SE: Our Bond is Special - Carter Looks to Build on Breakout Season
Aug 19, 2021 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
She enrolled early at K-State, so Aliyah Carter arrived in Manhattan and joined K-State Volleyball before any other member of her freshman class in 2020.
Then COVID-19 happened, and a few weeks before the season, Carter still hadn't met Kadye Fernholz, Jayden Nembhard, Tessa Mati or Mackenzie Morris. And she was starting to worry.
"I was kind of nervous, I was like, 'I don't want to be the odd man out.' But from the get, we were all super close," Carter said. "We love each other and know what each other need on and off the court. We know how to talk to each other, and our bond is very special."
It's tough to overstate the impact this group had at Bramlage Coliseum last season.
At least one K-State freshman finished 2020 among the top three Wildcats in kills (Carter, Fernholz), assists (Morris), blocks (Fernholz), digs (Morris) and aces (Morris).
The nation's 23rd-ranked recruiting class arrived at K-State with plenty of hype, but not many outside the program would have expected Carter and Nembhard to combine for seven Big 12 Rookie of the Week awards.
And after a season that saw the Wildcats finish third in the conference, Carter was named the 2020 Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
"We were full of newcomers," she said. "But we have a lot of leaders on this team, both people coming in and people who were already here, so it's a different team this season and I'm excited about it."
Carter should be instrumental to what the Wildcats hope to accomplish on offense in 2021.
As an outside hitter, she led K-State in kills a season ago and was just as efficient with the most points per set on the team.
Stepping up as one of the returning leaders on the 'Cats will be a new challenge. Sort of.
"It feels nice. Nothing is really too different other than I'm the one helping out people when they come in and pointing out a few things that we do as a team," she said. "The newcomers came in and meshed really well with the team, so I haven't had to do anything drastic."
The Wildcats bolstered their depth on the outside with the arrival of senior opposite Haley Warner from Florida through the transfer portal.
Nembhard - who emerged as an offensive talent in her own right in 2020 - should provide the Wildcats with a more-than-capable option alongside Carter.
Throughout the 2021 season, look for Carter to be the heartbeat of the K-State offense. Her head coach is certainly feeling confident.
At the team's Purple & White scrimmage on Monday night, Suzie Fritz got another look at what Carter can bring to the Wildcats.
"I think consistency is where Aliyah is headed. Her ceiling is very high and our expectations for her are very high," she said. "In our scrimmage, she went out there and put together a five-point scoring run. That's a big deal."
Carter's first season with the 'Cats was splintered into fall and spring matches due to COVID-19, while the pandemic also created plenty of challenges that had nothing to do with volleyball.
But one year after she worried about getting to know the rest of her freshman class, it was that same group that helped Carter appreciate what's possible on this K-State team.
"I learned that even when the world stops, and everyone is in their own bubble, we'll still have volleyball and we'll still be a team," she said. "We're always together and I really enjoyed that."
She enrolled early at K-State, so Aliyah Carter arrived in Manhattan and joined K-State Volleyball before any other member of her freshman class in 2020.
Then COVID-19 happened, and a few weeks before the season, Carter still hadn't met Kadye Fernholz, Jayden Nembhard, Tessa Mati or Mackenzie Morris. And she was starting to worry.
"I was kind of nervous, I was like, 'I don't want to be the odd man out.' But from the get, we were all super close," Carter said. "We love each other and know what each other need on and off the court. We know how to talk to each other, and our bond is very special."
It's tough to overstate the impact this group had at Bramlage Coliseum last season.
At least one K-State freshman finished 2020 among the top three Wildcats in kills (Carter, Fernholz), assists (Morris), blocks (Fernholz), digs (Morris) and aces (Morris).
The nation's 23rd-ranked recruiting class arrived at K-State with plenty of hype, but not many outside the program would have expected Carter and Nembhard to combine for seven Big 12 Rookie of the Week awards.
And after a season that saw the Wildcats finish third in the conference, Carter was named the 2020 Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
"We were full of newcomers," she said. "But we have a lot of leaders on this team, both people coming in and people who were already here, so it's a different team this season and I'm excited about it."
Carter should be instrumental to what the Wildcats hope to accomplish on offense in 2021.
As an outside hitter, she led K-State in kills a season ago and was just as efficient with the most points per set on the team.
Stepping up as one of the returning leaders on the 'Cats will be a new challenge. Sort of.
"It feels nice. Nothing is really too different other than I'm the one helping out people when they come in and pointing out a few things that we do as a team," she said. "The newcomers came in and meshed really well with the team, so I haven't had to do anything drastic."
The Wildcats bolstered their depth on the outside with the arrival of senior opposite Haley Warner from Florida through the transfer portal.
Nembhard - who emerged as an offensive talent in her own right in 2020 - should provide the Wildcats with a more-than-capable option alongside Carter.
Throughout the 2021 season, look for Carter to be the heartbeat of the K-State offense. Her head coach is certainly feeling confident.
At the team's Purple & White scrimmage on Monday night, Suzie Fritz got another look at what Carter can bring to the Wildcats.
"I think consistency is where Aliyah is headed. Her ceiling is very high and our expectations for her are very high," she said. "In our scrimmage, she went out there and put together a five-point scoring run. That's a big deal."
Carter's first season with the 'Cats was splintered into fall and spring matches due to COVID-19, while the pandemic also created plenty of challenges that had nothing to do with volleyball.
But one year after she worried about getting to know the rest of her freshman class, it was that same group that helped Carter appreciate what's possible on this K-State team.
"I learned that even when the world stops, and everyone is in their own bubble, we'll still have volleyball and we'll still be a team," she said. "We're always together and I really enjoyed that."
Players Mentioned
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/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OPP/OH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
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OH/OPP
/ Volleyball
OPP
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