K-State Set to Host the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Following an undefeated opening weekend, K-State returns to Morgan Family Arena to host the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic on September 3-5. The Wildcats will open the tournament against NC State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. before wrapping up the week on Friday against Nevada at noon.

Both matches will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with Brian Smoller and Liz Wegner-Busch calling all the action, along with sideline reporter Sophie Smith. 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).

Single-match tickets are available for all regular-season matches and can be purchased at the K-State Athletics ticket office at 1-800-221-CATS and www.kstatesports.com/tickets, starting at just $10 when purchased in advance.

K-State will open its road slate of the 2025 schedule Thursday, September 11 at the Thunderdome Classic in Santa Barbara, California, hosted by UC Santa Barbara. The Cats face the Gauchos (Sept. 11) and Northern Colorado (Sept. 12).

MATCH #3
K-STATE (2-0, 0-0 BIG 12) vs. NC STATE (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
Wednesday, September 3 // 6:30 PM CT // Morgan Family Arena
Live Stats // ESPN+ // Tickets

MATCH #4
K-STATE (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. NEVADA (1-2, 0-0 MOUNTAIN WEST)
Friday, September 5 // 12 PM CT // Morgan Family Arena
Live Stats // ESPN+ // Tickets

FIRST SERVE

Following an undefeated opening weekend, K-State returns to Morgan Family Arena to host the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classis on September 3-5.
The Wildcats will open the tournament against NC State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. before wrapping up the week on Friday against Nevada at noon.

FOLLOW THE CATS

Both matches will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with Brian Smoller and Liz Wegner-Busch calling all the action, along with sideline reporter Sophie Smith.
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 is off to a 2-0 start for the 31^st time of the program's 52-year history, after downing UMBC and Delaware in straight sets.
K-State swept past UMBC (25-20, 25-16, 25-15) and Delaware (25-13, 25-17, 25-20) to cap an undefeated opening weekend and claim the K-State Invitational title at Morgan Family Arena.
The Wildcats' (2-0) clicked for a team .387 efficiency and put down 50 kills with nine errors, led by Shaylee Myers and Aniya Clinton each with 15 and Jordyn Williams with 11.
Defensively, K-State limited the Blue Hens to a .087 hitting percentage (28 kills, 19 errors).
Myers was named the tournament MVP after leading all players with 35 kills on the weekend, hitting at a .431 clip with four attack errors.
Joining her on the K-State Invitational All-Tournament Team were Clinton and setter Ava LeGrand.
As a team, the Wildcats posted a .350 hitting percentage over the two matches, backed by 71 assists (11.83 per set) from LeGrand, who also tied for the weekend high with nine blocks and added 20 digs.
Williams and Brenna Schmidt each contributed nine blocks of their own.
K-State out-blocked opponents 18.0-8.0 and owned a 93-76 edge in total digs, paced by freshman libero and defensive specialist Caleigh Ponn.
The true freshman recorded 21 digs (3.50 per set) to lead a back row that limited teams to a combined .081 hitting percentage, while Symone Sims added 16 digs and led with five aces.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

At the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic, the Wildcats will open with NC State on Wednesday before closing the week with Nevada on Friday.
NC State (3-0), which finished its 2024 campaign 16-13 with an appearance in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, will make its first road trip of the season after starting off the year undefeated at home.
The Wolfpack are led by Jordan Smith's 2.54 kills per set and Rebecca Ring's 2.14 kills a set.
Libero Zuzia Maciejewicz is producing 4.38 digs per set while Courtney Bryant has a team-high eight service aces.
Talia Francom and Lily Cropper each are averaging over one block per set, combining for total 30 blocks.
Megan Wargo-Kearney enters her sixth season with the Wolfpack and the 2025 campaign marks her first as head coach. She was elevated to lead the program on Dec. 10, 2024.
Wargo-Kearney is the fourth coach in NC State history, and first since 2010, to open the season 3-0 in their first season at the helm of the program.
Nevada (1-2) picked up its first win of the season last weekend at the Weber State Tournament, defeating Southern Utah in five. Wolf Pack dropped its season opener, 3-0, to Weber State and weekend finale vs. UC Irvine in five sets.
Libero Kinsley Singleton totaled 49 digs (3.77 per set) at the preseason tournament, recording 15-plus kills twice, Bella Snyder and Kamryn Tifft have a team-best nine blocks.
Offensively, Haylee Brown put up 3.08 kills per set last weekend followed by Jess Walkenhorst with 2.69 kills per set and a .184 hitting percentage.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Wednesday marks the fourth meeting between K-State and NC State, and first since 2022 at the K-State Invitational.
The Cats defeated the Wolfpack 3-1 by scores of 25-27, 25-14, 25-17, and 25-18.
K-State's defense logged 17.5 blocks against the Wolfpack and limited NC State to a .058 team hitting percentage in the four-set win.
Friday's match is the first match in school history between K-State and Nevada.

Match Results
8/31/96 – K-State 3, NC State 1
8/30/19 – NC State 3, K-State 1
9/26/22 – K-State 3, NC State 1

A WEDNESDAY WIN WOULD…

Be the 29^th career victory for Mansfield as a head coach.
Mark the program's 922^nd win overall and 421^st victory when playing at home.
Be the 17^th win at Morgan Family Arena.

SENIOR SHAY

Senior outside hitter and opposite Shaylee Myers, a Lincoln, Nebraska native, was named the K-State Invitational MVP after a dominant weekend performance.
Myers led all tournament players at the invitational with 35 kills, averaging 5.83 per set, while hitting at an impressive .431 efficiency with only four errors on 72 attempts.
Her 5.83 kills per set topped the Big 12 as finished second in the league in points per set (6.08) and also ranked seventh in hitting percentage.
In the season opener, Myers eclipsed the 20-kill mark for just the second time in her career, falling three shy of her personal best set against Missouri in 2022, as she hit .462 with only two errors on 39 swings.

LEARN THE NAME

True freshman libero and defensive specialist Caleigh Ponn, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, made an immediate impact in her debut weekend.
She anchored the Wildcats' back row, helping limit opponents to a .081 team hitting percentage — the best mark in the Big 12 — while leading K-State with 21 digs.
Her 3.50 digs per set was good for 10^th-best in the league, while the Wildcats ranked second in the category with 15.50 during the opening week.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

K-State is off to a 2-0 start for the 31^st time in school history, after downing UMBC and Delaware in straight sets.
The Wildcats led opponents in every category in both matches last weekend, including hitting at a .350 efficiency against opponents .081.
As a team, K-State's sits atop the Big 12's leaderboard in kills per set (15.50) and assists per set (14.83) while defensively the Cats lead league in opponent hitting percentage (.081) and rank second in digs per set (15.50).

HOME SWEET HOME

The Cats are 16-12 when playing at Morgan Family Arena, since its opening in 2023.
Sunday's home victory marked the Wildcats 420^th home win, improving to 420-220-5 overall. K-State boasts a 65.5 home winning percentage.
K-State started off the season at home for the first time since 2022 and first under head coach Jason Mansfield.
Last season, K-State finished 5-8 when playing at home.

K-State Set to Host the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aniya Clinton

Ava LeGrand

Shaylee Myers

Caleigh Ponn

Brenna Schmidt

Symone Sims

Jordyn Williams

Kansas State University Athletics

K-State Set to Host the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aniya Clinton

Ava LeGrand

Shaylee Myers

Caleigh Ponn

Brenna Schmidt

Symone Sims

Jordyn Williams

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