Wednesday afternoon the Kansas State volleyball team wasn't concerned with its win total. It wasn't concerned with its position in the Big 12 conference, either.
All it was concerned about prior to its match against the No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies was that it felt this night was going to be different.
And so they made it known. Not only in their conversations with KSU coach Suzie Fritz before the match, but they followed it up with a tone set early in the first set.
"Going into the match, I had a least four players tell me `We are going to get this one,'" Fritz said. "Which is kind of unusual."
Unusual, yes, especially for a team that has had a rocky conference season, producing only two victories heading into Wednesday's match.
But Fritz's players wasted no time proving their unusual suspicions were correct as they defeated the Aggies in five sets -- 25-20, 25-27, 25-22, 21-25, 16-14 -- a team that swept KSU less than a month ago.
"We just played with so much composure and confidence," Fritz said. "I am extremely proud of them."
The victory gave the Wildcats (9-14, 310) their first win over a ranked opponent inside Ahearn Field House since Nov. 16 2005, when they defeated No. 24 Colorado -- also in five sets.
Meanwhile the Aggies dropped to 147 overall and 7-6 in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats built their momentum early as they got off to a quick start offensively in the first set, something they felt they have struggled with throughout the season.
"This is the first game that I can say that we have started off strong," junior libero Lauren Mathewson said. "We were focused and didn't lose our concentration."
Mathewson recorded 41 digs in the match, setting a new school record and falling just one dig shy of the Big 12 record. It was also her second consecutive match with more than 30 digs -- a feat that has never happened at K-State.
"We just really wanted to win, we were looking for this win and we fought like crazy, and I think all of us showed tremendous effort and courage. We really grew up tonight," Mathewson said.
Following the first set, the experienced Aggie squad responded as they took a 12-9 early lead on the Cats. K-State came back though, tying the game at 24. But a wide hit by Kathleen Ludwig following point by the Aggies gave Texas A&M the victory and tied the match at two sets.
The Wildcats regrouped in the third set and were able to overcome a 7-2 run by the Aggies that gave Texas A&M a 13-12 lead midway through the set. Texas A&M built momentum throughout the set by way of three service aces, but KSU responded and ended the set with three consecutive kills by senior Kelsey Chipman to win 25-22.
"There was a little stretch there in game 2 where I felt like we were hurting ourselves," Fritz said. "But we worked our way out of it."
The Wildcats and Aggies exchanged set victories again in the third set and fourth set, forcing a deciding fifth and final set.
That fifth set looked dim for the Wildcats, however, as they quickly found themselves trailing 11-6 following consec utive kills by seniors Jennifer Banse and Mary Batis.
Following the Aggie kills, Fritz took her second and final , timeout of the set.
"I remember saying `You can do this,'" she said. "(I was) just trying to get them to think that way, and that it was not over."
They responded.
Junior JuliAnne Chisholm and freshman Caitlyn Don ahue sparked the offense fol lowing the timeout and com bined for six kills to end the set at 16-14 and end the match at 3-2 in favor of K-State.
Following Chisholm's final kill, it was difficult for the team contain their composure as it immediately left the bench and celebrated on the court.
"It feels really good," Chipman said. "It's so great to finally play to our potential. It would have been really easy for us to give up when we were down, but we kept going and kept pushing. I was really proud of everyone tonight."
K-State will return to action Sunday as it hosts Texas Tech in a match that was postponed earlier this season. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
Image courtesy K-State Sports Information
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