SE: K-State Gets Redemption, Makes 2021 NCAA Tournament Field
Nov 29, 2021 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Redemption was spelled "K-S-T-A-T-E" on Sunday night as Kansas State, the first team out of last season's pandemic-riddled abbreviated 48-team NCAA women's volleyball tournament field, was chosen as one of 64 teams in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, giving the Wildcats new life after an arduous Big 12 Conference season.
K-State will face Florida State on Friday, December 3 at 4:30 p.m. at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
This marks the 13th NCAA Tournament appearance under K-State head coach Suzie Fritz, the all-time winningest coach in program history, who led the Wildcats to their first-ever Big 12 Conference title in 2003.
"It feels good," Fritz said. "This one feels about as good as any right here."
The NCAA Tournament selection committee selected seven Big 12 teams, the second most of any conference (Big Ten with eight). The Big 12 owned the highest RPI of any conference in the nation. So the committee gave K-State, 15-12 overall and 6-10 in the Big 12, some well-deserved respect.
"I was surprised because I didn't know if they'd take seven teams from the Big 12, but it's exciting because last year, of course, they didn't take 64 teams, and we were the last team out," sophomore middle blocker Kadye Fernholz said. "Now we get to experience that. We've been working toward that all season. It's a really competitive league. It makes us better for sure. It gives us a little bit of an advantage because we've been battle tested all season. There's no easy game."
K-State ranked No. 47 in the Ratings Percentage Index. Seven Big 12 teams were ranked in the top 50 of RPI entering the week. The Wildcats entered their regular season finale in a three-way tie for fifth in the Big 12 standings with Kansas and West Virginia. However, K-State finished seventh in the league standings, trailing Texas (15-1), Baylor (14-2), West Virginia (8-8), Iowa State (8-8), Kansas (8-8) and Texas Tech (7-9).
The Wildcats come off a tough last six games between Iowa State, No. 2 Texas and Kansas. They suffered a five-set loss to Kansas on Senior Night on Saturday.
"We had Iowa State, then went on the road to Texas, and then had Kansas, so it's been a very difficult six-game stretch for us," Fritz said. "We weren't playing poorly, we were playing very capable opponents, and so we didn't finish like we wanted to finish. We were nervous, but we had a few things going for us.
"We had a strong RPI all year, we played in the No. 1 RPI conference in the country, we had a top 30 strength of schedule, and we played a difficult schedule this year, so the combination of those factors gave us a great opportunity. We feel blessed to be able to keep going."
This marks the 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in 21 years under Fritz and the program's first berth since 2016. Fritz is 378-258 overall and 10-12 in NCAA Tournament games.
This selection was perhaps as meaningful as any.
Despite a third-place finish in the Big 12 last season, K-State was the final team left out of the 48-team field, which was reduced from the traditional 64 teams due to the pandemic. The four-year postseason drought was the longest under Fritz and just the second time in her tenure that the Wildcats missed the tournament in consecutive seasons.
"It's not a good feeling," Fritz said. "I was a little nervous as we sat there. You don't want your name to pop up as the first team out. Three out of the last five years, we've been oh-so-close. One match and one game has been the difference between us being in and not being in. It feels pretty good."
K-State comes armed with some firepower.
In her first full season as K-State's primary setter, Teana Adams-Kaonohi leads the Big 12 with 1,095 assists and 10.53 assists per set. Aliyah Carter ranks second in the Big 12 with 4.06 kills per set and third with 4.49 points. Loren Hinkle ranks seventh with 0.32 service aces per set. Mackenzie Morris ranks fourth with 3.99 digs per set. Kadye Fernholz ranks 10th with 1.10 blocks per set.
"Honestly, we were so excited," Morris said. "I don't know what we were expecting really going into it. We had high hopes and wanted to see our name on the screen. This is what we've been working for all season. It's really exciting to see that it all paid off and that we can keep going. This was our goal this whole season, especially after last season. We were so upset we were the last team out. That set some motivation for us going into this season.
"We wanted to prove ourselves."
K-State returned 10 letterwinners this season and welcomed five newcomers, including Division I transfers Sydney Bolding (Jacksonville) and Haley Warner (Florida). Both have been instrumental in helping the Wildcats to play at least one more week.
"We're grateful for the opportunity," Bolding said. "It's a really big honor. We did have a lot of ups and downs during the season, but we're really grateful that they chose seven teams from the Big 12."
Redemption was spelled "K-S-T-A-T-E" on Sunday night as Kansas State, the first team out of last season's pandemic-riddled abbreviated 48-team NCAA women's volleyball tournament field, was chosen as one of 64 teams in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, giving the Wildcats new life after an arduous Big 12 Conference season.
K-State will face Florida State on Friday, December 3 at 4:30 p.m. at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
This marks the 13th NCAA Tournament appearance under K-State head coach Suzie Fritz, the all-time winningest coach in program history, who led the Wildcats to their first-ever Big 12 Conference title in 2003.
"It feels good," Fritz said. "This one feels about as good as any right here."
The NCAA Tournament selection committee selected seven Big 12 teams, the second most of any conference (Big Ten with eight). The Big 12 owned the highest RPI of any conference in the nation. So the committee gave K-State, 15-12 overall and 6-10 in the Big 12, some well-deserved respect.
"I was surprised because I didn't know if they'd take seven teams from the Big 12, but it's exciting because last year, of course, they didn't take 64 teams, and we were the last team out," sophomore middle blocker Kadye Fernholz said. "Now we get to experience that. We've been working toward that all season. It's a really competitive league. It makes us better for sure. It gives us a little bit of an advantage because we've been battle tested all season. There's no easy game."
K-State ranked No. 47 in the Ratings Percentage Index. Seven Big 12 teams were ranked in the top 50 of RPI entering the week. The Wildcats entered their regular season finale in a three-way tie for fifth in the Big 12 standings with Kansas and West Virginia. However, K-State finished seventh in the league standings, trailing Texas (15-1), Baylor (14-2), West Virginia (8-8), Iowa State (8-8), Kansas (8-8) and Texas Tech (7-9).
The Wildcats come off a tough last six games between Iowa State, No. 2 Texas and Kansas. They suffered a five-set loss to Kansas on Senior Night on Saturday.
"We had Iowa State, then went on the road to Texas, and then had Kansas, so it's been a very difficult six-game stretch for us," Fritz said. "We weren't playing poorly, we were playing very capable opponents, and so we didn't finish like we wanted to finish. We were nervous, but we had a few things going for us.
"We had a strong RPI all year, we played in the No. 1 RPI conference in the country, we had a top 30 strength of schedule, and we played a difficult schedule this year, so the combination of those factors gave us a great opportunity. We feel blessed to be able to keep going."
This marks the 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in 21 years under Fritz and the program's first berth since 2016. Fritz is 378-258 overall and 10-12 in NCAA Tournament games.
This selection was perhaps as meaningful as any.
Despite a third-place finish in the Big 12 last season, K-State was the final team left out of the 48-team field, which was reduced from the traditional 64 teams due to the pandemic. The four-year postseason drought was the longest under Fritz and just the second time in her tenure that the Wildcats missed the tournament in consecutive seasons.
"It's not a good feeling," Fritz said. "I was a little nervous as we sat there. You don't want your name to pop up as the first team out. Three out of the last five years, we've been oh-so-close. One match and one game has been the difference between us being in and not being in. It feels pretty good."
K-State comes armed with some firepower.
In her first full season as K-State's primary setter, Teana Adams-Kaonohi leads the Big 12 with 1,095 assists and 10.53 assists per set. Aliyah Carter ranks second in the Big 12 with 4.06 kills per set and third with 4.49 points. Loren Hinkle ranks seventh with 0.32 service aces per set. Mackenzie Morris ranks fourth with 3.99 digs per set. Kadye Fernholz ranks 10th with 1.10 blocks per set.
"Honestly, we were so excited," Morris said. "I don't know what we were expecting really going into it. We had high hopes and wanted to see our name on the screen. This is what we've been working for all season. It's really exciting to see that it all paid off and that we can keep going. This was our goal this whole season, especially after last season. We were so upset we were the last team out. That set some motivation for us going into this season.
"We wanted to prove ourselves."
K-State returned 10 letterwinners this season and welcomed five newcomers, including Division I transfers Sydney Bolding (Jacksonville) and Haley Warner (Florida). Both have been instrumental in helping the Wildcats to play at least one more week.
"We're grateful for the opportunity," Bolding said. "It's a really big honor. We did have a lot of ups and downs during the season, but we're really grateful that they chose seven teams from the Big 12."
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