Core Four Aiming to Send Cats to Postseason
Jul 22, 2022 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
After spending their initial season learning and getting engrained into the system, Kansas State apparently possesses a rock-solid sophomore core four heading into 2022, which could bolster the Wildcats' chances at landing their first-ever Big 12 Tournament appearance in the fall.
Sophomores Kenzi Gillispie, Adah Anderson, Joey Lujan, and Riley Baker bring valuable experience to the table while fortifying various areas of the field, which should be good news for a squad that came one match from reaching the postseason a year ago.
"I feel pretty good about them," K-State head coach Mike Dibbini says. "They have a whole year of experience under their belt plus they had a really good spring. They had a knowledge of the methodology of how we play at K-State. I feel good about them moving forward with their experiences and as they continue to grow our program. I'm excited for them.
"We're all itching to get out there and get back at it."
Gillispie, a defender, played and started all 18 matches and her 1,419 minutes played ranked second on the team and as second most for minutes played by a freshman in the brief history of the program. Anderson, a midfielder, played in all 18 matches with four starts and scored one goal at Austin Peay and recorded the game-winning goal against North Alabama. Lujan, a midfielder, logged 491 minutes of playing time and played a career-high 67 minutes during her first career start against Iowa State. Baker, a forward, played in 11 matches and recorded 361 minutes of action before she went down with a broken foot, which tested her resiliency.
"Being able to come back and score in the spring season was pretty nice," Baker says. "My recovery was pretty intense with four or five months to recover. It was pretty hard, but it showed my personal strength."
All four players carry the common goal after K-State had a successful spring and turns its attention to its first exhibition match against Missouri State on August 6 at Buser Family Park.
"We're all just very hard working and super passionate," Gillispie says. "We watched how this program has performed in the past and we really want to go to the Big 12 Tournament. We're really close and have good chemistry. We have the same goals."
Throw sophomore Juliann Kidd, a defender, into the mix and there's no telling what the sophomore class could help the Wildcats achieve.
"Juliann Kidd battled some injuries, so she really never got her chance last season," Dibbini says, "but she's pretty athletic."
How each of the sophomore core four arrived at K-State is intriguing in itself. Gillispie arrived from Newton, Kansas, as Dibbini had a longstanding relationship with her club soccer coach, and Gillispie is a "K-Stater at heart." Anderson is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and needed little convincing. The 2019 Class 4 Region 4 first-team selection is the daughter of K-Staters Andy Anderson and Lina Braun, and Andy played football at K-State from 1978-80.
"K-State was always on the radar, but it didn't have a soccer program for a long time," Anderson says. "In the middle of my recruiting process, K-State appeared as a good option, and I realized K-State was exactly how my parents talked about it, and it was a great fit."
Lujan is the long-distance member of the group. Dibbini spotted the native of Gilbert, Arizona, while observing a different player, asked Lujan to visit K-State, and it was "the right place at the right time." Baker is a native of Flower Mound, Texas, and was 2021 Texas State Championship Game MVP in her only season of high school soccer. Dibbini says Baker's recruitment was "a last-minute deal" after her club soccer coach inquired about finding her a home at the forward position.
Dibbini describes the sophomore core four this way:
On Gillispie: "We rely and count on her to play big minutes for us. She's a great one-on-one defender, she's great in the air and tough as nails. She has a lot more upside to continue to grow. She has the total package."
On Anderson: "She's a solid player. She's a footballer, as I call her. She has a soccer junkie mind. What I really like about Adah is she's one of our most versatile players. She's kind of our utility player, which is absolutely important."
On Lujan: "She's massive for us."
On Baker: She's another one who played significant minutes. She's a player who played really, really well for us offensively and contributed for us."
K-State's roster includes one graduate transfer, a record 10 seniors, five juniors, six sophomores, and 13 freshmen. It's arguably the Wildcats' most mature squad since the program began playing Division I soccer in 2016.
Although a bevy of seniors and juniors are expected to produce, the sophomores figure themselves to share some ownership as well.
"Last season was a big step for us to be able to have that core four that you're describing," Baker says. "We were so new, we were freshmen, and being able to come on straight off the bat was big for the team. We were sort of able to come in and make an impact, which was huge. I hope this season our freshmen do that for us, too."
Adds Anderson: "I'm super excited. We have a great team and the same core of returners and added great players to help us succeed. What Coach Dibbini and our coaches have been building in the offseason, there's a lot of potential for us.
"The Big 12 is a challenge so we can really mentally prepare for it this time around. There's going to be some bumps, but just leaning on our teammates and building excitement for this season is a big thing."
It could make for an exciting fall.
"We're more confident," Gillispie says. "When you're a freshman you can be timid, and we really didn't know what to expect going into college and the level is a lot higher. Now that we've played, we feel very confident. We know these teams and these players, and I think we can let loose and just play."
After spending their initial season learning and getting engrained into the system, Kansas State apparently possesses a rock-solid sophomore core four heading into 2022, which could bolster the Wildcats' chances at landing their first-ever Big 12 Tournament appearance in the fall.
Sophomores Kenzi Gillispie, Adah Anderson, Joey Lujan, and Riley Baker bring valuable experience to the table while fortifying various areas of the field, which should be good news for a squad that came one match from reaching the postseason a year ago.
"I feel pretty good about them," K-State head coach Mike Dibbini says. "They have a whole year of experience under their belt plus they had a really good spring. They had a knowledge of the methodology of how we play at K-State. I feel good about them moving forward with their experiences and as they continue to grow our program. I'm excited for them.
"We're all itching to get out there and get back at it."
Gillispie, a defender, played and started all 18 matches and her 1,419 minutes played ranked second on the team and as second most for minutes played by a freshman in the brief history of the program. Anderson, a midfielder, played in all 18 matches with four starts and scored one goal at Austin Peay and recorded the game-winning goal against North Alabama. Lujan, a midfielder, logged 491 minutes of playing time and played a career-high 67 minutes during her first career start against Iowa State. Baker, a forward, played in 11 matches and recorded 361 minutes of action before she went down with a broken foot, which tested her resiliency.
"Being able to come back and score in the spring season was pretty nice," Baker says. "My recovery was pretty intense with four or five months to recover. It was pretty hard, but it showed my personal strength."
All four players carry the common goal after K-State had a successful spring and turns its attention to its first exhibition match against Missouri State on August 6 at Buser Family Park.
"We're all just very hard working and super passionate," Gillispie says. "We watched how this program has performed in the past and we really want to go to the Big 12 Tournament. We're really close and have good chemistry. We have the same goals."
Throw sophomore Juliann Kidd, a defender, into the mix and there's no telling what the sophomore class could help the Wildcats achieve.
"Juliann Kidd battled some injuries, so she really never got her chance last season," Dibbini says, "but she's pretty athletic."
How each of the sophomore core four arrived at K-State is intriguing in itself. Gillispie arrived from Newton, Kansas, as Dibbini had a longstanding relationship with her club soccer coach, and Gillispie is a "K-Stater at heart." Anderson is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and needed little convincing. The 2019 Class 4 Region 4 first-team selection is the daughter of K-Staters Andy Anderson and Lina Braun, and Andy played football at K-State from 1978-80.
"K-State was always on the radar, but it didn't have a soccer program for a long time," Anderson says. "In the middle of my recruiting process, K-State appeared as a good option, and I realized K-State was exactly how my parents talked about it, and it was a great fit."
Lujan is the long-distance member of the group. Dibbini spotted the native of Gilbert, Arizona, while observing a different player, asked Lujan to visit K-State, and it was "the right place at the right time." Baker is a native of Flower Mound, Texas, and was 2021 Texas State Championship Game MVP in her only season of high school soccer. Dibbini says Baker's recruitment was "a last-minute deal" after her club soccer coach inquired about finding her a home at the forward position.
Dibbini describes the sophomore core four this way:
On Gillispie: "We rely and count on her to play big minutes for us. She's a great one-on-one defender, she's great in the air and tough as nails. She has a lot more upside to continue to grow. She has the total package."
On Anderson: "She's a solid player. She's a footballer, as I call her. She has a soccer junkie mind. What I really like about Adah is she's one of our most versatile players. She's kind of our utility player, which is absolutely important."
On Lujan: "She's massive for us."
On Baker: She's another one who played significant minutes. She's a player who played really, really well for us offensively and contributed for us."
K-State's roster includes one graduate transfer, a record 10 seniors, five juniors, six sophomores, and 13 freshmen. It's arguably the Wildcats' most mature squad since the program began playing Division I soccer in 2016.
Although a bevy of seniors and juniors are expected to produce, the sophomores figure themselves to share some ownership as well.
"Last season was a big step for us to be able to have that core four that you're describing," Baker says. "We were so new, we were freshmen, and being able to come on straight off the bat was big for the team. We were sort of able to come in and make an impact, which was huge. I hope this season our freshmen do that for us, too."
Adds Anderson: "I'm super excited. We have a great team and the same core of returners and added great players to help us succeed. What Coach Dibbini and our coaches have been building in the offseason, there's a lot of potential for us.
"The Big 12 is a challenge so we can really mentally prepare for it this time around. There's going to be some bumps, but just leaning on our teammates and building excitement for this season is a big thing."
It could make for an exciting fall.
"We're more confident," Gillispie says. "When you're a freshman you can be timid, and we really didn't know what to expect going into college and the level is a lot higher. Now that we've played, we feel very confident. We know these teams and these players, and I think we can let loose and just play."
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