ORLANDO, Fla. (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State suffered its first loss of the seasons at the hands of the UCF Knights Saturday, as UCF outlasted the Wildcats in five sets, 20-25, 25-18, 28-30, 25-15, 15-11, on the final day of the UCF Challenge at The Venue at Addition Financial Arena.
UCF (2-0), who is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches’ Poll and will join the Big 12 Conference for the 2023 volleyball season, held a 72-66 edge in total kills behind 27 from outsider hitter McKenna Melville.
The Wildcats (5-1) saw their five-match winning streak come to an end in their first five-set tilt of the year.
Five Cats turned in at least nine kills, led by Elena Baka’s 19. Aliyah Carter finished with 18 while Kadye Fernholz contributed 11 at a .500 clip.
Junior libero Mackenzie Morris led all players with a career-high 25 digs, her first 20-dig performance of the season and 13th of her career.
Baka and Morris each landed a spot on the UCF Challenge All-Tournament Team. It is Baka’s second such honor of the season after being tabbed MVP of the K-State Invitational. Morris receives her third-career all-tournament nod.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Suzie Fritz
On K-State’s effort against UCF…
“I loved our effort. If it only came down to just effort, I think we’d be feeling pretty good. I thought that was, at times, the best volleyball that we’ve played thus far – which was required against the best team we’ve played thus far. I felt like we had some passing breakdowns, we gave up a few too many point-scoring runs and got stuck in a couple of rotations. Against a really good team that’s going to be the difference. I think McKenna Melville is a very, very special volleyball player. We knew that going into it, but I thought we had a good plan and thought we battled like crazy. It’ll make us a lot better.”
On Mackenzie Morris’ performance…
“Talk about a special player, Mack Morris is special. What she can do defensively and the shots that she’s taking are amazing. She keeps us in it and frustrates attackers. I’m not even sure Mack Morris knows how special she is, but she is an elite defender.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One
Despite UCF’s 14-12 edge in kills, K-State held the Knights to a .111 hitting percentage in its opening-set win. Conversely, the Wildcats’ offense clipped at a .257 pace. Fernholz needed just four swings to pick up a team-high four kills in the set while Baka added three on 14 attempts.
The first set held 11 tie scores and five lead changes, as the Wildcats used a 5-1 run to break a 13-all tie to claim the final lead of the set and later closed by scoring four of the final five points.
Bolding added two blocks and an ace in the set and Haley Warner added two blocks.
Melville finished with six kills and to pace the Knights.
Set Two
UCF’s efficiency improved to .444 in evening the match, led by six more kills from Melville at a .545 pace. Kari Zumach used just seven swings for six kills in the frame (.857).
A 7-1 scoring run by the Knights turned a two-point K-State lead, 13-11, into a four-point lead at 18-14. The burst included four kills from Zumach and the Knights would not relinquish the lead, closing out by recording seven of the final 10.
K-State was held offensively to 12 kills, hitting 222.
Set Three
Facing a 24-21 deficit with the match tied at set apiece, K-State fended off three consecutive set-point opportunities from UCF and took a 25-24 lead after winning a challenge. The Cats withstood two more UCF set points and converted on their third set-point try, as kills from Baka and Bolding stole a 30-28 set victory.
The Cats finished with a match-high 18 kills in the set at a .239 clip, getting seven kills from Baka. It marked the second straight day in which the Cats won a set by the score of 30-28.
Set Four
The fourth set featured 12 tie scores, the last coming at 18-18. UCF rattled off six of seven points late in the set to take a 21-18 advantage.
K-State climbed within one with consecutive kills from Warner and Fernholz before Melville’s set-sealing kill forced a fifth set.
The Knights hit .394 in picking up 16 kills, committing just three attacking errors on 33 swings. Abby Hansen led UCF while five kills while Carter led K-State with seven kills.
Set Five
The Wildcats rebounded from an early 5-2 by rattling off four three straight points to tie the score at 5 and later took a one-point lead at 7-6, only to see the Knights claim the next three points in building a 5-1 scoring run.
Leading 11-9, three straight kills from Bonde, Zumach and Melville brought the knots to match point, 14-9. Melville’s 27th kill of the night ended the match and handed K-State its first loss of the season.
The Wildcats turned in their lowest efficiency of the night in the fifth, hitting .000 after being forced into seven errors against seven kills. UCF hit .200 and got three kills from Melville.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State hit .222 as a team (66 kills, 29 errors, 167 attacks).
- UCF finished with a .268 hitting percentage (72 kills, 28 errors, 164 swings).
- The Wildcats had five players record at least nine kills, led by a season-high 19 by Baka.
- Carter produced 18 while Fernholz added nine.
- Fernholz hit .500 and Bolding hit .350 in picking up nine kills.
- Morris led all players with a career-high 25 digs, her first 20-dig performance of the season and 13th of her career.
- Bolding and Morris each served up two aces.
- K-State has recorded at least five aces in all six matches this season.
- Bolding picked up a team-high five blocks to lead four players with multiple stuffs.
- Loren Hinkle had her first 50-assist performance as she handed out 53 assists.
- Melville paced the Knights with 27 kills to go with 12 digs.
- Zumach pitched in 13 kills and Hansen ended with 12.
- Scheer picked up 21 digs.
- K-State won a set by the score of 30-28 for the second straight day (set three).
NOTES
- K-State leads the all-time series with UCF 2-1, as this was the first meeting between the teams since 2014.
- This was the Wildcats’ first road match at UCF.
- The Knights are set to join the Big 12 Conference next volleyball season.
- The match marked the first true road contest of the season for the Wildcats.
- K-State’s five-match winning streak was snapped, its longest to open a season since 2013 (started 7-0).
- The Wildcats are 36-6-1 all-time against teams from the American Athletic Conference while Fritz owns an 11-1 mark.
- Saturday marked the Wildcats’ first five-set contest of the year and the 38th five-set match since 2017.
UP NEXT
K-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum for a Wednesday night matchup with former conference rival Missouri. The tilt is set for a 6 p.m. start and will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to Rob Voelker on the call on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM) and online at K-StateSports.com/watch.
