A Refreshing Feeling Being at Home
Sep 12, 2024 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Last Saturday, as the Kansas State team bus parked in Manhattan after a grueling 3-0 defeat at No. 11 Creighton that capped a five-match swing in Indiana and Nebraska, Liz Gregorski grabbed some McDonald's, went home, watched some college volleyball on TV, and chilled the rest of the night.
After a physically and mentally fatiguing first nine days to the 2024 K-State women's volleyball season, it was good to be back in the Little Apple.
"You have no idea," Gregorski said. "I am so grateful. The fact that we don't have to drive to Kansas City to make a flight is the most amazing feeling ever. It's so nice to be back in The Hat."
Even better? K-State volleyball finally makes its home debut Thursday at 6:30 p.m. when the Wildcats face Lipscomb at Morgan Family Arena in The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic.
The Wildcats, 1-4, are hungry to turn the page after a challenging first five matches that included losses at No. 8 Purdue (1-3) and UC Davis (2-3) before a win against UMBC (3-0) that preceded two more tough losses against No. 20 USC (1-3) and No. 11 Creighton (0-3).
"We're all excited, but we're just happy to be home and playing in our arena," K-State second-year head coach Jason Mansfield said. "Hopefully, our 1-4 start hasn't detoured fans from coming and watching us play. The returners know what the environment is like, so they're fired up for that. This will be the first home match for our new players. We just need to play more consistent volleyball, and I'm hoping the arena and our fans help us make that happen."
In the season opener at No. 8 Purdue, All-Big 12 outside hitter Aliyah Carter and setter Izzi Szulczewski recorded double doubles — Carter had her seventh consecutive match with 10-plus kills against top-25 opponents — while newcomer Meg Brown had 16 kills, Ella Larkin had 20 digs at the libero position, and Symone Sims had 12.
Then K-State posted 100 digs and 10 blocks and came back from a 2-1 hole to force a fifth set, but fell short against UC Davis.
After a much-needed straight-set victory over UMBC to conclude the Stacey Clark Classic at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Indiana, K-State turned around and fell in four sets against No. 20 USC at the Creighton Classic in Omaha, Nebraska.
That preceded the Wildcats' road finale — a three-set loss at No. 8 Creighton that tested the moxie of a squad looking to find its footing in September. In the match, the Wildcats managed a season-low .112 hitting efficiency, but Larkin earned all-tournament recognition, Carter turned in her ninth consecutive match with at least 10 kills against a nationally ranked foe, Gregorski had 11 digs, and Szulczewski had 23 assists.
"It was a grind, really," Gregorski said. "A lot of travel, a lot of long days, a lot of treatment and recovery, and so much treatment, and rehab. The experience just put our team in a microwave. It exposed a lot of things that we need to work on. We're 1-4, and that can be a little demoralizing, but the good thing is we have played a lot of really good teams so far, teams that are better than us right now, and it is motivating knowing we have this next month at home. That's the most refreshing feeling ever."
K-State gets its next six matches in Manhattan. After facing Lipscomb on Thursday, the Wildcats get North Carolina on Sunday, then UCSB (September 19) and Oklahoma (September 22), before beginning the Big 12 Conference season against Houston (September 25) and UCF (September 27) at Morgan Family Arena.
Lesser squads might fray from the string of defeats and road fatigue.
K-State appears stronger for going through it together.
"Sticking together is a main focus," Gregorski said. "One thing our team does really well is just stick together. It is so important. The message is sticking together after this stretch to start the season. We're all competing with and against and for each other. That was the main emphasis after this whole travel journey these past two weeks. I'm excited because there's an urgency now from those losses that we can do it. It's up to us."
That's the part that pleases Mansfield the most.
"They're staying together, and it's really easy to start separating when you lose or certainly when you start the season with playing time and people playing and people not playing and people being disappointed in their roles. So far there's none of that," he said. "They're doing a good job staying together. We've seen a lot of that in practice. One of our core values is being connected, and they're doing a good job at that."
Thursday marks 299 days since K-State has played a match in Manhattan.
The Wildcats are ready.
"I'm so unbelievably excited," Gregorski said. "It's going to be so much fun. I'm living with Meg Brown, who's a transfer from Pepperdine, and I'm looking forward to seeing it through her eyes as well. She will never be prepared for the home atmosphere. It's something so special.
"We have one of the best atmospheres in the country, and I'm so excited to get that feeling again. I'm right there with the fans. I'm so pumped, and I can't wait to play for you guys."
Last Saturday, as the Kansas State team bus parked in Manhattan after a grueling 3-0 defeat at No. 11 Creighton that capped a five-match swing in Indiana and Nebraska, Liz Gregorski grabbed some McDonald's, went home, watched some college volleyball on TV, and chilled the rest of the night.
After a physically and mentally fatiguing first nine days to the 2024 K-State women's volleyball season, it was good to be back in the Little Apple.
"You have no idea," Gregorski said. "I am so grateful. The fact that we don't have to drive to Kansas City to make a flight is the most amazing feeling ever. It's so nice to be back in The Hat."
Even better? K-State volleyball finally makes its home debut Thursday at 6:30 p.m. when the Wildcats face Lipscomb at Morgan Family Arena in The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic.
The Wildcats, 1-4, are hungry to turn the page after a challenging first five matches that included losses at No. 8 Purdue (1-3) and UC Davis (2-3) before a win against UMBC (3-0) that preceded two more tough losses against No. 20 USC (1-3) and No. 11 Creighton (0-3).
"We're all excited, but we're just happy to be home and playing in our arena," K-State second-year head coach Jason Mansfield said. "Hopefully, our 1-4 start hasn't detoured fans from coming and watching us play. The returners know what the environment is like, so they're fired up for that. This will be the first home match for our new players. We just need to play more consistent volleyball, and I'm hoping the arena and our fans help us make that happen."
In the season opener at No. 8 Purdue, All-Big 12 outside hitter Aliyah Carter and setter Izzi Szulczewski recorded double doubles — Carter had her seventh consecutive match with 10-plus kills against top-25 opponents — while newcomer Meg Brown had 16 kills, Ella Larkin had 20 digs at the libero position, and Symone Sims had 12.
Then K-State posted 100 digs and 10 blocks and came back from a 2-1 hole to force a fifth set, but fell short against UC Davis.
After a much-needed straight-set victory over UMBC to conclude the Stacey Clark Classic at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Indiana, K-State turned around and fell in four sets against No. 20 USC at the Creighton Classic in Omaha, Nebraska.
That preceded the Wildcats' road finale — a three-set loss at No. 8 Creighton that tested the moxie of a squad looking to find its footing in September. In the match, the Wildcats managed a season-low .112 hitting efficiency, but Larkin earned all-tournament recognition, Carter turned in her ninth consecutive match with at least 10 kills against a nationally ranked foe, Gregorski had 11 digs, and Szulczewski had 23 assists.
"It was a grind, really," Gregorski said. "A lot of travel, a lot of long days, a lot of treatment and recovery, and so much treatment, and rehab. The experience just put our team in a microwave. It exposed a lot of things that we need to work on. We're 1-4, and that can be a little demoralizing, but the good thing is we have played a lot of really good teams so far, teams that are better than us right now, and it is motivating knowing we have this next month at home. That's the most refreshing feeling ever."
K-State gets its next six matches in Manhattan. After facing Lipscomb on Thursday, the Wildcats get North Carolina on Sunday, then UCSB (September 19) and Oklahoma (September 22), before beginning the Big 12 Conference season against Houston (September 25) and UCF (September 27) at Morgan Family Arena.
Lesser squads might fray from the string of defeats and road fatigue.
K-State appears stronger for going through it together.
"Sticking together is a main focus," Gregorski said. "One thing our team does really well is just stick together. It is so important. The message is sticking together after this stretch to start the season. We're all competing with and against and for each other. That was the main emphasis after this whole travel journey these past two weeks. I'm excited because there's an urgency now from those losses that we can do it. It's up to us."
That's the part that pleases Mansfield the most.
"They're staying together, and it's really easy to start separating when you lose or certainly when you start the season with playing time and people playing and people not playing and people being disappointed in their roles. So far there's none of that," he said. "They're doing a good job staying together. We've seen a lot of that in practice. One of our core values is being connected, and they're doing a good job at that."
Thursday marks 299 days since K-State has played a match in Manhattan.
The Wildcats are ready.
"I'm so unbelievably excited," Gregorski said. "It's going to be so much fun. I'm living with Meg Brown, who's a transfer from Pepperdine, and I'm looking forward to seeing it through her eyes as well. She will never be prepared for the home atmosphere. It's something so special.
"We have one of the best atmospheres in the country, and I'm so excited to get that feeling again. I'm right there with the fans. I'm so pumped, and I can't wait to play for you guys."
Players Mentioned
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