The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Kansas State
No. 2 Volleyball downs Kansas State, 3-0
10.02.2009 | Volleyball
Oct. 2, 2009
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The second-ranked Texas Volleyball team hit at a .392 clip as it swept past Kansas State, 3-0, Friday night at the Ahearn Field House. The 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 victory improved the Longhorns to 11-0 on the year and 6-0 in Big 12 play, while the Wildcats fell to 6-8 overall and 0-4 in league action.
Texas came out swinging in the first behind four quick kills by senior All-America outside hitter Destinee Hooker, but K-State kept the score tight and claimed a brief 11-10 edge. The Horns answered with a 6-0 run fueled by a pair of kills from junior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette to claim a 16-11 lead. A Hooker kill widened the margin to 20-14 and Faucette's sixth kill of the set ended the set, 25-20.
Despite trailing early in the second, Texas kept the tally tight and took a 12-11 advantage when a service ace by senior All-America setter Ashley Engle capped a 3-0 rally. K-State battled back to put together a 4-1 run and claim a 16-14 lead, but a pair of Hooker kills paced a 6-1 UT run and put the Horns in front 22-18. The Wildcats moved within three late in the set, but kills by Faucette and Hooker propelled Texas to a 25-21 win.
In the third frame, Texas used an early 5-0 run to take a 5-2 lead and took advantage of three straight Kansas State miscues to widen the margin to 10-6. Texas held an 18-12 lead midway through the set, but a 5-0 KSU run shrank the lead to 18-17. The Longhorns fought back behind a pair of kills from Hooker and eventually closed the stanza, 25-21 on a kill by McNeal.
Hooker headlined the Horns offense on the night with 15 kills on .364 hitting, while Faucette recorded 12 kills on .333 hitting and posted 14 digs. Engle registered a kill/assist double-double with her error-free 10-kill, 38-assist performance.
Texas returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 10 when it host Oklahoma. First serve is set for Noon Central.
POST-MATCH NOTES
- Texas' win moved the Horns to 22-7 all-time against Kansas State.
- The Longhorns hit .586 in the first set and committed just one attack error. UT did not commit an attack error until the 21-17 mark in the first.
- Through two sets Texas hit .523 with 37 kills on 65 swings and just three attack errors.
- Texas out-hit Kansas State .392-to-.300 on the night.
