Volleyball Preview: No. 16 Kansas State
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MATCH #15
No. 11 Texas (14-0, 6-0 Big 12) at
No. 16 Kansas State (11-4, 5-1 Big
12)
When: Saturday, October 9, 2004 at 7 p.m.
Where: Ahern Field House (capacity: 5,000)
All-Time Series Record: Texas leads,
11-7 (6-3 home, 4-4 away, 1-0 neutral)
Series Streaks: UT won the last meeting and has won three of the last
four contests
Last Meeting: November 29, 2003: UT won, 3-1 (35-33, 30-28, 23-30,
30-25) over No. 5 KSU in Austin
Last UT victory: Same
Last K-State victory: Oct. 15, 2003:
No. 8 KSU won, 3-2 (19-30, 24-30, 20-30, 30-25, 16-14) in Manhattan
Elliott vs. Kansas State: 3-3
QUICK SETS
Texas
continued it climb in the national rankings, moving to No. 11 in the
USA Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll this week. Texas is also ranked
No. 15 in last week's Volleyball Magazine poll.
Texas
is one of four remaining undefeated teams in the nation, joining Washington,
Ohio State, and Hawaii.
The
Longhorns are 14-0 to open a season for the first time since 1990 when
the Horns opened 26-0.
Texas
leads the nation in hitting percentage (NCAA Stats release, 10/5/04),
with a .345 mark through last week, and is ranked 18th in kills per
game (16.69) and 16th in assists per game (15.24).
Texas
has won its last three matches against ranked teams dating back to
last season ... UT topped No. 5 Kansas State (3-1) on Nov. 29, 2003,
No. 21 Kansas (3-0) on Sept. 25, 2004 and No. 5 Florida on Sept. 29,
2004.
Mira
Topic leads the Big 12 in both overall and conference only kills/game.
Nationally, she is ranked 13th in kills/game in the latest stats release
(10/5).
UT
has limited it opponents to a hitting percentage under .250 in each
of its 14 matches, including six matches where the team has held its
opponents below .100.
UT
won 12 of its 14 matches by 3-0 scores, and has won 42 games to its
opponents' three in 2004.
Texas
has limited opponents to 19 or fewer points in 23 games this season
... UT managed the feat in only eight games in 2003.
Texas
has hit for an attack percentage of .350 or higher in nine of 13 matches
this season, including four matches of .420 or higher.
The
team's freshmen defensive players - libero Alyson Jennings and DS Sarah
Holloway - each collected double-figure kills in each of the last three
matches.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
K-State opened the season 5-4 overall, but has won its last six matches ... each
of the Wildcats last two matches have gone five games (vs. Iowa State and at
Kansas) ... KSU is 1-3 against ranked teams, falling to then No. 11 Cal (3-0),
then-No. 4 Florida (3-2) and then-No. 5 Minnesota (3-2) and defeating then-No.
11 Texas A&M (3-0) ... Vali Hejjas leads the team in kills with 197 (3.52/game),
while Lisa Martin is tops on the team in both hitting percentage (.419) and
blocks (81) ... Gabby Guerre is the team's returning setter and has 612 assists
(11.13/game) and Angie Lastra has a team-high 230 digs (4.04/game).
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KANSAS STATE
QUICK FACTS Location: Manhattan, Kan. Nickname: Wildcats Colors: Purple and White 2003 Record: 30-5 2003 Big 12 Record (Finish): 18-2 (First) 2003 Postseason: NCAA Regional Semifinal Final AVCA National Ranking: No. 11 |
