8/03/05  USA Today/CSTV Poll
Our Cats have been ranked #6 in the Big 12 preseason poll, announced today. Here's the poll: 1. NU    2. MU    3. Texas    4. TAMU    5. KU (yeah, right)    6. KSU    7. Baylor    7. CU    9. OU    10. TTU    11. ISU

12/22/04  USA Today/CSTV Poll
The Cats ended the season ranked #23. Their Big 12 competition fared well in the rankings, with Nebraska #5, Texas #11, Texas A & M #20 and Missouri #24. Jim McLaughlin's Washington Huskies ended the season ranked #3. Congrats to our former coach for a tremendous 28 - 3 record!

12/16/04  Vali Hejjas is an AVCA All-American!
The American Volleyball Coaches Associtation named Vali an Honorable Mention All-American today, capping two outstanding years as an outside hitter for the Cats. She joins Lauren Goehring, Dawn Cady Sullivan, Gabby Guerre and Liz Wegner as the Wildcats who have attained All-American recognition. Here's the complete press release. Congratulations, Vali, and thanks for your tremendous contributions to our program!

12/08/04  Vali and Gabby Named to AVCA All-Central Region Team
Senior Vali Hejjas was named to the regional first team and Gabby Guerre was named to the honorable mention team, making both eligible to be named All-Americans. Here's the complete press release.

As a junior transfer last year, Vali quickly became known for her powerful hitting ability, leaving a mark in several records in only two years with us. This year she was also fifth in the Big 12 in service aces in conference games. She leaves K-State as a two-time Big 12 First Team member, and was the first Big 12 Player of the Week this season.

Gabby Guerre leaves K-State with three All-Big 12 honors, was a 2003 Honorable Mention All-American and has numerous academic honors. She finished the season in the Big 12 top ten in assists and hitting percentage. A versatile and dependable player, Gabby figures in numerous records, and specialized in collecting double-doubles and triple-doubles.

11/28/04  Big 12 Honors for Four Wildcats
Dallas - Senior outside hitter Vali Hejjas and setter Gabby Guerre have been named to the Big 12 2004 First Team. Senior middle blocker Lisa Martin is on the Honorable Mention Team. Freshman Angie "Ace" Lastra has been named Big 12 Libero of the Year, continuing the tradition established by Laura Downey-Wallace the past two years. Here's the Big 12's press release.

11/06/04  Rita Liliom cleared to play
Head coach Suzie Fritz was obviously delighted when Rita Liliom was cleared to play by the NCAA, as Rita started in the Nebraska match and played quite a few minutes. The freshman from Hungary had some qualifying issues that are not uncommon when the NCAA certifies an athlete from a foreign country.

10/30/04  K-State dominates the Sunflower series.
Today's sweep of KU marked a milestone. The Cats are now undefeated vs. KU over a span of 10 seasons! KU last won a match on November 16, 1994. Be sure to bring up this fun fact when the basketball streak is mentioned.

10/30/04  Banners Honoring Cady and Goehring Displayed
Suspended from a catwalk in Mike Ahearn Field House are two new banners. One banner honors our outstanding middle blocker and 2003 1st Team AVCA All-American, Lauren Goehring. Lauren is finishing her K-State degree. The second banner is for Dawn Cady Sullivan, legendary outside hitter from 1996 - 1999, and 2nd Team AVCA All-American in 1999. Dawn played professionally for the Grand Rapids Force after her stellar K-State career, and is now an assistant coach at Illinois State.

10/09/04  New Court Dedicated
The Cats' new court is a gift from the Kevin Irsik family of Ingalls, in memory of their daughter, Terina. It was officially dedicated during the Texas game. Here's the complete story.

9/26/04  Fox Sports Midwest Broadcast Schedule
There will be a tape delay broadcast of the CU match on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 3 P.M.

9/13/04  The Big 12 Digs Angie Lastra!
From the Big 12: Angie Lastra of Kansas State was honored as the Big 12 Volleyball Player of the Week, as announced today. Lastra, a freshman libero from Carolina, Puerto Rico, recorded 84 digs and averaged 5.69 digs per game against the #4-, #5- and #10-ranked teams in the nation. She set a KSU five-game record of 36 digs, and had 7 service aces over the weekend. Angie had 10 or more digs in all four of the Cats' matches during the week, and had two 25-plus dig matches and one blockbuster 35-plus dig performance.

We're keeping Angie for sure! Four more years!

9/06/04  Vali Hejjas is Big 12 Player of the Week.
Vali had a hitting average of .358 this past week, peaking at .529 in the win over Maryland. She had 12 kills and hit .400 vs. #10 California on Saturday.

8/22/04  Kim Zschau Begins Career as Volleyball Coach
Legendary Wildcat Kim (Zschau) Whitney ('95 - '98) was named this summer as head volleyball coach for Pasco Hernando Community College in her native state of Florida. Kim was a unanimous first team All Big 12 selection in 1998, was Academic All Big 12 for three years, has played professionally in the U. S. and Spain, and was a member of the USA Women's National Team from 2000 to 2002. There are great things ahead for PHCC!

8/09/04  Gabby Selected to the Big 12 Preseason Team
Senior setter Gabby Guerre, a 2003 AVCA Third Team All-American and All-Big 12 player, was one of six players selected to the Big 12 Preseason Team. In all matches played in 2003, Gabby was 3rd in the Big 12 in assists, 4th in hitting percentage and 5th in service aces.

8/09/04  Cats Picked #2 in the Big 12
The Big 12 Conference coaches have placed the Wildcats (30 - 5 last year) 2nd in the Big 12 in the preseason poll. Nebraska (28-5) was selected to 1st place in the poll.

July 2004  Stacy Sykora returns as Olympic libero
Texas A & M's two-time All-American, Stacy Sykora, will return as libero on the team that came in fourth in 2000. She has been playing professionally in Italy when not training on the USA team. One of the world's greatest volleyball players, she caught my attention during the years when Kim Zschau and Dawn Cady Sullivan were keeping her very busy on the court. Check these links for some more info:

• NBC Olympics
• Stacy's Italian team
• The Sports Network
• United States Olympic Committee
• V-Spirit.com

3/04/04  Coach Fritz for the decade
A contract extension for Coach Suzie Fritz was announced this week. The term of the contract is from 2004 through 2009. The Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003, Suzie has a record of 71 - 22 as the Cats' head coach.

1/31/04  A new court for the Cats!
It was announced at the annual Wildcat Volleyball awards dinner today that the Cats will be playing on a new court next season. Kevin Irsik, a cattleman from Ingalls, is generously picking up the tab. It will be a wood court, but Mr. Irsik says further details are not finalized.

My favorite non-K-State athlete, Stacy Sykora of Texas A & M, played in most of every game of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as the team's libero. Team USA finished one match short of a medal, thanks in no small part to Stacy's awesome digs. She was a great competitor vs. the Cats, and a two-time All-American. Now, in 2003, Stacy is a libero on the Women's National Team.