MANHATTAN, Kan. (K-State Athletics) – Following a historical upset over then-No. 3 Texas, seniors Aliyah Carter and Mackenzie Morris were awarded for their dominating performances as the duo received Big 12 weekly accolades, the conference announced Tuesday.
In just three weeks, Carter received her second Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honor, while Morris received her first Defensive Player of the Week recognition this season. Carter and Morris helped the Cats set a single-season program record with their fifth ranked victory this year, including the first Top 5 win under head coach Jason Mansfield.
The victory snapped a 39-match losing streak to the Longhorns, which stretched back to 2003 as the Cats handed the defending national champions their first Big 12 loss of the season.
A product of Dubuque, Iowa, Carter submitted her 17th career match with 20 or more kills, registering a match-high 20 kills with just six errors for a .311 hitting efficiency.
Carter’s 20 kills ties fifth in the rally-scoring era for total kills in a single three-set match, marking the program’s first 20-kill three-set match since her 23 kills against Wayne State in 2021.
Morris, the 2022 Big 12 Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, helped the Cats hold the Longhorns to a .246 hitting percentage as she handed in a match-high 20 digs for her 28th career 20-dig match.
The Big 12 leader in digs per set (4.74) and total digs (412) has guided the Wildcats to four straight ranked wins at home where K-State has swept each match.
K-State (14-10, 8-7 Big 12) concludes its home schedule of the regular-season this weekend with a two-match set with Texas Tech (10-16, 3-11 Big 12), starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. inside Morgan Family Arena. The home finale is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday. Both matches can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
The Wildcats will honor Carter and Morris alongside seniors Sydney Bolding, Kadye Fernholz and Loren Hinkle at the conclusion of Friday’s match for the Cat’s Senior Night recognition.
