Coach Suzie Fritz was the first to applaud middle blockers Megan Farr and Kelsey Chipman, and she continues today.

"They have been good from start to finish," Fritz said. "I keep saying it, and nobody believes me, but they are our most consistent attackers and have been from the very beginning of the season."

Farr and Chipman already are proving their worth this season, leading the team in hitting percentage and blocks. The duo has amassed 210 of the Wildcats' 665 kills. Farr has tallied 101 kills on .388 hitting, while Chipman has recorded 109 on .328 hitting.

Fritz said Farr and Chipman have been a main factor in K-State's victories and will continue their success throughout the season.

In four of the Wildcats' last five matches, Farr has finished over .500 in hitting. Her recent success has elevated her season hitting percentage, as she leads the team with 209 attacks. The last time Farr did not finish over .500 was against Kansas, when she recorded 13 kills on .480 hitting.

Farr said she can't take all the credit for her recent success, crediting senior setter Stacey Spiegelberg for triggering K-State's offense.

"We are just passing really well," Farr said. "Stacey is setting us awesome too. (Her) setting is helping a lot."

Spiegelberg is the Wildcats' primary setter and leads the team in assists with 541. She said she does not favor setting the middle blockers but has been pleased with their offensive performance.

"They have been a strong point in our offense for a while now," Spiegelberg said of the middle blockers. "When we are passing well, I can go to them. They are hitting really well, so it's good to establish them early in the game."

Fritz said she is happy with the way the Wildcats' middle blockers are creating openings in the opposing defense, allowing outside hitters Nataly Korobkova and Rita Liliom to attack.

"Generally, if you get good production from your middles," Fritz said, "it opens up things for the outside attackers, because it means they can hold the block just a little bit longer."

Though the middle blockers' hitting percentage is higher than the outside hitters', Korobkova and Liliom still lead the Wildcats in kills with 163 and 143, respectively. Korobkova is averaging 4.41 kills per game, while Liliom is averaging 3.49 kills per game.

Farr and Chipman have had success in the Wildcats' offense but also are pulling their defensive weight. The duo has tallied 119 total blocks and accounted for 11 of K-State's 14 solo blocks.

K-State's third conference match of the season will be Wednesday at Ahearn Field House against Oklahoma. Play is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.