CINCINNATI, Ohio (K-State Athletics) – Behind 66 kills and double-doubles by seniors Liz Gregorski and Izzi Szulczewski, K-State recovered from a 2-0 hole by taking the final three sets from Cincinnati at Fifth Third Arena for its first Big 12 road victory of the season, 19-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-18, 19-17.
A quartet of players reached double-figure kills for a K-State (5-9, 3-2 Big 12) offense that hit .201 in its second consecutive reverse sweep, while the Wildcat defense forced Cincinnati (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) into 15 attacking errors in the final three sets.
Senior outside hitter Aliyah Carter led all players with 20 kills on 56 swings. Carter secured her 20th kill in the fifth and final set, as she became the third Wildcat in school history to record 20 20-kill matches.
Gregorski, who has reached double figure kills in five consecutive matches, totaled 19 kills on the night and added 16 digs to complete the double-double. Shaylee Myers tallied 11 kills followed by Meg Brown with 10 and a team-high .286 hitting percentage.
Szulczewski achieved her team-leading eighth double-double in the second set with her 10th dig. The Beaverton, Ore., product has recorded a double-double in four straight matches, as she finished the night with a match-high 51 assists and 13 digs.
Defensively, Brenna Schmidt totaled a match-high eight blocks – all block assists – while Ella Larkin ended with 20 digs.
K-State will head to Morgantown, W.V., and take on West Virginia Sunday at noon at WVU Coliseum. Sunday’s match can be seen on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Tickets are available for all K-State home matches through the K-State Athletics ticket office at 1-800-221-CATS and www.kstatesports.com/tickets, starting at just $10 when purchased in advance.
FROM THE CATS
Jason Mansfield, K-State Head Coach
Overall thoughts on the win…
“As I told the girls, if this is how we have to win the rest of the year I’m with them. I love watching them compete the way they did in the final three sets.”
On Gregorski and Carter’s performance…
“Liz and Aliyah stepped up in the final three sets and carried us offensively, so many smart swings and so many big swings in big moments in the fifth. They played like fifth year seniors in the final three sets. So proud of how they stepped up for their teammates.”
On Brenna Schmidt’s growth as a player…
“Brenna continues to grow so much as a player and as a competitor, she is making it incredibly difficult for teams when she gets across the net on the block. She has made so many big plays in big moments these last two matches against Iowa State and Cincinnati.”
On utilizing a 5-1 offense…
“With [Jordyn Williams] going down we decided to move [Meg Brown] to the middle in the second set, but it wasn’t quite working offensively, so we went to the 5-1 and I thought Meg and Izzi connected really well and everyone else just stepped up their game. I really liked what I saw from us offensively in those last three sets.”
SET-BY-SET
Set One – Cincinnati 25, K-State 19
UC took advantage of a 5-0 scoring run for a 6-1 lead before K-State responded with its own successful streak to bring the set within two, led by Kills from Brown and Gregorski.
With Carter’s first kill of the night and a Bearcat attack error, the Wildcats locked the set at 10-all. Tied 14-14, Cincinnati built momentum behind a 6-1 run to take the set.
K-State was held to a .158 efficiency (six errors, 38 swings), as Gregorski and Carter combined for nine of the 12 kills from K-State in the first, both hitting at a .333 clip.
Set Two –Cincinnati 25, K-State 19
The two squads went point-for-point until K-State pulled away with a 7-2 scoring run to take a four-point lead, 16-12. The Bearcats came back to tie 16-16 and forced a timeout from the visitors, until UC pieced together a 9-3 closing run to put the set away.
Cincinnati held K-State to a .000 hitting percentage behind two blocks and 19 digs. Myers added four kills (.375) for the Cats in the second with Gregorski and Carter following with three each.
Set Three – K-State 25, Cincinnati 22
Led by four consecutive serves from Szulczewski, K-State pulled ahead with a 5-1 lead. Schmidt and Myers each turned in a kill and teamed up for a block assist to lead the Cats to a 14-10 lead.
K-State hit at the .556 clip at the media timeout, 15-12, with just one error committed.
The Cats capitalized on a service ace from LeGrand and back-to-back blocks to extend their lead to six – their largest lead of the night.
K-State produced a match-high .464 hitting percentage (14 kills, 2 errors, 28 attempts), led by four kills from Myers. Schmidt recorded three block assists.
Set Four – K-State 25, Cincinnati 18
A call was overturned for a net violation in favor of K-State to hand the Cats a 10-8 lead.
After six tie scores, a kill from Myers and pair of errors from UC, K-State grabbed a 18-15 lead to force a timeout from the Bearcats. K-State kept its rhythm with the help of a 7-3 closing run led by four kills from Carter.
Carter turned in a set-high seven kills (2 errors, 16 swings) in the fourth to reach 17 kills. Three players posted a service ace, including the second from Sims and LeGrand.
Set Five – K-State 19, Cincinnati 17
Two consecutive plays were challenged and overturned in favor of each team, before the Wildcats locked the score at 5-5. With a kill and double block by Myers and Schmidt, the Cats overcame a two-point deficit, 11-9, to tie the final set.
K-State avoided match-point as Brown hammered her 10th kill of the night before attack error tied the set for the sixth time. Tied 17-17, kills by Myers and Gregorski delivered the final blow to complete the comeback.
INSIDE THE BOX
- K-State overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Cincinnati in five – 19-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-18, 19-17.
- K-State hit .201 (66 kills, 28 errors, 189 swings), including a match-best .464 hitting percentage in the third set.
- The Cats’ 66 kills marked a new season-high.
- Four players reached double-figure kills: Carter (20), Gregorski (19), Myers (11), and Brown (10).
- The defense forced Cincinnati (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) into 15 attacking errors in the final three sets. UC finished hitting .200 (59 kills, 25 errors, 170 attempts).
- Two players turned in double-doubles: Szulczewski (51 assists, 13 digs), Gregorski (19 kills, 16 digs).
- Defensively, Schmidt totaled a match-high eight blocks – all block assists – while Larkin ended with 20 digs.
- UC out-blocked the Cats, 14.0-10.0, and held a 78-73 edge in digs.
BEYOND THE BOX
- With the win, K-State tied the series 1-1, both matches being under Mansfield.
- In Big 12 play, K-State moves to 3-2 and 13-10 in the Mansfield era.
- Reagan Fox made her collegiate debut in the second set.
- The Wildcats are 2-5 on the road this season, including a 1-3 record in true road matches.
- Szulczewski leads the Wildcats with eight double-doubles this season. She led the team with 10 in 2023 – her first season with K-State.
- K-State is 2-1 in five-set matches, 3-5 in matches over three.
- Carter becomes the fourth player in school history to total 20 20-kill matches in their career.
The post K-State Rallies to Beat Cincinnati in Five-Set Thriller appeared first on News Radio KMAN.
