K-State volleyball falls to Oklahoma in four sets

NORMAN, Okla. — The K-State volleyball team ended their week of road games with a loss to the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., Saturday afternoon.

Three Wildcats netted numbers that have earned them personal and school records. JuliAnne Chisholm, junior outside hitter, recorded a career-high 22 kills. In the back row, junior libero Lauren Mathewson checked off yet another item on her list of records with 30 digs in one match. The total tied her personal career high - which, incidentally, was set in Norman last year - and tied for third at K-State for most digs in a four-game match.

Senior setter Soriana Pacheco had a season-high 55 assists. Pacheco also recorded a double-double in assists and digs, along with senior middle blocker Kelsey Chipman in kills and digs.

While the individual performances from a handful of players were noteworthy, the team as a whole was unable to compose itself enough to find a win. K-State (8-14, 2-10 Big 12 Conference) took the first set 31-29 after late rally, but Oklahoma (15-7, 8-5) was to claim the match after winning the next three sets 25-20, 25-21 and 25-17. Regardless of the lost, head coach Suzie Fritz expressed happiness for her team’s performance.

“I thought we made progress in some areas,” Fritz said. “I was very pleased with some of the range we were attacking with.”

After warming up to Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” the Wildcats came out with two points right away. Chisholm scored the first three points, putting K-State in the lead three-two. Net serves by both teams tied the score seven-all, with the match being paused to remove a balloon that had floated onto the court. A handful of kills from Oklahoma gave it the edge at 11-9, but K-State came right back with a big block from redshirt freshman outside hitter Izabela Grot. Oklahoma gained some more points to take lead, until a three-point run behind sophomore defensive specialist Abby Fay evened play at 19-all. The Sooners were within one point of snatching the set, but a kill from Chipman gave K-State the opportunity to stay in the set by closing the gap to 24-all after a big block from Pacheco and Chipman. A furious battle ensued, with both teams pulling out all their stops: kills, blocks, timeouts to force a sideout, and digs. A controversial call from a line judge gave a point to Oklahoma, however, K-State was not to be dismayed. An attack error from the Sooners eventually gave K-State a two-point lead and the set at 31-29. Head coach Susie Fritz was happy with her team’s drive to take set one.

“I felt really good,” Fritz said. “I felt like we were playing spontaneously. I felt we were taking advantage of opportunities that we were getting. I felt like we were playing with pretty good confidence.”

Oklahoma regained their footing in the subsequent sets. The entire first rotation was an even trade-off of points, with both teams only having a single two-point run. A skillful tip to back-right court by Chipman and a nice set-kill combo from Pacheco and Chisholm highlighted the first nine points. At point 10, the Sooners found a string or runs due to defensive errors on K-State’s side, ending the second rotation at 17-14 Oklahoma after a timeout from Fritz returned the volley. The Wildcats offered up some strong plays - freshman defensive specialist Caitlyn Donahue and Mathewson both had some momentous saves, and Chisholm and freshman middle blocker Alex Muff blocked a strong attack - but Oklahoma eventually claimed the second set 25-20 after a long rally and a service error.

With the match tied at one set apiece, both teams returned from the intermission looking to take the lead. Two kills from Chisholm and an error on the Sooners gave K-State an advantage at three-two, but Oklahoma came right back with their own run to tie the set five-all. Another big hit from Chisholm accentuated a few points in favor of K-State, but the Sooners found considerable success with a six-point run to 11-8, ended by a timeout from coach Fritz. Oklahoma maintained their lead over the next three serves with eight points, versus K-State’s five. Mathewson’s ace preceded a yellow card on Oklahoma’s head coach, that showed the match point at 24-19. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Kathleen Ludwig hit a big kill to bring back the rally, but it ultimately proved unsuccessful in reclaiming the set as Oklahoma recorded a kill to win 25-21.

Whether is was due to fatigue, disappointment or a lack of focus, that is unknown, but K-State was unable to pull itself together to remain in the match. Only two of is 17 points in set four were earned from its own serve, and few of the players had remarkable performances. A slide from Chipman off a set from Pacheco started the set on a good note. Junior outside hitter Vanessa Murray had a good tip, alongside a strong block from Pacheco and Grot and a couple of big hits form Chipman. For all that, these plays were not enough to take the lead, with Oklahoma up 14-13 at the end of the second rotation. During one point, Donahue’s staunchness resurfaced when she fought a bleacher with her head for a wayside ball and lost, but the palpable pain was set right with her reassuring laugh. Starting the third rotation, it was at this point that Oklahoma pulled ahead considerably. Back-to-back three-point runs gave the team an advantage of four points, and a quick hit from junior middle blocker Sarah Freudenrich started the Sooners on a four-point run to pull within one point of a match victory. Chisholm and Pacheco teamed up for a kill to return the rally, but Oklahoma quickly gained back the point with a tip to claim the set and the match. After the match, team captain Mathewson said her team did not play as they were hoping.

“We’re disappointed,” Mathewson said. “We felt like our offense was really good this game, so we felt like we improved, but we just didn’t pull it off.”

Coach Fritz said her team needed to improve its consistency on the court.

“That’s been, unfortunately, our problem, is one good play, one bad play,” Fritz said. “If we could ever get to point, and I think we can, we haven’t given up on that, where we go two good plays, one bad play, three good plays, one bad play, then I think we win that match.”

Oklahoma posted some very strong numbers. Sophomore right-side hitter Suzy Boulavsky and senior outside hitter Bridget Laplante both had double-doubles in kills and digs, and junior middle blocker Francie Ekwerekwu hit an impressive 17 kills for .389 attack percentage. Overall, the team had 63 kills for .246.

K-State was led by Chisholm in front with a career-high 22 kills for .236. Mathewson’s defense and Pacheco’s setting rounded off Chilshom’s offense. Muff continued her spree of break-out performances with solid numbers up front, including four assisted blocks, the most for the team.

A series of two home games will begin with K-State hosting Texas A&M this Wednesday at 7 p.m. for Buck-A-Brat night.