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Volleyball Advances to Sweet 16 After Sweeping Arkansas
Courtesy: Kansas State University
Release: 12/06/2003

K-State earned its second-ever trip to the Sweet 16 after sweeping
Arkansas.
Manhattan- Junior Gabby Guerre collected her 12th double-double of the
season as sixth-ranked Kansas State earned its second-ever trip to the
Sweet 16 with a 30-26, 30-27, 30-21 sweep of Arkansas Saturday in NCAA
Second Round action from Manhattan.

The win improved the Wildcats' record to 30-4 overall and marked the
first time since entering NCAA play in 1982 and fourth time ever that
a K-State team reached the 30-win plateau. The last Wildcat team to
make the Sweet 16 was the 2000 team, which lost 3-1 at Wisconsin in
the regional semifinal.

Guerre's double-double came on 10 kills and 40 assists while the
junior hit .562 on the night and collected four blocks. Junior Valeria
Hejjas led all players with 17 kills on .297 hitting while Lisa Martin
totalled 10 kills and four blocks while hitting .562. Laura
Downey-Wallace led all players with 17 digs while Kris Jensen
collected 11.

"I think what distinguishes this team from any other team that we have
had is its composer," head coach Suzie Fritz said. "They show
tremendous composer in big situations. I thought we got better as the
match went on, which was our goal coming out of the locker room after
game two. To win in three games shows our strength as a team."

K-State grabbed an early lead in game one and never trailed but
Arkansas stayed alive as K-State's biggest lead was six points. Guerre
and Martin each had four kills in the game while Jensen, Hejjas and
Goehring each had three. The Lady Razorbacks out-hit the Wildcats,
..303 to .282 in the game but K-State pulled away late on kills by
Martin and Jensen to take a 30-26 win.

The Wildcat defense stepped up in game two as they held Arkansas to a
..170 hitting percentage. Martin and Guerre totalled three blocks each
in the game and Hejjas pounded out seven kills as the Wildcats came
from behind to take the second game, 30-27. Down 24-18, K-State scored
six straight points, led by the serving of Goehring and the right arm
of Hejjas, to tie the game at 24. The Wildcats grabbed the lead at
26-25 and held off Arkansas as a Hejjas ace and consecutive Arkansas
errors gave the Wildcats the 30-27 win.

The offense came alive in game three as Kansas State hit .500 for the
game, led by Hejjas' seven kills and Guerre's four. The Wildcats never
trailed in game three and built an 11-point lead at 28-17 before
finishing off the Lady Razorbacks, 30-21.

Kansas State will face Penn State, 3-1 winners over Pittsburgh, in the
first NCAA Regional Semifinal in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday.

Arkansas (27-7) 26 27 21
#6 Kansas State (30-4) 30 30 30

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