Friday night's four-set intrasquad scrimmage saw four Wildcats reach double-digit kills, led by redshirt junior Brynn Carlson's 19. Redshirt sophomore Holly Bonde added 14 while freshmen Jayden Nembhard and Aliyah Carter chipped in 13 and 11, respectively.
Both K-State setters recorded double-double performances, with sophomore Teana Adams-Kaonohi handing out 31 assists to go with 20 digs. Senior transfer Shelby Martin dished out 39 assists while recording 10 digs.
Mackenzie Morris, a true freshman, led all players with 25 digs over four sets. Sophomore Dru Kuck and redshirt junior Jacque Smith each picked up 16.
Middle blocker Kayley Hollywood had a team-best five blocks while Abigail Archibong tallied four, including two solo stuff blocks. Hollywood also added nine kills.
Bonde served up four aces on the night, with Martin and Morris each pitching in a pair. In total, the Cats managed 14 service aces.
The Wildcats, who will move to Bramlage Coliseum for the upcoming season, will host Iowa State on Friday, Friday, September 25 at 6:30 p.m. The match will stream live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with local radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM).
Tickets for the upcoming season will be sold on a single-match basis, as season tickets will not be available. All tickets will be general admission and will be available for purchase beginning at 8:30 a.m. the day prior to each home series at K-StateSports.com/tickets or at the ticket window on gameday.
Fans are encouraged to order digital tickets in advance to help avoid lines at tickets windows. Only debit and credit transactions will be accepted.
Click here to view all the 2020 K-State volleyball gameday policies.
The following are quotes from Friday's media session.
Head coach Suzie Fritz
Opening statement…
"Initially we have been at it about six weeks, which is a significantly longer preseason than we generally have going into our first match. To me, it's been wonderful. It's given us more time to prepare and given us more time for the team to come together. We are always trying to find the positives right now in the environment that we are in, because there are a lot of things that are different, new and challenging. But I think one of the positive things is in that six-week period of time, we have really seen the team grow. We've seen a tremendous amount of improvement and we've seen our younger players integrate themselves into a system and different ways of doing things.
"The chemistry is pretty solid. We've got enough experience back, I think, to kind of hold it together. And enough energy and new blood that's shaking things up to make it interesting right now."
On what she is most pleased with in practice…
"I think our libero core is as far as long as we've ever had. We have four liberos in Loren Hinkle, who played some for us last year, Dru Kuck is a returner, Jacque Smith is a returner and newcomer Mackenzie Morris. What they're doing defensively and their ability to stabilize us a little bit with our ball control has been really ahead of schedule, for me. I think our middles, as well, have made a tremendous amount of improvement from where they were at last spring when we started spring training last year. Just the collective overall comradery and chemistry is good, and the collective effort overall has been pretty consistent. I think that's hard to do, to get them to show up every day and work at a level that's higher than they've ever had to work, and to be able to do that for an extended period of time. Six weeks is a long time to train before you have to play. I think all those things have been positive for us."
On transfer setter Shelby Martin's experience level…
"That was one of the things that attracted us to her. She had been on an NCAA Tournament team, she had a high level of experience and played quite a bit and had some success doing it. We loved her maturity; we loved her championship experience. We only have on our roster three, maybe four of them, that are juniors and above. So right now, 75 percent of our roster is freshmen and sophomores. We felt like adding some experience and maturity would really benefit the team overall. Recently, the team put her on our leadership council, and I think that says a lot that in that amount of time she's been able to insert herself into those dynamics in the way she's approached it."
On the season outlook and postseason chances…
"Optimistic, really optimistic. I think we have some concerns about our youth and inexperience right now. The only way that we can not be youthful and inexperienced is to get out there and start playing somebody. I feel like we are as far along as we could possibly be, given all the variables right now. We're just ready to go and test ourselves against somebody else."
On the biggest challenge the extended preseason presents…
"I don't know if there have been any real challenges, per se. To me, more time to get ready is better than less time. Keeping them healthy, I think, is maybe the biggest thing in a number of ways. When you train that long, your body breaks down and you experience some level of overtraining or fatigue or injuries, things like that. Then put the COVID situation on top of that, just trying to monitor their health and safety and make sure that we have an environment that we can effectively keep them safe in. Those have been pretty challenging things that we haven't had to do before."
On the importance of roster depth and being prepared in a COVID environment…
"Yeah, I don't really have any other words other than it's incredibly important. We have to stay pretty deep and I think we have to have everybody ready. You add in the dynamic of us having to go to a doubleheader, as well, so it's not just the COVID availability issue, it also becomes about now we play back to back. You go five games on a Friday night, fatigue is really going to start to play a factor for night two because you've got to turn it around pretty quick. So just being able to use our depth and use our roster, and I think for the most part in most positions, we are in a position to do that."
Brynn Carlson, redshirt junior outside hitter
On what the team can get out of the scrimmage…
"I would just say that this is a really good opportunity for us to play in a competitive environment. We've been in a training mode and a preseason mode for the last two months, so this is a good opportunity for us to prepare for what a game situation is going to be like as we go into conference play next week."
On how the team has looked in practice…
"I feel like the extra time that we've had this preseason has been really good for our freshmen. They've been able to develop a lot and just have that extra time to work with the setters and get that timing down. The liberos have been doing a great job of providing us with stability in the preseason. I'm really excited to see where this team goes. I have really high expectations for us. I think that we're going to have a very successful season, and I'm thankful for all the time and effort that's been put in so far."
On what has impressed her most in practices…
"I've been very impressed by the way that we've come back with a competitive mindset right away from the start. Especially with a lot of uncertainty happening with a lot of conferences cancelling their seasons. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to have a season this year and to be able to play in the fall. I'm really proud of the way that we've taken that opportunity and absolutely maximized all of our training right now so that we can go into the season feeling really confident about how we're going to play."
On how the team can improve…
"I think there's always things that any team can improve on. I think that's one thing that our team does a really great job of: constantly looking for improvement. I wouldn't say that there's any one area where we feel weak right now. I think that we feel strong on all fronts, really ready to go. One thing that I love about this team is that we're constantly looking to improve and trying to find that next level. So although there isn't necessarily one weak spot, there's always another level that we can be reaching with our game."
Teana Adams-Kaonohi, sophomore setter
On what she's looking forward to seeing in the scrimmage…
"Just seeing how we play in a game-like situation. Seeing how we're going to prepare for our games and how we're going to be next week is important for today."
On how the team has looked in practice…
"We're doing really good. We're being competitive in practice."
On what has impressed her most in practices…
"I'm really impressed with the freshmen. They've been coming out here, competing like crazy, showing that they're here to play and showing no weaknesses, going all out. As a team together, being apart for about two months and then wrapping it up, coming back together, we're doing really good together. We're playing hard, we're playing aggressive and competitive, and we're ready to play next week."
Shelby Martin, senior setter
On what brought her to K-State…
"I was looking to really have a better environment my senior year and K-State is just such a family atmosphere and that's really what drew me in to the coaches and to the team. I already fit in so well with them and they're such a great community to be around. They've really accepted me. I'm very excited to be spending my last year here with this team. It's going to be a great season."
On being in midseason form…
"I think that we really used the six weeks that we had to our benefit. We really built ourselves as a team more and focused more on what we needed to strengthen going into conference. So usually at this point in the season, teams start to get fatigued and just tired all around and with us not going to tournaments, this has really given us a chance to be stronger mentally and physically at this point in the season."
On how she would describe this team…
"I would describe this team as very hard working and very inviting. It is very difficult for any transfer to come into a team and feel accepted right away and I definitely felt that. This team is just made of great people and great players all the way around."
On how she adjusts to setting for different members of a new team…
"It is very difficult coming into a new team as a setter and trying to figure everyone out so that's why I think this six weeks actually was in our benefit so we have more time to work as a team and get those special relationships down. It's been difficult but the six weeks has tremendously helped and we're kind of all on the same page now."
On how COVID protocols have affected her adjustment…
"It's definitely been a harder transition than if there wasn't COVID. I haven't really gotten to meet a lot of the other athletes but it's brought me closer to my team so it's worked out."
Megan Vernon, redshirt junior middle blocker
On the benefits of a six-week preseason…
"I think we got a lot of time to work together as a team. Even though our summer got shortened, I think that the lengthened preseason has helped us to work together and make up for the missed time we had in the summer while we were in quarantine. I think, in some ways, it did benefit us to have this preseason where we can scrimmage against each other and keep working to improve our teamwork and the overall dynamic of the team."
On being in midseason form…
"For me, I feel like we are kind of going into the real season off of good energy. Usually, in the preseason, you play a lot of teams that go to tournaments and you are playing multiple games a day. So I think we are all still energized and have a lot of excitement for the season, we've got good energy going into conference play."
On her relationship with Jacque Smith and Brynn Carlson…
"Me, Jacque and Brynn have been together since we all got here so we all have been through the last three seasons together and adding Shelby into our upperclassman class has really helped. We've all taken a leadership role on this team with everybody. And I think we're all, even the lower classmen, we're all working together and growing together really well. We've developed a good team dynamic this year."
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