K-State Eyes Revenge in Matches vs. Texas Tech, Nebraska
Oct 24, 2001 | Volleyball
Oct. 24, 2001
THIS WEEK IN WILDCAT VOLLEYBALL
Match 18
[RV] Kansas State (11-6 / 7-4 Big 12) vs Texas Tech (12-7 / 5-5 Big 12)
Wednesday, October 24 * 7 p.m. CST * Ahearn Field House (5,000) * Manhattan, Kan.
TV: None * Radio: KMAN 1350 AM (Brian Smoller/Lori Martini call the action) * Webcast: k-statesports.com
K-State Coach: Suzie Fritz (Florida Atlantic, '94) * School: 11-6/1 yr. * vs. Texas Tech: 0-1 (5-3 as assistant)
TTU Coach: Jeff Nelson (Ball State, '86) * School: 146-74/7 yrs. * Career: same * vs. K-State: 5-6
Series: K-State leads 8-7 * In Big 12 play: K-State leads 6-5 * Win Streak: Texas Tech has won 1
First Meeting in 2001: Texas Tech earned a 28-30, 30-22, 30-21, 31-29 victory at home on Sept. 22.
K-State vs. Texas Tech in Manhattan: 5-0 (K-State has won 5 in a row)
Match 19
[RV] Kansas State at #2 Nebraska (17-1 / 10-0 Big 12)
Saturday, October 27 * 7 p.m. CST * Nebraska Coliseum (4,200) * Lincoln, Neb.
TV: None * Radio: KMAN 1350 AM (Brian Smoller calls the action) * Webcast: huskers.com
K-State Coach: Suzie Fritz (Florida Atlantic, '94) * School: 11-6/1 yr. * vs. Nebraska: 0-1 (1-7 as assistant)
NU Coach: John Cook (San Diego, '79) * School: 51-1/2 yrs. * Career: 212-74/12 yrs. * vs. K-State: 2-1
Series: Nebraska leads 62-1 * In Big 12 play: Nebraska leads 10-1 * Win Streak: Nebraska has won 4
First Meeting in 2001: Nebraska earned a 30-28, 30-27, 30-20 victory in Manhattan on Oct. 1.
K-State vs. Nebraska in Lincoln: 1-23 (Nebraska has won 1 in a row)
K-STATE EYES REVENGE THIS WEEK WITH MATCHES VS. TECH, NEBRASKA
After a hard-fought 3-1 loss at 14th-ranked Texas A&M on Monday, Kansas State (11-6, 7-4 Big 12) continues its grueling week of Big 12 Conference matches with a visit from Texas Tech (12-7, 5-5 Big 12) on Wednesday at Ahearn Field House beginning at 7 p.m. The Wildcats dropped their fourth straightmatch against the Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas on Sept. 22 with a 3-1 loss, however, they own an 8-7 series advantage and hold a 5-0 all-time record in matches played at the 'Old Barn.' K-State concludes the week with a visit to second-ranked Nebraska (17-1, 10-0 Big 12) on Saturday at the Nebraska Coliseum at 7 p.m. The Wildcats, who dropped a 3-0 meeting with the Huskers on Oct. 1, return to the site of their lone win in the series, a 3-2 win in 1999.Texas Tech has lost 3 of its last 5 matches since posting 3 straight Big 12 wins from Oct. 3-8. The Red Raiders split league matches last week, winning a two-hour, 41-minute five-game heartstopper at Baylor before losing in three games at Nebraska. The second-ranked team in the nation, Nebraska has won 15 straight matches since losing in four games to the nation's current top-ranked team, Long Beach State on Sept. 1. Of the team's 17 wins this year, 15 have been in three games. The Huskers saw their run of 12 straight matches without dropping a game fall at #17 Texas A&M on Oct.14.Kansas State, who remains just outside the AVCA Top 25, saw its three-match winning streak come to an end on Monday against the Aggies. The team totaled season-bests in kills (74), attacks (223) and assists (73) in loss, while senior OH Lisa Mimick's 22 kills led four Wildcats with double-doubles.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE WILDCATS
The veteran team relies on an all-around attack that features three seniors (Christen, Mimick and Wegner), a junior (Pollard), sophomore (Goehring) and freshman (Guerre) in the starting lineup... The Wildcats have 6 players averaging over 1.75 kills per game and 7 with two or more digs per game, while 7 have tallied double-digit total blocks this season...As a whole, the team is averaging 15.71 kills per game on .224 hitting with 13.85 assists per game and 18.17 digs per game. The team also averages 1.63 aces per game and 2.55 blocks per game.This balanced offense is led by one of the nation's best outside hitters, Liz Wegner, who ranks 2nd in the Big 12 with a 4.69 kills per game average on .223 hitting. She also ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in league-only kills/game with a 4.48 per game average... After becoming K-State's all-time kills leader on Sept. 26 against Missouri, she became the fifth player in school history to tally 1,000 digs in a career against Iowa State... In doing so, she became the fifth player to tally 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career... She was a preseason All-Big 12 selection and a 2000 first team honoree...Another pair of threats on the outside, both senior Lisa Mimick and junior Jenny Pollard have continued to evolve into solid compliments to the hard-hitting Wegner... Mimick has been the offensive spark over the last 4 matches, averaging a team-best 3.75 kills/game with 3 double-doubles... She and Pollard rank 6th and 7th, respectively, in the Big 12 in digs/game in league-only matches with 3.60 and 3.55 averages... Pollard adds 2.82 kills/game and a team-best 3.48 digs/game overall, while Mimick posts 2.77 kills/game and 3.28 digs/game...Anchoring the middle for the Wildcats is senior Jayne Christen and sophomore Lauren Goehring....Both average nearly a block/game, with Christen edging Goehring for the team lead, 1.11 to 1.08... Christen adds 1.90 kills/game on a team-best .339 hitting... Goehring does a little of everything, averaging 1.98 kills/game and 2.39 digs/game... She leads the team and ranks fifth in the Big 12 with a 0.45 aces/game average.True freshman Gabby Guerre has performed well since being thrust into the starting lineup last week... She has 6 double-doubles in 8 starts, including a near triple-doubles against Iowa State and Baylor... Sophomore DS Kris Jensen has totaled double-digit dig total in 2 of the last 3 matches.
SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech (12-7, 5-5 Big 12) dropped its third match in its last 5 attempts on Saturday, as the Red Raiders fell in three games to second-ranked Nebraska at home... On Wednesday, Tech won a two-hour, 41-minute five-game battle at Baylor... The team was coming off a heartbreaking five-game loss at home to Texas on Oct. 15, in which, they squandered a 2-0 games lead... Tech has 5 players averaging over two kills/game and 6 averaging over two digs/game... The Red Raiders are led by freshman Kelly Johnson and junior Melissa McGehee, who average 3.45 and 3.34 kills/game... Junior Ann Romjue paces the team in digs/game (3.57), while sophomore Angela Mooney leads in blocks/game (0.71)... Senior Skydra Orzen leads the nation in assists/game (14.12)... The team is without the services of MB Yolanda Cumbess, who left the team on Oct. 8 for academic and personal reasons.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska (17-1, 10-0 Big 12) has won 15 straight matches since losing in four games to nation's current top-ranked team, Long Beach State, on Sept. 1... Of the team's 17 wins this season, 15 have come in three games... In fact, the Huskers have lost just 5 games in 18 matches (one each to Pacific and Texas A&M and three to LBSU)... Last week, the team made quick work of Texas at home and Texas Tech on the road... Nebraska ranks second in the nation in blocks/game (4.25) and sixth in hitting percentage (.316)... The Huskers have 5 players that not only hit over .300, but also post over two kills/game and two digs/game... Nebraska is led by senior Nancy Metcalf, who averages team-bests in kills/game (4.30) and digs/game (3.07)... Senior Amber Holmquist paces the team in hitting (.421) and blocks/game (1.80)... Junior Greichaly Cepero averages 12.81 assists/game and 2.23 digs/game.
LAST WEEK FOR THE 'CATS
Kansas State fell to 0-6 all-time at G. Rollie White Coliseum after its 3-1 loss to Texas A&M on Monday... The Wildcats posted season-highs in kills (74), attacks (223) and assists (73) in loss... Four Wildcats posted double-doubles, highlighted by Mimick's 22 kills and 18 digs... Gabby Guerre totaled a season-best 63 assists in the loss... K-State swept the season series from Oklahoma for a third straight season on Friday with a 3-0 victory.
WEISER PULLS 'INTERIM' TAG OFF FRITZ,WATSON NAMED ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
After leading Kansas State to an impressive 10-5 record despite playing one of the nation's toughest schedules, head coach Suzie Fritz was upgraded from interim status on Oct. 11 by Athletics Director Tim Weiser... In addition, second-year assistant coach Jason Watson was elevated to associate head coach for volleyball."Suzie has done a wonderful job in preparing our student-athletes for competition and has demonstrated her ability to handle all facets of the position," said Weiser. "We think she is the right person to lead the Wildcat volleyball program and now and into the future."Fritz took over as interim head coach just before the season when Jim McLaughlin left in August to take the head-coaching job at the University of Washington. The top assistant to McLaughlin for four years, Fritz directed preseason practice and has led the Wildcats to a position near the top of the Big 12 over the first six weeks of the season.A former All-American setter at BYU, Watson is in his second year on the Wildcat bench after spending two years as an assistant at Arkansas State.
GOEHRING: AN ALL-AROUND TALENT
Just a sophomore, middle blocker Lauren Goehring has emerged into one of the top all-around players in the Big 12 Conference... She seems to do a little of everything for the Wildcats, excelling as an effective blocker, passer, server and of course, offensive threat... She averages 1.98 kills/game on .213 hitting to along with her 2.39 digs/game and 1.08 blocks/game averages, while she leads the team in aces/game (0.45)... She ranks in the Top 10 in the Big 12 in aces (t5th) and blocks (10th), while she is 1st in the conference in league-only aces/game (0.60)... In wins over Iowa State and Baylor on Oct. 10-13, she turned in one of the most impressive all-around efforts, averaging 2.11 kills/game on .366 hitting with 2.78 digs/game, 1.22 blocks/game and 1.00 aces/game... Against the Cyclones, she had 9 kills and a career-tying 14 digs to go with a career-best 7 service aces... The ace total was the most against a conference opponent in a four-game match in Big 12 history... In the victory over the Bears, she barely missed the team's first triple-double since 1998, as she tallied 10 kills on a blistering .429 hitting with 11 digs and a career-tying 9 blocks.
WEGNER CONTINUES TO SET RECORDS
Senior OH Liz Wegner became the fifth player in Kansas State history to tally 1,000 digs in a career with her 12-dig performance against Iowa State on Oct. 10... With the accomplishment, Wegner also became the fifth player to accumulate at least 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career... With the mark, she joins Mary Kinsey (1984-87), Shawnee Call (1985-88) and former teammates Kim Zschau (1995-98) and Dawn Cady (1996-99) as the only members of the double-grand club in school history... On Sept. 26, the senior broke Kansas State's all-time career kills record with her 1,647th kill in an amazing 26-kill performance in a five-game win over Missouri.... She also set the school mark for 20-kill matches with the 27th of her career... An honorable mention All-American and first team All-Big 12 selection as a junior, Wegner already holds 19 school career and single-season records... She also is nearing her 20th school record, as she needs just 147 total attacks to break the career attacks record of Kim Zschau (4,632).
MIMICK CLOSE TO 1,000-DIG MILESTONE
Fellow senior co-captain Lisa Mimick also is closing in on 1,000 career digs at Kansas State... She enters the week just 31 shy of the milestone with 969 career digs... One of the team's toughest competitiors, Mimick has totaled double-digit digs in 14 of the Wildcats' 17 matches this season... She has 46 matches of 10 or more kills in her career... Since a 3-1 loss at Texas Tech on Sept. 22, Mimick is averaging a team-best 3.67 digs/game for the Wildcats, including a team-high 23 in a 3-1 win over No. 23 Texas... She has also become an offensive threat for the team... Over the last 4 matches, she is averaging a team-best 3.75 kills/game on .285 hitting with three double-doubles... She had career-best 22 kills on .333 hitting in the loss at Texas A&M after adding 19 kills vs. Iowa State and 14 against Baylor... She has 7 double-doubles this year.
CHRISTEN HAS BEEN A FORCE IN MIDDLE
Senior MB Jayne Christen has turned it up abit in the last 6 matches for the Wildcats, averaging nearly a kill more per game (2.22) than her career average (1.41) coming into the season... She is also hitting a team-best .387 in that span... She had a season-best 10 kills in back-to-back wins over Arkansas and Houston on Sept 7-8, but has averaged 8.50 kills/match in the last 6 matches this season.
GUERRE EXCELS IN SETTER SPOT AFTER INJURY TO STARTER DOWNEY
Since the loss of starting setter Laura Downey on Sept. 26 for at least 4 to 6 weeks after a stress-fracture, true freshman Gabby Guerre has been nothing short of sensational... In her last 8 starts, she has tallied 6 double-doubles against the likes of Missouri, No. 23 Texas, Kansas and #14 Texas A&M and is averaging 11.73 assists/game, 3.05 digs/game and 1.10 kills/game... In just her second start and third appearance this season, Guerre poured in a season-best 57 assists and 14 digs in a thrilling five-game victory over Missouri... This past week, she continued her impressive play... In the win over Oklahoma on Friday, she posted 7 kills on .700 hitting with 35 assists, a season-best 6 blocks, 5 digs and 3 aces... In the close loss to Texas A&M, she tallied a season-best 63 assists to go with 17 digs and 5 kills.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS FOR 'CATS
Despite the loss to the Huskers on Oct. 1 that ended a six-match home winning streak, Kansas State has still posted one of the better home court advantages in the country at 8-1... During the last three and half years, the Wildcats have posted a 38-8 overall record and have won 23 of their last 25 matches with both losses in that span coming to Nebraska... The team is 70-18 at home since 1995... KSU has ranked among the top 15 in attendance since 1997... The Wildcats currently ranked 13th nationally in home attendance with a 1,530 average.
'CATS NEARLY SET BLOCKS RECORD IN 5TH STRAIGHT WIN OVER TEXAS
On the strength of a season-high 21.5 team blocks, Kansas State earned an impressive 30-28, 25-30, 30-26, 34-32 victory over 23rd-ranked Texas on Sept. 29 before 2,039 fans at Ahearn Field House.The block total was the fourth-highest in school history and was a mere 2 blocks shy of the school record of 23.5 set in a five-game win at Wichita State on Oct. 24, 1986.
WEGNER BREAKS TWO SCHOOL RECORDS AS K-STATE EDGES MISSOURI, 3-2
Senior Liz Wegner became Kansas State's all-time kills leader with a season-tying 26 on Sept. 26, as the Wildcats won a heartstopping five-game battle with Missouri, 30-22, 19-30, 30-25, 23-30, 15-13, before 1,026 fans at Ahearn Field House. It marked just the 2nd time this season that K-State has won a match and been outperformed in kills and hitting percentage.Like she has all season, Wegner led the way for Kansas State, as she tallied her sixth double-double of the season with a team-high 26 kills and 16 digs in the victory. In just her second start, Guerre earned her first double-double with 57 assists and 14 digs. In the first significant action, Lisa Martin added 7 kills on .600 hitting with a team-high 6 blocks.
'CATS REPEAT AS WILDCAT CLASSIC CHAMPS, WEGNER NAMED MVP
After dropping tough, hard-fought matches to Top 10 powers Hawai'i and UCLA, Kansas State rebounded to take all three matches at its own Wildcat Classic en route to its second straight tournament title... The Wildcats earned wins over Arkansas and Houston by 3-1 scores followed by a 3-0 win over 26th-ranked Washington State in the final... With the three-match sweep over the weekend, the Wildcat have won 31 consecutive non-conference matches at home dating back to 1994... Senior Liz Wegner was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second straight year after averaging 5.82 kills/game on .276 hitting with 0.64 aces/game, 2.73 digs/game and 0.73 blocks/game... Junior OH Jenny Pollard and sophomore MB Lauren Goehring were also named to the all-tournament team.
'CATS PERFORM WELL IN HAWAII, FRITZ GETS FIRST-EVER COACHING WIN
After coming so close in losses to No. 5 Hawai'i and No. 7 UCLA, Kansas State earned its first victory of the season with a three-game sweep of Michigan, a 2000 NCAA Tournament participant, a the 14th annual Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic... The victory was also the first for first-year head coach Suzie Fritz... All-Tournament selection Liz Wegner led the team for the third straight match with 16 kills and 10 digs... On the first day, the Wildcats couldn't hold a 2-0 games lead in a five-game loss to host Hawai'i, while after tying the match at one-game apiece on day two, UCLA came back to win, 3-1.
'CATS RANK #19 IN PRESEASON POLL
For the third consecutive year, Kansas State earned a ranking in the preseason AVCA/USA Today Top 25, as the Wildcats checked in at No. 19 in the annual poll released Aug. 14... K-State earned its highest-ever preseason ranking in 2000 with a No. 17 ranking, while the program received its first-ever preseason nod in 1999 with a No. 23 ranking...The team received 354 total points from the 65-member coaching panel to become one of three Big 12 teams to earn a ranking in the preseason poll.
COACHES PICK 'CATS 4TH IN BIG 12, WEGNER NAMED ALL-BIG 12
Despite returning four starters and seven letterwinners from a team that finished a program-best second in the Big 12 in 2000, Kansas State was picked by the league coaches to finish in a fourth-place tie with Missouri in its preseason voting... The Wildcats followed top-ranked Nebraska, Texas A&M and Colorado in the voting... For the second consecutive year, Liz Wegner was selected to the preseason all-conference team.
TOUGH SCHEDULE AWAITS 'CATS
Ten NCAA Tournament team, including defending national champion Nebraska and Final Four participant Hawai'i, highlight arguably the toughest schedule in school history... In addition to matches with the Cornhuskers and Wahine, the 26-match schedule features battles with 2000 NCAA Tournament participants Colorado, Houston, Michigan, Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA and Washington State... In all, the schedule features 15 matches with 2000 NCAA Tournament teams and 8 contests with teams that were either ranked or received votes in the final USA Today/AVCA Top 25, including three in the Top 10.
28 YEARS OF WILDCAT VOLLEYBALL
The 2001 campaign marks the 28th season of intercollegiate competition for the Wildcats... K-State owns an all-time mark of 500-447-11 (.528) in 958 matches... Last season, in one of the program's biggest victories of all-time, Kansas State earned its 500th victory, as the Wildcats shocked host and 15th-ranked Pepperdine, 3-1, in the NCAA Tournament to earn its first trip to Sweet 16.
