When the K-State volleyball team takes the court against the No. 2 Texas Longhorns tonight, the team should be well rested.

The Wildcats (6-7, 0-3 Big 12 Conference) have played just two matches since taking on Baylor on Sept. 19 in Waco, Texas. The Wildcats, who had a bye last Wednesday, were given a day off when their Sept. 23 match against Texas Tech was postponed because of a flu outbreak.

"I think [the time off] works in both ways," said head coach Suzie Fritz. "We haven't had a lot of opportunities to kind of work our way out of this slump a little bit. But at the same time, we've gotten more time [for preparation] than I can ever recall during any season in this time of the year."

K-State enters tonight's showdown in search of its first conference win of the season. The team is off to an 0-3 start in league play for the second time since the Big 12's inception in 1996. Unfortunately for Fritz and the Wildcats, Texas (10-0, 5-0) promises to be one of K-State's toughest opponents this season.

"Physically, they're very gifted in terms of their size, their ability to jump high," Fritz said of the Longhorns. "They have good balance in terms of being good at every position. They have literally no glaring weaknesses."

Texas is the only remaining unbeaten team in the conference and joins No. 1 Penn State as the only two Division I programs in the country with an unblemished record.

The Longhorns have received solid production from all contributors in 2009, but they have been led by senior outside hitter Destinee Hooker, who averages 4.54 kills per set. Fellow outside hitter Juliann Faucette, a junior, has also been a force at the net, averaging 3.46 kills. Sophomore middle blocker Rachael Adams has been arguably the team's strongest all-around contributor, averaging 1.23 blocks per set while maintaining a staggering .473 hitting percentage.

K-State will counter with junior outside hitter JuliAnne Chisholm, who averages 3.15 kills per set, and senior middle blocker Kelsey Chipman, who owns a .355 hitting percentage in 2009 and an average of 1.11 blocks per set.

The Longhorns have dominated the all-time series against K-State, winning 21 of 28 matches. K-State has not defeated Texas since 2003 when the Wildcats won their first and only Big 12 Championship. Currently, the Wildcats have lost 11 straight matches against the Longhorns and have won just four of 13 match-ups in Manhattan.

Despite the team's woes against Texas, Fritz said playing within the confines of Ahearn Field House always gives K-State an upper hand.

"Any time we can play at home, I think it's helpful," she said. "It's just more comfortable. It's where we practice every day. The depths of arenas are different, so the depth perception factor when it comes to serving and passing changes a little bit. Regardless of if it's Texas or anybody, it doesn't really matter. I think it's an advantage to be at home."

Tonight's match marks the last Friday action K-State will see this season. First serve is set for 7 p.m.