K-State, Cincinnati Prepped for Big 12 Action Thursday Night

MATCH #16
K-STATE (9-6, 1-6 BIG 12) at CINCINNATI (8-8, 1-5 BIG 12)
Thursday, October 22 // 5:30 PM CT // Fifth Third Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats

MATCH #17
K-STATE (9-6, 1-6 BIG 12) vs. TEXAS TECH (8-11, 0-7 BIG 12)
Sunday, October 25 // 1 PM CT // Morgan Family Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats // Tickets // Promotions

FIRST SERVE

K-State (9-6, 1-6 Big 12) sets out to take on Cincinnati (8-8, 1-5 Big 12) at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday, with first serve scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.
The Wildcats will return to Morgan Family Arena to host Texas Tech (8-11, 0-7 Big 12) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

FOLLOW THE CATS

Both matches can be seen on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, with Brian Smoller and Liz Wegner-Busch calling all the action for Sunday's contest.
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).

PROMOTIONS

Monster Mash: Join us for a frightfully fun night of volleyball. The first 150 fans will receive a free brain stress ball.
Pre-Match Fan Favorites: Available for all Sunday volleyball contests, enjoy $1 off hot dogs, nachos, water, and soda from the time doors open until the playing of the National Anthem.
Varsity Willie Day: Wear your favorite Varsity Willie gear to the ticket booth before the match to receive a discounted ticket to this match. Need some fresh gear? Search all Varsity Willie merchandise here.

K-STATE AT A GLANCE

K-State enters Thursday's contest with an overall record of 9-6 and 1-6 mark in Big 12 after opening its 2026 campaign 9-0, the second-best program start to a season in program history.
The Wildcats are coming off a straight-set loss to No. 17 and in-state rival Kansas.
Freshman PIN Addison Massey continues to be one of the most dominate players in the Big 12 Conference and NCAA, ranking fourth in the league in points per set (4.90) and fifth in kills per set (4.27).
Among all Division I players, she ranks 22^nd and 23^rd in the categories.
Massey along with sophomore middle blocker Cadence Lundgren have each earned spots on the league's Starting Seven, which honors weekly top performances.
Five of the Cats' final 11 matches are against current Top 25 teams.
K-State is in its fourth season under head coach Jason Mansfield, who boasts a 53-43 overall record as a collegiate head coach.
The Wildcats are coming off a season where they made their 19^th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2018, marking the program's second winning season under Mansfield.

SCOUTING CINCINNATI

After going 7-3 in conference play, Cincinnati enters Thursday's contest with a record of 8-8, including a 1-5 record in Big 12 play after dropping four-set matches against Iowa State and West Virginia.
The Bearcats swept past UCF in their lone conference win on October 9.
Sydney Nolan, a 2025 AVCA All-Region and First Team All-Big 12 selection, led the Bearcats against West Virginia with 21 kills, her fifth 20-kill match of the season.
She leads the offense and is putting down 4.23 kills per set for a total of 224 kills and hitting at a .276 clip, ranking sixth in the league kills per set and seventh in points per set.
Defensively, libero Viktoria Ninova leads the defense with 195 total digs (3.54/set) to go along with team-leading 18 service aces this season, while Ligia Williams and Nina Scrucca lead at the net with over 30 blocks apiece.

INSIDE THE SERIES

K-State leads the all-time series, 3-1, dating back to the series start in 2024 when Cincinnati joined the Big 12.
The Wildcats have won the last three contests against the Bearcats, that includes a perfect 2-0 record in matches played in Cincinnati.
In 2025, the Cats swept the season series, 2-0, and dropped just three sets, claiming a five-set victory in Cincinnati on October 2.

SCOUTING TEXAS TECH

Texas Tech heads into the week with an overall record of 8-11, while the Red Raiders have dropped their last nine contests, including all seven in Big 12 play.
Freshman duo Sara Bowcutt and Elia Dinsmore rank first and third on the team in points.
Bowcut is the only player with 200 kills on the year, averaging 3.64 per set to go along with a team-leading 17 service aces, while Dinsmore has 150 (2.27 per set).
Right side Kenna McKenzie posts 2.60 kills per set, turning in 2.74 points per set.
TTU sits atop the Big 12 in total digs (1,040) and is fourth in digs per set (14.05), while the offense leads the league in total attacks (2,561), ranking second in total kills (923).
Three players average over two digs per set, led by 3.53 from Emily Contreras, who is third in the league in total digs (258).
Shelby Ignash leads at the net with 258 total blocks, which is good for third in the conference.
As a team, the Red Raiders are hitting .200 paced by setter Katelyn Cochran. Cochran is second in total assists (610) and seventh in assists per set (8.97).
Alisa Blair was appointed the interim head coach on Sept. 13, 2026.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Since the series start in 1982, K-State was won 46 of 62 matches against Texas Tech, including a 17-11 lead in Lubbock.
K-State is 8-2 in the last 10 contests with going 3-1 under Mansfield.
The Wildcats last defeated the Red Raiders in Lubbock on Nov. 7, 2020, downing TTU in straight sets.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

K-State posts a 5-2 record on the road this season after dropping a pair of Big 12 matches at Iowa State and Colorado.
On the road, K-State is hitting .210 and averaging 12.24 kills per set led by Massey, who tallies 4.41 kills a set.
Emerson Van Lannen has recorded 12 of the team's 42 service aces on the road, while pacing the offense with 5.83 assists per set.
Defensively, Fuka Sekita is averaging 3.48 digs per set with just six reception errors across 170 attempts, while Cadence Lundgren leads at the net with 28 blocks – the only player with over 20.
The Wildcats are 474-447-2 all-time when playing on the road, including a 27-23 record under Mansfield.
In 15 road matches last season, K-State finished 10-5 with upsets against No. 25 North Carolina, No. 14 KU, and No. 21 Iowa State.

A CLOSER LOOK

Though K-State is 1-6 in Big 12 play, four of those losses have been against teams that are within the top 30 of RPI.
Four of K-State's six losses have been against nationally ranked programs.
The Cats are undefeated (7-0) against teams over the 100 RPI mark.

LAST TIME OUT

No. 17 Kansas handed K-State a straight-set loss in the season's first Dillons Sunflower Showdown Thursday night at Morgan Family Arena, 25-20, 25-15, 25-23.
K-State was limited to a .149 hitting percentage with 25 kills, while Kansas racked up 50 kills and hit at a .340 clip.
Defensively, Fuka Sekita recorded 10 digs while Reese Resmer had two aces for K-State.
Resmer led both sides with three blocks.
Addison Massey led the Wildcats with eight kills and Skylar Brady had six.

WILDCAT LEADERS
Points: Addison Massey (269.0)
Kills: Addison Massey (238)
Hitting Percentage: Cadence Lundgren (.372)
Assists: Emerson Van Lannen (321)
Aces: Emerson Van Lannen (24)
Digs: Fuka Sekita (192)
Blocks: Cadence Lundgren (42)

A WIN WOULD…

Push K-State back into the win column, ending a six-match losing streak.
Give the Wildcats their first win in October, marking the first victory since September 24 at UCF.
Mark the teams second win this season over a top-100 RPI team.
Stretch K-State's winning streak to four over Cincinnati, and keep the Cats undefeated when playing at Cincinnati.

ROOKIE YEAR

Freshman Addison Massey is the only player to reach the 20-kill mark this season, achieving the feat four times that includes a career-best 25 at No. 23 Colorado (Oct. 11).
She has led the offense in kills this season in all but one match.
On the season, Massey ranks fourth in the Big 12 in points per set (4.80) and fifth in kills per set (4.27), while her points per set average ranks 22^nd overall nationally.
She is the only player on the 2026 roster to have two career double-doubles.

CATS VS. THE BIG 12

K-State is off to a 1-6 start in Big 12 play, dropping the last five contests.
The Wildcats are 29-32 against Big 12 opponents in the Mansfield era.
K-State tied sixth in the final Big 12 standings in 2025, with a league record of 10-8, finishing in a four-way tie with BYU, TCU, and Arizona, while ranking eighth overall.
The Cats 294-259 all-time in Big 12 play, while the program boasts an overall conference record of 347-394.

BIG 12 RANKINGS

Van Lannen is fifth overall in the Big 12 in aces per set, averaging 0.43, while the team is eighth (1.52/set).
Massey is fourth in points per set (4.80) and fifth in kills per set (4.27), while her 239 total kills are good for 11^th.

UP NEXT

K-State will head to Lawrence for the second round of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against No. 17 Kansas (12-5, 5-2 Big 12) on October 30. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at Allen Fieldhouse and will broadcast on FS1.
The Cats will head to Fort Worth, Texas and face TCU (15-4, 6-2 Big 12) at Schollmaier Arena on Sunday, November 1, starting at 1 p.m.

Schedule

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Skylar Brady

Cadence Lundgren

Addison Massey

Reese Resmer

Fuka Sekita

Emerson Van Lannen

Footer

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Texas Tech on Oct 25, 2026 at 1 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Kansas on Oct 30, 2026 at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Volleyball at TCU on Nov 1, 2026 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Cincinnati on Nov 6, 2026 at 5 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Baylor on Nov 8, 2026 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus TCU on Nov 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Texas Tech on Nov 19, 2026 at 6 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus West Virginia on Nov 22, 2026 at 12 p.m.

Results

Completed Event: Volleyball at Cincinnati on October 22, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 3

Completed Event: Volleyball versus #17 Kansas on October 15, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 3

Completed Event: Volleyball at #23 Colorado on October 11, 2026 , Loss , 2, to, 3

Completed Event: Volleyball at Iowa State on October 9, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 3

Completed Event: Volleyball versus #23 Utah on October 3, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 3

Completed Event: Volleyball versus #18 BYU on October 1, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 3

Completed Event: Volleyball versus Houston on September 27, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 3

Completed Event: Volleyball at UCF on September 24, 2026 , Win , 3, to, 2