— KANSAS STATE ATHLETICS RELEASE —
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KStateSports.com) – Two K-State student-athletes earned a spot on the 2024 All-Big 12 Preseason Team as voted on by the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Graduate outside hitter Aliyah Carter and senior setter Izzi Szulczewski were voted to the preseason team, marking the fifth time in school history K-State had multiple players selected. K-State was one of five schools with two or more selections.
The Wildcats were picked seventh in the league’s annual preseason poll, garnering 141 points with one first-place vote. The poll and awards were determined by Big 12 head coaches who could not vote for their team.
Carter, a three-time First Team All-Big 12 selection, becomes the first Wildcat and only active player in the Big 12 to collect four preseason honors in her career. A decorated veteran of K-State volleyball, Carter is second in school history with 1,384 kills during the rally-scoring era, which stands sixth all-time.
The Dubuque, Iowa, product is the current rally-scoring era leader in kills per set with an average of 3.79 as she owns three of Wildcats’ top-10 single-season averages.
Carter earned AVCA All-American honorable mention recognition in 2023, where she led the Wildcats’ offense with 390 kills and 438 points. She averaged a team-best 4.06 kills and 4.56 points per set to rank fifth in the Conference in each category.
A 5-foot-7 setter from Beaverton, Ore., Szulczewski picked up her first Big 12 accolade after she quickly proved to be one of the most versatile athletes in the league last season.
In her first season at K-State, Szulczewski dished out a team-high 763 assists (7.87 per set) and produced a team-best .350 hitting efficiency. Her 233 digs and 28 service aces were second on the team, while she totaled 56 kills and 37 blocks.
She generated a team-leading 10 doubles-doubles, that included a season-high 51 assists and 14 digs in a five-set thriller against rival Kansas. She was one of only three players to appear in all 97 sets with 26 match starts.
K-State, who enters its second under head coach Jason Mansfield, returns nine letterwinners from a squad that posted a 16-11 overall record with a record-breaking five Top 25 wins.
The 2024 season officially begins Friday, August 30 in West Layfette, Ind., as the Wildcats take part in the Purdue Volleyball’s Stacey Clark Classic. The three-day tournament will include matchups against tournament host Purdue (Aug. 30), UC Davis (Aug. 31), and UMBC (Sept. 1).
The home slate gets underway on September 12 with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic opener against Lipscomb, while the Wildcats begin Big 12 play on September 25 with a home match with Houston.
The 2024 new K-State Volleyball season tickets are now sold out. Only renewals remain for fans who had season tickets last year (2023). To renew season tickets, visit kstatesports.com/tickets or call 1-800-221-CATS. Single game tickets will go on sale this August.
2024 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Poll
- Kansas (6), 173 points
- BYU (4), 168 points
- Arizona State (3), 158 points
- TCU (1), 146 points
- Baylor, 144 points
- Iowa State, 142 points
- K-State (1), 141 points
- Houston, 105 points
- Utah, 97 points
- Colorado, 75 points
- UCF, 65 points
- Arizona, 54 points
- Cincinnati, 43 points
- West Virginia, 33 points
- Texas Tech, 31 points
2024 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year
Melanie Parra, TCU, OH, Sr.
2024 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Freshman of the Year
Zoey Burgess, Kansas, MB
2024 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team
Jaelyn Hodge, Arizona, OH, Fifth Year
Claire Jeter, Arizona State, MB, Gr.
Argentina Ung, Arizona State, S, Gr.
Lauren Briseño, Baylor, L/DS, Sr. ^
Elise McGhee, Baylor, OH, Sr. #
Mia Lee, BYU, MB/OPP, So. !
Kate Prior, BYU, OPP/MB, Jr.
Taylor Simpson, Colorado, S, Sr.
Kate Georgiades, Houston, L, Gr.* #
Nayeli Gonzalez, Iowa State, OH, So.* # !
London Davis, Kansas, OPP, Jr. ^
Ayah Elnady, Kansas, OH, Jr. #
Camryn Turner, Kansas, S, Jr.* #
Aliyah Carter, K-State, OH, Gr. #
Izzi Szulczewski, K-State, S, Sr.
Jalyn Gibson, TCU, OH, Jr. ^
Melanie Parra, TCU, OH, Sr.* #
Lauren Jardine, Utah, OH, Sr.
Players are listed alphabetically by school.
* indicates unanimous selection.
# – 2023 All-Big 12 First Team
^ – 2023 All-Big 12 Second Team
! – 2023 All-Big 12 Rookie Team
