K-State is ‘The Right Spot’ for Szulczewski
Aug 18, 2023 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
It began with a hammer. Izzi Szulczewski was 12. She was an outside hitter. In one practice, she began spiking the ball. She was a hard hitter. Scott, her father, was a former collegiate volleyball player. That day, he witnessed her growth. Afterward, he presented Izzi with a hammer.
"Literally, a little hammer," she says. "He wrote the date that I became a little hammer — a hard hitter. The hammer was from his toolbox in the garage. I still have it."
That day in practice when she was 12, Szulczewski came to a realization.
"That was the time," she says, "that I was like, 'Oh, shoot, I can probably go someplace with this.'"
After a journey, her talents have brought her to Kansas State.
Named the 2019 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, Szulczewski enjoyed an accomplished career at Mountainside High School in Beaverton, Oregon. The two-time all-state selection also starred for the North Pacific Juniors program for several years and helped her 18s team qualify for nationals.
When it came time for college, she decommitted from Portland to test her talents at Oregon State. Her hard work paid off. As a freshman, she totaled 589 assists to rank fourth in the Pac-12 while her 8.79 assists per set ranked seventh in the league and fifth most in school history by a freshman. She led Oregon State in assists in all 18 matches. She also finished 12th in the conference with 189 digs and 14th with 2.82 digs per set.
As a sophomore, she finished with 859 assists (8.77 per set), 246 digs (2.51 per set), 78 kills, 64 blocks and 21 aces, leading the Beavers in assists and aces while ranking second on the team in total digs and third for total blocks. Her nine double-doubles also led the team.
Last season, she recorded the school's first triple-double in five years with 22 digs, 12 assist and 11 kills against Portland. She earned her second triple-double just two matches later to become the only Pac-12 player with multiple triple-doubles in 2022.
She earned All-Pac-12 honors for her efforts.
Shortly after the season, she decided to transfer to another school.
"First, our coach retired so there was going to be a coaching change," she says. "I just felt like I needed something new."
That's where new K-State head coach Jason Mansfield entered the picture. Mansfield wasted little time in contacting 5-foot-7 Szulczewski after she entered the transfer portal and when he arrived in Manhattan on January 3. She visited four schools. K-State stood out.
"I wanted to make sure I visited all my options just to make sure I was picking the right spot," she says. "Manhattan was the right spot."
Mansfield announced her addition to the 2023 roster on May 12.
"I've been watching Izzi play since she was 15 years old, and ever since the first time I saw her compete, I've wanted to coach her," Mansfield says.
"Even though she's not the tallest, she is very skilled, very athletic, and very competitive. Those things really stood out. When you're looking at the setter position, the skill part is really the most important thing to us, at least in order to run the offense the way we want. Just watching her set and run the offense at a young age, it was very obvious she knew what she was doing."
Szulczewski looks forward to the opportunity to prove herself and direct the Wildcats on the court.
"I miss running the offense and being the quarterback of the team," she says. "It takes a lot of mental toughness and connecting with everyone on the team and making sure you have that connection. You have to know what each player likes and connect with everyone."
As for Szulczewski's goals?
"I have big goals for myself," she says. "All-Big 12 for sure is a goal. I definitely want to break some records and one of my goals is to get more setter-of-the-week and player-of-the-week honors here in the Big 12. I want to be on the All-Big 12 team."
Mansfield has high hopes as well.
"She's going to add a lot of value to us," he says. "My expectations are really high. We'll see what role she plays. She hit at Oregon State as well, so she has the capacity to do that with her size. She's very athletic and can do some different things on the court. She's a winner and somebody that really wants to compete.
"My expectations for her when we started recruiting her was that we had a chance to get a really, really special volleyball player."
Szulczewski will get her first chance to display her talents when K-State opens its season next Friday at Portland State in the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown in Portland, Oregon.
"The culture we're building here is really good," she says. "I enjoy that everyone is bought into it. We all bought into what we want to do this year. This was by far the best option I could've chosen. And I love the color purple."
It all goes back to the hammer that her father gave her when she was 12. That's when she knew that she could go places with volleyball.
It might even take her to the NCAA Tournament in her first season with the Wildcats.
It began with a hammer. Izzi Szulczewski was 12. She was an outside hitter. In one practice, she began spiking the ball. She was a hard hitter. Scott, her father, was a former collegiate volleyball player. That day, he witnessed her growth. Afterward, he presented Izzi with a hammer.
"Literally, a little hammer," she says. "He wrote the date that I became a little hammer — a hard hitter. The hammer was from his toolbox in the garage. I still have it."
That day in practice when she was 12, Szulczewski came to a realization.
"That was the time," she says, "that I was like, 'Oh, shoot, I can probably go someplace with this.'"
After a journey, her talents have brought her to Kansas State.
Named the 2019 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, Szulczewski enjoyed an accomplished career at Mountainside High School in Beaverton, Oregon. The two-time all-state selection also starred for the North Pacific Juniors program for several years and helped her 18s team qualify for nationals.
When it came time for college, she decommitted from Portland to test her talents at Oregon State. Her hard work paid off. As a freshman, she totaled 589 assists to rank fourth in the Pac-12 while her 8.79 assists per set ranked seventh in the league and fifth most in school history by a freshman. She led Oregon State in assists in all 18 matches. She also finished 12th in the conference with 189 digs and 14th with 2.82 digs per set.
As a sophomore, she finished with 859 assists (8.77 per set), 246 digs (2.51 per set), 78 kills, 64 blocks and 21 aces, leading the Beavers in assists and aces while ranking second on the team in total digs and third for total blocks. Her nine double-doubles also led the team.
Last season, she recorded the school's first triple-double in five years with 22 digs, 12 assist and 11 kills against Portland. She earned her second triple-double just two matches later to become the only Pac-12 player with multiple triple-doubles in 2022.
She earned All-Pac-12 honors for her efforts.
Shortly after the season, she decided to transfer to another school.
"First, our coach retired so there was going to be a coaching change," she says. "I just felt like I needed something new."
That's where new K-State head coach Jason Mansfield entered the picture. Mansfield wasted little time in contacting 5-foot-7 Szulczewski after she entered the transfer portal and when he arrived in Manhattan on January 3. She visited four schools. K-State stood out.
"I wanted to make sure I visited all my options just to make sure I was picking the right spot," she says. "Manhattan was the right spot."
Mansfield announced her addition to the 2023 roster on May 12.
"I've been watching Izzi play since she was 15 years old, and ever since the first time I saw her compete, I've wanted to coach her," Mansfield says.
"Even though she's not the tallest, she is very skilled, very athletic, and very competitive. Those things really stood out. When you're looking at the setter position, the skill part is really the most important thing to us, at least in order to run the offense the way we want. Just watching her set and run the offense at a young age, it was very obvious she knew what she was doing."
Szulczewski looks forward to the opportunity to prove herself and direct the Wildcats on the court.
"I miss running the offense and being the quarterback of the team," she says. "It takes a lot of mental toughness and connecting with everyone on the team and making sure you have that connection. You have to know what each player likes and connect with everyone."
As for Szulczewski's goals?
"I have big goals for myself," she says. "All-Big 12 for sure is a goal. I definitely want to break some records and one of my goals is to get more setter-of-the-week and player-of-the-week honors here in the Big 12. I want to be on the All-Big 12 team."
Mansfield has high hopes as well.
"She's going to add a lot of value to us," he says. "My expectations are really high. We'll see what role she plays. She hit at Oregon State as well, so she has the capacity to do that with her size. She's very athletic and can do some different things on the court. She's a winner and somebody that really wants to compete.
"My expectations for her when we started recruiting her was that we had a chance to get a really, really special volleyball player."
Szulczewski will get her first chance to display her talents when K-State opens its season next Friday at Portland State in the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown in Portland, Oregon.
"The culture we're building here is really good," she says. "I enjoy that everyone is bought into it. We all bought into what we want to do this year. This was by far the best option I could've chosen. And I love the color purple."
It all goes back to the hammer that her father gave her when she was 12. That's when she knew that she could go places with volleyball.
It might even take her to the NCAA Tournament in her first season with the Wildcats.
Players Mentioned
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