Kansas State University
1-0
Pacific
0-1
K-State Begins Season with Win at Beaver State Classic
Aug 25, 2017 | Volleyball
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Behind three players in double-figure kills, the K-State volleyball team bounced back from a first-set loss to claim a four-set victory, 15-25, 28-26, 25-13, 31-29, over Pacific in its season opener at the Beaver State Classic at Gill Coliseum.
Kylee Zumach (17), Alyssa Schultejans (13) and Bryna Vogel (10) each hit better than .340 on their way to posting double-digit kills to help K-State to its sixth consecutive season-opening win. Redshirt sophomore setter Sarah Dixon recorded 42 assists in her Wildcat debut.
"Our outside hitters were really good," said head coach Suzie Fritz after the match. "You talk about match management and when to live and when to kill, I thought they played like veterans. When it was tight, they showed poise and composure under pressure. Those are positive things going forward."
Despite Pacific's edge in total kill production (75-55), and 13-kill differential in the Tigers' 25-15 opening set win, K-State limited its total attacking errors to 11 and turned in an attacking efficiency of .317 to help dig out of the early hole.
"We managed the match relatively well, both from an emotional perspective and trying to stay low error," Fritz added. "I didn't think we played particularly well in a lot of areas, but we didn't hurt ourselves very much. We kept our service errors to a minimum, we kept our passing errors to a minimum, we kept our attacking errors to a minimum, and just stayed in the rally long enough to have something good happen."
Following Pacific's wire-to-wire first-set win, K-State fended off two set points as the second set saw 17 ties and five lead changes before K-State took the set, 28-26. The Wildcat defense posted six blocks, with Macy Flowers playing a hand in two straight blocks to give the Cats a late 19-18 lead. The offense produced 16 kills on a .317 efficiency (3e-41ta), as Zumach tallied six in the set and Schultejans killed back-to-back balls to end the set.
The Wildcats continued their momentum into the third set, aided by a 10-3 run midway through the set to open a 20-9 lead. K-State posted an efficient .500 (16k-1e-30ta) hitting percentage and the Tigers never led after an early 2-1 lead. Schultejans and Zumach each recorded four kills in the set.
Much like the second set, the fourth set held five lead changes and nine tied scores. K-State withstood a pair of set points for the Tigers while Pacific faced match point five times before the Wildcats closed out a 31-29 fourth-set victory. K-State scored the final three points of the match, capped by a block from Elle Sandbothe and Zumach.
K-State tallied 13.5 blocks to Pacific's seven, as Sandbothe led with five and Vogel and Flowers each had four. Junior-transfer libero Reilly Killeen led the Cats with nine digs.
K-State continues the Beaver State Classic with a Saturday doubleheader. The Wildcats will first meet Idaho at 12 p.m. CT before squaring off with Oregon State at 9 p.m. Saturday's first match can be heard on 93.3 FM and 1350 KMAN while the nightcap can be viewed by fans for free at OSUBeavers.com.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• K-State posted a .317 attacking efficiency while Pacifc finished with a .324 hitting percentage.
• Zumach (.385), Schultejans (.367) and Vogel (.346) led K-State in terms of efficiency and each reached double-figure kills while not committing more than two attacking errors.
• After the first set in which it hit .074, K-State hit .317 or better in each set – highlighted by a .500 (16k-1e-30ta) percentage in set three.
• K-State had five service aces and five errors while Pacific had a pair of aces and 10 service errors.
• Pacific out-killed the Cats, 75-55, and out-dug K-State, 65-36.
• Dixon recorded 42 assists in her Wildcat debut at setter.
• Killeen paced the Cats with nine digs. Zumach and Devan Fairfield each had seven.
NOTES
• K-State leads the all-time series with Pacific, 2-0 (last played in 2006).
• The Wildcats have now won six straight season openers.
