COLLEGE STATION -- No. 23 Texas A&M (14-6, 7-5 Big 12) will be aiming for only its second ever victory in Manhattan, Kan., on Wednesday as the Aggies take on the Kansas State Wildcats (8-14, 2-10 Big 12) in a match that will be televised by FSN-KC (DirecTV 671-FSN MW). First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at Ahearn Field House.

A&M, whose only win in 13 visits to Ahearn came in 2006, is in sixth place in the Big 12 standings, a half game behind both Baylor and Oklahoma who are tied for fourth place. The Aggies are coming off a 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-15) victory at Kansas on Saturday, which ended an A&M two-match losing skid.

K-State is in ninth place in the league standings and is mired in a three-match losing skid. Most recently, the Wildcats fell to Oklahoma, 3-1 (29-31, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17) in Norman on Saturday.

Texas A&M continues to lead the nation in both assists and kills per set, averaging 14.16 assists and 14.96 kills per set. The Aggies also are ranked 23rd in the nation and are second in the Big 12 for hitting percentage with a .261 hitting efficiency for the full season.

Aggie senior setter Kristen Schevikhoven, ranked 21st in the nation for assists average, is second in the Big 12 with 11.14 assists per set. She directs a well-balanced A&M offense that has three players averaging more than three kills per set, including senior outside hitter Sarah Ammerman, who leads the team and is ranked third in the Big 12 with 4.14 kills and 4.57 points per set. Senior right-side hitter Jennifer Banse, who leads A&M’s outside attackers with a .277 hitting efficiency, is second on the team and eighth in the Big 12 with 3.34 kills per set and 3.75 points per set, and senior outside hitter Mary Batis, who is ranked in A&M’s top 10 records for career kills, points and digs, is averaging 3.05 kills per set for the full season.

Freshman middle blocker Lindsey Miller also is listed among the league’s statistical leaders as her .320 hitting percentage ranks ninth in the Big 12.

Meanwhile, freshman libero Tori Mellinger anchors the back row defense and ranks eighth in the Big 12 with 3.76 digs per set in league contests only.

SERIES RECORDS
• K-State leads the overall series, 16-12, since the teams first met in 1981. The Wildcats are 16-11 against A&M in Big 12 matches only.
• A&M snapped a four-match losing skid against K-State with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-25, 25-17) victory at Reed Arena on October 7. With the win, the Aggies improved to 10-4 against the Wildcats in matches played in College Station.
• A&M is 1-12 all-time in Manhattan. Its only win at Ahearn Field House was a three-game sweep on Nov. 4, 2006.
• A&M will be looking for only its second ever season series sweep against the Wildcats, who have registered four season series sweeps — including each of the last two years — since Big 12 play began in 1996.

AGGIE QUICK HITS
• A&M moved up two spots to No. 23 in this week’s AVCA Top 25. It is the fourth straight week the Aggies have been in the top 25. A&M broke into the poll for the first time this season at No. 22 on Oct. 12, marking A&M’s first appearance in the Top 25 since the Aggies made a one-week appearance at No. 25 on Sept. 10, 2007. The team’s No. 21 ranking on Oct. 19 marked A&M’s highest ranking since being ranked No. 20 on Sept. 19, 2005.

• The Aggies continue to lead the nation with 14.16 assists and 14.96 kills per set and are ranked 23rd in the country with a .261 hitting percentage. A&M also is ranked 39th in the nation with 16.44 digs per set.

• As for individuals who are listed among the national statistical leaders, setter Kristen Schevikhoven is 21st with 11.14 assists per set, and outside hitter Sarah Ammerman is 35th with 4.14 kills per set and 41st with 4.57 points per set.

• A&M leads the Big 12 for fewest aces allowed (0.56) and is second for aces per set (1.29) for the full season. Senior outside hitter Mary Batis leads the Aggies and is eighth in the Big 12 with 0.26 aces per set in conference matches only, and she is ninth in the Big 12 with a 0.25 ace average for the full season.

• A&M has three players averaging more than three kills per set for the full season: Sarah Ammerman, 4.14 kps; Jennifer Banse, 3.34 kps; and Mary Batis, 3.05 kps. In addition, three players are averaging more than three digs per set: Tori Mellinger, 3.42 dps; Ammerman, 3.17 dps; and Batis, 3.16 dps.

• Add middle blocker to sophomore Kelsey Black’s list of positions played. The 5-11 Amarillo, Texas native was the Aggies’ designated libero as a freshman. This season, she as backed up both the left and right-side hitters and also come in as a defensive specialist. In the third set against No. 2 Texas on Oct. 28, the versatile Black was inserted as a middle blocker. She finished the match with two kills and a solo block. Black then drew her first start off the season on Saturday at Kansas as a middle blocker and tied for the team lead with a career-high five blocks.

• A&M is ranked 22nd in the nation for home attendance, averaging 1,689 per match at Reed Arena. The Aggies set an all-time home attendance record with 3,876 at the Texas match on Oct. 28. It broke the previous record of 3,778 set against Texas on Oct. 24, 2003, at G. Rollie White Coliseum.

• A&M is listed 34th in the most recent NCAA RPI ranking. A&M is 3-3 against teams in the RPI top 30, including wins against Nebraska, Northern Iowa and Baylor, who are 16, 24 and 30, respectively, in the RPI rankings.

• Sarah Ammerman had 21 kills at Kansas on Saturday to give her 1,348 kills for her career and move her into eighth place in the A&M records, surpassing Elizabeth Edmiston, who had 1,329 from 1989-92. Ammerman also is third in career points with 1526.5.

• Mary Batis is fourth in the A&M career records for points (1486.5) and ranks ninth in digs (1,214) and 10th in kills (1,312). Batis needs 20 digs to move into eighth place, passing former All-American Laura Jones, who had 1,233 digs from 2002-2005. She also needs 18 kills to move into ninth.

• Senior setter Kristen Schevikhoven is seventh in the A&M career records with 2,757 assists.

• Sarah Ammerman has posted double figures in kills in 12 of the last 13 matches after posting her third 20-plus kill performance of the season against the Jayhawks on Saturday. Ammerman’s career-best streak of 11 consecutive matches with double-figure kills came to an end against No. 2 Texas on Oct. 28 as the senior outside hitter was held to seven kills. Her previous longest streak for double-digit kills was seven to close out the 2008 season.

• Freshman libero Tori Mellinger, who has posted double figures in digs in 12 of the last 15 matches, has taken team-high honors in digs in a team-leading eight matches. Mellinger set a career high and led all players with 24 digs in the 3-1 win at No. 17 Baylor. At the time, her 24 digs equaled the most by any player in the Big 12 in a four-set conference match this season.

• A&M has two wins against Top 25 opponents this season. In its first match against a ranked opponent, A&M upset No. 6 Nebraska, 3-1, in a nationally televised match at Reed Arena on Sept. 23, snapping a 19-match losing skid against the Huskers. It marked A&M’s first win against a top-10 team since defeating No. 9 Texas, 3-1, on Oct. 16, 2004, at G. Rollie White Coliseum in College Station. Furthermore, it was A&M’s first victory against a team ranked No. 6 or higher since defeating No. 6 Wisconsin, 3-0, on Dec. 7, 2001, in the NCAA regional semifinals. The other ranked victory this season was at No. 17 Baylor, 3-1, on Oct. 10. A&M is 2-3 overall against Top 25 opponents. Losses were to No. 2 Texas twice and at then- No. 13 Iowa state on Oct. 14.

• Ammerman’s career-high 25 digs against Missouri on Sept. 26 marks the most digs in a match by an A&M player since former libero Holly Clay had 28 at Texas Tech on Oct. 22, 2005, when the 30-point scoring system was in effect. Ammerman ranks third on the team with 3.20 digs per set for the full season and is second on the squad with a 3.50 average in Big 12 matches only.

• A&M’s .465 hitting percentage in the Big 12 opener at Texas Tech on Sept. 19 ranks ninth in the school record books and third all-time in A&M’s Big 12 matches only. It also is the highest hitting percentage by a Big 12 team this season. A&M’s .460 hitting percentage against Virginia is the second highest by a Big 12 team this season.

• The Aggies, who tied eventual NCAA-regional finalist Iowa State for fourth place in the Big 12 with an 11-9 league record last year, have been picked to finish fourth in the league this season, according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches. Defending Big 12 co-champions Texas and Nebraska are picked to finish first and second, respectively, with Iowa State following at third place. A&M is followed by Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Texas Tech.

• Aggie head coach Laurie Corbelli is 357-164 in her 17th year as head coach of the Aggies and 457-270 in the 24th season of her head coaching career. She is A&M’s winningest coach in terms of total victories and ranks second for winning percentage (.685).

A LOOK AT THE WILDCATS
• Kansas State is 8-14 overall and in ninth place with a 2-10 record in the Big 12.
• K-State suffered its third consecutive loss on Saturday as the Wildcats fell to Oklahoma, 3-1 (29-31, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17) in Norman. JuliAnne Chisholm led the Wildcats with 22 kills and Lauren Mathewson had 30 digs, but K-State was outhit, .246 to .182.
• K-State’s two league wins have been at home against Missouri, a team that defeated A&M, and Colorado on the road.
• The Wildcats are 0-8 against Top 25 teams this season.
• Senior middle blocker Kelsey Chipman, a preseason All-Big 12 selection, leads the Wildcats and is third in the Big 12 with a .355 hitting percentage for the full season. She also leads the team and ranks seventh in the conference with 1.07 blocks per set for the full season. In Big 12 matches only, Chipman is hitting .327 and averaging 1.10 blocks per set.
• Junior outside hitter JuliAnne Chisholm leads K-State with 3.14 kills per set for the full season, and junior libero Lauren Mathewson is averaging 4.44 digs per set.
• K-State, which finished third in the Big 12 standings with a 14-6 record and then lost in the NCAA first round in 2008, is picked to finish sixth in the conference this year, according to a preseason poll of the league coaches.
• Suzie Fritz (Florida Atlantic ‘94) is 179-93 in her ninth season as head coach at K-State.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
A&M returns to Reed Arena on Nov. 7 for a Top 25 showdown against No. 20 Baylor. First serve is at 6:30 p.m., and it will be Class of 2013 Appreciation Night. A&M defeated the then-No. 17 Bears, 3-1, in Waco on Oct. 10. The Baylor match is the first of three straight Top 25 matches for the Aggies, who host No. 8 Iowa State on Wednesday, Nov. 11 and then travel to Lincoln, Neb., to face the 10th-ranked Cornhuskers on Friday, Nov. 13.