Kansas State head volleyball coach Suzie Fritz revealed the entire 2018 schedule Monday, which features 12 home matches and 11 NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. This is according to a release from K-State Athletics.
K-State’s home opener is set for Tuesday, September 4 against Missouri State at 6 p.m. at Ahearn Field House. The Bears won the 2017 Missouri Valley title and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season.
The Wildcats will host the annual K-State Invitational September 7-8. The field includes North Texas, Omaha and Oregon State.
K-State’s nonconference schedule includes 13 matches against teams from 11 different conferences. Six matches will be against tournament teams from a season ago in Hawaii, Marquette, Minnesota, Missouri State, Oregon State and UCLA.
Big 12 play begins Wednesday, September 19, as K-State hosts Texas at Ahearn Field House at 7 p.m. The Longhorns reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last year.
Five teams on the Wildcats’ schedule finished the year in the AVCA Top 25, including conference foes Texas (No. 5), Baylor (No. 21) and Iowa State (No. 25).
The 2018 season officially begins Friday, August 24, as the Cats open with a four-team tournament at the University of Hawaii. The field also includes Gonzaga and UCLA.
K-State is set to return 13 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including seniors Devan Fairfield, Macy Flowers, Reilly Killeen, Zsofia Gyimes, Alyssa Schultejans, Brooke Smith and Kylee Zumach. The Cats retain five starters plus their libero for 2018.
