K-State Welcomes Cincinnati, #20 Colorado to Manhattan

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State opens a four-match home stretch this week, as the Wildcats welcome Cincinnati on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. before facing No. 20 Colorado on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Wildcats (12-7, 5-6 Big 12) fell in straight sets at No. 20 BYU last Friday, after defeating Utah, 3-1, to close out their five-match road trip 2-3. Thursday's match marks K-State's first match home at Morgan Family Arena since October 10 vs. Texas Tech.

K-State defeated Cincinnati (12-8, 4-6 Big 12) earlier this season to take a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.

Colorado (20-3, 10-1 Big 12) has won nine of its last 10 matches, which includes a current six-match winning streak. The match against the Buffs marks the Wildcats fifth match against a Top 25 since October 15.

CU sits atop the league standings and is the only 20-win team in the conference, while K-State sits ninth and Cincinnati 10^th.

Both matches can be seen on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while live stat links can be found on the K-State volleyball schedule page HERE.

MATCH #20
K-STATE (11-7, 5-6 BIG 12) vs. CINCINNATI (12-8, 4-6 BIG 12)
Thursday, November 6 // 6:30 PM CT // Morgan Family Arena (Manhattan, KS)
Live Stats // ESPNU // Tickets

MATCH #21
K-STATE (11-7, 5-6 BIG 12) vs. #20 COLORADO (20-3, 10-1 BIG 12)
Saturday, October 8 // 1 PM CT // Morgan Family Arena (Manhattan, KS)
Live Stats // ESPNU // Tickets
Promotion: Junior Wildcats Day

FOLLOW THE CATS

Both matches will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Live stat links can be found on the K-State volleyball schedule page on kstatesports.com, while fans can find live game updates all season long on the Wildcats social media pages (@KStateVB).
Single-match tickets for all home matches can be purchased by contacting the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS, visiting kstatesports.com/tickets or at the Morgan Family Arena ticket booth.

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

With just seven matches left of the regular season, K-State enters the week 10^th in the Big 12 standings with a 12-7 overall record and 5-6 mark in Big 12 play after suffering a straight set loss at ranked BYU.
Four of the Wildcats' last five matches have been against Top 25 teams. The Cats are 2-4 against ranked opponents this season with wins over No. 25 North Carolina and No. 14 KU.
Senior Shaylee Myers is 12^th in the nation in kills per set (4.71) and 14^th in points per set (5.18) and is only second to Colorado's Ana Burilovic in each category among Big 12 players.
Senior setter Ava LeGrand picked up her 10^th double-double of the season at Utah with 48 digs and 11 kills, while Myers earned her third (23 kills, 15 digs).
With 23 kills at Utah, Myers became the eighth player in school history to record eight or more 20-kill matches in a single season.
In the RPI race, K-State boasts an RPI of 41 – the seventh-best in the league – to go along with a KPI of 47.

SCOUTING CINCINNATI

Cincinnati (12-8, 4-6 Big 12) is coming off a sweep over Houston at Fifth Third Arena – their third sweep of the season.
Cincinnati tallied eight service aces against Houston with 37 kills and seven blocks, while limiting the Cougars to a .149 hitting percentage.
Sydney Nolan leads the offense with 320 total kills on the year (4.57 kills per set), followed by Carly Glendinning (262 kills, 3.45/set).
Nolan's 4.57 kills per set ranks third in the league and 17^th in the country.
Andie Spies, who averages 9.60 assists per set, orchestrates an offense that is fourth in the Big 12 and 39^th in the country with a .258 team hitting percentage.
Defensively, the Bearcats are second in the league in digs per set (14.55) and third in blocks per set (2.59).
Tatjana Simeunovic and Brooke Crummel each rank in the league's top 20 in blocks per set, as both average over one block a set.

INSIDE THE SERIES

K-State leads the all-time series, 2-1, dating back to the start in 2023.
The Wildcats picked up a win earlier this season against the Bearcats, 3-2, in Cincinnati.
In the last meeting, three Wildcats posted double-doubles: LeGrand (53 assists, 18 digs), Clinton (25 kills, 15 digs), Myers (24 kills, 11 digs).
As a team, K-State compiled a season-high 79 kills against Cincinnati with three players in double figures.

Series Results
9/30/2023: Cincinnati 3, Kansas State 1
10/10/2024: Kansas State 3, Cincinnati 2
10/3/2025: Kansas State 3, Cincinnati 2

SCOUTING #20 COLORADO

Colorado (20-3, 10-1 Big 12), the only program from the Big 12 with 20 wins on the year, has won nine of its last 10 matches with a current six match winning streak.
CU, which ranked 20^th in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll, moved atop the Big 12 standings after Arizona State suffered its first conference loss.
The Buffaloes rank second in the league in total team blocks (223.5), while they have the fourth-best opponent hitting percentage (.177).
Ana Burilovic leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth in the nation in both kills per set (4.86) and points per set (5.66), while Cayla Payne boasts a .357 hitting percentage, which is fifth in the conference.
Burilovic also paces the Buffs and is second in the league with 39 total aces (0.45 per set).
The Buffs are 7-2 in true road matches this season, including 4-1 in Big 12 road matches.
Colorado was picked to finish 10^th in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll after finishing its first season back in the conference 13-17 overall with a 6-12 mark in league matches.

INSIDE THE SERIES

In a series that dates back to 1986, K-State is 23-27 all-time against Colorado.
The Wildcats have won seven of the last 10 matches in the series.
The Cats are 12-12 at home against CU, last winning on November 27, 2010 in five sets.
CU swept K-State in the final meeting last season, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21, led by Burilovic's 17 kills and a team .305 hitting percentage. Aniya Clinton had 12 kills against the Buffs last season.

Last 5 Matches
10/21/2009: Kansas State 3, Colorado 1
11/21/2009: Kansas State 3, Colorado 0
9/22/2010: Colorado 3, Kansas State 2
11/27/2010: Kansas State 3, Colorado 2
11/27/2024: Colorado 3, Kansas State 0

THE FINAL STRETCH

Thursday's match marks the first of the final seven matches of the regular season, including five held at Morgan Family Arena.
Four of the Wildcats last seven matches are against nationally ranked opponents – No. 20 Colorado (Nov. 8), No. 23 Baylor (Nov. 12), No. 13 KU (Nov. 15) and No. 24 Iowa State (Nov. 29).
Four matches are against teams previously played earlier this season.

1K MILESTONE WATCH

Two Wildcats are approaching career milestones, as LeGrand is eight assists away from her 1,000^th career assist while Myers is 21.5 points from her 1,000^th.
In addition to her points milestone, Myers is 125 kills short of her 1,000^th career kill. She would be the 28^th player in school history to reach 1,000 career kills, and only second player to do so in the last seven years.

LAST TIME OUT

BYU defeated the Wildcats in straight sets – 25-16, 25-18, 25-9 – Friday night.
K-State hit at a season-low .033 clip, while BYU hit at .372 team hitting percentage.
Myers had a team-best 10 kills followed by Reagan Fox with four.
BYU had nine team blocks while K-State had four.
Myers registered a match-high nine digs, while LeGrand dished out 21 assists with six digs.
BYU out-served K-State, 7-2, with three Cougars recording multiple service aces.

GOING THE DISTANCE

K-State collected its first four-set victory against Utah last week. Overall, K-State is 1-3 in four-set matches.
The Cats are 5-1 in five-set matches, including a 3-1 mark in Big 12 matches.

HOME SWEET HOME

Thursday's match opens a four-match stretch at home for the Wildcats.
In their last home outing, K-State swept Texas Tech to snap a three-match home losing streak.
The Wildcats opened their home schedule a perfect 4-0 after their home-opening tournaments against UMBC, Delaware, NC State and Nevada.
Head coach Jason Mansfield is 19-15 (.559) overall at home in his three-year K-State career, that includes 12-10 (.545) mark at home in Big 12 play.

VS. THE TOP 25

K-State is 2-4 against teams ranked in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll with victories over then-No. 25 North Carolina and -No. 14 KU, while they are 1-2 against teams receiving votes.
Myers is averaging an impressive 4.13 kills per set against ranked teams followed by Clinton (3.38). Defensively, Sims tallies 4.42 digs per set while Williams leads at the net with .96 blocks per set (23 total blocks).
As a team, K-State leads opponents in service aces (32-28).
Overall, K-State boasts an 8-17 mark against Top 25 opponents under Mansfield.
In 2023, K-State set a program record for Top 25 wins in a single season, that included 12 consecutive set wins with sweeps over #8 BYU (twice) and #3 Texas.
K-State was last ranked in 2020.

AROUND THE BIG 12

Colorado (20-3, 10-1 Big 12) jumped ahead of the league standings after Arizona State (18-3, 9-1 Big 12) recorded its first Big 12 loss of the season in a five-set upset against Iowa State.
Seven schools rank in the latest AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll – No. 6 Arizona State, No. 13 Kansas, No. 16 TCU, No. 20 Colorado, No. 21 BYU, No. 23 Baylor, and No. 24 Iowa State.
Colorado's Ana Burilovic (offensive), Iowa State's Rachel Van Gorp (defensive) and BYU's Suli Davis (rookie) were named the Big 12 Volleyball Players of the week for matches ending Nov. 2.
In the RPI race, the Big 12 has 11 teams within the Top 50 of the RPI rankings, including seven in the Top 25.

K-State Welcomes Cincinnati, #20 Colorado to Manhattan

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Players Mentioned

Aniya Clinton

Reagan Fox

Ava LeGrand

Shaylee Myers

Kansas State University Athletics

K-State Welcomes Cincinnati, #20 Colorado to Manhattan

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Shaylee Myers

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