After a straight-set loss to the Texas Longhorns, the K-State volleyball team will look to get back-to-back road victories when they travel to Lubbock, Texas to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday at 3 p.m.
Before Wednesday night’s loss to Texas, K-State won two straight matches in straight sets against the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma Sooners.
The loss to the Longhorns gave the Wildcats their first losing effort when playing at Bramlage Coliseum. K-State in now 11-1 when playing at the coliseum but isn’t scheduled to play any more matches at home this season.
The Wildcats committed 23 attacking errors in the losing effort. Seventeen of those were unforced.
“I thought we played extremely well in some phases,” head coach Suzie Fritz said. “We blocked really well, we were on task defensively and dug quite well. It came down to unforced errors and we were uncharacteristically high-error from an attacking and service perspective. That’s not our identity and we have to play ‘clean,’ as we call it.
One positive spot for the Wildcats was Sami Flattum, who had three kills and hit over .400 in the loss.
“She played well and did a very good job for us tonight,” Fritz said. “She was one of the bright spots for our team.”
Junior setter Katie Brand continued her good play this year recording her league-leading 12th double-double on the year with 15 digs and 23 assists.
Brooke Sassin led the Wildcats with seven kills and had 11 digs in the match.
Now, the Wildcats turn their attention to the Red Raiders, who have not had a great first half of the Big 12 season. They are 2-5 in conference play and 13-8 overall, after starting the year 11-3.
The player to watch for Texas Tech is junior Lauren Douglass, who averages over three kills per match and is second in the conference in hitting percentage at .412. She is also fifth in total points in the Big 12 with an average of 3.80 per match.
K-State is 11-8 overall and 3-4 in Big 12 play. They have two consecutive road matches before they have a four-game homestand beginning on Oct. 31.
