Big 12 conference games continue to be a weak spot for the Kansas State volleyball team this season. This showed on Wednesday evening in Morgantown, West Virginia, as the Wildcats dropped to 2-7 in conference play with a four-set defeat at the hands of the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The loss puts the Wildcats in a three-way tie for last in the Big 12 with West Virginia and TCU, each holding 2-7 conference records.
Even with the loss, the Wildcats (7-14) started out the match with stellar offensive play, recording 21 kills in the first set, six of those coming from freshman outside hitter Anna Dixon. The freshman finished with a team-high 16 kills on the night as well as 11 digs to record a double-double.
Redshirt senior setter Sarah Dixon recorded her own double-double on the night with 22 assists and 10 digs. Freshman setter Teana Adams-Kaonohi was two digs away from recording a double-double of her own, finishing the night leading in assists with 24.
The Mountaineers (11-11, 2-7) managed to keep up with K-State’s hot start, as the first set had seven lead changes between the two teams, as well as 16 ties.
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West Virginia had two set-point opportunities at the end as well, but K-State kept fighting. The Wildcats finished the set with three straight points to take the set 28-26, holding a .264 hitting percentage.
Things started going downhill quickly for the Wildcats after the first set though, recording .000 hitting percentage with seven kills and seven errors on the set.
West Virginia took this opportunity and ran away with the second set, scoring seven straight points as part of 10-2 run at one point. The Mountaineers took the set 25-15, earning a .346 hitting percentage along the way.
After leading by as many as nine points in set three, West Virginia took the set 25-17 with their highest hitting percentage of the night at .351 compared to the Wildcats’ .093.
Even with the play in the second and third set, the Wildcats still had a great opportunity to mount a comeback, tying the score at 10-10 in the fourth set. An 8-1 run by the Mountaineers all but ended the Wildcats hopes, as West Virginia took the final set 25-19.
K-State finished their night with the second-lowest hitting percentage of the season, with a .152 while West Virginia’s .314 was the highest the Wildcats have allowed all season long.
K-State looks to get back on track in the Big 12 this Saturday as they face TCU. In their last meeting Sept. 28, the Wildcats defeated the Horned Frogs 3-1 in Fort Worth, Texas.
The game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start time at Ahearn Field House and will air live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, as well as on KMAN radio.
