Last week, we talked about the new changes and rising stars in the volleyball lineup, most notably Caitlyn Donahue in her returning role as setter and Alex Muff stepping up to fill Kelsey Chipman's shoes. Head coach Suzie Fritz also brought in an attack-heavy bumper crop of freshmen that will compete to put the best on the line each match.

First on the list so far is middle blocker Kaitlynn Pelger. In last weekend's three-match tournament in Hawaii, Pelger dominated the other freshmen in the stat books. Offensively, she hit 22 solid attacks — second only to powerhouse senior outside hitter JuliAnne Chisholm. Her percentage could use some work; with a total of 66 looks, she recorded a .121 percentage in the end. She was facing three of the best teams in the nation, which means that stronger opposing attacks yielded less-than-ideal set-ups for the passers and setter, giving the hitters imperfect sets, and that the hitters were swinging into stronger blocks. Regardless, Pelger had a strong showing that is sure to improve with the season, giving K-State one more middle blocker to complement Muff. Defensively, Pelger led the team in blocks, recording one solo and 13 assisted — one quarter of the team's total.

Next up is outside hitter Courtney Cook. In Hawaii, she only recorded five kills, but her percentage was a reliable .294, a number good for anyone, especially a true freshman adjusting to college-level play against ranked opponents. Cook did not receive many sets — leading to her lower kill number — but this could very well change after her performance in the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational. Only playing four of the 10 games, Cook needs more playing time to bolster her already high numbers.

Rounding out the new front-row players is Dakota Kaufman, Chisholm's cousin. There must be something in that family's blood, because Kaufman is well on her way to the success that Chisholm has enjoyed for some time now. Last weekend, she played all 10 games and started in two of the matches, a feat that only Pelger topped of the freshmen. Kaufman had nearly the same number of looks as Pelger, but she turned only half as many into kills, giving her a -.062 hitting percentage going into last night's match against the University of South Dakota. The 6-feet-1-inch freshman from Hillsboro, Kan., will most likely improve as well. For blocking, Kaufman stand strong, both alone and with others; in Hawaii, she recorded one solo block and six assisted, the third highest on the team after Pelger and Muff.

In the back row, we have seen an impressive, promising performance from defensive specialist Tristan McCarty. Coming from the training of Manhattan High's former head coach Lori Martini, McCarty, who is also the daughter of Manhattan High's principal, has filled the position vacated by Donahue and Abby Fay. At last weekend's tournament, she scored one service ace and recorded 13 digs, far above any other true freshman.

This is senior libero Lauren Mathewson's last year on the team, which means her spot will be up for grabs to the highest bidder, and McCarty is certainly putting in an impressive call. If she spends three years at that position, she will undoubtedly achieve the record-shattering levels of Mathewson, and most likely give Mathewson a run for her money in the record books.

Right now, these freshmen still need some more polishing before they can truly compete with the highest echelons of Division I volleyball. However, given a year or two competing together, practicing together and growing together, these athletes will certainly take K-State to new heights, maybe higher than those seen by Fritz and those are pretty high.