Wildcats Set Out to Music City for Lippy Invitational

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State continues preseason action this weekend as the Wildcats set out to Nashville, Tenn., to take part in the Lippy Invitational at Allen Arena where they will go head-to-head with UT Martin and Lipscomb on Sept. 8-9.

The Wildcats open the tournament against UT Martin on Friday at 6 p.m. CT before facing tournament host Lipscomb.

K-State's match against Lipscomb will be streamed on ESPN+ while fans can follow the action via live stats available online.

The Wildcats moved to 4-1 after defeating Omaha in straight sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) in the home opener before they suffered the first loss of the season to No. 4 Nebraska.

Friday marks the first meeting between K-State and UT Martin while Wildcats lead the series with Lipscomb, 2-0.

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

K-State hits the road to take on UT Martin and Lipscomb in the Lippy Invitational on Sept. 8-9 in Nashville, Tenn., at Allen Arena.
The Wildcats moved to 4-1 after defeating Omaha in straight sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) in the home opener before they suffered the first loss of the season to No. 4 Nebraska
First-year head coach Jason Mansfield became just the second coach in K-state history to start his career 4-0, joining Jim Moore.
Friday's match features the first-ever match against UT Matin
The Wildcats lead the all-time series 2-0 with Lipscomb
K-State is in its 50^th season of Wildcat Volleyball, posting an overall 897-710-12 record.

SCOUTING UT MARTIN

Coming off a 23-12 finish, UT Martin was selected to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll.
The Skyhawks returned 12 letterwinners including full-time starters Haeleigh Paulino, Dylan Mott, and Mia Saenz.
Defending OVC Coach of the Year Jacylynn Wilson is in her ninth season as the Skyhawks' head coach with an overall 102-143 (.416) record.
The Skyhawks seized their first OVC regular season championship in 20 years last fall, racking up a school-record 15 league victories with only three losses.
After starting off the season with a 3-1 victory over Marist, UT Martin is 1-4 in their last five contests with a two-match losing streak.
The Skyhawks are hitting .182, averaging 12.2 kills per set.
Two everyday starters are averaging over three points per set with Kayla Bryant (3.43) and Olivia Saunders (3.08).
Bryant leads the team in kills per set with 2.91
On defense, three players have combined for 183 of the Skyhawks 334 digs led by Mott who averages 3.74 per set.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Friday's match marks the first meeting between the two programs.

SCOUTING LIPSCOMB

Lipscomb is coming off its first victory of the season with a straight set sweep over Tennessee State after starting the season 0-4.
The Bison are led by head coach Brandon Rosenthal who is in his 21^st season at the helm of the volleyball program since taking the reins in 2003.
Under Rosenthal, the Bison are 362-241 (.600) overall with eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament including their most recent in 2021. Rosthenal has also led the program to seven ASUN Tournament Championships.
Lipscomb is hitting .169 as a team with a 10.7 kills average to go with 1.7 aces and 10.1 assists
Two Bison are averaging over two kills per set with Jada DiVita (2.63) and Meg Mersman (2.06)
Sophomore setter Sophia Hudepohl paces the 5-1 offense with 7.67 assists per set
Defensively, Lipscomb picks up 10.94 digs per set guided by senior libero Delaney Smith (3.50 digs per set), who also leads the team with 11 aces.
Mersman, Berkley Mischler, and Cora ter Kuile have tallied double figure stuffs this year with Mersman averaging one a set.
Lipscomb finished its 2022 campaign 16-13 with an appearance in the ASUn semifinals.
The Bison were projected to finish second the ASUN coaches preseason poll while Hudepohl, Mersman and outside Carolina Stogner earned all-preseason honors.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Saturday is the first match with the Bison since December 2, 2016 in the NCAA Tournament where the Cats swept the Bison in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in straight sets (28-26, 25-15, 26-24).
In the last meeting, Brooke Sassin led K-State with 11 kills, while six Wildcats produced at least half a dozen kills.
Defensively, Katie Reininger finished with a match-high six blocks while senior libero Kersten Kober collected a match-best 14 digs. Katie Brand handed out 34 assists along with six kills and six digs.
K-State leads the all-time series 2-0 with the series start in 2006

A NEW HOME

K-State proudly announced the unveiling of Morgan Family Arena for the 2023 season.
Defeated Omaha in straight sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) opening day on Sept. 1, 2023 in front of capacity crowd of 3,044.
Wildcats are 1-1 when playing at home this season
Morgan Family Arena will host 13 regular season games for the Wildcats along with a neutral game between Rice and LIU at the K-State Invitational
The all-volleyball inclusive arena is the third home of Wildcat volleyball joining the Bramlage Coliseum and Ahearn Field House
K-State is 405-209-5 all-time when playing at home

A NEW ERA

Jason Mansfield is in his first season at the helm of the Kansas State volleyball program.
The Sunnyvale, Calif., native is 4-1 (.800) overall as a first-year coach
Mansfield became the second coach in K-state history to start his career 4-0, joining Jim Moore
Mansfield was appointed as the ninth head coach on Dec. 27, 2022.
Compiled over 480 victories as an assistant coach with stints at Stanford, Illinois, and Washington
The 2004 Stanford squad won the national championship, while the Cardinal advanced to the Final
Four six times in 14 total NCAA Tournament appearances with Mansfield on staff.
Joining Mansfield on the sideline in his first season are associate head coach Steve Astor, and assistant coaches Fiona Fonoti and John Dunn.

HONOR ROLL

Three Wildcats collected all-tournament honors for their performances at the Hotel Vance Rose city Showdown in Oregon with Alliyah Carter, Izzi Szulczewski, and Sydney Bolding
Aliyah Carter and Sydney Bolding each represent K-State on the 2023 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
The preseason selection marked the third for Carter as she was named a unanimous selection in 2021 and 2022.

BRICK WALL

K-State is averaging a league second-best 2.97 blocks per set just .06 behind Big 12 leader Texas Tech, while ranking 14^th nationally in the category.
The team's 47.5 total ranks fifth overall in the Big 12.
The Wildcats collected a season-best 13.0 blocks in the season opener versus Portland State.
Sydney Bolding is 15^th in the nation in blocks per set (1.56) which ranks second in league
Her eight-block performance is the second-most in any three-set match of any Big 12 team this season.
Kadye Fernholz is on pace to joining the program's 400-block club as she is just seven blocks away from reaching 300.
Fernholz has registered 100-plus blocks the past two seasons and is two stuffs away from joining the 300-blocks club.
Bolding is 55 total blocks away from her 300^th career block at K-State

MILESTONE WATCH

Kadye Fernholz is just two blocks away from reaching her 300^th career block at K-State whild Sydney Bolding is 55 blocks from 300.
Aliyah Carter joined the 1,000-kills club in the season opener at Portland State
Carter ranks eighth in total kills (1,042) in the rally-scoring era and 18^th overall in K-State history
Mackenzie Morris recorded her 1,300^th career dig in the Cats sweep over Cal State Fullerton, becoming fifth player to reach the milestone while ranking fifth overall in the category.
Morris is 17 service aces from joining the 100-aces club.

AROUND tHE BIG 12

BYU and Iowa State remain undefeated to lead the Big 12 standings with perfect 6-0 records.
UCF sits third with Cincinnati in fourth at 5-1 while a three-way tie for fifth breaks out between Houston, K-State and Oklahoma.
Four programs from the Big 12 are ranked in the AVCA standings with No. 7 Texas, No. 8 BYU, No. 14 Baylor, and No. 22 Kansas while UCF and Iowa State are receiving votes.

KILLER CARTER

Aliyah Carter became the 19^th player in program history to join the 1,000-kills club in the season opener at Portland State on Aug. 25, 2023.
The two-time All-Region section has produced double-figure kills in three of the Wildcats' five matches this season, including season-best performances against San Diego State and Omaha with 14
Additionally, she is just the second player in program history to earn back-to-back unanimous first-team accolades, joining Kaitlynn Pelger (2012-13).
Carter's current career average of 3.67 kills per set ranks third in K-State history during the rally-scoring era and fourth overall.
She now has 13 career matches with 20 or more kills, ranking second in program history during the rally-scoring era and sixth overall.
Carter last eclipsed the 20-kill plateau on Oct. 27, 2021 against Texas Tech (21 kills).
The 2020 Big 12 and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year became the first Wildcat to earn unanimous first-team honors as both a freshman and a sophomore.

MACK ON TOP

Senior libero Mackenzie Morris' 4.63 digs per set leads the league and ranks 55^th nationally
The Dallas, Texas product became the sixth player to generate 1,300 career digs at K-State, ranking fifth overall in the rally-scoring era.
She recorded her second 20-dig match in the Wildcats home opening sweep over Omaha on Sept. 1, bringing her career total to 21.
Morris' 21 matches with at least 20 digs ties third in program history
Morris joined the 1,000-digs club last season versus Kansas on Sept. 24., 2022.
Additionally, Morris is the fastest player in program history (rally-scoring era) to reach the milestone, doing so in just 63 matches.
At 4.12 career digs per set, she is currently one of just two players in the rally-scoring era to average over 4.00 digs per set (Angie Lastra, 4.37).
Morris is one of just five active players in the Big 12 with at least 1,300 career digs (third among active Big 12 athletes).

GOING BOLDING

Senior middle blocker Sydney Bolding continues to be a threat at the net for the Wildcats as she ranks second in the league and 15^th nationally with 1.56 blocks per set.
The seniors .422 hitting percentage is fourth-best on the team with 27 totals kills (1.69 per set)
She was named to the Rose City Showdown All-Tournament Team, her third all-tournament team selection.
Bolding is 55 blocks away from reaching her 300^th career block at K-State
She has over 300 career kills and 200 career blocks in her three years with the Wildcats.

UP NEXT

Wildcats will conclude preseason action with the K-State Invitational on sept. 14-16 with matches against Long Island and Rice at Morgan Family Arena.
K-State will face LIU on Thursday at 4 p.m. followed by a match against Rice on Saturday at noon.
A neutral match between LIU and Rice will be played on Friday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m.
All matches will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+

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Players Mentioned

Sydney Bolding

Aliyah Carter

Kadye Fernholz

Mackenzie Morris

Izzi Szulczewski

Kansas State University Athletics