added 13 kills, Bichelmeyer had 12 and Courtley finished with 11 to round out four in double figures.
• Libero Nia McCardell recorded 20 digs to lead the Owls.
• Rice ended with eight aces, four coming from McCardell.

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with Rice 5-1, with this being the first meeting since 1996.
• The Wildcats are 1-1 against the Owls on the road.
• K-State is 0-2 this season against teams receiving votes in the AVCA poll.
• Fritz is 9-1 in her career against teams from Conference USA.
• Morris collected her 14^th career match with 20 or more dig (fourth in program history during the rally-scoring era)
• The Cats are 1-2 in five-set matches this season.

UP NEXT
K-State concludes the Rice Adidas Invitational and the non-conference portion of its schedule Saturday against No. 17 Creighton. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. and Rob Voelker will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State picked up 15 total blocks and held Kansas City to a .018 team efficiency Wednesday night, as the Wildcats swept the Roos 25-14, 25-13, 31-29 at Swinney Center.

K-State (9-2) was led by Sydney Bolding’s season-high eight blocks, as she was one of seven players with multiple blocks in the contest. Bolding also added six kills and an ace.

Eight blocks and four aces came in the opening set. The Cats held Kansas City (3-7) to a negative team hitting percentage in each of the first two frames.

The Cats’ offense was led by Elena Baka’s 10 kills, as she picked up seven kills in the second set alone. Shaylee Myers chipped in eight kills off the bench and Haley Warner hit a team-high .455 in tallying seven kills.

K-State owned a 41-27 edge in total kills and a 15-4 advantage in total blocks. Wildcat setter Loren Hinkle and Ava LeGrand dished out 15 assists apiece.

Kansas City’s Odyssey Warren led her team with 10 kills while Carly Gillen was next with six.

Roos libero Kennedy Schritenthal led all players with 17 digs.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On K-State’s defensive presence …
“I thought the effort was good. We look a little fresher today than we were last weekend, I think. Defense is so determined by the connectivity between serve productivity, which I think we are really good at right now, to block productivity, which I think we are pretty far ahead, and into that dig to transition phase. Where I thought we weren’t really clean last weekend was that dig to transition phase. It felt pretty good to get some decent swings in transition.”

On K-State’s offensive productivity…
“We still have some personnel I am excited for. I am excited about our outside hitting core. Sydney is wonderfully consistent, in terms of what she’s doing. I think we have two setters who are getting better and better by the day, I think we are growing there but I like the progress that we are making.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – K-State 25, Kansas City 14
K-State’s defense, behind seven blocks, held Kansas City to a -.143 hitting percentage in the opening set, forcing the Roos into nine errors while allowing only five kills. Kadye Fernholz was a part of four blocks while Baka, Bolding and Hinkle chipped in three blocks apiece.

Four different Wildcats tallied an ace in the set and the offense was led by Bolding’s four kills at a .667 clip. Aliyah Carter added three kills and an ace.

With the score sitting at 14-10 in favor of the Wildcats, a 10-2 scoring run grew to the lead to 23-12. The stretch included four unanswered points behind Mackenzie Morris’ serve. K-State finished the set with a .182 team hitting percentage with eight kills on 22 swings.

Set Two – K-State 25, Kansas City 13
K-State’s offense doubled its kill total from the first, putting down 16 while hitting .452. Baka picked up seven of her 10 kills in the second while hitting .538. Warner added three kills on four attacks and Carter needed five attempts in recording three kills.

The Cats never trailed and, for the second straight set, forced the Roos into more errors (8) than kills (7) for a -.031 team efficiency.

Morris served a five-point run that featured back-to-back kills from Baka. Later, an ace from Morris and a kill from Baka delivered a two-set lead for the Cats.

Set Three – K-State 31, Kansas City 29
The night’s final set held 10 tie scores and four lead changes, as the teams needed extra points to finish the third. K-State fended off three set-point opportunities from the Roos and later converted its fourth set-point attempt to seal the straight-set win.

The Wildcats’ largest lead was just four points at 20-16 before Kansas City rallied to tie the score at 21.

The third set was the only frame in which Kansas City hit at a positive efficiency, producing a .135 mark in recording 15 kills.

K-State turned in a match-high 17 kills and hit .151, with Myers’ six kills leading the team. Baka and Warner each added three kills while the defense picked up five more blocks.

Bolding added three block assists and a solo stuff and LeGrand and Warner pitched in a pair of tandem blocks.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .245 as a team (41 kills, 15 errors, 106 attacks).
• Kansas City finished with a .018 hitting percentage (27 kills, 25 errors, 112 swings).
• K-State has held its opponents below the .200 mark eight times this season and under .100 in four matches.
• Baka led the offense with 10 kills at a .286 efficiency.
• Warner hit a team-best .455 in picking up seven kills.
• Five Wildcats finished with at least five kills.
• Molly Ramsey logged a career-high 10 digs, as she was the only Wildcat in double figures.
• Morris picked up two of K-State’s six aces.
• The Cats have turned in at least five aces in all but out outing this season.
• Bolding’s eight blocks were best among all players, setting a season high.
• Hinkle and LeGrand each handed out 15 assists.
• Hinkle now sits at 91 career service aces.
• Warren led Kansas City with 10 kills and Gillen finished with six.
• Schritenthal carded a match-high 17 digs

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series 33-3, dating back to 1974.
• The Wildcats have won the last 30 meetings in the series, their longest active streak against a single opponent.
• Kansas City last defeated K-State in 1977.
• Fritz is 7-0 against the Roos and 23-0 in her career against teams from The Summit League.
• Morris
• The Cats are 6-0 in three-set matches this season (three three-set victories in 2021).
• K-State finished with at least 10 blocks for the fifth time this season and the fourth time over its last five matches.

UP NEXT
K-State makes its way to Houston for the final non-conference weekend at the Adidas Invitational, hosted by the Rice Owls. Over two days, the Wildcats will meet Rice (Friday) and No. 17 Creighton (Saturday). Friday’s contest can be seen free on YouTube while fans can listen to both online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State enters its final week of nonconference action, beginning with a Wednesday night stop at Kansas City to face the Roos at Swinney Center at 7 p.m.

K-State (8-2) won three of its four matches last week, including a home win over rival Missouri to go with a 2-1 weekend at the Rambler Challenge in Chicago. Both Sydney Bolding and Mackenzie Morris picked up all-tournament team honors at the Rambler Challenge, as Bolding led the team in blocks and aces while Morris was the team leader in digs.

The Wildcats rank among the nation’s leaders in service aces, with their 81 total aces being ninth-best nationally and tops in the Big 12. Three Cats find themselves in the league’s top 10 in aces per set: Bolding (fourth), Elena Baka (fifth) and Loren Hinkle (eighth).

Following Wednesday’s contest against the Roos, K-State will make its way to Houston, Texas, for matchups with Rice (Friday) and No. 17 Creighton (Saturday) at the Adidas Invitational hosted by the Owls.

Fans can watch Wednesday’s contest at KCRoos.com while Rob Voelker will have the call on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM). Live audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/watch and via the K-State Sports app.

MATCH #11
K-STATE (8-2, 0-0 BIG 12) at KANSAS CITY (3-6, 0-0 SUMMIT)
Wednesday, Sept. 14 // 7 p.m. // Swinney Center // Kansas City, Mo.
Watch: KCRoos.com
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM) (Rob Voelker)
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

• K-State heads into its final week of nonconference play, starting with a Wednesday night stop at Kansas City.
• The Wildcats went 3-1 last week after picking up a five-set home win against Missouri before winning two of three contests at the Rambler Challenge during the weekend.
• K-State swept both Rutgers and St. Thomas while dropping a four-set decision at host Loyola Chicago.
• Sydney Bolding and Mackenzie Morris both earned all-tournament team accolades, as each picked up their second such honors of the season.
• Bolding led K-State in both blocks (14) and aces (5), as she matched her career-high with four service aces against St. Thomas – all coming in the match’s opening set.
• Morris logged 48 digs over 10 sets (4.80 per set) to lead the back row and extended her streak to 10 straight outings with 10 or more digs to begin the season.
• A different player led the Cats in kills in all three matches while at the Rambler Challenge.
• Aliyah Carter turned in a team-high 13 against Rutgers, Bolding finished with 11 against Loyola and both Elena Baka and Shaylee Myers logged 11 against St. Thomas.
• Bolding hit. 391 at the Ramblers and Myers hit .474 against the Tommies.
• With the pair of sweeps last weekend, K-State improved to 5-0 in three-set matches, which surpasses last season’s total of three straight-set victories.

SCOUTING KANSAS CITY

• Kansas City (3-6) comes into Wednesday night’s matchup on a three-match losing skid, dropping two matches in its home tournament to Northern Illinois and Wichita State.
• Prior to their home tournament, the Roos took the opening set off Kansas before ultimately falling in four sets at the Swinney Center.
• Odyssey Warren is the Roos’ leader in kills (85), kills per set (2.74) and aces (12) while ranking second with 83 digs (2.68 per set).
• Kimora Whetstone owns a team-best .321 hitting efficiency while also leading her team with 27 total blocks.
• Libero Kennedy Schritenthal ranks second in The Summit League with her 4.26 digs per set.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• K-State and Kansas City will meet for the 36th in the series’ history, with the Wildcats winning 32 of the 25 all-time meetings.
• The Wildcats have defeated the Roos 30 straight times – K-State’s longest active winning streak against a single opponent.
• The series dates back to 1974, with Kansas City’s last victory coming in 1977.
• K-State is 19-0 on the road and made a trip to the Swinney Center in 2018 (won 3-0).
• Head coach Suzie Fritz is 22-0 in her career against teams from The Summit League, including a 1-0 mark this season.

ACES IN SPADES

• Through the first three weeks of the 2022 season, K-State has racked up 81 service aces, which is tops in the Big 12 and ranks ninth nationally.
• Elena Baka is the team leader with 18 aces to rank second in the Big 12 and 22nd in the country while Sydney Bolding’s 17 aces is third in the league and 28th-most in the nation.
• Baka has logged multiple aces six times this season while Bolding has produced a career-best four aces twice this season.
• The team’s 2.19 aces per set also is best in the league while ranking 17th nationally.
• Five times the Cats have eclipsed the 10-ace mark, including in back-to-back matches at the UCF Challenge with 11 against Syracuse and a season-high 12 vs. North Florida.
• The 12 aces were the most in a three-set match since the 2007 season and were tied for fourth-most in the rally-scoring era.
• It was the first time K-State produced back-to-back matches with at least 10 aces since 2007.
• Last season, K-State finished with 10 or more aces just twice.
• Additionally, the five matches with 10 or more aces are the most since a rally-scoring-record seven matches in 2007.
• Currently, three Wildcats rank in the Big 12’s top 10 in aces per set: Bolding (fourth), Baka (fifth) and Loren Hinkle (eighth).

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

• Senior transfer Elena Baka has had an immediate impact through 10 matches with the Wildcats.
• Playing six rotations, Baka leads the team in total kills with 122 while hitting at a .202 efficiency along with a team-high 18 aces.
• The Saint Mary’s transfer set a career-high with 19 kills against UCF on on the way to her second straight all-tournament team selection.
• She has three double-doubles on the season, including 16 kills and a career-best 17 digs against Mizzou last Wednesday.
• Her 18 aces are tops in the Big 12, as she has served up multiple aces six times – including in each of K-State’s first five contests.

BOLDING BREAKING OUT

• Senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding is off to a fast start for K-State in 2022, hitting .344 and averaging 1.97 kills per set with 1.26 blocks per set and 17 aces.
• Bolding has twice produced four aces over the last four matches, with four against Missouri and four coming in the first set along against St. Thomas Saturday.
• The four aces were a career high, as she has five matches with multiple aces this season (two such matches last season).
• She was named to the Rambler Challenge All-Tournament Team, her second all-tournament team selection after also being voted to the K-State Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Bolding, who missed the first three weeks of the 2021 season due to injury, turned in a .537 hitting percentage in the first weekend and currently leads the team at .344 for the season (eighth in the Big 12).
• The Pickens, South Carolina, product has eclipsed double-figure kills three times this season and has hit .350 or better four times.
• Against NC State, she set a career high with 13 kills while also totaling seven blocks.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• K-State has won the opening set in nine of 10 outings to begin the campaign, going 7-2 in those matches.
• The Wildcats are unbeaten (7-0) when hitting at a higher hitting percentage and producing more kills than their opponents.
• Additionally, the Cats have won all seven matches in which they have limited their opponents to a hitting efficiency under .200.
• With five straight-set victories this season, K-State has already surpassed its total from last season (3).
• The next three-set win will be the 200th sweep under head coach Suzie Fritz.
• Fritz collected her 200th career home win against Missouri last Wednesday and is 14 away from her 400th career win at the helm of the Wildcats.

CHICAGO (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State finished the Rambler Challenge Saturday with a sweep of St. Thomas, serving up 11 aces and hitting .358 on its way to a 25-12, 25-15, 15-16 victory at Gentile Arena.

K-State (8-2) claimed two of three matches over the weekend, as Sydney Bolding and Mackenzie Morris earned all-tournament team honors. Both Bolding and Morris collect their second all-tournament nods of the season.

Bolding tallied four aces in the first set alone Saturday, as the Wildcats finished with eight in the opening frame. Morris finished with a dozen digs in pushing her streak to 10 straight matches with at least 10 digs. The match also marked Morris’ 50^th career match with double-figure digs.

Elena Baka and Shaylee Myers led the offense with 11 kills apiece, with Myers hitting a team-high .474 to go with seven digs and three blocks. Baka pitched in three aces and eight digs.

Kadye Fernholz hit .400 in putting down six kills on 10 swings. Freshman setter Ava LeGrand controlled the offense, handing out 31 assists while picking up six digs and two blocks.

K-State held a 40-27 edge in total kills and limited St. Thomas to a .110 hitting percentage. The Cats have suppressed their opponents below the .200 mark in seven of 10 matches this season.

Dalia Wilson and Brenna Schmidt each finished with season highs in kills, with four and three, respectively. Schmidt added a team-high six blocks.

The Tommies reached the 10-kill mark just once, coming in the third set. Lauren Galvin led her team with a dozen kills and Libby Mattila ended with seven.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On utilizing K-State’s bench in the match …
“I’m excited. At one point in time, I looked out on the floor and we had four freshmen on the floor and thought they were playing exceptionally well. I am excited about their development and improvement and excited about their future. The only way they can get better is to get them out there and give them some experience. We finished a stretch where we just played four matches in four days, so we are experiencing some pretty significant physical, mental and travel fatigue right now. We thought getting in some fresh bodies could rejuvenate us. The thing I was the proudest of was that we sustained a really high and consistent level of play. We stayed really focused and engaged in the match, from start to finish.”

On K-State’s success at the service line…
“We’re spending time on it and we make it important. We have really prioritized it, as early as last spring, feeling we needed an upgrade there from a defensive perspective. We attacked it a lot last spring and going into the fall we have prioritized it as an important part of our defensive system. And I think our players have bought into that. Sydney has tremendous pace and is unafraid. She goes back and does the same thing over and over and she’s going to drive it at you with some pace. She’s pretty confident about it and that helps her a lot.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – K-State 25, St. Thomas 12
K-State tallied eight aces and 11 kills at a .375 in a wire-to-wire opening-set victory. Baka picked up six kills on 12 attempts without an error and Bolding tossed up four aces. Four different Wildcats registered an ace, including the first career ace from Wilson.

The Cats put together three separate scoring runs of at least four straight points, including a six-point stretch on Bolding’s serve that saw the lead inflate to 20-8. Bolding added two kills on three swings and a block.

Defensively, K-State held the Tommies to nine kills at a .138 pace behind three blocks. Schmidt picked up two blocks to lead the Wildcats.

Galvin led St. Thomas with four kills and Mattila chipped in a pair.

Set Two – K-State 25, St. Thomas 15
K-State’s offense hit north of .300 for the second straight set, producing 12 kills on 24 attacks in creating a two-set lead. Myers added a team-high four kills on seven attempts without an error along with two blocks.

Wilson added three kills on three sets, including the set-sealing kill.

K-State’s five-point run turned a two-point lead into a seven-point spread at 19-12. In total, the Wildcats finished the frame by scoring 11 of the final 14 points.

Baka and LeGrand both picked up a service ace to increase K-State’s total to 10 through two sets.

The Tommies managed eight kills while committing seven errors for an .040 efficiency. Galvin added four more kills and had eight through two sets.

Set Three – K-State 25, St. Thomas 16
The Wildcats hit .364 in racking put a match-high 17 kills, with six coming from Myers on nine swings. Baka, Fernholz and LeGrand all added three kills in completing the Cats’ second sweep of the weekend.

Morris piled up seven of K-State’s 19 digs, helping limit the Tommies to a .135 team efficiency.

An early 5-0 run on Ramsey’s serve put K-State in front 11-5. The Cats only trailed once in the set after St. Thomas scored the first point of the third set.

St. Thomas produced 10 kills, its highest total of any set, with four coming from both Galvin and Mattila.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .358 as a team (40 kills, 11 errors, 81 attacks).
• St. Thomas finished with a .110 hitting percentage (27 kills, 17 errors, 91 swings).
• K-State has held its opponents below the .200 mark in seven of 10 matches this season.
• The Cats totaled 11 aces in the match, with eight coming in set one.
• Bolding matched her career high with four aces while Baka produced her sixth match with multiple aces (3).
• Wilson registered the first kills of her Wildcat career, finishing with four on nine attempts.
• Schmidt tallied a season-high three kills and six blocks.
• Baka and Myers paced the offense with 11 kills apiece.
• Myers hit a team-leading .474 and added seven digs and three blocks.
• Baka finished with eight digs.
• Morris carded a dozen digs, extending her streak of double-digit matches to 10 outings.
• The Wildcats owned a 41-30 advantage in digs.
• Galvin led all the Tommies with 12 kills while Mattila added seven.

NOTES

• This was the first-ever meeting between K-State and St. Thomas.
• Fritz is 22-0 in her career against teams from The Summit League.
• Morris turned in her 10^th straight match with 10 or more digs and the 50^th of her career.
• The Cats are 5-0 in three-set matches this season (three three-set victories in 2021).
• K-State finished with at least 10 aces for the fifth time this season, its highest total since seven such matches during the 2007 season.

UP NEXT
K-State makes a midweek stop at Kansas City Wednesday for a matchup with the Roos, with first serve set for 7 p.m. at Swinney Center. The match can be seen on KCRoos.com with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM).

CHICAGO (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State turned in season lows in both kills and hitting percentage Friday night, dropping a four-set decision to Loyola Chicago at the Rambler Challenge at Gentile Arena, 26-24, 9-25, 23-25, 15-25.

K-State (7-2) managed just 35 kills while hitting .078, failing to break the .150 threshold in any of the night’s four sets. Sydney Bolding paced the Wildcats with 11 kills and a .391 efficiency while also leading the team with seven total blocks.

Aliyah Carter ended the night with nine kills while Elena Baka registered seven. Mackenzie Morris collected 19 digs in surpassing 900 career digs (916). Morris finished with a team-high three aces, with two coming in the fourth set.

Defensively, K-State racked up 11 blocks to extend its streak of matches with at least 10 blocks to three. Kadye Fernholz and Ava LeGrand each added four blocks and Loren Hinkle added three. Hinkle also handed out 22 assists along with eight digs.

The Wildcats’ first-set victory came after they erased an 11-point deficit and closed on a 14-3 run to stun the Ramblers and take a 1-0 lead. LUC hit .375 or better in the second and fourth sets, leading throughout in both frames.

Loyola (5-4) produced 17 more kills than the Cats while also holding a 72-52 advantage in total digs. Libero Grace Hinchman led all players with 23 digs while Emily Banitt led the attack with 11 kills at a .500 pace.

Esma Ajanovic and Sarah Murczek joined Banitt in double figures with 10 kills apiece, with Ajanovic hitting .533. Setter Bree Borum finished with 22 assists and 13 digs for her double-double.

LUC picked up 10 aces, with three apiece from Addie Barnes and Madi Corey.

K-State splits its Friday doubleheader to begin the Rambler Challenge after a straight-set win over Rutgers earlier in the day.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On what caused K-State trouble …
“(Loyola) is a tenacious defensive team – really, really good in the defense to transition phase, particularly back-row defense to transition phase. I thought their block caused us some problems as well, but overall, the separating factor was they were significantly better in transition than we were. It wasn’t so much first swing, we knew we would have to play long. They will make you play long, and they will dig and they will frustrate. I didn’t think that’s what we did, we didn’t play long enough. I think they’re very good at that.”

On Sydney Bolding’s effectiveness…
“I thought she was terrific. Any time you can get a middle that’s hitting nearly .400. I thought Loren did a really nice job finding her and almost forcing it to her at times because there was a point in the match that she was what we had going. But we’ve got to be able to have more balance and generate kill production from all positions, no question.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – K-State 26, Loyola Chicago 24
K-State dug itself into an early 7-2 hole, committing two attacking errors on its first eight swings without a kill. Following a Wildcat timeout, the Rambler lead swelled to 15-4 after an 8-1 LUC spurt.

The Cats began to chip away at Loyola’s lead, as a 5-1 run brought the score to 16-9. Later, back-to-back kills from Banitt put Loyola in front 21-12 and looked to seal the first set. K-State then went on a 14-3 run and ended the set by scoring the final seven points to stun the Ramblers, fending off four set-point opportunities in the process.

The Wildcats produced just eight total kills in the set and hit .061. However, it was the K-State defense that tallied seven blocks, forcing Loyola into 12 attacking errors against 12 kills.

Bolding led the Cats with three kills on four swings to go with five total blocks (one solo, four assists). LeGrand, who came off the bench, added four blocks to go with six assists.

Banitt accounted for half of the Ramblers’ kills, adding six on seven attempts without an error (.857).

Set Two – Loyola 25, K-State 9
Loyola scored nine of the first 10 points of the set and a four-point scoring run ballooned the Ramblers’ lead to 13-2. K-State was unable to mount a comeback, as the Wildcats recorded consecutive points just twice in the frame.

The Ramblers did not commit an attacking error in accumulating 12 kills on 32 swings (.375). Conversely, K-State was forced into six hitting errors while registering only six kills (.000). Anna Feldkamp produced three kills to pace LUC.

Loyola put together four different stretches of at least four straight points, including a pair of five-point bursts. Corey served up three of LUC’s six aces.

Bolding added a pair of kills and had five through two sets on six attacks. Haley Warner also put down two kills. Morris led the way with seven digs.

Set Three – Loyola Chicago 25, K-State 23
In a set that saw 13 tie scores and seven lead changes, neither team led by more than three points. A kill from Bolding gave K-State its final lead at 23-22, only to see the Ramblers rattle off three unanswered to take a 2-1 lead.

A four-point run that included an ace and kill by Bolding erased a 17-14 deficit. Bolding was one of four Wildcats to record three kills in the set, as she was joined by Baka, Carter and Fernholz.

Both sides hit below .150, with Loyola owning a 14-12 advantage in kills. Each side tallied three blocks in the frame. Fernholz and Hinkle picked up two apiece.

Murczek led the Ramblers with four kills on nine attacks while Loyola racked up 22 digs, nine coming from Hinchman.

Set Four – Loyola Chicago 25, K-State 15
The Ramblers led from start to finish in finishing the match and snapping K-State’s two-match winning streak. LUC hit a match-high .379 in collecting 14 kills, three coming from Ajanovic, Feldkamp and Taylor Venuto.

Loyola’s defense piled up 17 digs and three blocks in suppressing K-State’s attack to nine kills against six errors for an .086 mark.

Carter put down three kills on eight attempts without an error and Bolding added three more kills. Morris served up two aces to go with five digs.

Four straight points on Morris’ serve brought the Wildcats within a pair at 14-12, only to see Loyola stretch its lead to nine after a 9-2 burst. In total, the Ramblers closed on a 11-3 run, including seven of the last eight points.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .078 as a team (35 kills, 24 errors, 141 attacks).
• Loyola Chicago finished with a .209 hitting percentage (52 kills, 24 errors, 134 swings).
• K-State was held below .100 for the first time this season.
• It marked just the third time this season in which the Wildcats allowed an opponent to hit above .200.
• Bolding led the Cats with 11 kills at a .391 efficiency and seven total blocks.
• Morris logged 19 digs to extend her double-figure dig streak to nine matches.
• Carter finished with nine kills while Baka chipped in seven.
• K-State turned in 11 blocks, marking the third straight match with at least 10 stuffs.
• Fernholz and LeGrand each registered four blocks.
• Banitt led Loyola with 11 kills while hitting .500.
• Ajanovic picked up 10 kills at a .533 clip.
• The Ramblers tallied 14 blocks, led by eight by Venuto.
• LUC served up 10 aces to K-States five.
• The match held 15 tie scores and eight lead changes, with 13 ties and seven lead changes coming in the third set alone.

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with Loyola 3-2.
• This was the second straight season in which the teams have met.
• The Cats are 0-2 on the road against the Ramblers.
• The Wildcats are 17-5 against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference while Fritz is 9-2.
• K-State is 0-2 in true road matches and 3-2 in all matches away from home.
• Morris eclipsed the 900-dig mark for her career and now has 916.
• The Cats are 2-1 in four-set matches this season.

UP NEXT
K-State concludes the Rambler Challenge Saturday against St. Thomas, with first serve is set for 12 p.m. Live stats will be available at K-StateSports.com.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State begins a six-match road trip Friday at the Rambler Challenge, with matches against Rutgers, host Loyola Chicago and St. Thomas over two days at Gentile Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

K-State opens the tournament with a Friday doubleheader against Rutgers at 10 a.m. before taking on the Ramblers at 7:30 p.m. The weekend concludes against St. Thomas Saturday, with first serve set for 12 p.m.

The Wildcats (6-1) are coming off a five-set win over rival Missouri Wednesday night. Freshman Shaylee Myers spearheaded the offense with 23 kills at a .419 clip while seniors Elena Baka (16 kills, 17 digs) and Loren Hinkle (41 assists, 10 digs) each added double-doubles.

The Cats’ matchup with Loyola Chicago will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Rob Voelker will be on the call at K-StateSports.com/Watch or on the K-State Sports app.

MATCH #8
K-STATE (6-1, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. RUTGERS (4-2, 0-0 BIG TEN)
Friday, Sept. 9 // 10 a.m. // Gentile Arena // Chicago, Ill.
Watch: N/A
Listen: N/A
Live Stats

MATCH #9
K-STATE (6-1, 0-0 BIG 12) at LOYOLA CHICAGO (3-4, 0-0 MVC)
Friday, Sept. 9 // 7:30 p.m. // Gentile Arena // Chicago, Ill.
Watch: ESPN+ // ESPN app
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com (Rob Voelker)
Live Stats

MATCH #10
K-STATE (6-1, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. ST. THOMAS (2-4, 0-0 SUMMIT)
Saturday, Sept. 10 // 12 p.m. // Gentile Arena // Chicago, Ill.
Watch: N/A
Listen: N/A
Live Stats

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

• K-State kicks off a six-match roadtrip at the Rambler Challenge Friday, as it takes on Rutgers and host Loyola Chicago in a Friday doubleheader before finishing with St. Thomas on Saturday.
• The Wildcats outlasted former Big 12 rival Missouri in five sets Wednesday night, as the Cats took the first two sets before the Tigers forced a decisive frame.
• Shaylee Myers came off the bench and led the Wildcats with a career-high 23 kills at a .419 clip.
• Elena Baka (16 kills, 17 digs) and Loren Hinkle (41 assists, 10 digs) added double-doubles in the Cats’ first five-set win of the season.
• In total, K-State saw four players reach double-figure kills, as Haley Warner turned in a season-high 16 and Sydney Bolding added 10.
• Bolding also tallied four service aces, a career high, in leading K-State to 10 aces on the night.
• Last week at the UCF Challenge, the Wildcats took down Syracuse (3-1) and North Florida (3-0) before falling in five sets to host UCF.
• Baka and Mackenzie Morris earned all-tournament honors after leading K-State in kills and digs, respectively.
• Baka produced 50 kills (4.17 per set) while hitting .269 and added six aces and seven blocks for the weekend.
• Morris added three straight matches with 10 or more digs, capped by a career-high 25 in the Wildcats’ five-set match at UCF.
• The Cats opened the tournament with a four-set win over Syracuse, as Aliyah Carter led the way with a season-high 20 kills at a .366 clip.
• Baka added 17 kills and Morris had a team-high 17 digs.
• Baka produced a 14-kill, 14-dig double-double to go with four aces in K-State’s straight-set win over North Florida.
• In a matchup with future Big 12 foe UCF, Baka led the Cats with 19 kills while Carter added 18, as K-State’s season-opening five-match winning streak came to an end.
• The 5-0 start marked the Wildcats’ longest winning streak to start a season since 2013 when they opened the year 7-0.
• Over three matches, K-State served up 28 aces while committing just 15 service errors, led by six aces each from Baka and Morris.
• Sydney Bolding finished the weekend with 14 block assists to pace the Cats’ defense.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

• At the Rambler Challenge, K-State will take on Rutgers and Loyola Chicago in a Friday doubleheader before closing the weekend with St. Thomas on Saturday.
• Rutgers (4-2) is coming off a 1-2 weekend, dropping five-set contests to Radford and Towson at the Towson Invitational.
• The Scarlet Knights are led offensively by Alissa Kinkela and her 3.48 kills per set at a .255 efficiency.
• Kinkela also averages 1.04 digs a set to go with 14 blocks.
• Four players have double-digit blocks, as Rutgers allows opponents to hit just .151 on the season.
• Loyola Chicago (3-4) has split its last four matches after dropping a four-set decision at Marquette on Tuesday.
• At the Michigan Invitational last weekend, Loyola defeated Morehead State (four sets) and Toledo (three set) before falling in five sets to Michigan.
• The Ramblers have four players averaging over 2.00 kills per set, led by Addie Barnes’ 2.85 kills a set.
• Grace Hinchman leads Loyola’s back row with 4.56 digs per set.
• St. Thomas (2-4), in its second year as a Division I program after transitioning from Division III, won one of three matches at the Saint Louis Invitational.
• The Tommies defeated the Billikens in five sets, rebounding from a 3-1 setback to Central Michigan before concluding the tournament by being swept by Youngstown State.
• As a team, St. Thomas is hitting .124 while allowing opponents to hit at a .248 pace.
• Lauren Galvin spearheads the offense, averaging 2.78 kills per set with a .202 hitting percentage.
• Emma Goerger has a team-high 26 blocks (1.18 per set) and 11 aces through six matches.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• K-State will meet both Rutgers and St. Thomas for the first time and lead the all-time series with Loyola Chicago 3-1.
• The Wildcats and Ramblers will face off for the second straight season and third time since 2016.
• A season ago, K-State outlasted Loyola Chicago in five sets at the K-State Invitational on Sept. 10, as the Ramblers won sets three and four to force a decisive frame.
• In the matchup, the Cats got 17 kills from Aliyah Carter and 12 from Haley Warner to go with 19 digs by Mackenzie Morris.
• K-State is 21-122-1 against current members of the Big Ten Conference, 71-23 against The Summit League and 51-31-1 against the Missouri Valley Conference.

ACES IN SPADES

• Through the first two weeks of the 2022 season, K-State has racked up 61 service aces, which is tops in the Big 12 and ranks 12th nationally.
• Elena Baka is the team leader with 14 aces to pace the Big 12 and currently ranks 21st in the country.
• Baka turned in multiple service aces in each of the first five matches of the season, twice registering four aces.
• The team’s 2.26 aces per set also is best in the league while ranking 15th nationally.
• Four times the Cats have eclipsed the 10-ace mark, including in back-to-back matches at the UCF Challenge with 11 against Syracuse and a season-high 12 vs. North Florida.
• The 12 aces were the most in a three-set match since the 2007 season and were tied for fourth-most in the rally-scoring era.
• It was the first time K-State produced back-to-back matches with at least 10 aces since 2007.
• Last season, K-State finished with 10 or more aces just twice.
• Additionally, the four matches with 10 or more aces are the most since a rally-scoring-record seven matches in 2007.
• Currently, three Wildcats rank in the Big 12’s top 10 in aces per set: Baka (fourth), Bolding (fourth) and Hinkle (sixth).

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

• Senior transfer Elena Baka has had an immediate impact through seven matches with the Wildcats.
• Playing six rotations, Baka leads the team in total kills with 92 while hitting at a .221 efficiency along with a team-high 14 aces.
• The Saint Mary’s transfer set a career-high with 19 kills against UCF on Saturday on the way to her second straight all-tournament team selection.
• She has three double-doubles on the season, including 16 kills and a career-best 17 digs against Mizzou Wednesday.
• Her 14 aces are tops in the Big 12, as she served up multiple aces in each of K-State’s first five contests.

BOLDING BREAKING OUT

• Senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding is off to a fast start for K-State in 2022, hitting .347 and averaging 2.00 kills per set with 1.12 blocks per set and a dozen aces.
• Bolding’s four aces against Missouri were a career high, as she has four matches with multiple aces this season (just two such matches last season).
• She was named to the K-State Invitational All-Tournament Team after the season’s opening weekend, marking the first all-tournament selection of her Wildcat career after she transferred from Jacksonville before the 2021 season.
• Bolding, who missed the first three weeks of the 2021 season due to injury, turned in a .537 hitting percentage in the first weekend and currently leads the team at .347 for the season (10th in the Big 12).
• The Pickens, South Carolina, product did not commit a single attacking error over three matches at the K-State Invitational, racking up 22 kills on 41 swings.
• Against NC State, she set a career high with 13 kills while also totaling seven blocks.
• In the season opener against Sam Houston, Bolding put down six kills on 12 attacks and added a pair of aces.
• Additionally, she ranks fifth in the Big 12 at 0.46 per set.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Ath – Led by 23 kills from Shaylee Myers and double-doubles from Elena Baka and Loren Hinkle, K-State outlasted its former conference rival Missouri in five sets Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, 27-25, 25-14, 24-26, 20-25, 15-10.

K-State (6-1) finished the match with a wire-to-wire fifth-set victory after Missouri (4-3) rebounded to force a decisive frame down 0-2. Myers came off the bench to lead the Wildcat offense, hitting .419 in producing her career-high kill total.

Baka added 16 kills and a career-high 17 digs for her third double-double of the season. Haley Warner matched Baka’s 16 kills for a season high, while Sydney Bolding added 10 kills and served up a career-high four aces.

K-State owned a 71-48 edge in total kills and hit .200 to Mizzou’s .164. The Cats have held their opponents below a .200 efficiency in five of seven matches this season.

As a team, K-State registered 10 aces on the night – its third match with at least 10 service aces. Molly Ramsey pitched in three aces, also a career high.

Hinkle finished with the first double-double of her career, dishing out 41 assists along with 10 digs. Libero Mackenzie Morris registered 15 digs in reaching double figures for the seventh straight match.

Warner led the front line with seven block assists while Bolding finished with five. K-State ended the night with 10 total team blocks.

Anna Dixon led MU with 17 kills. Jordan Iliff was the only other Tiger to reach double-digits with 10. Kaylee Cox had nine kills and a match-high 21 digs.

K-State has won the last four meetings with Missouri and nine of the last 12 overall.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On responding after Missouri forced a fifth set …
“I thought we got pretty conservative. We made a setter switch, that’s a coaching decision, I like Ava LeGrand, I think she’s showing a lot of potential and improvement and we wanted to give her a chance to show what she can do. But I thought the offense got a little bit conservative. In that moment, we weren’t getting the swings we were early, and I thought we got conservative with our serving, especially down the stretch in game four. We kind of flipped the script a little bit in game five, I thought we came out and serving was the biggest difference. That’s where we were able to separate ourselves and score points from the service line. I thought that’s when we were really rolling.”

On her team playing conservatively in trying to close out the match…
“It’s something you have to grow into. There’s a mentality that comes along with big moments. When you’re feeling a team make a run at you, how you manage the emotions and how you manage that moment, I think is something we are trying to grow into.”

On Shaylee Myers’ performance…
“She’s been doing it every day, to be honest. She has earned some opportunities and I am thrilled that we have the outside hitting core that we have right now – with (Aliyah) Carter, with Baka, with Myers –all three give us something just a little bit different. We’ve got four matches in four days (this week) and to be able to use them all and keep them fresh is huge.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One – K-State 27, Missouri 25
K-State owned a 21-12 edge in kills in the opening set, but still trailed by as many as six in the latter stages at 18-12. A five-point run that included two kills by Warner and another by Myers, inched the Cats within a point.

Facing two set-point opportunities by the Tigers, kills by Baka and Myers evened the set at 24. After the teams traded points, back-to-back kills by Bolding and Myers completed a 5-1 closing run and handed K-State the opening set, 27-25.

Myers came off the bench midway through the set and put down five kills on six swings while Baka produced a team-high six kills.

Missouri picked up six blocks in the frame, with five coming in the Tigers’ first 12 points. K-State was forced into 10 attacking errors while MU had just four.

Bolding and Warner teamed up for two blocks and Hinkle dished out 14 assists.

In total, the first set held eight tie scores and four lead changes.

Set Two – K-State 25, Missouri 14
K-State never trailed in building its two-set lead, as Myers picked up six more kills in the set on just 12 swings. Myers needed just nine attempts in picking up her first eight kills on the night.

The Wildcat offense doubled Missouri’s kill production (14-7) while hitting .345 to Mizzou’s .000.

Five unanswered points behind the service of Bolding broke a 2-2 tie and a 6-1 scoring run opened a 16-9 lead.

Warner added three kills on four attacks while Baka added a pair of kills and five digs.

Set Three – Missouri 26, K-State 24
Looking to close out a sweep, K-State’s lead grew to as large as seven at 19-12 after a kill from Myers. The Tigers responded with the next three and nine of the next 12 points overall to claw within a point at 22-21.

Missouri, despite being outkilled 15-12, earned its first set win after an 8-2 closing run that was capped by back-to-back kills from Trista Strasser and Iliff.

Mizzou reached the .300 mark for the only time in the match, committing just three attacking errors. Dixon led the way with four kills on eight swings and Iliff contributed three kills.

Baka and Myers both finished with four kills to lead K-State. The Cats racked up five aces in the fourth, two each from Bolding and Ramsey.

Set Four – Missouri 25, K-State 20
The fourth set featured six ties and four lead changes, with the last tie coming at 11-11 as the Tigers scored six of seven to create a 16-12 lead.

K-State got as close as three points following Warner’s fifth kill of the set at 23-20. Mizzou forced the final frame after outkilling the Cats for the only time in the match, 14-13.

Dixon led all players with six kills in the fourth while Warner added five. MU hit .238 to K-State’s .154.

Set Five – K-State 15, Missouri 10
The Wildcats quickly raced out to 7-1 and the lead swelled to eight after a kill from Myers, 11-3, forcing Missouri to use both of its timeouts.

Myers’ fifth kill of the set and 23^rd kill of the night sealed the wire-to-wire set victory and handed K-State its fourth straight victory over its former conference rival.

MU committed five attacking errors while producing just three kills for a -.095 hitting percentage.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .200 as a team (71 kills, 33 errors, 190 attacks).
• Missouri finished with a .164 hitting percentage (48 kills, 23 errors, 152 swings).
• The Wildcats had four players in double-figure kills, led by 23 from Myers.
• Baka and Warner each added 16 and Bolding finished with 10.
• Baka added a career-high 17 digs for her third double-double of the season.
• Myers’ season-high kill total came at a .419 efficiency.
• Hinkle finished with 41 assists and 10 digs for the first double-double of her career.
• Bolding served up a career-high four aces while Ramsey added three.
• The Cats reached 10 service aces for the fourth time this season.
• Morris added 15 digs and an ace.
• Warner had seven block assists while Bolding chipped in five.
• Mizzou held a 16-10 edge in total blocks.
• K-State has held its opponents below a .200 hitting percentage in five of seven matches this season.
• Dixon led Missouri with 17 kills and added four block assists.
• Iliff was the only other Tiger in double-figure kills with 10.
• Cox had nine kills and nine errors to go with a match-high 21 digs.

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series 43-34, dating back to 1974.
• The Wildcats are 23-12 at home against the Tigers, as this was the first matchup in Manhattan since 2011.
• The Cats have won the last four meetings in the series and nine of the last 12 overall.
• The match marked the second straight season the former conference rivals have met after a 10-year absence following MU joining the Southeastern Conference.
• Fritz is 42-23 against current members of the SEC.
• K-State’s 6-1 start is its best since beginning the 2018 season with a 10-1 record.
• Bolding’s four aces tied for fifth-most in a five-set match during the rally-scoring era (most since Morris did so last season).
• The Wildcats now own four matches with 10 or more aces, their most in a season since 2007 and the second-most in a season in the rally-scoring era (seven in 2007).
• The Cats are 1-1 in five-set matches this season and have played 39 five-setters since 2017 (20-19).

UP NEXT
K-State begins a six-match road swing at the Rambler Challenge, hosted by Loyola Chicago. The Wildcats will take on Rutgers (10 a.m.) and Loyola Chicago (7:30 p.m.) in a Friday doubleheader before finishing the weekend with St. Thomas on Saturday at noon. Rob Voelker will be on the call for all three matches in Chicago at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app. Friday night’s contest against the Ramblers can be seen on ESPN+.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State suffered its first loss of the seasons at the hands of the UCF Knights Saturday, as UCF outlasted the Wildcats in five sets, 20-25, 25-18, 28-30, 25-15, 15-11, on the final day of the UCF Challenge at The Venue at Addition Financial Arena.

UCF (2-0), who is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches’ Poll and will join the Big 12 Conference for the 2023 volleyball season, held a 72-66 edge in total kills behind 27 from outsider hitter McKenna Melville.

The Wildcats (5-1) saw their five-match winning streak come to an end in their first five-set tilt of the year.

Five Cats turned in at least nine kills, led by Elena Baka’s 19. Aliyah Carter finished with 18 while Kadye Fernholz contributed 11 at a .500 clip.

Junior libero Mackenzie Morris led all players with a career-high 25 digs, her first 20-dig performance of the season and 13^th of her career.

Baka and Morris each landed a spot on the UCF Challenge All-Tournament Team. It is Baka’s second such honor of the season after being tabbed MVP of the K-State Invitational. Morris receives her third-career all-tournament nod.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On K-State’s effort against UCF…
“I loved our effort. If it only came down to just effort, I think we’d be feeling pretty good. I thought that was, at times, the best volleyball that we’ve played thus far – which was required against the best team we’ve played thus far. I felt like we had some passing breakdowns, we gave up a few too many point-scoring runs and got stuck in a couple of rotations. Against a really good team that’s going to be the difference. I think McKenna Melville is a very, very special volleyball player. We knew that going into it, but I thought we had a good plan and thought we battled like crazy. It’ll make us a lot better.”

On Mackenzie Morris’ performance…
“Talk about a special player, Mack Morris is special. What she can do defensively and the shots that she’s taking are amazing. She keeps us in it and frustrates attackers. I’m not even sure Mack Morris knows how special she is, but she is an elite defender.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One
Despite UCF’s 14-12 edge in kills, K-State held the Knights to a .111 hitting percentage in its opening-set win. Conversely, the Wildcats’ offense clipped at a .257 pace. Fernholz needed just four swings to pick up a team-high four kills in the set while Baka added three on 14 attempts.

The first set held 11 tie scores and five lead changes, as the Wildcats used a 5-1 run to break a 13-all tie to claim the final lead of the set and later closed by scoring four of the final five points.

Bolding added two blocks and an ace in the set and Haley Warner added two blocks.

Melville finished with six kills and to pace the Knights.

Set Two
UCF’s efficiency improved to .444 in evening the match, led by six more kills from Melville at a .545 pace. Kari Zumach used just seven swings for six kills in the frame (.857).

A 7-1 scoring run by the Knights turned a two-point K-State lead, 13-11, into a four-point lead at 18-14. The burst included four kills from Zumach and the Knights would not relinquish the lead, closing out by recording seven of the final 10.

K-State was held offensively to 12 kills, hitting 222.

Set Three
Facing a 24-21 deficit with the match tied at set apiece, K-State fended off three consecutive set-point opportunities from UCF and took a 25-24 lead after winning a challenge. The Cats withstood two more UCF set points and converted on their third set-point try, as kills from Baka and Bolding stole a 30-28 set victory.

The Cats finished with a match-high 18 kills in the set at a .239 clip, getting seven kills from Baka. It marked the second straight day in which the Cats won a set by the score of 30-28.

Set Four
The fourth set featured 12 tie scores, the last coming at 18-18. UCF rattled off six of seven points late in the set to take a 21-18 advantage.

K-State climbed within one with consecutive kills from Warner and Fernholz before Melville’s set-sealing kill forced a fifth set.

The Knights hit .394 in picking up 16 kills, committing just three attacking errors on 33 swings. Abby Hansen led UCF while five kills while Carter led K-State with seven kills.

Set Five
The Wildcats rebounded from an early 5-2 by rattling off four three straight points to tie the score at 5 and later took a one-point lead at 7-6, only to see the Knights claim the next three points in building a 5-1 scoring run.

Leading 11-9, three straight kills from Bonde, Zumach and Melville brought the knots to match point, 14-9. Melville’s 27^th kill of the night ended the match and handed K-State its first loss of the season.

The Wildcats turned in their lowest efficiency of the night in the fifth, hitting .000 after being forced into seven errors against seven kills. UCF hit .200 and got three kills from Melville.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .222 as a team (66 kills, 29 errors, 167 attacks).
• UCF finished with a .268 hitting percentage (72 kills, 28 errors, 164 swings).
• The Wildcats had five players record at least nine kills, led by a season-high 19 by Baka.
• Carter produced 18 while Fernholz added nine.
• Fernholz hit .500 and Bolding hit .350 in picking up nine kills.
• Morris led all players with a career-high 25 digs, her first 20-dig performance of the season and 13^th of her career.
• Bolding and Morris each served up two aces.
• K-State has recorded at least five aces in all six matches this season.
• Bolding picked up a team-high five blocks to lead four players with multiple stuffs.
• Loren Hinkle had her first 50-assist performance as she handed out 53 assists.
• Melville paced the Knights with 27 kills to go with 12 digs.
• Zumach pitched in 13 kills and Hansen ended with 12.
• Scheer picked up 21 digs.
• K-State won a set by the score of 30-28 for the second straight day (set three).

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with UCF 2-1, as this was the first meeting between the teams since 2014.
• This was the Wildcats’ first road match at UCF.
• The Knights are set to join the Big 12 Conference next volleyball season.
• The match marked the first true road contest of the season for the Wildcats.
• K-State’s five-match winning streak was snapped, its longest to open a season since 2013 (started 7-0).
• The Wildcats are 36-6-1 all-time against teams from the American Athletic Conference while Fritz owns an 11-1 mark.
• Saturday marked the Wildcats’ first five-set contest of the year and the 38^th five-set match since 2017.

UP NEXT
K-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum for a Wednesday night matchup with former conference rival Missouri. The tilt is set for a 6 p.m. start and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to Rob Voelker on the call on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM) and online at K-StateSports.com/watch.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Kansas State Athletics) – Aliyah Carter led K-State with 20 kills and four aces, pushing the Wildcats to a four-set victory over Syracuse, 25-23, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, on the first day of the UCF Challenge at The Venue Thursday.

Carter hit .366 in producing her 12^th career 20-kill performance, as she now sits alone in second place in K-State history for 20-kill matches during the rally-scoring era. Additionally, the 20 kills pushed her over the 800-kill mark with 801.

The Wildcats (4-0) served up 11 aces in pushing their winning streak to four matches. Carter’s four aces equaled her career high while Sydney Bolding added three and Elena Baka chipped in a pair.

Baka joined Carter in double-figure kills with 17 at a .297 pace, adding six digs and four blocks. Loren Hinkle handed out 44 assists along with eight digs and Mackenzie Morris led all players with 17 digs.

Victoriia Lokhmanchuk (22) and Polina Shemanova (17) accounted for 39 of Syracuse’s (2-2) 57 kills. Lokhmanchuk hit .383 and finished with three blocks and three digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One
K-State tallied the first four points of the match, including back-to-back aces by Baka, as it never trailed in set one. The Cats’ extended their lead to 13-7 following a 6-1 run that featured kills from both Baka and Carter.

The Orange used a four-point run of their own to even the score at 21. Three kills from Baka helped propel the Wildcats to a 4-2 closing run. Baka and Carter each put down five kills in the set, helping the Cats hit .344.

Set Two
An early four-point scoring run behind the serve of Bolding helped K-State claim a 5-3 lead. A stretch of six straight points on the Molly Ramsey’s serve saw the Cats’ lead swell to 11-4.

Syracuse was forced into 10 attacking errors while it gathered only nine kills for a -.028 hitting percentage. The Wildcat defense totaled four blocks, with two block assists from both Bolding and Kadye Fernholz.

Set Three
Syracuse jumped out to a 5-1 lead only to see K-State respond by scoring 10 of the next 15 points to claim a 11-10 edge. From there, the teams traded points in a frame that saw 11 tie scores and four lead changes. The last lead-change came when the Orange earned the set win behind three consecutive points.

Carter led K-State with six kills while Baka added five in the third. Lokhmanchuk led SU with six. Syracuse hit .318 to the Cats’ .256.

Set Four
Aces from Bolding, Carter and Morris kickstarted K-State’s set-opening 12-4 run. From there, the Wildcats led the rest of the way and racked up five aces in pushing their winning streak to four matches.

Carter tacked on four more kills while Baka added three. Lokhmanchuk produced seven kills on 13 swings the Syracuse.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On the match overall…
“It was a little bit of a left-side battle. They have two very capable left-side hitters that we knew, from a defensive perspective, could be challenging. I thought we did a decent job against them, for the most part. If you look at distribution for them, that’s about 60 percent of their swings going (to them). We knew that was going to be an important factor in the match, so I think we did a decent job there. Obviously, we could’ve done a little bit better job containing (Victoriia Lokhmanchuk), but in contrast to that, I thought our lefts were very good. So it did become a bit of a left-side battle.”

On her team’s left-side hitters…
“Aliyah was doing tremendous things for us – five kills a game – which is a tremendous performance for her. She and Elena are carrying a significant load for us right now. They’re playing six rotations, we are asking them to do a lot, asking them to touch it a lot. When it came right down to it, I thought they did a tremendous job on the left. I thought (setter) Loren Hinkle was really good locating left side, as well. I think the difference was were just a little bit better there.”

On K-State’s serving effort…
“We were 95 percent in and very low error and pretty disruptive. We won the serving and receiving battle and we knew they were going to be a big, physical team and needed to be able to do some things with our serving. I thought we were pretty strategic and efficient with it.”

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .262 as a team (52 kills, 18 errors, 130 attacks).
• Syracuse turned in a .224 hitting percentage (57 kills, 24 errors, 147 swings).
• Carter finished with a team-high 20 kills while hitting .366, adding seven digs.
• Carter produced her first 20-kill match of the season and the 12^th of her career.
• Her 12 career 20-kill outings are second-most in K-State history during the rally-scoring era.
• Carter added four aces, which equaled her career high.
• K-State recorded 11 aces against just five service errors.
• Bolding set a career high with three service aces.
• Baka hit .297 in posting 17 kills.
• Hinkle dished out a career-high 44 assists and added eight digs.
• Bolding led the Cats with five blocks while Baka and Bolding each added four.
• Morris paced all players with 17 digs, as she has four straight matches with double-figure digs to begin the season.
• Lokhmanchuk led Syracuse with 22 kills at a .383 clip.
• Hoffman logged a double-double with 22 assists and 14 digs.

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with Syracuse 3-1, as this was the first meeting between the sides since 2017.
• K-State starts the season 4-0 for the first time since 2013 (started 7-0).
• The Wildcats are 19-10 against teams from the ACC, including a 2-0 mark this season.
• Carter surpassed 800 career kills, now sitting at 801.
• The Cats’ 11 aces tied for fourth-most in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era and most since 2013.

UP NEXT
K-State continues the UCF Challenge Friday against North Florida, with first serve set for 3:30 p.m. CT. The match can be seen on FloVolleyball and fans can listen to Rob Voelker on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State and its undefeated record hit the road for the first time this season, as the Wildcats head to the UCF Challenge at The Venue from September 1-3, where they will take on Syracuse, North Florida and UCF.

K-State, who starts its season 3-0 for the first time since 2013, opens the three-day tournament against Syracuse on Thursday at 3 p.m. CT and continues Friday against North Florida at 3:30 p.m. CT. The Cats will finish the weekend against future Big 12 foe UCF Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Wildcats defeated Sam Houston, NC State and Florida A&M on its way to the K-State Invitational title. Elena Baka and Sydney Bolding were both voted to the all-tournament team, with Baka claiming MVP honors after leading the team with 26 kills and eight aces.

Through the season’s first week, K-State leads the Big 12 in blocks per set (3.15), service aces (23) and opponent hitting percentage (.049). The Cats’ opponent efficiency allowed is the third-best mark in the country while their blocks per set ranks 12^th.

K-State’s matches against Syracuse and North Florida will be broadcast on FloVolleyball while the UCF tilt can be seen on ESPN+. Rob Voelker will call all three days with Thursday’s contest begin carried on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM). All three matches can be heard at K-StateSports.com/Watch or on the K-State Sports app.

MATCH #4
K-STATE (3-0, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. SYRACUSE (2-1, 0-0 ACC)
Thursday, Sept. 1 // 3 p.m. CT // The Venue // Orlando, Fla.
Watch: FloVolleyball ($) (Despina Barton, Meg Fitzgerald)
Radio: News Radio KMAN (Rob Voelker)
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com
Live Stats

MATCH #5
K-STATE (3-0, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. NORTH FLORIDA (1-2, 0-0 ASUN)
Friday, Sept. 2 // 3:30 p.m. CT // The Venue // Orlando, Fla.
Watch: FloVolleyball ($) (Eric Lopez, Meg Fitzgerald)
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com (Rob Voelker)
Live Stats

MATCH #6
K-STATE (3-0, 0-0 BIG 12) at RV UCF (0-0, 0-0 AAC)
Saturday, Sept. 3 // 6 p.m. CT // The Venue // Orlando, Fla.
Watch: ESPN+ (Eric Lopez, Meg Fitzgerald)
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350KMAN.com (Rob Voelker)
Live Stats

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

• K-State started its 2022 campaign with a 3-0 start at the season-opening K-State Invitational at Bramlage Coliseum, picking up wins over Sam Houston, NC State and Florida A&M.
• The Wildcats began a season with three consecutive victories for the first time since 2013 and opened its home schedule 3-0 for the second straight season.
• Senior transfer Elena Baka was tabbed K-State Invitational MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Sydney Bolding.
• Baka played six rotations in all three contests and Led K-State with 26 kills and eight service aces.
• Baka picked up a double-double in the Cats’ four-set win over NC State, registering 12 kills and 10 digs.
• Bolding was the team’s efficiency leader, as she hit .537 in racking up 22 kills without an error over the weekend.
• She posted a career-best 13 kills on 26 swings against the Wolfpack and added six on 12 attempts against the Bearkats.
• As a team, K-State held its opponents to a combined .049 hitting percentage – tops in the Big 12 in the opening weekend.
• The Wildcats limited Florida A&M to a -.041 team efficiency while holding NC State to .058 over four sets.
• K-State racked up 17.5 team blocks against the Wolfpack, which eclipsed its season high a season ago.
• Kadye Fernholz was the team leader with 18 total blocks and currently leads the Big 12 at 1.80 blocks per set.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

• K-State travels to future Big 12 member UCF for the three-day UCF Challenge at The Venue in Orlando, Florida.
• The Wildcats will open the even against Syracuse, who went 2-1 at the Charlotte Invitational.
• The Orange defeated Campbell in four sets and earned a five-set win over Wofford before falling in straight sets to Charlotte.
• SU was led by Polina Shemonavoa and her 50 kills (4.17 per set) and Victoriia Lokhmanchuck’s 43 kills (3.91 per set).
• K-State will take on North Florida on Friday after the Ospreys went 1-2 at the Gators Invitational in Gainesville, Florida.
• UNF took the opening set off host No. 15 Florida before the Gators took the next three sets.
• North Florida earned a three-set win over East Tennessee State to finish the weekend after being swept by Virginia.
• Mahalia White paced the Osprey offense with 4.80 kills per set at a .383 pace.
• UNF, the No. 6 team in the ASUN’s preseason poll, feature ASUN Defensive Player of the Year in libero Rocio Moro.
• Future conference foe UCF will complete the weekend for the Wildcats, as the Knights are coming off a trip to the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.
• UCF, who did not play in the season’s opening weekend, is the unanimous favorite to win the American Athletic Conference as the four-time defending AAC champion.
• Outside hitter McKenna Melville was tabbed AAC Preseason Player of the Year for the third straight season.
• Melville was joined on the Preseason All-AAC Team by setter Amber Olson and middle blocker Claudia Dillon.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• K-State opens owns the all-time series edge against the three other teams in the field at the UCF Challenge.
• The Wildcats are 2-1 all-time against Syracuse, however, the Orange claimed the last meeting in 2017 – a four-set decision in Manhattan.
• Syracuse will mark the second ACC team that the Cats will face this season, as K-State is 18-10 against teams from the conference.
• The Cats won the only previous matchup with North Florida, a four-set victory in 2017 at the Georgia Tech Invitational.
• Head coach Suzie Fritz is 3-0 all-time against teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
• Saturday’s contest will mark the first between K-State and UCF since the 2014 season, as the Cats are 2-0 against the Knights all-time.
• It will be the first road meeting in the series for K-State, as this will be the last meeting between the sides as non-conference opponents.
• Fritz is 16-2 against teams from the American Athletic Conference.

BOLDING BREAKING OUT

• Senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding had an opening weekend to remember as she was named to the K-State Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• It marked the first all-tournament selection of Bolding’s Wildcat career, as she transferred from Jacksonville before the 2021 season and missed the first three weeks of the season due to an injury.
• Bolding led the Cats, and currently ranks third in the Big 12 with her .537 hitting percentage.
• The Pickens, South Carolina, product did not commit a single attacking error over three matches, racking up 22 kills on 41 swings.
• Friday against NC State, she set a career high with 13 kills while also totaling seven blocks.
• In the season opener against Sam Houston, Bolding put down six kills on 12 attacks and added a pair of aces.

DEFENSIVE CATS

• In the season’s opening weekend, K-State held its opponents to a combined .049 hitting percentage.
• The .049 mark is best in the Big 12 and third nationally.
• The Cats held Florida A&M to a -.041 team efficiency, as they forced the Rattlers into 21 errors while allowing only 18 kills.
• Behind 17.5 blocks, the Wildcats held NC State to a .058 team efficiency, a the block total tied for fourth-most in program history during a four-set match during the rally-scoring era.
• The 17.5 blocks also surpassed K-State’s season high from last season, while five players turned in at least four blocks against the Wolfpack.
• Fernholz is currently the Big 12 leader with 18 blocks and 1.80 blocks per set.
• The team’s 3.15 blocks per set average is best in the Big 12 and ranks 12th nationally.

NEW POSITION, WHO DIS?

• K-State senior Loren Hinkle made the switch of defensive specialist to setter ahead of the 2022 season.
• She earned the start in each of the Wildcats’ first three matches, handing out 73 assists (9.13 per set) in leading her team to a 3-0 start.
• In addition to setting career-high assist totals, Hinkle also tallied seven blocks, including six against NC State, for the first stuffs of her collegiate career.
• Hinkle led the offense to a .313 efficiency over three matches, with a .357 mark against Sam Houston the opener.

1K IN A HURRY

• Juniors Aliyah Carter and Mackenzie Morris are each approaching the 1,000 club in kills and digs, respectively.
• In just over two seasons, Carter has racked up 781 kills while Morris has accumulated 812 digs.
• Each have played in just 52 career matches, including the shortened 2020-21 season which featured only 21 contests.
• If both remain at their current pace, they would be the fastest players in K-State history in the rally-scoring era to reach the 1,000-kill and -dig milestones.
• Currently, Carter’s career average of 4.03 kills per set is tops in program history during the rally-scoring era while Morris is second at 4.01 digs a set.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – Behind 18 kills at a .516 clip from freshman Shaylee Myers, K-State rolled to a straight-set victory over Florida A&M, 25-14, 25-13, 25-16, to complete an undefeated season-opening weekend and claim the K-State Invitational title Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Wildcats (3-0) never trailed in beginning their season with three straight wins for the first time since 2013, holding Florida A&M (0-3) to a -.041 team hitting percentage. K-State’s offense owned a 42-18 edge in total kills while hitting at a .395 pace.

Playing six rotations and averaging 2.60 kills per set and 1.90 digs a set in addition to eight service aces, senior transfer Elena Baka was named K-State Invitational MVP. Baka was joined on the all-tournament team by senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding, who hit .537 in averaging 2.44 kills per set and producing 10 total blocks.

Myers, in her first extended action at outside hitter, turned in 11 kills in the third set alone, needing just 18 swings in committing one error (.556). The Lincoln, Nebraska, product added six kills in the second set and finished the match with four of the Wildcats’ eight aces.

Freshman setter Ava LeGrand also saw action in all three sets, handing out a career-best 31 assists along with five digs. Freshman Brenna Schmidt turned in her first collegiate kill and blocks, as K-State utilized 12 of 13 players on its roster Saturday.

Kadye Fernholz and Haley Warner tied for second on the team with seven kills apiece. Fernholz, who needed just nine attacks, also had a team-high six blocks (five assists, one solo).

As a team, K-State held its opponents to a combined .049 hitting percentage at the K-State Invitational.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One
K-State tallied the first four points of the match behind the serve of Baka on its way to opening an 11-4 lead over FAMU. Six different Wildcats produced kills in the opening set, with three coming from Baka.

The Cats strung together four different scoring runs of at least three points, including a four-point spurt that included two aces by Myers.

Behind three team blocks, Florida A&M was forced into seven errors while it tallied just seven kills for a .000 team efficiency. Dominique Washington was responsible for five of her team’s seven kills in the stanza.

Set Two
K-State used an early seven-point run to create a 10-3 advantage. The stretch featured kills by four different players in Bolding, Fernholz, Myers and Warner. The Wildcats’ lead swelled to 12 points, 19-7, after another four-point run.

Myers led the offense with six kills on 11 attacks with just one error (.455) while Fernholz added three kills on three swings.

Fernholz and LeGrand each racked up three blocks in helping the Cats to five total blocks, forcing the Rattlers into 10 errors against three kills for a -.280 team hitting percentage. Morris piled up eight of K-State’s 12 digs.

Set Three
Baka’s serve against sparked an early rally, as K-State tallied the first three points of the final set. The Cats’ lead later pushed to nine points at 18-9 following a 4-1 burst, while FAMU managed to string together consecutive points just twice in the third set.

Eleven more kills from Myers upped her match-high total to 18, which equaled the Ratter’s total for the entire match. Myers hit .556 in the final set.

The Cats totaled 18 kills in the frame and hit .417. Warner compiled three kills on just four swings while Fernholz added two kills on three attempts.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz

On using her team’s depth against Florida A&M…
“It’s a good weekend for us. Twenty-four hours to try and play three matches is pretty difficult on a team, so the thing I was most grateful for was we did our job early in the games and use our team and use our personnel and get sone people in the match. That was incredibly beneficial for us and then to sustain a level of consistent level of play as we worked people in and out of the match, that was the part for me that felt really good. It allowed us to put some rested people in and I thought they took advantage of their opportunities.”

On freshman Shaylee Myers’ performance…
“Shaylee does that every day. That doesn’t surprise us because that what’s doing every day. She’s making a run every day and making the outside hitter position really competitive. I think to do that as a freshman, to be able to come in and challenge in the way that she does, they all give us a little bit something different, but I don’t have any doubt she’s going to be in the mix for us.”

On K-State’s offensive balance and setters in the first weekend…
“The better teams we face, you can’t really rely on one or two, but balancing your offense matters a lot. It’s a lot harder to defend, of course, if you can get everyone rolling at the same time. I think we are getting pretty good production. I am really happy with our setters right now. I thought Loren Hinkle was wonderful in the first couple of matches. I think [Ava] LeGrand came in and got us rolling as well. We are really happy. Distribution, a lot of times, is based on two things: your ability to handle the ball and then your setter’s ability to distribute it. I think we are in a good place for this early in the season.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .395 as a team (42 kills, 10 errors, 81 attacks).
• Florida A&M turned in a -.041 hitting percentage (18 kills, 21 errors, 74 swings).
• Myers led all players with 18 kills while hitting .516 (2 errors, 31 swings).
• Myers also added four service aces.
• Baka and Hinkle each served up a pair of aces, as K-State finished with eight in the match.
• Fernholz and Warner each added seven kills, with Fernholz hitting at a .778 clip.
• LeGrand dished out 31 assists along with five digs in her first extended action of the season.
• Morris produced a team-leading 14 digs, finishing with 46 for the weekend.
• The Cats totaled nine team blocks, with Fernholz leading the way with six (five assists, one solo).
• Schmidt recorded her first kill and first blocks of her career.
• K-State utilized 12 of 13 players on its roster.
• Washington led FAMU with nine kills.
• Aja Jones was second for the Rattlers with three kills.
• Libero Brooke Hudson led FAMU with 13 digs.
• Nina Sharpton tallied 16 assists.

NOTES

• K-State leads the all-time series with Florida A&M 3-0.
• K-State starts the season 3-0 for the first time since 2013.
• Morris, a junior, surpassed 800 career digs (812) atter recording 46 over three matches in the opening weekend.
• Hinkle’s five aces this weekend pushed her over 80 career aces, as the senior now sits at 84 career service aces.

K-STATE INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Elena Baka, K-State (MVP)
Sydney Bolding, K-State
Ava Brizard, NC State
Kristen McDaniel, NC State
Madison Dyer, Sam Houston
Dominique Washington, Florida A&M

UP NEXT
K-State heads to Orlando, Florida, for the UCF Challenge, where it will take on Syracuse, North Florida and UCF over three days beginning Thursday. The Cats’ contest at UCF on Saturday will be streamed live on ESPN+ while all three contests will have radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM) and online at K-StateSports.com/watch.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State opened its 2022 season with a pair of victories at the K-State Invitational, taking down Sam Houston in straight sets (25-14, 25-22, 25-14) before a four-set victory over NC State (25-27, 25-14, 25-17, 25-18) to finish the Friday doubleheader at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Wildcats’ offense hit .357 in their sweep of the Bearkats while the defense logged 17.5 blocks against the Wolfpack. In total, K-State (2-0) limited its opponents to a combined .078 hitting percentage in beginning the season 2-0 for the first time since 2018.

Junior Aliyah Carter totaled 23 kills over two matches and carded a double-double against NC State with 11 kills and 10 digs. Senior transfer Elena Baka also turned in a double-double against the Wolfpack with 12 kills and 10 digs.

Senior Loren Hinkle, in her first career action at setter, handed out 68 assists while adding 18 digs and three aces Friday. Middle blocker Sydney Bolding hit .500 in setting a new career high with 13 kills against NC State.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State head coach Suzie Fritz
On responding after dropping the first set against NC State…
“We didn’t feel like we were playing poorly in the first [set], we just didn’t finish it. I think we felt pretty good going into the second that if we were just able to sustain some level of consistency, we were going to be just fine. They’re all big, but a preseason win over a good NC State team that, I think, is going to get a lot better. They’ve got a lot of new pieces they’re trying to figure out and they’re going to have a pretty good year. We just didn’t give up points in bunches and, particularly, didn’t get stuck in one side-out rotation and give up two or three at a time. I thought that was the difference.”

On her team’s offensive balance against the Wolfpack…

“You can only get offensive balance if you ball handle well enough to distribute the ball. I like our passing right now. I thought it was really, really good and really consistent. I thought Loren Hinkle did a really nice job. It’s quite special given her previous role and the role we are asking her to do now (setter), the effectiveness in which she is running our offense. So a lot of things have to come together to distribute in that manner.”
On Sydney Bolding’s efficient night…

“Based on how she’s playing, we call that “feed the bear.” She was unstoppable at times, so you just ride it until they can stop it. I thought she and Loren really had a nice connection, but again, you have to handle the ball well enough to be able to set those front quicks. So there’s connected contacts there or us.”

MATCH 1: K-STATE 3, SAM HOUSTON 0
In the first match of the day, K-State’s offense hummed at a .357 clip, with Carter logging a match-high 12 kills in the Wildcats’ straight-set victory over Sam Houston, 25-14, 25-22, 25-14.

Carter, who hit .312, was joined in double-figure kills by Baka, as the senior transfer put down 10 kills while hitting .333. Hinkle, playing setter for the first time in her career, handed out a career-high 31 assists while recording nine digs and libero Mackenzie Morris paced the back row with 14 digs.

The Wildcats limited Sam Houston to a .108 team hitting percentage while owning a 43-28 edge in total kills.

The Cats led throughout the opening set, racing out to a 10-2 lead, a run that included six straight points behind the serve of Carter. K-State forced SHSU into more errors (10) than it produced kills (7) for a -.103 attacking efficiency. Conversely, the Wildcat offense registered 12 kills and hit .333.

Baka accounted for five kills on 10 attempts with one error (.400) in the first set while Carter carded three kills on five swings.

Set two saw seven ties and three lead changes, with the Bearkats withstanding three set-point opportunities before a tandem block by Carter and Kadye Fernholz handed the Cats a two-set lead.

Leading by one late in the frame, 20-19, a four-point spurt gave K-State a 24-19 lead. Sydney Bolding served up one of her two aces in the 4-0 run.

Carter put up six kills in the second set while Morris picked up seven digs.

The Wildcats tallied the first seven points of the third set and later led 10-2, as they never trailed in completing the season-opening sweep. Bolding’s serve again sparked the set-opening run that included an ace to go with two kills from both Carter and Haley Warner.

Five of Warner’s seven kills came in the final stanza. As a team, K-State totaled a match-high 17 kills at a .429 pace in the third.

Fernholz paced the front line with three blocks while Bolding, Carter and Warner each finished with a pair.

In addition to Baka, freshmen Ava LeGrand, Shaylee Myers, Brenna Schmidt and Dalia Wilson each made their Wildcat debuts. Myers picked up three kills on four swings while LeGrand added five assists.

Catherin Krieger led Sam Houston with 11 kills while hitting .364. Madison Dyer tallied four blocks and Hannah Baker picked up 10 digs to lead the Bearkat defense.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .357 as a team (43 kills, 8 errors, 98 attacks).
• Sam Houston turned in a .108 hitting percentage (29 kills, 19 errors, 93 swings).
• Carter led all players with 12 kills while Baka was next with 10.
• Morris paced the Cats with 14 digs along with four assists.
• Hinkle, in her first collegiate start at setter, handed out 31 assists with nine digs.
• Bolding hit .500 in racking up six kills in addition to two blocks and two aces.
• Five Cats hit north of .300 (minimum 10 attacks) in the win: Baka, Bolding, Carter, Fernholz and Warner.
• Baka and Bolding each rung up a pair of aces.
• Fernholz logged a team-leading three blocks along with five kills (.308).
• Krieger was the only Bearkat to reach double-digit kills, logging 11 at a .364 pace.
• Baker finished with 10 digs while Dyer added four blocks.
• Sam Houston posted more errors (10) than kills (7) in the opening set for a -.103 efficiency.

MATCH 2: K-STATE 3, NC STATE 1
K-State completed a doubleheader sweep Friday behind double-doubles from Baka and Carter in addition to 17.5 team blocks, limiting NC State to a .058 team hitting percentage in a four-set win at the K-State Invitational, 25-27, 25-14, 25-17, 2-18

Bolding’s 13 kills marked a career high while she hit a .500 clip (0 errors on 26 attacks). The senior middle blocker added seven blocks and an ace. Baka (12 kills, 10 digs) and Carter (11 kills, 10 digs) each logged the first double-doubles of the season for K-State.

The Wildcat defense held the Wolfpack to a team hitting percentage of .100 or less in three of four sets, including a -.125 mark in the third set. K-State totaled 11.5 total blocks in the first two sets, as Carter and Fernholz tallied six blocks each in that stretch.

Carter and Hinkle each set career-high block totals, with Carter ending with seven and Hinkle with six. Hinkle flirted with a double-double after dishing out 37 assists to go with nine digs.

K-State served up 10 aces in the win, with four coming from Baka. Hinkle and Warner each chipped in a pair. Morris logged 18 digs and an ace.

In the opening set, which possessed 12 tie scores and seven lead changes, saw K-State reach set point at 24-23 only to see NC State respond by scoring four of the final five points to steal a 1-0 lead. In the frame, Carter turned in five kills while Baka added three.

Behind 14 total kills at a .382 clip, the K-State offense responded to even the match at a set apiece. The Cats’ lead swelled to 10 points in the second set (21-11) after a three-point run that included kills by Baka and Bolding.

NC State was forced into 10 errors while adding just six kills in the third. Leading 17-15 in the latter stages of set, the Cats closed by scoring eight of the next 10 points to earn a 2-1 lead. In the third, K-State got two kills each from Baka, Bolding, Carter and Warner.

K-State never trailed in closing out its doubleheader sweep. Bolding caught fire by putting down seven kills on 12 swings without an error in the fourth. Baka contributed three kills and Carter and Fernholz each added two.

Again, the Wildcats held a slim 17-15 edge before finishing on an 8-3 spurt, which featured three kills by both Baka and Bolding.

NC State failed to have a player crack double-figure kills, as Jada Allen produced a team-leading nine kills while hitting .263.

Libero Priscilla Hernandez carded a match-high 21 digs.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .234 as a team (47 kills, 14 errors, 141 attacks).
• NC State turned in a .058 hitting percentage (40 kills, 32 errors, 137 swings).
• Bolding hit .500 and led the Cats with a career-high 13 kills.
• Baka added a dozen kills at a .306 clip while Carter ended with 11 to round out three in double figures.
• With 10 digs each, Baka and Carter registered double-doubles.
• K-State produced 17.5 blocks as a team – tied for the fourth most in a four-set match and its highest total in a four-set match since 2019.
• Morris finished with a team-leading 18 digs and Molly Ramsey carded a career-high nine digs.
• Carter added a career-high seven blocks (six assists, one solo).
• Fernholz had a match-high nine blocks (eight assists, one solo).
• Bolding chipped in seven block assists and Hinkle added a career-high six.
• Hinkle flirted with a double-double with a career-best 37 assists to go with nine digs.
• The Wildcats held NC State below a .200 team efficiency in all four sets and .100 or under in three frames.
• As a team, K-State racked up 10 aces and were led by four from Baka.
• No player from NC State cracked double-digit kills, as the Wolfpack were led by nine kills from Allen.
• Priscilla Hernández posted a match-high 21 digs for the Wolfpack.

NOTES

• This was the first-ever meeting between K-State and Sam Houston.
• K-State leads the all-time series with NC State 2-1.
• The Wildcats are 6-1 against teams from the WAC while Fritz is a perfect 5-0.
• K-State is 18-10 vs. members of the ACC.
• Five Wildcats – Baka, LeGrand, Myers, Schmidt and Wilson – made their K-State debuts Friday.
• The Cats opened the season with a sweep for the first time since 2018.
• K-State begins its season 2-0 for the first time since the 2018 campaign.
• K-State is 9-2 in its last 11 season openers.
• The Cats’ 17.5 blocks were tied for fourth-most in a four- set match and their highest output since the 2019 season.

UP NEXT
K-State concludes the 2022 K-State Invitational Saturday against Florida A&M at 12:30 p.m. The match can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM) and streaming online at K-StateSports.com/watch.

•  Box Score (Sam Houston)
•  Box Score (NC State)
•  Photo Gallery 1
•  Photo Gallery 2

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State officially opens its 2022 volleyball season Friday at the K-State Invitational, as the Wildcats will take on Sam Houston, NC State and Florida A&M over two days at Bramlage Coliseum.

K-State, who opens the season at home for the first time since 2012, will begin its campaign with a Friday doubleheader against the Bearkats (12 p.m.) and Wolfpack (7:30 p.m.). The weekend concludes Saturday at 12:30 against 2021 SWAC champion Florida A&M.

The Wildcats earned a five-set victory over Wayne State last Friday in its lone exhibition match of the preseason. In the match, Elena Baka, Aliyah Carter and Ava LeGrand each registered double-doubles.

The Wildcats are coming off a season in which they qualified for their 18^th all-time NCAA Tournament, and 13^th under 22^nd-year head coach Suzie Fritz. It marked K-State’s first postseason bid since the 2016 season.

The team retains seven letterwinners from the 2021 squad, including starters in Sydney Bolding, Carter, Kadye Fernholz, Loren Hinkle and Mackenzie Morris. K-State also added six newcomers, including five freshmen and one transfer in Baka.

All three contests during the opening weekend will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Fans can stream Rob Voelker’s call all weekend online at K-StateSports.com/Watch or on the K-State Sports app.

Tickets start at $5 when purchased in advance online at K-StateSports.com/Tickets, by calling 800-221-CATS or by stopping by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at Bramlage Coliseum.

MATCH #1
K-STATE (0-0, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. SAM HOUSTON (0-0, 0-0 WAC)
Friday, August 26 // 12 p.m. // Bramlage Coliseum // Manhattan, Kan.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: News Radio KMAN // Rob Voelker
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350kman.com
Live Stats | Tickets

MATCH #2
K-STATE (0-0, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. NC STATE (0-0, 0-0 ACC)
Friday, August 26 // 7:30 p.m. // Bramlage Coliseum // Manhattan, Kan.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: News Radio KMAN // Rob Voelker
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350kman.com
Live Stats | Tickets

MATCH #3
K-STATE (0-0, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. FLORIDA A&M (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
Saturday, August 27 // 12:30 p.m. // Bramlage Coliseum // Manhattan, Kan.
Watch: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Radio: News Radio KMAN // Rob Voelker
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch // 1350kman.com
Live Stats | Tickets

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

• K-State is geared up for its 49th season of volleyball, as the Wildcats begin the season Friday at the annual K-State Invitational.
• Over two days, the Cats will take on Sam Houston, NC State and Florida A&M at Bramlage Coliseum – marking the first time K-State will begin its season at home since 2012.
• The Wildcats are coming off their 18th postseason appearance in program history and the 13th under head coach Suzie Fritz, who enters her 22nd year at the helm.
• It was the Cats’ first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2016 season, as they were ousted in the first round by Florida State in Lincoln, Nebraska.
• K-State retains seven letterwinners from last year’s postseason squad, including four starters in addition to libero Mackenzie Morris.
• Other returning starters include Sydney Bolding, Aliyah Carter, Kadye Fernholz and Loren Hinkle.
• The seven returners are joined by six newcomers, which are comprised of five freshmen and one transfer in senior Elena Baka.
• K-State hosted Wayne State in its lone exhibition contest of the preseason on Friday, with the Wildcats earning a five-set victory over WSC.
• In the match, Baka, Carter and Ava LeGrand each carded a double-double, with Carter leading the way with 18 kills.
• Baka totaled 17 kills to go with 13 digs while LeGrand, a freshman, handed out 34 assists while posting 11 digs.
• Morris led all players Friday with 33 digs and two aces.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

• In the season’s opening weekend, K-State will take on Sam Houston and NC State in a Friday doubleheader before finishing against Florida A&M on Saturday.
• Sam Houston was picked to finished fourth in the WAC preseason coaches’ poll after winning the WAC’s Southwest Division a season ago.
• The Bearkats, who return 10 letterwinners, advanced to the first round of last seasons’ NIVC.
• SHSU’s Hannah Baker was tabbed WAC Preseason Libero of the Year and was an All-WAC Second Team selection in 2021.
• NC State finished the 2021 campaign with a 16-13 mark (10-8 ACC), good for a sixth-place tie in the ACC standings.
• The Wolfpack lost their top three kill producers in Melissa Evans, Jade Parchment and Taylor Rowland.
• Sophomore middle blocker Jada Allen returns, along with her 1.86 kills per set and 0.78 blocks a set.
• Florida A&M qualified for last season’s NCAA Tournament after a 25-7 record (14-2 SWAC) and winning the SWAC tournament.
• The defending SWAC champions saw four named preseason All-SWAC, including Preseason Player of the Year Dominique Washington, Preseason Setter of the Year Irem Ucar and Preseason Libero of the Year Jada Taylor.
• Washington ranked third in the nation a season ago with 489 kills and fifth with 539.5 points.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• K-State opens its season against Sam Houston and will mark the teams’ first-ever matchup.
• In its history, K-State is 5-1 against teams from the Western Athletic Conference while Fritz is 4-0 in her career.
• The Wildcats and NC State have split the two previous meetings, with the last coming in the 2019 season in Raleigh.
• The Wolfpack claimed a four-set victory at Reynolds Coliseum, and this will mark the team’s first meeting in Manhattan.
• The Cats are 17-10 against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference with Fritz boasting a 10-9 mark against the league.
• K-State owns a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series with Florida A&M.
• The sides last faced off in the 2015 season opener, with the Wildcats coming away with a straight-set victory in Miami.
• FAMU is the only team currently in the Southwestern Athletic Conference that K-State has faced.

RETURN AISLE

• K-State retains seven letterwinners, including five starters, from last season’s NCAA postseason team.
• Returners include Sydney Bolding, Aliyah Carter, Kadye Fernholz, Loren Hinkle, Mackenzie Morris, Molly Ramsey and Haley Warner.
• Bolding, Carter, Fernholz, Hinkle, Morris and Warner each started over half the matches during the 2021 season.
• Carter was the team’s leader in kills (431) and points (478) while Fernholz paced the front line with 106 blocks.
• Hinkle led the Cats with 34 aces while Morris was K-State’s digs leader for the second straight season with 423.
• Warner was second last season with 233 kills from the right side.

NEW CATS

• In addition to the seven returners, K-State welcomes in six newcomers to the 2022 roster in Elena Baka, Aniya Clinton, Ava LeGrand, Shaylee Myers, Brenna Schmidt and Dalia Wilson.
• Baka, LeGrand and Myers each saw time in last Friday’s exhibition win against Wayne State, as Baka and LeGrand each registered double-doubles.
• Baka, a senior transfer from Saint Mary’s, matched her career high with 17 kills while also logging 15 digs.
• LeGrand, a freshman setter from Papillion, Nebraska, handed out a team-best 34 assists to pair with 11 digs.
• A high school all-American, LeGrand saw action in four of five sets while splitting time with Hinkle.

1K IN A HURRY

• Juniors Aliyah Carter and Mackenzie Morris are each approaching the 1,000 club in kills and digs, respectively.
• After just two seasons, Carter has racked up 756 kills while Morris as accumulated 766 digs.
• Each have played in just 49 career matches, including the shortened 2020-21 season which featured only 21 contests.
• If both remain at their current pace, they would be the fastest players in K-State history in the rally-scoring era to reach the 1,000-kill and -dig milestones.
• Currently, Carter’s career average of 4.06 kills per set is tops in program history during the rally-scoring era while Morris is second at 3.99 digs a set.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Last season, the Wildcats went 9-2 when winning the first set and 7-1 when leading 2-0.
• Head coach Suzie Fritz is 300-60 (.833) in her career when leading a match 1-0.
• The Wildcats went 8-3 when splitting the first two sets and 12-1 when leading the match 2-1.
• K-State hit over .300 three times last season, with two of those being five-set contests.
• It marked the first time in program history (rally-scoring era) that the Cats posted two five-set matches with better than a .300 efficiency in the same season.
• The last time K-State hit .300 or better in a five-set match was the 2017 season.
• Last season, K-State was 13-3 when hitting .200 or better 12-1 when holding opponents under .200.
• In her career, Fritz is 136-3 when her teams hit north of .300 and she is 71-0 when holding opponents under .100.

NEW HOME SWEET HOME

• K-State will call Bramlage Coliseum home for the third and final season after moving from its traditional home of Ahearn Field House due health and safety considerations related to COVID-19 in 2020.
• The Wildcats await the completed construction of their new facility, Morgan Family Arena, which is set to be ready for the 2023 volleyball season.
• The Wildcats are 31-12 (.721) all-time when playing in Bramlage Coliseum, including a 6-5 record last season after an 8-4 mark in 2020.
• The Cats have won 20 of their last 31 matches played at Bramlage Coliseum, going back to 2016.

•  Watch (Big 12 Now on ESPN+)
•  Listen
•  Live Stats
•  Tickets
•  Match Notes (PDF)

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State saw Elena Baka, Aliyah Carter and Ava LeGrand each produce double-doubles in its lone exhibition contest Friday night, as the Wildcats took down Wayne State in five sets at Bramlage Coliseum, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12.

Carter led K-State with 18 kills while logging 13 digs and Baka put down 17 kills with 15 digs. LeGrand, a freshman setter, dished out 34 assists to go with 11 digs. Sydney Bolding rounded out a trio of Wildcats in double-digit kills, as she finished with 12 at a team-best .346 efficiency.

WSC, who is ranked No. 17 in the AVCA Division II preseason coaches’ poll, was led by Kelsie Cada with a match-best 24 kills to pair with 16 digs. Setter Rachel Walker handed out 50 assists while recording 20 digs.

“I think it’s exactly what we needed,” said head coach Suzie Fritz. “A frustrating team that plays really good defense, they made it hard to kill it. (They have) two pretty physical middles and it was challenging because they were really mixing their shots a lot. There was a lot of tip and roll and we had to figure out how to handle that and convert that, which was a challenge.

“I just thought we were too high error. Just being able to manage the ball a little bit better, manage our swings a little bit better – to me, that’s where it was getting away from us at times. Connecting the contacts is the most difficult part of the sport.”

K-State limited Wayne State to a .141 team hitting percentage, as the Wildcat defense totaled 11 blocks and 102 digs. Kadye Fernholz led the front line with eight blocks (seven assists, one solo) while Carter finished with four blocks.

Libero Mackenzie Morris paced five Cats in double-figure digs, as the junior registered a match-high 33 digs. Sophomore Molly Ramsey was second on the team with 16 digs from the back row.

Baka, a senior transfer from Saint Mary’s, played six rotations in her first action with K-State. Her 17 kills matched her career high with the Gaels, as she posted four double-doubles while at SMC. Baka’s 17^th kill of the night ended the preseason contest.

“I think she’s really good at volleyball,” Fritz said of Baka. “She’s an exceptional all-around player and made it so we can’t take her off the floor. She handles it really well, and her passing was really impressive tonight. I’m really pleased with where her game is at and how complete it is.”

Two new setters spit time in the five-set victory, as LeGrand was joined by senior Loren Hinkle who converted from defensive specialist. Hinkle ended with 23 assists while appearing in three sets.

“At times, I think they were really good,” Fritz added of her two setters. “They’re going to get better as they go, but I thought that they problem-solved really well. If they made a mistake, they corrected it quickly. But it’ll iron itself out, we knew that both those setters are going to need match experience and that’s the best thing they could’ve gotten tonight was playing under the lights and figure out how to better the ball.”

K-State owned a 67-58 edge in total kills to go with a 102-92 advantage in total digs.

In the fifth set, the Cats turned in a .273 team efficiency while limiting WSC to a .067 mark, with Carter putting down three kills on six attacks. K-State picked up three blocks in the final frame with Fernholz taking part in all three (two assists, one solo).

K-State will officially open its 2022 campaign next Friday at the K-State Invitational at Bramlage Coliseum. Over two days, the Wildcats will take on Sam Houston, NC State and Florida A&M.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• K-State hit .204 as a team (67 kills, 27 errors, 196 attacks).
• Wayne State turned in a .141 hitting percentage (58 kills, 30 errors, 199 attacks).
• Baka, Carter and LeGrand each produced double-doubles.
• Carter turned in a team-high 18 kills at a .245 pace to go with 13 digs.
• Baka posted 17 kills with 15 digs while LeGrand handed out 34 assists along with 11 digs.
• Bolding led the Wildcats with a .346 hitting efficiency, putting down 12 kills on 26 swings.
• Morris led all players with 33 digs, leading five Cats in double-figure digs.
• Ramsey logged 16 digs.
• Fernholz recorded eight blocks (seven assists, one solo) to go with eight kills.
• Hinkle dished out 23 assists in her first action as a setter.
• K-State produced 11 total blocks, with Carter tallying four and both Baka and Bolding each logging three.
• Cada led Wayne State with 24 kills at a .253 clip.
• Taya Beller added 18 kills while hitting .213.
• Walker turned in a double-double with 50 assists and 20 digs.
• Each side finished with four service aces.

•  Box Score (PDF)
•  Photo Gallery

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics) – A week away from the official start of the 2022 volleyball season, K-State looks to tune up as it is set to host Wayne State (Nebraska) in an exhibition match Friday at Bramlage Coliseum with a 6 p.m. first serve.

Additionally, head coach Suzie Fritz met with members of the local media Thursday to preview the upcoming season. A transcript can be viewed at the end of this release.

The match will mark the team’s only preseason contest as the Wildcats embark on the program’s 49^th season. The winningest and longest tenured head coach in program history, Fritz enters her 22^nd year at the helm after leading the Cats to their 18^th all-time postseason berth in 2021.

Seven letterwinners return for 2022, headlined by two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection Aliyah Carter. Carter, a junior outside hitter, has been a unanimous first-team pick in each of her first two seasons and was voted unanimously to this year’s preseason all-conference squad.

Joining Carter are starters Sydney Bolding, Kadye Fernholz, Loren Hinkle, Mackenzie Morris and Haley Warner. The Cats also welcome six newcomers to this year’s roster in Elena Baka, Aniya Clinton, Ava LeGrand, Shaylee Myers, Brenna Schmidt and Dalia Wilson.

K-State and Division II Wayne State have faced off just once, as the sides met during the altered 2020-21 season. K-State came away with a straight-set victory on March 28, 2021, at Bramlage Coliseum.

Tickets are just $5 when purchased in advanced at K-StateSports.com/Tickets, by calling (800)-221-CATS or stopping by the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at Bramlage Coliseum. Season-tickets are also on sale.

The Wildcats officially open the 2022 season on Friday, August 26 at the K-State Invitational with a doubleheader against Sam Houston (12 p.m.) and NC State (7:30 p.m.). The Wildcats will conclude the two-day tournament Saturday against Florida A&M at 12:30 p.m.

K-State finished the 2021 campaign with a 15-13 record (6-10 Big 12) and earned its 18^th all-time bid to the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship.

K-STATE VOLLEYBALL MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Head Coach Suzie Fritz | August 18, 2022

SUZIE FRITZ, K-STATE HEAD COACH
On how practices are going into the new season after an NCAA Tournament appearance…
“It feels totally different, I think. Six new players from last December. Certainly, we were thrilled to be in the NCAA Tournament, but actually a little frustrated once we got there that we didn’t really play to our capabilities. I think that’s a little motivation from that point forward, that’s when the 2022 season started. That disappointment, you want to use that as a fire to get to that next step where we want to be. We had a great spring, which matters a lot, and more importantly, we had a good summer. Most of them came back in the summer. We added a couple in the spring that have been with us now for a little bit, which will pay dividends down the road this season. In the summer, Coach (Danny) Cavender does such a great job just physically getting them prepared – not just physically but mentally ready for the work that they’re about ready to do. It’s a really good mix, in my mind, of veteran players and energetic personnel, that the culture feels really good right now. For this early, they’re playing really well together. Those have been the big takeaways for me.”

On meshing younger players with more veteran players…
“I think sometimes that can be a complicated process. It’s very different to be at an early stage in your career, at 18 years old, and at a later stage in your career, maybe 22 years old. They’re at very different places just in their lives, so getting all that to come together can be complicated at times. Some of it is that our upperclassmen, our veterans have done a phenomenal job at taking the younger players under their wing and teaching them what it means to be a Wildcat.”

On Haley Warner entering her second and final year at K-State…
“I feel a sense of composure with her. She’s much further along (this year), she knows who she is, she knows how she needs to play, she knows what she needs to do. She seems more comfortable. There’s a good composure and comfort to her. She’s kind of the caretaker, she brings us all in and takes care of everybody. That’s her role. Some of it is just that she’s a veteran and she’s been through some things and has learned both the easy way and hard way. She’s really a culture builder, that has helped us a lot.”

On setters Ava LeGrand and Loren Hinkle…
“Ava has had a tremendous amount of success as a prep player. She’s Nebraska’s Gatorade Player of the Year, she’s a club All-American, she wins. Her high school program wins, her club program wins, she wins. She’s an incredibly high-execution and highly competitive human being, and I think that will allow her to go through some of the ebbs and flows that, I think, she’s going to naturally have. There are some things you can’t teach in a short amount of time – feel, situational awareness – some of those things will just have to grow over time. The same about Loren Hinkle. Loren is a high IQ person and also a really good learner, highly intelligent and highly driven. She is always going to do the right thing. Both of them have all intangible qualities to be great at the position, what they lack is experience. The only way to we know how that will come out is to put them out there and see how they do. Our confidence in them is really high. I am excited for them to gain the type of experience they need to be elite, and I think they can be elite.”

On what she hopes to get out of Friday’s exhibition…
“We played an intrasquad scrimmage the other day, and I thought that was really good. We felt the emotions and what you feel when it’s more live. We had opportunities for success and opportunities for failure. Some handled it well and some didn’t handle it well, just those learning moments, in terms of preparation, there’s no better teacher than experience. I think that’s where we are at, we are ready to put them out in the jerseys, under the lights, feel all the things that come with a live match. You can’t duplicate that in practice, and I think we are ready to do that and hit against someone else on the other side.”

Rob Voelker interviews Suzie Fritz at media day.

Rob Voelker interviews Haley Warner at media day.