Kansas State University Athletics
Right Opportunity at the Right Time
Oct 20, 2025 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Emerson DeLuca smiled as moonlight rolled off the lake, the campfire blazed, and the smokey smell of freshly browned Smores hung in the air outside the home of Pam and Dwight Kasperbauer in Longmont, Colorado, on September 17. DeLuca dearly loved her grandparents, and she also felt love from the girls around her — her new teammates from the Kansas State soccer team, which journeyed to spend time with the Kasperbauers the night before the Wildcats opened their Big 12 Conference season at Colorado in Boulder.
DeLuca, a sophomore defender from Westminster, Colorado, felt at home. Why, not too long ago, she was one of the best high school women's soccer players in the state. Her energy filled fields all over. Now here she was, with her grandparents, and with her new family — a college soccer family — that she so yearned for since graduating from Broomfield High School in 2023. It was all so perfect.
"It was a great way to start off conference play," DeLuca says. "We did something out of the norm, going to my grandparents' house. It was a lot of fun."
But it was about more than just soccer. K-State head coach Colleen Corbin could tell that the evening in Longmont touched DeLuca.
"To be able to have that experience for her and her family meant a lot," Corbin says. "To have her family welcome us into their home and share that evening together was really special for her. As a coach and as a player those are things you remember for a lifetime."
The following night, K-State fought to a 0-0 draw at Colorado for a school record-tying sixth shutout of the season, as DeLuca, along with goalkeeper Maddie Sibbing and defenders Chloe Dillbeck, Lily Hendrickson and Reece Walrod, held down a Buffaloes' squad that entered with a Big 12-leadig 28 goals for the season.
That remains DeLuca's favorite on-field memory so far this season.
"There were a lot of nerves going into the game because I knew a lot of people on that Colorado team," DeLuca says. "It was my first Big 12 game, and me being a starter and someone who wanted to make an impact for my team, showing up and really competing in that game was huge for me."
In truth, every match and every day is huge for DeLuca, a life-long lover of soccer whose zest for the sport was tested at times last year during her freshman season at LSU, where she played in just 10 matches and started one time and saw 181 total minutes of action.
"I was looking for a better opportunity," she says.
And now?
DeLuca has started in all 15 matches at K-State and eclipsed 1,000 total minutes on the pitch against Cincinnati on Thursday at Buser Family Park.
"I just feel like all the hard work I've put in through all the years, coming here and with all the hard work our team has put in, there's just a sense that everything I've done has paid off to this point," DeLuca says. "I want to keep working and pushing, because there's so much more I can achieve, and that I can achieve with this team as well."
On the field, DeLuca is a bulldog.
"As an outside-back, one of my biggest strengths is joining the attack while also being a strong defender," she says. "It's really important in our style of play to get up and help our attacking players make plays while also being able to contribute to the defense as well. Ultimately, my No. 1 priority is keeping the ball out of the back of the net."
Corbin watches DeLuca nightly. She likes what she sees. DeLuca is a competitor. She's a truth teller. She's a tackle thrower. And she's emerged as a leader.
"Emerson being voted into our leadership council after only having been here for four months was a pretty big deal," Corbin says. "She's a competitor, which separates her from others. She cares a lot about winning and isn't afraid to tell you what you need to hear, and she's a straight shooter. Culturally, adding her to our group, we knew would be a big win for us as we continue to develop our identity. She's not the biggest or strongest on the field, but she makes up for it with energy, attitude and grit, and she works her tail off.
"I'm so happy she's here."
Less than a year ago, K-State wasn't on DeLuca's radar. She put her name into the transfer portal in hopes of finding a better opportunity after her freshman season at LSU, and she spoke with four schools, but when Corbin was hired as the new K-State head coach, and Corbin phoned DeLuca, she listened. Corbin had recruited several of DeLuca's teammates from Colorado Rapids 06 in the Elite Clubs National League when Corbin was an assistant coach at Wyoming. DeLuca knew of Corbin. Corbin had admired DeLuca's competitiveness and ability from afar.
"She was all-in and knew me as a coach," Corbin says. "She was familiar with my energy and style, and she knew what she was going to get, so I think that helped."
The timing couldn't have been tighter.
"Colleen got the K-State job at nearly the end of the portal (deadline)," DeLuca says. "I'd gone on three or four other visits. She called and asked me to come on a visit. I visited two days before the portal closed. When I got onto the K-State campus and saw the facilities, resources and staff, I knew this was where I wanted to go. I knew a lot about Colleen. I knew she was really going to help this K-State program."
That put DeLuca on the ground floor of the Corbin era with K-State women's soccer. DeLuca signed with K-State days before Christmas and arrived in Manhattan in January ready to roll.
"It's so cool," DeLuca says. "I always joke with (Corbin) that I was her first recruit here, which is awesome to be able to say. The things we've been able to already accomplish as a team is huge and there's still so much more that we can accomplish and so much room to grow. I'm really excited to see what we do during my years here and going forward."
For all the records that K-State sets and mile markers that K-State passes this season — the Wildcats captured a school-record seventh victory of the season in a 2-0 win over Cincinnati on Thursday — there's still that memory of that special evening in Longmont, being surrounded by the love of both of her families.
"This group of girls is amazing," DeLuca says. "Transferring in can be scary, not knowing the team culture, but since Colleen and the rest of the staff has come on, everyone has gotten on board with her ideas, and really want to develop a winning culture. You can definitely tell when we play. It's been so much fun getting to know everyone.
"I love each and every one of them."
She pauses.
"You can't ask for anything more."
Emerson DeLuca smiled as moonlight rolled off the lake, the campfire blazed, and the smokey smell of freshly browned Smores hung in the air outside the home of Pam and Dwight Kasperbauer in Longmont, Colorado, on September 17. DeLuca dearly loved her grandparents, and she also felt love from the girls around her — her new teammates from the Kansas State soccer team, which journeyed to spend time with the Kasperbauers the night before the Wildcats opened their Big 12 Conference season at Colorado in Boulder.
DeLuca, a sophomore defender from Westminster, Colorado, felt at home. Why, not too long ago, she was one of the best high school women's soccer players in the state. Her energy filled fields all over. Now here she was, with her grandparents, and with her new family — a college soccer family — that she so yearned for since graduating from Broomfield High School in 2023. It was all so perfect.
"It was a great way to start off conference play," DeLuca says. "We did something out of the norm, going to my grandparents' house. It was a lot of fun."
But it was about more than just soccer. K-State head coach Colleen Corbin could tell that the evening in Longmont touched DeLuca.
"To be able to have that experience for her and her family meant a lot," Corbin says. "To have her family welcome us into their home and share that evening together was really special for her. As a coach and as a player those are things you remember for a lifetime."
The following night, K-State fought to a 0-0 draw at Colorado for a school record-tying sixth shutout of the season, as DeLuca, along with goalkeeper Maddie Sibbing and defenders Chloe Dillbeck, Lily Hendrickson and Reece Walrod, held down a Buffaloes' squad that entered with a Big 12-leadig 28 goals for the season.
That remains DeLuca's favorite on-field memory so far this season.
"There were a lot of nerves going into the game because I knew a lot of people on that Colorado team," DeLuca says. "It was my first Big 12 game, and me being a starter and someone who wanted to make an impact for my team, showing up and really competing in that game was huge for me."
In truth, every match and every day is huge for DeLuca, a life-long lover of soccer whose zest for the sport was tested at times last year during her freshman season at LSU, where she played in just 10 matches and started one time and saw 181 total minutes of action.
"I was looking for a better opportunity," she says.
And now?
DeLuca has started in all 15 matches at K-State and eclipsed 1,000 total minutes on the pitch against Cincinnati on Thursday at Buser Family Park.
"I just feel like all the hard work I've put in through all the years, coming here and with all the hard work our team has put in, there's just a sense that everything I've done has paid off to this point," DeLuca says. "I want to keep working and pushing, because there's so much more I can achieve, and that I can achieve with this team as well."
On the field, DeLuca is a bulldog.
"As an outside-back, one of my biggest strengths is joining the attack while also being a strong defender," she says. "It's really important in our style of play to get up and help our attacking players make plays while also being able to contribute to the defense as well. Ultimately, my No. 1 priority is keeping the ball out of the back of the net."
Corbin watches DeLuca nightly. She likes what she sees. DeLuca is a competitor. She's a truth teller. She's a tackle thrower. And she's emerged as a leader.
"Emerson being voted into our leadership council after only having been here for four months was a pretty big deal," Corbin says. "She's a competitor, which separates her from others. She cares a lot about winning and isn't afraid to tell you what you need to hear, and she's a straight shooter. Culturally, adding her to our group, we knew would be a big win for us as we continue to develop our identity. She's not the biggest or strongest on the field, but she makes up for it with energy, attitude and grit, and she works her tail off.
"I'm so happy she's here."
Less than a year ago, K-State wasn't on DeLuca's radar. She put her name into the transfer portal in hopes of finding a better opportunity after her freshman season at LSU, and she spoke with four schools, but when Corbin was hired as the new K-State head coach, and Corbin phoned DeLuca, she listened. Corbin had recruited several of DeLuca's teammates from Colorado Rapids 06 in the Elite Clubs National League when Corbin was an assistant coach at Wyoming. DeLuca knew of Corbin. Corbin had admired DeLuca's competitiveness and ability from afar.
"She was all-in and knew me as a coach," Corbin says. "She was familiar with my energy and style, and she knew what she was going to get, so I think that helped."
The timing couldn't have been tighter.
"Colleen got the K-State job at nearly the end of the portal (deadline)," DeLuca says. "I'd gone on three or four other visits. She called and asked me to come on a visit. I visited two days before the portal closed. When I got onto the K-State campus and saw the facilities, resources and staff, I knew this was where I wanted to go. I knew a lot about Colleen. I knew she was really going to help this K-State program."
That put DeLuca on the ground floor of the Corbin era with K-State women's soccer. DeLuca signed with K-State days before Christmas and arrived in Manhattan in January ready to roll.
"It's so cool," DeLuca says. "I always joke with (Corbin) that I was her first recruit here, which is awesome to be able to say. The things we've been able to already accomplish as a team is huge and there's still so much more that we can accomplish and so much room to grow. I'm really excited to see what we do during my years here and going forward."
For all the records that K-State sets and mile markers that K-State passes this season — the Wildcats captured a school-record seventh victory of the season in a 2-0 win over Cincinnati on Thursday — there's still that memory of that special evening in Longmont, being surrounded by the love of both of her families.
"This group of girls is amazing," DeLuca says. "Transferring in can be scary, not knowing the team culture, but since Colleen and the rest of the staff has come on, everyone has gotten on board with her ideas, and really want to develop a winning culture. You can definitely tell when we play. It's been so much fun getting to know everyone.
"I love each and every one of them."
She pauses.
"You can't ask for anything more."
Players Mentioned
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/ SoccerK-State Soccer | Postgame Highlights vs Cincinnati
Friday, October 17
K-State Football | Game 7 ⚒️ TCU Victory Highlight
Thursday, October 16
K-State Men's Basketball | Cat Q's - Abdi Bashir Jr. and Dorin Buca
Thursday, October 16
K-State Women's Basketball | Head Coach Jeff Mittie Press Conference - Oct. 14
Tuesday, October 14