Wildcats Begin Four-Match Road Trip at Thunderdome Classic

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State looks to carry its hot start on the road as the Wildcats open their 2025 road slate at the Thunderdome Classic in Santa Barbara, California, beginning Thursday.

The Wildcats (4-0) face tournament host UC Santa Barbara (3-2) in their opener at 8 p.m. CT, before closing the round-robin event Friday at 9 p.m. CT against Northern Colorado (2-4). Thursday's match against UCSB will stream on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

MATCH #5
K-STATE (4-0, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. UC SANTA BARBARA (3-2, 0-0 BIG WEST)
Thursday, September 11 // 8 PM CT // The Thunderdome
Live Stats // ESPN+ // Tickets

MATCH #6
K-STATE (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. NORTHERN COLORADO (2-4, 0-0 BIG SKY)
Friday, September 12 // 9 PM CT // The Thunderdome
Live Stats // Tickets

FIRST SERVE

K-State looks to carry its hot start on the road as the Wildcats open their 2025 road slate at the Thunderdome Classic in Santa Barbara, California, beginning Thursday.
The Wildcats (4-0) face tournament host UC Santa Barbara (3-2) in their opener at 8 p.m. CT, before closing the round-robin event Friday at 9 p.m. CT against Northern Colorado (2-4).

FOLLOW THE CATS

Thursday's match against the Gauchos will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Live stat links can be found on the volleyball schedule page on kstatesports.com, while fans can find live game updates all season long on the Wildcats social media pages (@KStateVB).

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

K-State (4-0) stretched its winning streak to four Friday afternoon, rolling to a straight-set victory over Nevada, 25-19, 25-15, 25-13, to claim the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic title at Morgan Family Arena.
With a sweep over Nevada, K-State (4-0) extended its season-opening dominance to 12 straight set victories, marking the longest set-win start in program history.
The Wildcats have yet to allow an opponent more than 21 points in a set this season, while holding opponents to an overall .088 hitting percentage.
The victory also lifted the Wildcats to a 4-0 start for the second time under head coach Jason Mansfield, and the first since his inaugural season in 2023.
Three Wildcats earned all-tournament honors, as middle blocker Jordyn Williams, outside hitter/opposite Shaylee Myers, and setter Ava LeGrand were each recognized for their standout performances.
LeGrand, a senior from Papillion, Nebraska, was named Tournament MVP after orchestrating an offense that hit .330 on the week, handing out 66 assists.
Myers led all players with 24 kills (4.00 per set) while hitting .315 and adding 12 digs, while Williams turned in eight blocks to go with 11 kills on a .500 hitting percentage.
Additional standout performances came from Aniya Clinton with 24 kills on a .298 hitting efficiency, Brenna Schmidt with a team-high nine blocks, and Symone Sims, who paced the defense with 22 digs (3.67 per set).

SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA

UCSB is off to a 3-2 start, led by a series sweep at San Jose State (3-1, 3-0). The Gauchos picked a win at the Trojan Invitational against San Diego, who was receiving votes at the time, but dropped matches against then-No. 22 USC and then-No. 13 Creighton.
Eva Travis was named to the All-Tournament Team in, as the outside hitter racked up 53 kills across three matches (3.79 per set).
Across the highly competitive tournament field, UCSB totaled 161 kills (11.5 per set. The Gauchos also outperformed their opponents' averages in service aces, kills, digs, solo and total blocks, points, and each stat per set.
Travis leads the offense, having already eclipsed the 100-point mark on the season that includes 92 kills (4.88 per set).
Milan Rex and Ayva Ostovar have served time as the Gauchos setter, as the duo have orchestrated an offense that is hitting at a .231 efficiency.
Defensively, defensive specialist Cortni Youngblood averages 3.33 digs per set with one reception error (.991 reception %), while Grace Wuischpard is the only player averaging over one block a set (1.14).
Matt Jones is in his third season at the helm of the Gauchos program, tallying a career record of 44-23 (.657) that was highlighted by a 27-5 record and trip to the NCAA Tournament in his first season in 2023.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Thursday's match marks the fourth meeting between the two programs and first since 2024, with UCSB leading the all-time series 2-1.
The Thunderdome Classic opener will be the first match in California between the two squads since 2021.
Last season, the Gauchos handed K-State a three-set defeat in the home opener at Morgan Family Arena – 26-24, 25-22, 25-23 – with three players reaching double-digit kills for UCSB, including Travis with 13.
The Gauchos lead 7-3 in set victories.

Match Results
9/28/1984 – UCSB 3, K-State 0
9/4/2021 – K-State 3, UCSB 2
9/19/2024 – UCSB 3, K-State 0

SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO

Northern Colorado (2-4) looks to snap a three-match losing streak after the Bears dropped three consecutive five-set matches at the BYU Classic last weekend.
The Bears will open the round-robin event on Thursday against Cal Poly, before facing the Wildcats on Friday night.
Brynn Reines was named to the All-Tournament Team in Provo, after totaling 39 kills and 44 points across the tournament. She opened with 18 kills against nationally ranked BYU.
Alayna Tessena is the only player to average over three kills and points per set, as the sophomore outside hitter is hitting at a .196 clip. She is followed by Reines, who is tallying 2.50 kills and 2.91 points per set.
Senior setter Mia Liddiard directs an offense that is hitting a team .210 efficiency, as she turns in 7.78 assists per set.
Two players have recorded 24 total kills this season with Isabel Bennett and Zoe Gibbs, while Bella LePore leads the back row with 3.04 digs per set.
Twenty-first-year head coach and five-time Big Sky Coach of the Year Lyndsey Oates has led the Bears to an overall record 377-238 (.613) and seven NCAA Tournaments – latest in 2022.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Friday's match marks the fifth overall meeting against the Bears, with UNC leading 2-1-1, while it is the first matchup between the two squads since 1982 (Kansas State 2, UNC 1).
The match also marks the first against the Bears in the rally-scoring era.

Match Results
9/22/1978 – (tied 1-1)
9/23/1978 – UNC 2, K-State 0
9/15/1979 – UNC 2, K-State 0
10/15/1982 – K-State 2, UNC 1

LAST TIME OUT

K-State swept past Nevada – 25-19, 25-15, 25-13.
Two Wildcats eclipsed the 10-kill mark: Shaylee Myers (15) and Aniya Clinton (10).
Myers hit at an incredible .652 efficiency with 15 kills on 23 swings with no errors.
Ava LeGrand passed an offense that hit .440 (45 kills,8 errors), as she dished out 33 assists with no set errors. She added five digs, three kills and two blocks.
K-State out-blocked Nevada 9.0-1.0, led by five blocks from Jordyn Williams (1 solo, 4 assists) and followed by Reagan Fox and Brenna Schmidt each with three block assists.
The defense held Nevada to a .145 hitting percentage with a 30-23 advantage in dig production, as four different players turned in five or more digs, led by Symone Sims accounting for eight.
Five Wildcats recorded a service ace in the win.

A THURSDAY WIN WOULD…

Hand K-State its 13^th road victory under head coach Jason Mansfield, and ninth as a true visiting team.
Even the all-time series, 2-2, and be the Cats second victory at UC Santa Barbara.
Mark the second year K-State started its road slate with a victory in the Mansfield – first since 2023 vs. Portland State.
The first K-State victory in the state of California since 2021, vs. UCSB (3-2) at the Gaucho Invitational.

IT'S (LE)GRAND

Senior setter Ava LeGrand directed a K-State offense that hit .330 for the week – the third-best mark in the Big 12 – while handing out 66 assists (11.00 per set) to earn Tournament MVP honors at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic.
Her 11.00 assists per set tied third in the conference, while she also contributed on defense with 13 digs, ranking second on the team, as the Wildcats held opponents to a Big 12-best .097 hitting efficiency.
A native of Papillion, Nebraska, rounded out her all-around performance with five kills, two service aces and three blocks.

DEFENSIVE CATS

K-State is the Big 12 leader in opponent hitting percentage, as the Wildcats' defense has limited teams to an overall .088 hitting percentage.
As a team, K-State is third in the league in digs per set (14.42) and has outperformed teams in terms of dig production in all four matches this season.

The Wildcats are just second to 2024 Big 12 Champion Arizona State in blocks per set, averaging 3.00, while totaling 36.
K-State has held its opponents under a .100 hitting efficiency in all but one match this season, while holding opponents under .150 in all.
Against Delaware, the Cats produced their first 10-block match (August 31).
Three players have totaled 30 or more digs in the Cats' four matches, led by Symone Sims 3.17 digs per set, while Brenna Schmidt, Jordyn Williams and Ava LeGrand have each eclipsed the 10-block mark. The trio each average over one block per set.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The Wildcats are undefeated (4-0) when out-hitting their opponents, as they have hit north of .300 in three of four matches.
K-State has led in all major categories in each match: kills, assists, digs, blocks, aces and points.
Additionally, the Cats are 4-0 when they have limited their opponents to a hitting efficiency under .150.
K-State has out-blocked opponents in all four matches, totaling a season-high 10 against Delaware.
This season, the Cats are 4-0 when wearing their white uniforms, that includes three victories with long sleeve jerseys and one in short sleeves.

AROUND THE BIG 12

Five members of the Big 12 Conference remain undefeated, including K-State with a perfect 4-0 record.
Six schools rank in the latest AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll – No. 9 Arizona State, No. 15 TCU, No. 17 Kansas, No. 19 BYU, No. 20 Baylor – while Arizona and Colorado are receiving votes.
Cincinnati's Sydney Nolan (offensive), TCU's Sarah Sylvester (defensive) and BYU's Suli Davis (rookie) procured the Conference's weekly volleyball honors for the second week of the 2025 season.

Wildcats Begin Four-Match Road Trip at Thunderdome Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aniya Clinton

Reagan Fox

Ava LeGrand

Shaylee Myers

Brenna Schmidt

Symone Sims

Jordyn Williams

Kansas State University Athletics

Wildcats Begin Four-Match Road Trip at Thunderdome Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aniya Clinton

Reagan Fox

Ava LeGrand

Shaylee Myers

Brenna Schmidt

Symone Sims

Jordyn Williams

Related Videos