Cats Look to Get Back on Track in Atlanta

Thursday, September 7

Atlanta, Ga.

7 p.m.

Kansas State University

North Florida

K-State's Peyton Williams (Scott D. Weaver/K-State Athletics)

Sep 06, 2017 | Volleyball

K-State Notes - Georgia Tech Invitational

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State volleyball team takes to the road as it seeks to end a four-match losing streak at the Georgia Tech Invitational beginning Thursday at O'Keefe Gym in Atlanta, Georgia, where it will face off with North Florida, Xavier and Georgia Tech.

K-State (2-4) will meet North Florida (4-3) and Xavier (4-3) for the first time ever while the all-time series with Georgia Tech (2-5) is tied, 2-2, after the Wildcats' five-set win at Bramlage Coliseum at the Wildcat Classic last season.

Thursday, K-State and North Florida will square off at 7 p.m. CT to begin the two-day tournament before a Friday doubleheader with Xavier at 10 a.m. and the host Yellow Jackets at 7 p.m. The Wildcats' match with Georgia Tech can be seen on ACC Network Extra. All three of K-State's matches can be heard locally on KMAN 1350 AM, 93.3 FM and k-statesports.com.

MATCH #7
vs. North Florida (4-3)
Thursday, Sept. 7 | 7 p.m. CT
All-time Series: First Meeting
Listen: KMAN 1350 AM / 93.3 FM
Live Stats

MATCH #8
vs. Xavier (4-3)
Friday, Sept. 8 | 10 a.m. CT
All-time Series: First Meeting
Listen: KMAN 1350 AM / 93.3 FM
Live Stats

MATCH #9
at Georgia Tech (2-5)
Friday, Sept. 8 | 7 p.m. CT
All-time Series: Tied 2-2
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Listen: KMAN 1350 AM / 93.3 FM
Live Stats

AT A GLANCE

K-State (2-4) went 0-3 at the K-State Invitational at Ahearn Field House over the weekend, dropping matches to Arkansas (2-3), Syracuse (1-3) and No. 6 Wisconsin (0-3).
The Wildcats began their home slate 0-3 for the first time in program history.
K-State has lost its last four matches overall, its longest such streak since dropping the final four matches of the 2015 season.
K-State is under .500 for the first time since beginning the 2011 season 0-2.
The Cats hit .150 or worse in back-to-back matches (Syracuse Wisconsin), something they have not done since 2015.
Setter Sarah Dixon and opposite Bryna Vogel each posted a double-double in a five-set match vs. Arkansas Thursday, the first of the season by each.
Outside hitter Kylee Zumach led the Cats in kills in two of the three matches last weekend and has been the team's leader in the category in five of six matches this season.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

K-State enters the third weekend of the regular season at the Georgia Tech Invitational, where it will meet North Florida, Xavier and host Georgia Tech.
It will mark the first time K-State will meet North Florida and Xavier while the al-time series with Georgia Tech is tied, 2-2, after the Wildcats' five-set win over the Yellow Jackets in Manhattan last season.
North Florida (4-3) leads the Atlantic Sun Conference with 2.58 blocks per set with Alana Shoff leading the ASUN with 1.46 bps.
Xavier is 4-3 after beginning the season 3-0. The Musketeers are tops in the BIG EAST in digs per set (18.37) and total kills (357).
XU is paced by Kristen Massa, who leads her squad with 3.56 kps and Meredith Klare who is the BIG EAST's leader in dps (4.89).
Georgia Tech is 2-5 to begin the season and have already faced three top-25 opponents: No. 17 Michigan State, No. 17 San Diego and No. 4 Texas. The Yellow Jackets upset the Spartans in four sets on Aug. 26.
GT's leader in kps is Gabriela Stavnetchei at 3.48. As a team, Georgia Tech hits at a .165 clip.

TROPHY CASE

Though the 2017 season is still young, several Wildcats have already collected several awards.
At the Beaver State Classic, Zumach and freshman Brynn Carlson were voted to the All-Tournament Team by opposing coaches.
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 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.
Vogel was the lone Wildcat named to the all-tournament team at the K-State Invitational last weekend - the fourth all-tournament nod of her career.

UNCHARTED TERRIROTY

K-State dropped its first three home matches of the season for the first time in program history.
Entering 2017, K-State was 63-18 (.778) at home over the previous 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 now 15-2 in home openers dating back to 2001 - both losses coming in the last two seasons.
The Wildcats are under .500 for the first time since beginning the 2011 season 0-2.

ZUMACH-ZUMACH

Kylee Zumach has led K-State in kills in five of six matches this season, reaching double-figure kills in all five of such matches.
The 6-4 outside hitter also tallied double-digit digs in back-to-back matches while in Corvallis (Idaho, OSU), including a career-high 12 against the Beavers.
Zumach had one career double-double entering 2017 and now has a pair already this season.
Zumach ranks 10th in the Big 12 at 2.95 kills/set and has authored 773 career kills in her career.

UNCHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOR

In Saturday's three-set loss to No. 6 Wisconsin, the Cats allowed the Badgers to hit .463 as a team - the highest percentage allowed in a three-set match since Oct. 15, 2011 (vs. No. 10 Texas).
The Badgers' 52 kills were the most given up by a K-State squad in a three-set match since Sept. 12, 2013 against Santa Clara (52).
After the season's first two weekends, the Cats rank last in opponent hitting percentage (.268), service aces/set (0.86) and eight in digs/set (12.41) and blocks/set (1.98)

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 was 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.
Vogel, a senior, has accumulated 664 kills and 706 digs in her career, putting her within reach of joining the Double-Grand Club.