MANHATTAN, Kan. – Ok-State volleyball made historical past Friday evening because the Wildcats breezed previous #8 BYU for the second consecutive evening at Morgan Family Arena to safe the season sequence, 25-21, 25-22, 25-21.
With this system’s first-ever straight-set win over a Top 10 opponent Thursday, the Wildcats added one other momentous occasion to their resume as they turned the primary squad to ever document two Top 10 sweeps. Friday’s victory marked the third season general at school historical past, and first season since 2003, with two Top 10 victories.
Two Wildcats reached double determine kills to guide Ok-State (13-8, 7-5 Big 12) to its fourth upset of the season with redshirt-freshman Aniya Clinton and senior Aliyah Carter combining for 33 of crew’s 44 kills.
Clinton, who hit an unimaginable .455 clip, registered 16 kills on 33 swings with only one error whereas Carter had a match-high 17 kills with 9 digs.
Junior setter Izzi Szulczewski paced a 5-1 offense that hit .266 on the evening with 37 assists to go together with six digs and an ace. Liz Gregorski and Mackenzie Morris every served up a pair of aces.
Morris led the again row with 12 digs adopted by freshman Symone Sims with a career-high 11.
Ok-State out-blocked BYU 8.0-6.0 led by Sydney Bolding with a match-high 5 together with 5 kills (.455).
BYU (18-5, 7-4 Big 12) was held to a .184 hitting share led by Erin Livingston with 12 kills.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head Coach Jason Mansfield
On if that is what he signed up for at Ok-State…
“Absolutely. From day one, I instructed this group we might be nice and that we couldn’t solely compete with anybody, however we may beat anybody. After the Nebraska match, I went to the locker room and the women had been dissatisfied as a result of we may have made extra performs, and in the event you’re dissatisfied shedding to a crew like Nebraska, then the expectations are excessive. Not from me, however from them. So that is how we have tried to maintain issues the entire season. We’ve had a whole lot of ups and downs so far as wins and losses, however the level is to get higher, to develop as a bunch and individually because the season goes on. So I’m actually happy with them. I knew this was potential. We have alternatives arising the place we may attempt to do it once more.”
On the eye that this system has obtained after two straight Top 10 sweeps…
“We by no means discuss rankings, or no less than I do not. I’m certain the women most likely do, however each week we attempt to determine how we are able to beat the subsequent crew. I’ve mentioned this earlier than, however Steve Astor is the very best defensive coach within the nation, and he prepares us each week to decelerate the opposite crew. He’s very distinctive. He coached at Pepperdine and has performed BYU the final three seasons, so our recreation plan was superior towards them, and the women clearly executed it. I believe we’ve to have wins like this to ensure that the notion of this system to be what we all know it to be, which is that we’ve nice gamers, and we’ve the potential to play with anybody.”
On the largest adversity that the crew confronted…
“We knew it was going to be a distinct match, and it was. [BYU] performed higher they usually actually performed actually good protection, scrapping for each level. Each set was a battle tonight. So I believe the problem was it may be completely different. The largest query was can we deal with the massive moments in the direction of the tip and make performs, and that is precisely what they did. I believe the problem for us was simply understanding that they had been going to be higher, and in order that we wanted to be higher as nicely, and we had been.”
On what this implies for the crew shifting ahead…
“It ought to give us a whole lot of confidence. First off, let me say this, for Aniya Clinton to have 29 kills and one error in two matches is outstanding, and the one error is a ball that Aliyah Carter ought to have coated, so I’m certain Aniya will give her a tough time about that. Just unbelievable swing after unbelievable swing, and I’ve mentioned this earlier than about Aniya, she’s fearless. We noticed that every one the way in which again in Portland the primary weekend she had a chance to play. This woman is particular, and she or he has an opportunity to be probably the greatest exterior hitters within the nation this yr. So I believe Aniya and Aliyah taking a whole lot of swings for us was the best transfer, they usually’re actually feeding off one another. Our crew is so assured as a result of they’re simply going for it. Symone coming in that final three matches has actually solidified our serve obtain. She had 11 digs tonight and continues to be determining how you can play a brand-new position again there at right-back, which I do not assume she’s performed earlier than. Her serves are getting higher. I really like our lineup proper now. I believe that we’re actually athletic. Again, we’re fearless. We’re going for it. With Izzi within the 5-1, and I simply love the momentum that we’ve proper now, and we received to stick with it. It’s going to be robust, happening the street towards our rival. [KU] is enjoying very well proper now, however we’ll put together for them. We’re happy with this crew.”
SET-BY-SET
Set One – Ok-State 25, BYU 21
After a pair of lead modifications, the Cougars grabbed maintain of a 19-17 lead earlier than Ok-State fought its approach to degree the rating at 21-all.
A service ace by Morris handed the Cats a 22-21 edge to power a timeout from BYU. The Wildcats added three straight factors to the board behind serves from Morris to say the set.
Ok-State’s protection restricted the Cougars to hit .091 because the Cats pressured seven errors with the assistance of 4 blocks and 23 digs. Bolding led on the web with three stops whereas Sims collected seven digs within the again row.
Szulczewski dished out all 12 assists to tempo the 5-1 offense that hit .205.
Set Two – Ok-State 25, BYU 22
The Cats picked up the place they left off within the second as they used a 4-0 opening run to leap out to a seven-point margin.
BYU put collectively a 4-1 scoring run to convey the rating inside three, 13-10, however a solo cease from Schmidt ended the menace.
At set level for Ok-State, BYU posted three straight factors to the board to bridge the hole to 2, 24-22, however Carter related on a go from Szulczewski to nail the ultimate level.
The Cats hit a match-high .342 (18 kills, 5 errors) with Carter and Clinton combining for 13 kills. Clinton hit a .462 clip whereas Szulczewski and Morris every registered an ace.
Set Three – Ok-State 25, BYU 21
The third set noticed a battle between the 2 squads with neither crew taking a considerable lead till Ok-State pieced collectively a 4-1 run to take a 15-11 lead, forcing a Cougars timeout.
An overturned name dominated in favor of BYU led to a 5-0 scoring run to chop Ok-State’s result in one, 19-18. A service error snapped the Cougars run was adopted by an ace from Bolding to push the lead again out to a few.
With the Cats main 23-21, Clinton got here up with back-to-back kills to ship the ultimate blow. The Cougars challenged the ultimate level, however finally stayed in favor of the Cats to safe the upset.
Carter and Clinton teamed up for 5 kills every with Clinton delivering a set-high 5 digs.
INSIDE THE BOX
- The Cats swept the Cougars, 25-21, 25-22, 25-21
- Ok-State hit .266 (44 kills, 15 errors)
- The match had 12 tie scores with simply 4 lead modifications.
- Gregorski and Morris every served up a pair of aces.
- Carter recorded 17 kills adopted by Clinton with 16
- Clinton and Bolding every completed with a .455 effectivity.
- Bolding turned in 5 blocks whereas Clinton had three.
- Szulczewski dished out 37 assists with six digs.
- Ok-State out-blocked the Cougars, 8.0-6.0.
- BYU was restricted to .184 (36 kills, 15 errors)
- Livingston was the one participant to succeed in double figures with 12 kills (.154)
BEYOND THE BOX
- First season Ok-State recorded two sweeps over Top 10 program
- Thursday’s match marked the primary sweep over a Top 10 program at school historical past
- Third season with two Top 10 wins (1999, 2003)
- The Cats are on a nine-set profitable streak
- Jason Mansfield picked up his second Top 10 victory as a head coach.
- Ok-State is 11-1 when profitable the primary set.
- The Cats are 4-2 towards ranked opponents, 2-1 at home vs. Top 25 groups.
- Ok-State is 6-4 when enjoying at home this season, 4-2 in convention.
- Ok-State is 10-3 in three-set matches.
- The Cats tied the sequence with the Cougars, 3-3
- With 3,044 in attendance, Ok-State has attain capability in 4 matches this season
WHAT’S NEXT
The Wildcats will face No. 14 Kansas (15-4, 6-3 Big 12) within the annual Dillons Sunflower Showdown in Lawrence on Nov. 3-4. Ok-State leads the all-time sequence 67-58-1 and is 31-19 in Lawerence. First serve of the sequence opener is scheduled for six:30 adopted by a 3 p.m. begin Saturday. The convention sequence could be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
