AMES, Iowa (Kansas State Sports Information) – Aliyah Carter hit .300 on her way to a team-high 15 kills while Sydney Bolding added a career-high eight blocks, helping K-State roll to a straight-set victory over Iowa State Saturday at Hilton Coliseum, 25-23, 25-13, 25-23.
Carter, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, picked up six kills on eight swings in the opening set and Holly Bonde recorded all 10 of her kills in sets two and three. Offensively, K-State (15-8, 6-6 Big 12) owned a 43-32 advantage in total kills while hitting .282.
The Wildcat defense totaled a dozen blocks in holding Iowa State (16-9, 8-6 Big 12) to a .133 team hitting percentage. K-State earned its first road victory against ISU since 2007, snapping a streak of 13 straight losses at Hilton Coliseum.
“I thought we were wonderfully consistent,” said head coach Suzie Fritz after the match, “We had two objectives going into it after they hit .350 in reception and out-killed us by 16 on Thursday. So, the objectives going into it were to get more defensive pressure on their first-swing offense and then to generate more kill production on offense. I felt like we were really good in those two areas.
“To be able to make those types of adjustments in a short amount of time, I thought they were on task, and they worked really hard and played together. It was a nice balance of energy and execution, which we were looking for.”
Seven of the Cats’ 12 blocks came in the opening set, helping K-State hold the Cyclones under a .100 hitting efficiency in the day’s first two sets. In addition to Bolding’s eight stuff blocks, Bonde added five while Kadye Fernholz and Haley Warner each finished with four.
Additionally, Bolding produced a match-leading .455 hitting percentage, as she put down six kills on 11 swings.
Libero Mackenzie Morris turned in a match-best 16 digs while setter Teana Adams-Kaonohi handed out 34 assists to go with five digs and two blocks.
The Wildcats found themselves in a five-point hole after the Cyclones tallied the first five points of the match. Behind seven team blocks in the opening set, the Cats clawed back to take a one-point lead, 14-13, after a five-point run.
Back-to-back kills from Warner and Carter tied the score again at 21, as the Cats closed the set by scoring six of the final eight points. Carter finished set one with six kills on eight swings with Warner picking up three kills.
Bolding, Fernholz and Warner each chipped in three blocks in limiting ISU to a .060 hitting efficiency.
K-State raced out to a 15-8 lead in the second following five unanswered points. Still maintaining a seven-point advantage at 20-13, the Cats closed with a six-point scoring run to take a two-set lead. Carter and Bonde each added four kills in the set.
Carter’s line showed 10 kills on 14 swings for a .635 hitting efficiency through two frames. The K-State defense recorded 10 total blocks in the day’s first two sets, holding the Cyclones to a combined .083 after the second set.
Led by five kills apiece from Bonde and Carter, to go with four from Warner, the Wildcats held a 19-12 edge in kills in the final set. The Cats hit .300 while ISU turned in a .242 mark.
The third set featured 13 tie scores, the last coming at 23-all before a kill by Fernholz and a serve from Molly Ramsey was unable to be controlled by the Cyclones for the day’s final point.
“It’s gotten to a point where it’s become the most difficult place for us to play,” Fritz said of ending the Cats’ road losing streak to ISU. “So it feels pretty good to finally get one. It’s been a long time since we left there feeling like we feel today.”
Over the final two sets, the Cats produced 33 kills to Iowa State’s 20.
Elanor Holthaus was the lone Cyclone to eclipse double-digit kills, leading her team with 11 while hitting .161.
ISU setter Jaden Newsome turned in a double-double with 24 assists to pair with 11 digs.
K-State completes its four-match road trip at No. 2 Texas, with the two-match set beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. Both contests will air on the Longhorn Network with radio coverage available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM).
