Break Comes at Right Time for Cats

It's been a while since the Kansas State volleyball team has taken the court for a match, and maybe that's a good thing.

This team needs a break.

Coming on the heels of their first win in over a month, the Wildcats had a bye this past weekend, giving them an entire week to regroup.

But on Wednesday, the break ends and the Wildcats return to action in Lincoln with a match against No. 5 Nebraska — first serve set for 7 p.m.

"We probably could have used (the break) a little earlier," KSU coach Suzie Fritz said. "But it comes at a good time. I thought it was extremely beneficial for us. Just the wear and tear of the season — we try to minimize that — and emotionally it's good to just get a little bit of a break."

K-State enters Wednesday's match after snapping an eight-match losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Texas Tech in Ahearn Field House on last week.

The win was a clear defining moment in a month that saw the team enter a free-fall during Big 12 play.

"I think there was a sense of relief that we finally got one," Fritz said. "I just see a change in their demeanor, from not being beat down, and actually having a greater sense of optimism."

That change of demeanor could be clearly seen in the play of libero Lauren Mathewson. The senior has had a string of breakout performances lately, recording five 20-dig matches, and most recently 27 digs in the win over Texas Tech last week.

Mathewson enters the match with the Huskers averaging 6.3 digs per set in her last three matches.

"I struggled at the beginning of the season with my confidence," Mathewson said. "But after the first half of the season, I just decided to relax, have fun with my teammates and enjoy the experience while I could. I have just kind of taken that approach now."

The Wildcats will look to rebound from a 3-0 sweep at the hands of the Huskers on Nov. 16 — one of the losses during the eight-match skid. During that match, the Huskers held the Wildcats offense to just a .128 hitting percentage in a straight sweep in Manhattan.

Fritz, however, described her team as rejuvenated after the week-long break and after what she called one of their best practices of the year on Monday.

"I think they are the same team, only better," Fritz said of her squad. "They're more seasoned, they're sharper, but outside of that they are the same. They are doing the same things only at a higher level."

The Huskers are led by one of the conference's best outside hitters in Lindsey Licht. The senior from Aurora, Colo., has recorded a team-high 243 kills on the season, averaging 3.04 per set with a hitting percentage of .302.

Nebraska has hit well as a team all season, and enters the match ranked second in the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .280 — the Wildcats check in at 10th at .158.

With the extra time to regroup and rejuvenate, the Wildcats feel they can make a run during the final stretch of the season, beginning with Nebraska.

"We want to steal a few," Mathewson said. "We want to get some from those good teams, and I think that we can.

"We just want to end the season on a good note, knowing that whatever we went through from the beginning of the season, it doesn't take away from the fact that we can still be that great team."