K-State Drops Big 12 Opener to 10th-Ranked Bears

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State got a double-double from Aliyah Carter, but 10^th-ranked Baylor picked up a three-set victory Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum, 25-16, 25-21, 25-17, in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Carter, with a team-high 14 kills and 10 digs, turned in her seventh double-double of the season and fifth in her last six contests. She was the only Wildcat to break double-figures, as K-State (9-3, 0-1 Big 12) hit a season-low .150 in seeing its eight-match winning streak end.

"I think sometimes against a good team in an effort to make plays, you force things that aren't necessarily there, and I feel like that was the story of us," said head coach Suzie Fritz after the match. "Baylor is a legitimate top contender in the country, without question, and they are getting better as they go. They've got a veteran outside hitting core that is elite and pretty special in what they're capable of doing, and I thought they played like veterans."

Avery Skinner (17) and Yossiana Pressley (16) accounted for 33 of Baylor's 44 total kills. The Bears (6-3, 1-0 Big 12) produced a .350 attacking efficiency, the highest of any K-State opponent this season, in pushing their winning streak to five matches.

Skinner tallied her match-high kill total at a .467 clip while Pressley hit .406. As a team, BU committed just nine attacking errors on 100 swings while the Wildcats were forced into 22 errors on 107 attempts.

"There were just times where I felt we were forcing stuff that wasn't there," Fritz added. "In volleyball, you really have to let the situation tell you what to do next. It's an incredibly spontaneous game. The decision making that comes with that is really, really important. I think we'll be better tomorrow. That was uncharacteristic of us, so I don't want to overthink it."

Haley Warner picked up eight kills for K-State while Kadye Fernholz and Jayden Nembhard each added six.

Setter Teana Adams-Kaonohi handed out 33 assists to go with six digs. Jacque Smith registered nine digs and libero Mackenzie Morris recorded eight.

Baylor's offense clicked at a .481 efficiency in the opening set while limiting the Cats to a .154 mark. A pair of kills from Nembhard helped K-State to within a point at 15-14, only to see the Bears respond by going on a 10-2 run to close the set.

The closing burst included three kills from Skinner and two from setter Hannah Sedwick. Sedwick finished the day with four kills, 32 assists and nine digs.

Carter had four of K-State's 10 kills in the first set.

K-State's only two blocks of the match came in the second, as the Cats limited Baylor to a match-low .235 efficiency in the frame. Warner put down five kills on six attacks and carter logged seven to help the Wildcats to a 14-12 kill advantage in the set.

Warner's fourth kill of set two leveled the score at 19, but four Skinner kills propelled the Bears to scoring six of the game's final eight points in gaining a two-set edge. Set two held nine tie scores and three lead changes.

BU rattled off the first six points of the final set before the Wildcats put together a 7-2 scoring run to claw within a point. A five-point burst midway through the set swelled the Baylor lead to eight, 20-12. The Bears hit .359 in racking up 16 kills, eight coming from the arm of Pressley.

Fernholz put down five kills on 10 swings without an error in the third while Nembhard was responsible for four on seven attacks without committing an error.

For the first time this season, K-State was held without a service ace. The Cats had registered at least five aces in each of their last eight contests, their longest such streak since 2007.

Baylor totaled four blocks to the Wildcats' two, as K-State finished with fewer blocks than its opponent for the first time this season.

"I think we missed an opportunity today, but another one is coming tomorrow," Fritz finished. "That is one of the things I think I like about the back-to-back schedule. It does give you an opportunity to make adjustments that can put us in a better position. I think that the goal for tomorrow is to be who we are and play as well as we're capable of playing.

"I think it's okay that we're disappointed. I think it's okay that we're frustrated. We want to play better and want more out of our team and that our team wants more out of themselves. I think that's okay. I would be disappointed if we weren't disappointed because I think we're capable of better."

K-State and Baylor conclude the two-match series Sunday at 5 p.m., with national television coverage on ESPNU. Play-by-play from Rob Voelker will also be available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and at K-StateSports.com/Watch.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

K-State produced a .150 hitting percentage (38 kills, 22 errors, 107 attacks).
Baylor hit .350 (44 kills, 9 errors, 100 attacks).
Carter led K-State with 14 kills and 10 digs.
It marked the Carter's seventh double-double of the season and fifth in her last six outings.
Warner was second on K-State with eight kills while Fernholz and Nembhard each added six.
K-State's .150 hitting efficiency was a season low.
The Wildcats' 22 attack errors were a season high for a three-set match.
As a team, the Wildcats turned in a season-low two blocks.
With Baylor's four blocks, it marked the first time a K-State opponent has produced more blocks this season.
The Cats were held without a service ace for the first time on the year.
Entering the match, K-State had at least five aces in each of its last eight matches.
The match saw just one total service ace.
Adams-Kaonohi hand out 33 assists to go with six digs.
Smith registered nine digs while Morris added eight.
Skinner (17) and Pressley (16) accounted for 33 of the Bears' 44 kills.
BU's .350 hitting percentage was a season high for a Wildcat opponent.
Sedwick had 32 assists for Baylor with nine digs.

NOTES

K-State leads the all-time series with Baylor, 29-24.
The Bears have won the last seven matchups in the series, dating back to 2018.
Fritz is 22-20 in her career against BU.
The Wildcats are 17-9 at home vs. Baylor.
K-State's season-long winning streak was snapped at eight matches.
The eight-match winning streak was K-State's longest since winning eight straight in 2018.
The Cats drop to 2-2 in three-set matches.

Players Mentioned

Teana Adams-Kaonohi

Aliyah Carter

Kadye Fernholz

Mackenzie Morris

Jayden Nembhard

Jacque Smith

Haley Warner