2023-09-28 04:33:01
Next Match:
Cincinnati
9/30/2023 | 4:30 p.m.
Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Sep. 30 (Sat) / 4:30 p.m.
Cincinnati
History
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Kansas State earned its second straight Big 12 victory Wednesday night, as the Wildcats topped West Virginia in straight sets at WVU Coliseum, 27-25, 25-19, 25-20.
“Any win you get in the Big 12 is tough, especially on the road,” said first-year head coach Jason Mansfield. “I thought we showed a lot of grit in that first set, staying with them and finding a way to win with some great setting choices and defense. We haven’t won the first set in a while, so it was nice to be up 1-0. I thought the rest of the match we stayed consistent which I was really proud of.”
K-State (8-4, 2-1 Big 12) hit over .300 as a team for the fourth time of the season with a .324 hitting efficiency, totaling 46 kills.
“Hitting over .300 is what we’re capable of doing. I thought Sydney and Brenna showed what they can do if we pass well and get them the ball. Shaylee managed really well offensively tonight and kept attacking a variety of ways.”
Two Wildcats reached double figure kills with Shaylee Myers and Aliyah Carter. Myers, a product of Lincoln, Neb., hit .417 with a season-high 11 kills followed by Carter with 10 and a pair of service aces.
WVU came up short in earning its first conference win as the Mountaineers lost their third straight match moving to 6-9 overall and 0-3 in Big 12 action.
Loren Hinkle paced the offense with a team-high 23 assists while Izzi Szulczewski tallied 16.
Defensively, the Wildcats totaled six blocks led by four block assists from Sydney Bolding while Mackenzie Morris had 15 digs with two aces.
The Mountaineers hit .213 with 40 kills on 108 swings led by Hailey Green with a match-high 16 kills followed by Bailey Miller with 10.
SET-BY-SET
Set One – K-State 27, West Virginia 25
The first set saw 15 tie scores with neither team grabbing greater than a two-point lead as the Wildcats and Mountaineers battled up until the final points.
With the score tied 25-25, Aliyah Carter connected on a pass from Loren Hinkle to make her presence known as the senior laid down the hammer to put the Cats ahead. A service ace from Sydney Bolding, her 13th of the season, secured the final point.
Aniya Clinton and Brenna Schmidt each tallied four kills in the set while Szulczewski paced the offense that hit .389 with 12 assists.
Set Two – K-State 25, West Virginia 19
With back-to-back kills by Schmidt and Shaylee Myers and a service ace by Mackenzie Morris, the Cats grasped a seven-point lead to take control of the set.
Four Wildcats played a part in K-States two blocks in the set as the defense held the Mountaineers to a .167 hitting efficiency led by six kills from Hailey Green.
Set Three – K-State 25, West Virginia 20
Three attack errors from the Mountaineer helped the Cats string together a 5-1 scoring run to lead 14-10. The Mountaineers brought the score withing three but kills by Schmidt and Bolding led the Cats to their second straight Big 12 win.
K-State hit .286 in the final set behind four kills from Myers and Bolding.
INSIDE THE BOX
K-State won its second straight match in straight sets, 27-25, 25-19, 25-20
The Cats hit .324 (46 kills, 10 errors)
Two Wildcats reached double figure kills
Myers tallied a team-high 11 kills followed by Carter with 10
WVU hit a match-high .412 in the first set
K-State had a match-high 19 kills in the first set
Hinkle guided the offense with 23 assists
Bolding totaled four block assists
K-State out-blocked West Virginia 6.0-4.0
Green had a match-high 16 kills on the night
BEYOND THE BOX
K-State leads the all-time series 15-8 against WVU, winning their third straight match against WVU.
The Wildcats move to 2-1 in conference action
On the road, the Wildcats are 5-1 including 2-1 in true road matches
WHAT’S NEXT
K-State will be back at Morgan Family Arena on Saturday, Sept. 30, to take on Cincinnati (7-5, 0-2 Big 12) with first serve set for 4:30 p.m. CT.
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