Wildcats, Jayhawks Prepped for Sunflower Showdown

Wednesday, October 23

Manhattan

6 p.m.

Kansas State University

Kansas

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Oct 21, 2019 | Volleyball

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State welcomes in-state rival Kansas for the season's first Dillons Sunflower Showdown set to air on ESPNU at 6 p.m. from Ahearn Field House.

The Wildcats (6-12, 1-5 Big 12) seek their third consecutive victory in the series after sweeping both matches a season ago. KU (6-10, 2-4 Big 12) is fresh off a straight-set victory over TCU at home and is 2-8 over its last 10 matches.

Freshman Dru Kuck was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Monday following her career-high 36 digs in a five-set defeat at Oklahoma last Wednesday. Kuck's output tied the third-most in K-State history during the rally-scoring era (since 2001) and marked the highest total by any player in the Big 12 this season.

In addition to being broadcast nationally on ESPNU, the match will also be available on the ESPN app and WatchESPN.com. Fans can listen to Rob Voelker on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) with free, live audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/watch.

Fans can purchase a Wednesday Wildcat 4-Pack ticket package, which includes four general admission tickets and a $10 concessions voucher for just $38.

MATCH #19
K-STATE (6-12, 1-5 BIG 12) vs. KANSAS (6-10, 2-4 BIG 12)
Wednesday, October 23 // 6 p.m. // Ahearn Field House (5,000) // Manhattan, Kan.
TV: ESPNU // Sam Gore, Camryn Irwin
Online: WatchESPN.com // ESPN app
Radio: News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) // Rob Voelker
Listen: K-StateSports.com/watch
Promotion: Wednesday Wildcat 4-Pack | Buy Tickets
Live Stats

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

K-State welcomes in-state rival Kansas for the season's first Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Ahearn Field House.
The Wildcats seek to snap their season-long five-match losing skid following a five-set loss last Wednesday night at Oklahoma.
Against the Sooners, the Cats set an all-time program record with 119 digs, one more than the previous mark of 118 set in 2015 (vs. Illinois State).
Freshman libero Dru Kuck had match-high and career-best 36 digs - tying the third-highest total in program history during the rally-scoring era.
For her efforts, Kuck was tabbed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Monday, becoming the first Wildcat to earn a weekly honor and first K-State freshman to earn defensive player of the week since the award began in 2007.
The 119 digs marked the sixth-highest mark in the country this season in a five-set match.
Five different Wildcats set a career high in digs Wednesday: Kuck (36), Sarah Dixon (2-0), Loren Hinkle (17), Mckenzi Weber (15) and Teana Adams-Kaonohi (13).
Sarah Dixon (45 assists) registered her third straight double-double and team-leading 10th of the season.
Her 30th career double-double was the first 20-20 double-double by a Wildcat since 2016 (Katie Brand).
Freshman Anna Dixon turned in a career-high 21 kills to pace the Cats offense.
Dixon has led K-State in kills in each of the last four matches and has reached double-figure kills in each of the last seven matches.
The match at OU marked the season's eighth five-set match, as K-State is now 3-5 in five-setters.
The loss was the first time since 2017 K-State lost a match when leading 2-0.

SCOUTING KU

Kansas (6-10, 2-4 Big 12) comes into Wednesday night after a straight-set home victory over TCU on Saturday.
Prior to Saturday, the Jayhawks had lost eight of their last nine, including a string of seven straight matches.
Offensively, KU is led by Ashley Smith (2.39 kills pe set) and Zoe Hill (2.19 kills per set).
The duo is the only on the roster with over 100 kills on the season, as Smith has a team-high 136 while Hill has 125.
Rachel Langs is the Jayhawks' leader in both blocks per set at 1.21 and hitting percentage at .247.
KU's 2.58 blocks per set is second highest in the conference.
Kansas ranks last in the Big 12 in overall matches in hitting percentage (.170), assists per set (10.19), kills per set (11.14), service aces per set (0.88) and digs per set (12.49).
During Big 12 play, Smith is the team's leader in kills per set at 2.43 while Morgan Christon is next at 2.29.
Hill and Rachel Langs were each named to the Big 12's preseason all-conference team, as KU was voted seventh in the league's preseason poll.

INSIDE THE SERIES

K-State leads the all-time series with KU, 65-52-1, dating back to 1974.
The Cats swept the Sunflower Showdown in 2018 for the first time since 2011.
Prior to last season, the Jayhawks had won 11 of the previous 12 meetings, including seven straight.
K-State is 29-19 all-time at home against KU and snapped a four-match skid vs. Kansas last year.
K-State is 3-7 in its last 10 matches in the series and 3-7 in the last 10 meeting in Manhattan.
In the last meeting between the teams, the Cats erased a two-set deficit to win in five sets in Lawrence.
Head coach Suzie Fritz is 21-15 in her career against the Jayhawks.

GOING THE DISTANCE

Through 18 matches, all but three of K-State's matches this season have gone at least four sets.
After Wednesday's five-set match at OU, eight matches have gone the full five sets - two shy of matching the single-season record of 10 such matches (2017).
Through the season's first 13 matches, the Wildcats did not play a three-set match, breaking the program record to begin a season.
K-State played three consecutive three-set matches before a four-setter vs. WVU last Saturday.
The Cats have also played seven four-set matches (3-4) in addition to seven five-setters.
The Cats played just three five-set matches a season ago - equaling the lowest such matches in a single season.
The Cats have split the first two sets of a match in 12 of 18 outings this season.
K-State has won the opening set nine times, going 2-7 in those matches.

BATTLE OF THE BLOCK

In its first six conference matches, K-State ranks first in the Big 12 with 58 total blocks and ranks third with 2.64 blocks per set.
Megan Vernon has led the Wildcats in blocks in each of the last five matches as she has picked up 26 total blocks in that stretch.
Vernon leads the league with 1.65 blocks per set in conference-only matches while Williams is seventh at 1.03 blocks/set in all matches.
Vernon has recorded at least three blocks in eight straight matches.
In 12 non-conference matches, the Cats averaged just 1.65 blocks per set and reached double-digit blocks just twice.
K-State has eclipsed 10 or more blocks in three of its six conference matches.
K-State's 18 total blocks at TCU in its Big 12 opener marked the Cats' third-highest total in program history in a four-set match (rally-scoring era).

AD COMING ON STRONG

Freshman Anna Dixon has registered double-digit kills in each of the last eight matches - a season-long streak - and leads the Wildcats with 102 kills (3.40 per set) over that stretch.
Dixon set a career high with 21 kills in her last outing at Oklahoma and has led K-State in kills in each of the four matches.
Dixon ranks sixth in the Big 12 in conference-only matches with 3.59 kills per set.
Over the last eight matches, Dixon has a team-best 109.5 points as she has also tallied 15 block assists.
The Louisburg, Kansas, product has 10 or more kills in 12 of her last 13 matches.
Dixon is now third on the team with 189 kills and is second at 2.91 per set.

LAST FIVE

During its season-long five-match skid, K-State is averaging nearly a full kill per set less (11.83) than it averaged through its first 13 matches (12.73).
As a team, the Cats are hitting just .177 over the last five matches after hitting .245 before the skid began.
Anna Dixon leads the Wildcats with 3.67 kills per set while Gloria Mutiri is second at 2.50 kills per set during the stretch.
Opponents are recording nearly two kills a set better over the last five matches compared to the first 13 (14.56 to 12.73).

HOME SWEET HOME

Saturday's match will be the Cats' fourth match in Ahearn Field House this season, as the K-State Invitational was held in Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats opened their home schedule a perfect 3-0 after their home-opening tournament, defeating Clemson, Omaha and Central Arkansas.
K-State has dropped its first three Big 12 home matches and seek to avoid its first four-match home losing streak since 2010.
A four-match home skid would equal the longest under head coach Suzie Fritz (2006, 2010).
Fritz is 180-78 (.698) at home in her 19-year K-State career and is 101-66 (.605) at home in Big 12 play.
K-State owns a 62-36 (.633) home record since 2011.