MANHATTAN, Kan. – Despite a first-set win and higher hitting percentage, Kansas State fell to 14th-ranked Baylor 3-1 (30-28, 27-29, 23-25, 23-25) at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday night.
K-State (12-9, 3-5) collected 60 kills (.239), led offensively by Elena Baka who tabbed a career-best 20 kills (.298). The senior outside hitter also produced her seventh double-double of the season with 13 added digs.
Loren Hinkle made history as well, marking 100 career aces in the first set. The senior completed 50 assists, her highest output since Sept. 24, and eight digs.
Shaylee Myers and Aliyah Carter contributed ten and nine kills each. Myers hit a .269 pace while Carter posted two block assists. Sydney Bolding led the Wildcats at a .500 clip (seven kills) and nine blocks.
Mackenzie Morris led both teams with 18 digs. The junior tallied 17 or more digs in the last three matches. Molly Ramsey posted seven digs for the Cats.
Baylor (16-4, 5-2) tallied 67 kills on a .229 clip against the Wildcats.
The Bears were led offensively by Elise McGhee with 17 kills (.325) and Lauren Harrison with 15 kills (.114). Mallory Talbert and Kara McGhee added 13 and 12 kills.
Talbert led the match on a season-high four aces as Averi Carlson collected a double-double on 54 assists and 12 digs.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz
Overall thoughts from the match…
"We are disappointed in the results. I thought throughout a good portion of the match we played well. However, the difference is in the details when it comes to one or two-point sets. The result part is hard to swallow, but we were competitive and more consistent than the last couple of matches. It was overall a more focused effort on our part."
On Elena Baka's career-high 20 kills…
"I thought we were really good on the left overall. Shay and Elena did a tremendous job. Elena has been attentive to how to generate more kill production. You have to be creative and open to possibilities in order to get that output. She has really been attentive and working really hard."
On Loren Hinkle's performance and 100th career ace…
"I thought Loren was making good setting choices when she had those opportunities. Her overall complete game is good. She has been an excellent server even before becoming a setter. That achievement is very exciting for her."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One –K-State 30, BU 28
Aliyah Carter started the match on an ace for K-State and helped to take the lead up until point five. Baylor took over on three straight points to collect its first lead of the game. Elise McGhee tallied a block assist and kill in the run.
The Wildcats responded with a 9-2 run in which Haley Warner posted back-to-back kills. Loren Hinkle tallied her centennial ace in the train.
Mallory Tallbert's two kills helped BU take the lead at 23-20. After six match points and two 3-0 runs by the Cats, K-State secured the set 30-28.
Elise McGhee and Talbert combined for nine of Baylor's 16 kills. The Bears swung at a .191 hitting percentage with six blocks.
Carter posted four kills (.059) while Elena Baka and Warner contributed three each (.100 and .286). Baka added nine digs. The Wildcats donned a .152 hitting percentage with 15 total kills.
Set Two – BU 29, K-State 27
The second set was a battle between the two teams, including 18 tie scores and six lead changes.
K-State jumped to a three-point lead at 13-10 before Baylor rode a five-point train to take charge. Baka's back-to-back kills helped the Cats regain the lead.
The Bears posted the first match point at 24-23 and the Wildcats pushed the match to 27-26. Three straight points from the Bears secured the set at 29-27. Both McGhee sisters (Elise and Kara) tallied a kill in the run.
Elise McGhee had five total kills (.333) while Kara posted four at a .250 pace. The Bears gathered 21 kills at a . 244 clip. Sophia Keene collected nine digs while Averi Carlson tabbed 18 assists.
Carter and Baka each had five kills for the Cats with Carter swinging at a .273 hitting percentage. Bolding notched two block assists and two kills. Mackenzie Morris and Molley Ramsey combined for six digs on the back line.
The Wildcats hit 16 kills at a .235 clip.
Set Three – BU 25, K-State 23
Baylor got out in front early, using a five-point run to secure an eight-point lead at 13-5. Talbert collected two aces during the train.
K-State responded with a run of its own, cutting the Bears' lead to four. Baka tallied two kills and Shaylee Myers notched an ace in the Wildcats' 6-2 run.
Myers struck again with three kills in K-State's 9-2 spurt to take the lead at 20-19. The Bears returned with a 5-0 run of their own to gain their first match point at 24-20.
The Cats held BU off for three more points but in the end, Baylor took the set 25-23.
Elise McGhee led with four kills for the Bears while Lauren Harrison tallied three kills. Lauren Briseño carried five digs and Carlson tallied nine assists. The Bears collected 13 kills at a .132 pace.
K-State hit at a .176 clip with 13 kills, led by Baka with six kills (.556). Hinkle boasted 12 assists and Morris had eight digs. Bolding added two blocks to her total.
Set Four – BU 25, K-State 23
The final set was comprised of 15 tie scores and eight lead changes. Baylor controlled the largest lead of the game (three points) with a 6-1 spurt at 22-19. Carlson posted an ace and Kara McGhee carried a kill and block assist in the run.
The Wildcats rolled back within one until the Bears walked away with the set and match win.
K-State notched its highest output of the night with a .438 hitting percentage. Of the 16 total kills, Baka and Myers each collected six. Baka swung at a .556 clip. Bolding tallied two blocks (one solo, one assist) and Morris finished with five digs in the set.
BU posted 17 kills on .361 hitting with three Lady Bears with three kills (Talbert, Kara and Elise McGhee). Carlson donned 12 assists, two aces and three digs.
low .100 hitting percentage. Carter and Myers combined for six kills as Wilson led OU with four.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State hit .239 while keeping Baylor at .229
- This is the team's first loss when leading in attack percentage.
- The Wildcats collected 60 kills, the best of any of their four-set matches this season.
- Baka topped both teams with 20 kills (.298), a career-high.
- This is the eighth time she led the team in kills.
- Baka also eclipsed a career-best 21.5 points.
- She collected her seventh double-double of the season (20 kills, 13 digs).
- Bolding paced the Cats with a .500 hitting percentage (7 kills).
- She tallied nine blocks, a season-best.
- Myers tallied ten digs
- Hinkle collected her 100th career ace in set one.
- She added 50 assists and eight digs.
- Morris led both teams with 18 digs.
- Baylor tallied 67 kills.
- Elise McGhee led the Bears with 17 kills (.325).
- Harrison (.114) and Talbert (.524) followed with 15 and 13 kills.
- Talbert posted a season-high four aces.
- Carlson grabbed a double-double with 54 assists and 12 digs
- Briseño gathered 15 digs for the Bears.
- Kara McGhee found seven blocks.
NOTES
- K-State leads the all-time series 29-25and is 17-11 at home against Baylor.
- Fritz is 22-22 in her career against BU.
- The Cats are 2-3 in four-set matches this season.
- K-State is 1-3 in home Big 12 matches.
UP NEXT
After almost a week hiatus, K-State welcomes #1 Texas to Manhattan, Kan., to finish off the two-match home stretch. The Wildcats and the Longhorns face off on Friday, Oct. 28, at Bramlage Coliseum. The Big 12 contest starts the second half of conference play for the Cats, kicking off at 6:30 p.m. The match will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ while Rob Voelker will be on the call online at K-StateSports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.