K-State Volleyball Kicks Off Home Slate Thursday

Thursday, August 31

Manhattan, Kan.

7 p.m.

Kansas State University

Arkansas

Aug 30, 2017 | Volleyball

K-State Invitational Notes (.pdf)

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State volleyball team kicks off its 2017 home campaign Thursday, August 31 at 7 p.m. against Arkansas at Ahearn Field House as part of the three-day K-State Invitational.

Joining K-State (2-1) and Arkansas (3-0) at the four-team tournament are Syracuse (2-2) and No. 6 Wisconsin (2-0). The Wildcats will square off with the Orange on Friday at 7:30 p.m., before meeting the Badgers on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. All three matches can be seen on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.

K-State went 2-1 at the Beaver State Classic in Corvallis, Oregon, to begin the 2017 seasons, picking up wins over Pacific and Idaho before falling to host Oregon State last Saturday. Outside hitters Kylee Zumach and Brynn Carlson were both voted to the all-tournament team while redshirt freshman Peyton Williams was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Monday.

All-session tickets for the entire tournament are available for just $10 and single-match tickets can be purchased for $3 with a K-State vs. Charlotte football ticket as part of a Wildcat Weekend. Tickets can be purchased online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets, calling 1-800-221-CATS (2287) or by stopping by the K-State Ticket Office inside Bramlage Coliseum. Season tickets for the entire 12-match home schedule are also available and start at $3 per match.

AT A GLANCE
• K-State went 2-1 in the season's opening weekend at the Beaver State Classic in Corvallis, Ore., picking up victories over Pacific and Idaho.
• The Wildcats began the season 2-0 for the sixth straight season.
• K-State hit over .300 in both of its victories (Pacific, Idaho) over the weekend and were held under .200 by Oregon State in a three-set loss.
• The back-to-back matches hitting above .300 is something K-State did just twice in 2016.
• The Cats' .273 team hitting percentage ranks second in the Big 12 behind Iowa State's .277.
• Redshirt junior outside hitter Kylee Zumach led the Cats in kills in all three matches.
• Zumach recorded double-doubles in two of K-State's first three matches (had one career double-double entering the season).

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
• K-State begins its 2017 home campaign with the K-State Invitational, a three-day, four-team tournament featuring Arkansas, Syracuse and Wisconsin.
• Arkansas comes to Manhattan with a 3-0 record and are led by Pilar Victoria, who leads the country at 6.80 kills/set - more than a kill better than second place.
• The Razorbacks defeated CSU Bakersfield, ULM and Utah State, only dropping one set in the process.
• The meeting marks the fifth straight season the Wildcats and Razorbacks will meet, with K-State taking three of the last four, including a sweep in Fayetteville last season. K-State leads the all-time series, 8-2, and is 5-0 at home vs. Arkansas.
• Syracuse travels to Manhattan for the first time ever and own a 2-2 record after the first weekend of the season.
• The Orange have three players - Ella Saada, Amber Witherspoon and Santita Ebangwese - all over 2.60 kills/set.
• K-State leads the all-time series, 2-0, and this will be the first meeting since 2012.
• No. 6 Wisconsin visits Manhattan for the first time since 1984 and are 2-0 after a sweeping Louisville and No. 11 North Carolina in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• A pair of Badger freshmen - middle blocker Dana Rettke and setter Sydney Hilley - claimed Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
• Wisconsin owns a 3-2 lead in the series and has won the last three meetings, including each of the last two years.

TROPHY CASE
• Following its 2-1, second-place finish at the Beaver State Classic, Zumach and freshman Brynn Carlson were voted to the All-Tournament Team by opposing coaches.
• Zumach paced K-State in kills in all three matches while Carlson tallied 16 kills in two matches with just one attacking error.
• Redshirt freshman Peyton Williams took home Big 12 Freshman of the Week accolades after hitting .727 over the weekend.
• Her .727 hitting percentage leads the Big 12 following the first week of the season.
• Williams posted 7 kills on 10 swings (0 errors) vs. Idaho followed by nine kills on 12 attempts (0 errors) in her first career start at Oregon State.
• Williams was named Freshman of the Week twice by the Big 12 as a member of the K-State women's basketball team, and is just the second Wildcat ever to start for both the basketball and volleyball teams.

HOME COOKIN'
• K-State is 63-18 (.778) at home the last five seasons, including going 13-4 at home in 2016.
• The 13 home victories last season were the most since 2003 when the Cats went 16-0.
• Under coach Fritz, the Wildcats are 16-1 in home openers dating back to 2001.
• K-State's only loss was against Michigan at last season's K-State Invitational held at Bramlage Coliseum.
• The Cats opened their home campaign against Arkansas in both 2001 and 2014, winning both matches.

ZUUUUMACH
• Kylee Zumach led K-State in kills in all three matches at the Beaver State Classic - 17 vs. Pacific, 13 vs. Idaho, 10 at Oregon State.
• The 6-4 outside hitter also tallied double-digit digs in back-to-back matches (Idaho, OSU), including a career-high 12 against the Beavers.
• Entering 2017, Zumach had one career double-double.
• Zumach ranks fourth in the Big 12 at 4.00 kills/set and has authored 748 career kills in her career.

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
• K-State won its season-opening match for the sixth straight season.
• The Wildcats have posted a winning record in the season's opening weekend each year since 2012.
• K-State has a combined record of 14-4 (.778) in the opening weekend of the last six seasons.
• Under Fritz, the Wildcats are 12-7 (.632) in their season opener.

MILESTONE WATCH
• K-State head coach Suzie Fritz sits at 318 career wins in her 17th season at K-State.
• Saturday's match vs. Wisconsin will be Fritz's 500th career match coached at K-State.
• She sits in fifth in Big 12 history in career victories and is 12 away of moving into a tie for fourth and 18 shy of equaling the third-best total in league history.
• In three seasons, Vogel has accumulated 635 kills and 678 digs, putting her within reach of joining the Double-Grand Club.
• Last season, setter Katie Brand became the eighth Wildcat ever, and third in rally-scoring era) to join the elite group.
• Zumach eclipsed the 700-kill mark in 2016 and is poised to join the 1,000 Kill Club before her career is over.