MANHATTAN, Kan. – After a freshman season that included being named 2020 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, K-State outside hitter Aliyah Carter was a unanimous selection onto the 2021 All-Big 12 Preseason Team, the league office revealed Tuesday.
Carter, who became just the second Big 12 Freshman of the Year in K-State history, was also tabbed 2020 AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year in addition to her All-Big 12 First Team selection.
Carter led the Wildcats’ offense with 325 kills and 353.5 points. She eclipsed the 20-kill mark six times in her freshman season, setting the program’s single-match freshman record with 27 kills in a five-set match against Texas State on March 4.
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Carter’s 4.11 kills per set and 4.47 points her set last season were the highest rates by a freshman in program history. Her kills-per-set average was the fourth-best mark by a Wildcat in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) and broke Cari Jensen’s freshman record of 4.00 that stood since 2000.
Carter was tabbed Big 12 Rookie of the Week on five occasions while being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week once, as her six weekly accolades are a new single-season record for a Wildcat during the Big 12 era.
She was one of eight unanimous picks by the conference coaches to the 15-member preseason squad.
K-State opens the 2021 season on Friday, August 27 at the Nebraska Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cats’ home opener is set for Thursday, September 9 against Ohio at Bramlage Coliseum and season tickets are now on sale.
K-State (13-8, 10-6 Big 12) finished third in the Big 12 during the 2020 season, its highest conference finish since 2008.
