K-State Welcomes UMKC to Ahearn Tuesday

MATCH #10
vs. UMKC (4-5)
Ahearn Field House | 6 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: K-State leads, 30-3
TV: K-StateHD.TV / COX Xtra (Channel 122/2122)
Radio: KMAN 1350 am / 93.3 FM
Live Stats

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State and UMKC renew a rivalry that dates back to 1974, as the Wildcats return home to Ahearn Field House for a Tuesday-night matchup at 6 p.m.

K-State (4-5) is coming off a 2-1 week at the Georgia Tech Invitational, picking up victories over North Florida and Xavier before falling in five sets to the host Yellow Jackets on Friday. The Wildcat offense helped snap a four-match losing skid, hitting over .300 during the four-team tournament.

UMKC (4-5) has won two straight matches, including a win over Northern Iowa its last time out. The Cats and Roos will meet for the second straight season and 34^th time overall. The Cats have won 28 consecutive meetings in the series, dating back to 1977 – their longest winning streak against any single opponent.

The match with UMKC will be broadcast on K-StateHD.TV and COX Xtra (channel 122/2122). Fans can also listen to the action on KMAN 1350 AM, 93.3 FM and k-statesports.com.

AT A GLANCE

K-State (4-5) went 2-1 at the Georgia Tech Invitational over the weekend, earning a second-place finish at the four-team tournament.
The Wildcats ended a four-match losing streak Thursday with a four-set victory over North Florida before sweeping Xavier Friday.
K-State dropped a five-set match at host Georgia Tech to end the weekend. It was just the second time in program history that a final set went extra points (16-14).
Outside hitter Alyssa Schultejans and opposite Bryna Vogel were both named to the all-tournament team.
It is the first such honor for Schultejans while Vogel earns her second all-tournament nod of the season (K-State Invitational).
The Cats hit a season-best .352 in the win over Xavier while hitting .305 against Georgia Tech.
The .305 team hitting efficiency is K-State's highest in a five-set match since 2007 and its fifth-best output in the rally-scoring era (since 2001).

SCOUTING UMKC

K-State welcomes UMKC (4-5) for a Tuesday-night showdown at Ahearn Field House.
The Roos come to Manhattan having won their last two matches - a sweep of Rutgers and a four-set victory over Northern Iowa.
UMKC features four players on its roster averaging over 2.50 kills/set
UMKC is paced by Alicia Harrington and her 3.22 kills/set and 3.28 digs/set.
Defensively, the Roos rank second in the WAC with 2.25 blocks/set and third at 17.50 digs/set.
K-State owns a 30-3 edge in the all-time series and have won the last 28 meetings between the teams overall.
The 28-match winning streak is K-State's longest such streak against any single opponent in program history.
The Cats are 18-0 vs. UMKC at home all-time while head coach Suzie Fritz is 4-0 against the Roos in her career.

BACK ON TRACK

The Wildcat offense returned to their efficient ways at the Georgia Tech Invitational - hitting .305 as a team in three matches.
Thursday in a sweep of Xavier, K-State posted a season-best .352 team attacking percentage.
The Cats' .305 team efficiency was second-best in the Big 12 last week.
K-State's 15.25 kills/set were third-highest last week in the conference and set a season high with 74 kills at Georgia Tech.
In 12 sets played last week, K-State recorded 15 or more kills in a single set nine times. Entering the weekend, the Cats had seven 15-kill sets in six matches (22 sets).

ACES IN SPADES

K-State dropped 23 service aces in three matches in Atlanta (1.92/set) - best of any Big 12 team last week.
Entering the weekend, the Wildcats had a total of 19 aces in six matches (0.86/set).
Twice, K-State matched a season high with eight aces while Brooke Smith and Reilly Killeen set career highs with five and four, respectively, over the weekend.
Smith's five aces against Georgia Tech matched the program's record for aces in a five-set match - most since 2010.
The five aces in a match are the most by a Wildcat in any match since Kaitlynn Pelger vs. Southeast Missouri on Sept. 6, 2013.

MONSTERS IN THE MIDDLE

K-State middle blockers Macy Flowers, Elle Sandbothe and Peyton Williams helped spark an efficient Wildcat offense last weekend.
The trio combined to hit at a .402 clip (56k-13e-107ta) and averaged better than 2.00 kills/set.
In the tournament finale in Atlanta, both Flowers and Sandbothe set new career highs with 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
Flowers hit .579 (2e-19ta) against the Yellow Jackets while Sandbothe posted a .381 (3e-21ta) efficiency.
Flowers led the defensive charge with 11 blocks (1.10/set) over three matches.

MILESTONE WATCH

K-State head coach Suzie Fritz sits at 320 career wins in her 17th season at K-State.
She sits in fifth in Big 12 history in career victories and is 10 away of moving into a tie for fourth and 16 shy of equaling the third-best total in league history.
Vogel, a senior, has accumulated 693 kills and 734 digs in her career, putting her within reach of joining the Double-Grand Club.
Kylee Zumach eclipsed the 800-kill mark Friday and is poised to join the 1,000 Kill Club and currently sits with 818 kills.
Redshirt junior defensive specialist Devan Fairfield is three digs shy of reaching 400 career digs.

FROM THE OUTSIDE

K-State outside hitters Alyssa Schultejans and Kylee Zumach are the Cats top producers in terms of kill production
Zumach has led K-State in kills in seven of nine matches this season with Schultejans leading the team twice, including a season-best 19 kills Friday at Georgia Tech.
In Atlanta last week, both players averaged better than 3.00 kills/set and hit higher than .275.
Zumach has registered eight matches with double-digit kills while Schultejans has done so five times.
Zumach has two double-doubles this season after entering 2017 with one in her career.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Devan Fairfield

Macy Flowers

Reilly Killeen

Elle Sandbothe

Alyssa Schultejans

Brooke Smith

Bryna Vogel

Peyton Williams

Kylee Zumach

Kansas State University Athletics