LUBBOCK, Texas – Behind 10 total team blocks, a dozen kills from Holly Bonde and 23 digs by Loren Hinkle, K-State closed the regular season with a sweep of Texas Tech Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20.
K-State (9-19, 4-12 Big 12) snapped its five-match losing streak and handed head coach Suzie Fritz her 350th career win. The Wildcats forced the Red Raiders (17-13, 7-9 Big 12) into 22 errors while limiting TTU to a .067 hitting efficiency.
"I was really excited about holding an opponent under .100," Fritz, who completed her 19th season, said after the match. "Their two best hitters, in particular, hit negative. Kayley Hollywood in her first start coming in and getting five blocks for us. Megan (Vernon) has been a good blocker for us as well, five blocks a game for both middles is really nice. That was tremendous.
"That was, in my mind, one of the best defensive efforts in a lot of phases. We were productive at the net in terms of blocks. I thought Loren Hinkle had a tremendous defensive night and our left-back defenders Holly (Bonde) and Mckenzi Weber did a nice job as well."
Middle blockers Hollywood and Vernon paced the Cats' defense with five blocks apiece. Hollywood, a native of Sugar Land, Texas, added three kills and five digs in her Wildcat debut. Bonde chipped in four block assists whole Gloria Mutiri recorded three.
Hinkle's 23 digs marked a career best while she led the team with a pair of service aces. Bonde and Weber each finished with nine digs.
The Cats' defensive effort suppressed TTU's leading hitting Emily Hill into a negative attacking percentage, as Hill committed eight errors against seven kills on 47 swings (-.021). Brooke Kansas had five errors against just three kills on 13 attacks (-.154).
K-State produced 11 more kills (41-30) than the Red Raiders while hitting .283. Bonde's dozen kills came on 24 swings (two errors) for a team-leading .417 clip. Freshman Anna Dixon added nine kills while Brynn Carlson chipped in eight.
Behind the service of Hollywood, K-State used an early 7-0 run to erase a three-point deficit and build a 12-8 advantage. The Red Raiders battled to tie the score at 20 with a five-point burst, only to see K-State close by scoring four of the final five points.
The Wildcat defense limited Tech to a .047 hitting efficiency in the frame. Carlson picked up four kills while Dixon and Mutiri each added three.
Six blocks in the second set highlighted the Wildcats' 25-16 victory. Bonde, Hollywood and Vernon each led the way with three block assists apiece in the set, as K-State tallied nine blocks through the first two frames in building a 2-0 lead. Bonde registered four kills in Set 2.
After the first three points went to the Red Raiders in the second, K-State put together an 8-1 spurt before a five-point run opened a nine-point K-State lead, 23-14.
K-State picked up 16 kills at a .316 clip and never trailed in the final game, as Bonde led the way with six kills. The Cats earned seven of the first 10 points before TTU chipped away at the lead and climbed without two at 16-14. Hinkle picked up 10 of the Wildcats' 21 digs in the set.
K-State's 57 total digs set a season high for a three-set match, while the Cats claimed their first straight-set victory of the season. K-State ended a four-match skid to Texas Tech as the teams split the season series.
Setters Teana Adams-Kaonohi and Sarah Dixon each handed out 18 assists.
"Every win means something, but I don't ever think of them as mine," Fritz said of her 350th career victory. "I am not in the jersey. Hopefully we are contributing to their success, but it's a pretty collective 'we' over the course of a lot of years and a lot of players, coaches and support staff. So, the goal is just to win as many as you can."
- INSIDE THE BOX SCOREK-State hit .283 as a team (41 kills, 11 errors, 106 attacks).
- Texas Tech was limited to a .067 hitting percentage (30 kills, 22 errors, 119 swings).
- The Wildcats' 41 kills and 57 digs marked season highs in a three-set match.
- Bonde led K-State with 12 kills and a .417 hitting efficiency.
- Hinkle's 23 digs marked a career high.
- Hollywood made her Wildcat debut and recorded five blocks, five digs and three kills.
- Vernon picked up five blocks while Bonde added four and Mutiri three.
- TTU's hitting percentage marked a season low for any Wildcat opponent.
- Tech hit .103 or lower in each set.
- Anna Dixon finished with nine kills and Carlson recorded eight.
- NOTESK-State leads the all-time series against Texas Tech 38-14.
- K-State ended a four-match skid in the series with the Red Raiders while also snapping a five-match skid overall.
- The Cats are 15-9 all-time vs. TTU on the road.
- The win was the first straight-set win of the season for K-State (1-8).
- The win marked the 350th of Fritz's career.