No. 22 Kansas State opens Big 12 play with Oklahoma and Texas Tech
Sep 19, 2001 | Volleyball
THIS WEEK IN WILDCAT VOLLEYBALLMatch 7
No. 22 Kansas State (4-2 / 0-0 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma (1-7 / 0-0 Big 12)
Wednesday, September 19 * 7 p.m. CST *Ahearn Field House (5,000) * Manhattan, Kan.
Radio: KMAN 1350 AM (Brian Smoller/Lori Martini call the action)
K-State Coach: Suzie Fritz (Florida Atlantic, `94) * School: 4-2/1 yr. * Career: same * vs. OU: 5-3 (as assistant)
OU Coach: Kalani Mahi (Graceland, `87) * School: 8-28/2 yrs. * Career: 46-81/5 yrs. * vs. K-State: 0-2
Series: OU leads 40-13-1 * In Big 12 play: K-State leads 7-3 * Win Streak: K-State has won 4
In 2000: K-State won both meetings (3-0, 10/7 in Norman) and (3-0, 11/11 in Manhattan)
K-State vs. Oklahoma in Manhattan: 6-14 (KSU has won 3 in a row)
Match 8
No. 22 Kansas State at Texas Tech (6-2 / 0-0 Big 12 entering the week)
Saturday, September 22 * 7 p.m. CST * United Spirit Arena (15,050) * Lubbock, Texas
TV: None * Radio: None * Webcast: www.texastech.com
K-State Coach: Suzie Fritz (Florida Atlantic, `94) * School: 4-2/1 yr. * Career: same * vs. TT: 5-3 (as assistant)
TTU Coach: Jeff Nelson (Ball State, `86) * School: 140-69/7 yrs. * Career: same * vs. K-State: 4-6
Series: K-State leads 8-6 * In Big 12 play: K-State leads 6-5 * Win Streak: K-State has won 1
In 2000: Teams split, (Tech won 3-2, 9/20 in Lubbock) and (K-State won 3-2, 10/28 in Manhattan)
K-STATE RETURNS FROM `OFF' WEEKTO OPEN BIG 12 PLAY VS. OKLAHOMA, TECH
After taking last week off in mourning of those lost in the tragic events of Sept. 11, 22nd-ranked Kansas State (4-2, 0-0 Big 12) returns to action this week, as the Wildcats open Big 12 Conference play with a visit from Oklahoma (1-7, 0-0 Big 12) on Wednesday at Ahearn Field House beginning at 7 p.m. before traveling to Lubbock, Texas to face Texas Tech (6-2, 0-0 Big 12) on Saturday at the United Spirit Arena beginning at 7 p.m.Oklahoma enters Wednesday's match on a six-match losing streak after earning its first win of the season against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 1. An NCAA Tournament participant a year ago, Texas Tech started the season slow with losses to No. 25 Georgia Tech (3-0) and No. 21 Utah (3-1) in its first three matches, but has since won five in a row, including four at the Red Raider Classic Sept. 7-8.After two hard-fought losses to volleyball powers No. 5 Hawai'i and No. 7 UCLA, Kansas State has rebounded for four straight victories, including three en route to its second consecutive Wildcat Classic Championship on Sept. 7-8. Three out of the four victories have been over teams that went to the 2000 NCAA Tournament (Houston, Michigan and Washington State), while Arkansas went in 1999.
FOR (CONFERENCE) OPENERS
Kansas State is 6-13 all-time in conference openers dating back to the inception of league play in 1982. K-State is 9-10 all-time in home league openers, having won three in a row and six of its last seven. The last time the Wildcats opened league play at home was against Oklahoma in 1998, a 3-0 win. Kansas State is 1-2 all-time against the Sooners in league openers, losing 3-0 in Norman in 1982 and 3-2 in Manhattan in 1985 before winning in 1998.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE WILDCATS
The 22nd-ranked team in the nation relies on an all-around attack that features three seniors (Christen, Mimick and Wegner), a junior (Pollard) and two sophomores (Downey and Goehring) in the starting lineup... The Wildcats have four players averaging over two kills per game and five with two or more digs per game, while six have tallied double-digit total blocks this season...As a whole, the team is averaging 15.48 kills per game on .244 hitting with 14.04 assists per game and 16.35 digs per game. The team also averages 1.52 aces per game and 2.35 blocks per game.This balanced offense is led by one of the nation's best outside hitters, Liz Wegner, who ranks second in the Big 12 with a 5.09 kills per game average on .254 hitting. Wegner was named the MVP of the Wildcat Classic on Sept. 7-8 for the second consecutive year, while she was named to the All-Tournament team at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic... A preseason All-Big 12 selection and a 2000 first team honoree, she is also ranks first in total attacks (280) and service aces (12) and is second in digs with a 2.96 average.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 is second to Wegner in kills/game (3.00) and fourth in digs/game (2.70)... She has four double-doubles this year and five double-digit dig totals in the first six matches... Pollard ranks ninth in Big 12 with a team-leading 3.35 digs/game, while she adds 2.91 kills/game... Like Mimick, she has four double-doubles this year and five double-digit dig totals...Anchoring the middle for the Wildcats is senior Jayne Christen and sophomore Lauren Goehring.... Christen ranks eighth in the Big 12 with a team-leading 1.14 blocks/game, while she adds 1.81 kills/game... Goehring, who set the freshman record for hitting percentage, does a little of everything, averaging 2.13 kills/game, 2.30 digs/game and 1.00 blocks/game... Stepping out from the shadow of three-year starter Disney Bronnenberg, sophomore Laura Downey has continued a solid tradition of Wildcat setters...She is averaging 13.05 assists/game in five starts, while adding 2.84 digs/game... She has recorded a double-double in three of the Wildcats' last four matches... A former walk-on, Jami Sleichter patrols the back row with a 1.74 digs/game average.
WILDCAT STATISTICAL LEADERS
CategoryTeam LeaderKills117, Liz WegnerKills/Game5.09, Liz WegnerTotal Attacks280, Liz WegnerHitting Percentage.347, Jayne ChristenAssists248, Laura DowneyAssists/Game13.05, Laura DowneyService Aces12, Liz WegnerDigs77, Jenny PollardDigs/Game3.35, Jenny PollardBlock Solos4, Jayne ChristenBlock Assists21, Lauren GoehringTotal Blocks24, Jayne ChristenTotal Blocks/Game1.14, Jayne Christen
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma (1-7) has struggled for most of the season, most recently having dropped six in a row after earning its first win of the season on Sept. 1 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi... The Sooners opened the season with a five-game loss to North Texas before their win over TAMU-CC, but have since lost matches to Sam Houston State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Wake Forest, Wyoming, Texas-Arlington and Idaho State... The team is led by sophomore OH Logan Pierce, who paces the team in kills/game (2.25) and is second in digs/game (2.39)... Junior S Jessica Barney leads the team in assists (9.07) and service aces (0.54)... Barney was coached as a freshman by current K-State assistant Jason Watson at Arkansas State, where she earned Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 1999... OU struggled to an 7-21 record in 2000, including a 2-18 mark in the Big 12 play.
SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech (6-2) has continued to establish itself as one of the top contenders in the Big 12.... After recovering from losses to No. 25 Georgia Tech and No. 21 Utah, the Red Raiders have reeled off five straight wins, including four in claiming the Four Points Sheraton Red Raider Classic on Sept. 7-8... Similar to K-State, Tech has four players averaging two or more kills/game, led by senior MB Yolanda Cumbess (3.60 kills/game)... The team also has four players averaging two or more digs/game, led by the duo of juniors Melissa McGehee and Ann Romjue...Tech made its seventh trip to NCAA Tournament in 2000 with a 24-9 record and 12-8 mark in Big 12.
`CATS RESCHEDULE MATCHES VS. HUSKERS, AGGIES
Kansas State has rescheduled the two Big 12 Conference matches it lost last week due to the tragic events in New York and Washington on Sept. 11... The match versus top-ranked Nebraska originally scheduled for Sept. 12 in Manhattan has been rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 1... The Wildcats will now play four straight home matches beginning Sept. 26 and running to Oct. 3... The match versus 16th-ranked Texas A&M originally scheduled for Sept. 19 in College Station has been rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 22.
`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... The win came after coming close in losses to the Bruins and Wahine... 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.
WEGNER SET FOR SENIOR SEASON
An honorable mention All-American and first team All-Big 12 selection as a junior, co-captain OH Liz Wegner enters her final year at K-State with the chance at more stardom... The holder of 17 school records, Wegner needs just 63 kills to break Kim Zschau's school career kills mark of 1,646... She is 28 kills from passing Dawn Cady for second place on the all-time career kills chart... She also needs just 79 digs to become just the fifth member of the double-grand club (1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career)... In 2000, she became the first K-State player to tally 500 or more kills in back-to-back seasons, while she was the fastest player to 1,000 kills.
INGRAM ADDED TO COACHING STAFF
With the elevation of Suzie Fritz to head coach on Aug. 1, Justin Ingram was added to complete the coaching staff on Aug. 20... Ingram comes to K-State after spending the last nine months as the head coach of the Whitesands Volleyball Club in Sarasota, Fla. ... He spent two years as an assistant at Houston in 1998 and 1999, helping the Cougars to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
`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 team to earn a ranking in the preseason poll, following top-ranked Nebraska and 18th-ranked Texas A&M.
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 eight contests with teams that were either ranked or received votes in the final USA Today/AVCA Top 25, including three in the Top 10.
VOLLEYBALL RULES CHANGES
Several rule changes have been made effective for the 2001 season... Matches will still utilize a best-of-five games format, requiring a two-point victory margin... However, instead of using side-out scoring, however, matches will now be scored in rally format with the first four games going to 30 points... The fifth game will remain at 15 points... Second, any served ball that hits the net and goes into the opponents' court is in play.
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.
K-State vs. Texas Tech in Lubbock: 1-4 (Tech has won 3 in a row)
