It’s been nearly a week since the K-State volleyball squad has taken the floor, and head coach Suzie Fritz said the time off has benefited the Wildcats.
    “[Having a day off] helps a lot,” said Fritz, who is just five wins shy of the school’s all-time record. “We gave all of the attackers two consecutive days, and the ones who take the bulk of the swings got three days off. I thought it helped them mentally.”
    Fritz said the time off was deserved, but the No. 16 Wildcats (16-3, 6-2 Big 12 Conference) were a little rusty when they returned to prepare for their Saturday match-up against Texas Tech (5-15, 0-9 Big 12) in Ahearn Field House.
    “We were not great yesterday practicing, coming off of three days off, but I thought that we were really good today,” she said after Thursday’s practice. “It looked like we had our legs back, it looked like we had great energy, and I thought it was the best practice we’ve had in some time.”
    Texas Tech has been paced this season by middle blockers Amanda Dowdy and Brandi Hood, who are averaging 2.75 and 2.46 kills per game, respectively.
    K-State has been led by senior outside hitters Rita Liliom and Nataly Korobkova, who are averaging 4.13 and 3.13 kills respectively. Middle blocker Megan Farr also has been strong this season, as she is averaging 1.94 kills and 1.22 blocks per game. The senior from Manhattan also owns a .415 hitting percentage.
    The Wildcats, who have won six of their last seven matches, will face a Texas Tech team that has struggled mightily. The Red Raiders are winless in their first nine conference outings.
    However, that’s only part of the story - Texas Tech hasn’t won a Big 12 match since its 2007 conference opener. In all, the Red Raiders are on a 28-match losing streak when playing conference opponents.
    K-State enters the match on a six-match winning streak against Texas Tech and leads the all-time series, 20-8. That streak includes an 11-1 record in Manhattan, with the lone loss coming in a 2-3 decision in 2004. The Wildcats have dominated the Red Raiders in recent years, taking 13 of the last 15 meetings.