Wednesday, October 11
Ames, Iowa
6:30 p.m.
Kansas State University
at
Iowa State
Cats Look to Knock Off No. 23 Iowa State Wednesday
Oct 10, 2017 | Volleyball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State volleyball team hits the road as it travels to Ames, Iowa, for a mid-week showdown with No. 23 Iowa State on Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum.
Following a five-set win over Texas Tech Saturday at Ahearn Field House, K-State (9-9, 2-3 Big 12) sits alone in fifth place in the Big 12 standings, one spot behind Iowa State (11-3, 2-2 Big 12).
The Wildcats and Cyclones have split the season series each of the past five years – each winning on their home floor. K-State is seeking to break a nine-match losing streak on the road against ISU, as the Cats last won in Ames in 2007.
Senior Bryna Vogel has paced the Wildcat offense the last two matches, as she has posted back-to-back 16-kill outings. The Clearwater, Kansas, native tallied a season-best nine blocks in Saturday's win over TTU, helping the Cats to a season-high 18.0 team blocks.
Wednesday's match, which is slated for 6:30 p.m., will stream live on Cyclones.tv (paid) and Rob Voelker will call the action from Hilton Coliseum on KMAN 1350 AM, 93.3 FM and at k-statesports.com.
AT A GLANCE
Following a five-set win over Texas Tech Saturday at Ahearn Field House, K-State (9-9, 2-3 Big 12) sits alone in fifth place in the Big 12 standings, one spot behind Iowa State (11-3, 2-2 Big 12).
The Wildcats and Cyclones have split the season series each of the past five years – each winning on their home floor. K-State is seeking to break a nine-match losing streak on the road against ISU, as the Cats last won in Ames in 2007.
Senior Bryna Vogel has paced the Wildcat offense the last two matches, as she has posted back-to-back 16-kill outings. The Clearwater, Kansas, native tallied a season-best nine blocks in Saturday's win over TTU, helping the Cats to a season-high 18.0 team blocks.
Wednesday's match, which is slated for 6:30 p.m., will stream live on Cyclones.tv (paid) and Rob Voelker will call the action from Hilton Coliseum on KMAN 1350 AM, 93.3 FM and at k-statesports.com.
AT A GLANCE
- K-State (9-9, 2-3 Big 12) won a five-set battle against Texas Tech on Saturday at Ahearn Field House.
- After claiming the opening set, K-State fell in a 2-1 hole before coming back to win its third five-setter this season.
- It was the Wildcats' first victory when trailing two sets to one (1-4) and first such win since Aug. 29, 2015.
- Senior opposite Bryna Vogel led the Cats with 16 kills for the second straight match, as three players reached double-digit kills (Peyton Williams and Kylee Zumach, 11).
- The Wildcat defense registered a season-high 18.0 team blocks, their second straight match in double figures after recording zero blocks against Texas on Sept. 30.
- Vogel led the defense with nine blocks while Williams equaled her career-best output of seven stuffs. Sophomore Elle Sandbothe added six.
- Setter Sarah Dixon turned in her eighth double-double of the season with 19 assists and 13 digs.
- Iowa State (11-3, 2-2 Big 12) sits in fourth place, one spot ahead of K-State in the Big 12 standings.
- After beginning the season 7-0, ISU is 4-3 and have dropped two of its last three matches, including being swept at home by Baylor in its last match.
- The Cyclones possess one of the top defenses in the conference, ranking first and second, respectively, in digs per set (17.13) and blocks per set (3.03).
- Iowa State's 3.03 blocks per set is ninth-best in the country.
- ISU sophomore libero Hali Hillegas is the league leader with 5.57 digs/set, which ranks 14th nationally.
- Three Cyclones - Alexis Conaway, Grace Lazard, Avery Rhodes - rank in the Big 12's top 10 in blocks per set.
- Iowa State has claimed four Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week awards through the season's first eight weeks.
- Iowa State leads the all-time series, 49-41, dating back to 1976.
- The Wildcats and Cyclones have split the season series each of the past five seasons - each team winning on its home floor.
- ISU has won the last nine meetings in Ames, with the Cats last winning in 2007.
- K-State is 14-25 all-time in Ames while head coach Suzie Fritz is 6-10 in her career at ISU.
- The Cats last faced a ranked Iowa State team in 2013, when the Cyclones were ranked No. 25 and K-State came away with a three-set win.
- Wednesday's match at No. 23 Iowa State will mark the fifth time this season K-State will meet an opponent ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA poll (0-4).
- Dating back to last season, the Cats have lost their last nine matches to ranked opponents.
- K-State is 1-16 in its last 17 matches against ranked teams, going back to 2014.
- The last win against a top-25 team was a four-set win at No. 6 Hawaii on Aug. 27, 2016.
- Bryna Vogel, the squad's lone senior, has posted a season-high 16 kills in back-to-back matches.
- The Clearwater product has also posted season-highs in blocks in her last two matches, with 7.0 against TCU before 9.0 vs. Texas Tech Saturday.
- The right-side hitter has hit .250 or better in each of her last four outings, and has 10 matches this season at .300 or higher - and 40 for her career.
- She is ranks second on the team in hitting percentage (.310), kills (187), kills/set (2.63), digs (186), digs/set (2.62), points (224), points/set (3.15) and total blocks (47.0).
- Vogel sits at 796 career kills, 846 career digs and 192 career blocks.
- Redshirt freshman Peyton Williams, who is also a member of the K-State women's basketball team, is shining in her first season on the volleyball court for the Cats.
- Williams set a career high with 14 kills (.462) on Sept. 24 against KU. Twice in Big 12 matches she has recorded a career-best seven blocks (at OU, vs. Texas Tech).
- The middle blocker continues to lead the team in efficiency at .365 - fourth-best in the Big 12.
- The Topeka native has five matches this season reaching double-digit kills - all in her last eight matches played.
- In her Wildcat debut at the Beaver State Classic, she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week in the season's opening week after hitting .727 with 16 kills on 22 swings without an error.
- Williams was twice named Freshman of the Week by the Big 12 during the 2016-17 basketball season - making her the first player in K-State history to earn freshman-of-the-week accolades in the two sports.
- In conference-only matches, K-State is second in the Big 12 with 23 service aces and 1.05 aces/set.
- The Wildcats recorded seven against TCU Wednesday, a team Big-12 high this season.
- In overall matches, Brooke Smith (0.32, 4th) and Zumach (0.25, 6th) rank in the league's top 10 in aces per set.
- Zumach has 18 service aces this season, already a single-season high for her career (had 20 career aces entering 2017).
Players Mentioned
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