MANHATTAN, Kan. – A record-setting 13 service aces and profession milestones from seniors
Ava LeGrand and
Shaylee Myers, together with a breakout efficiency from freshman
Avery Stones, lifted Okay-State to a 3-1 victory over Cincinnati Thursday night time at Morgan Family Arena, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21, 25-13.
Okay-State (13-7, 6-6 Big 12) dominated the ultimate two units, permitting simply 4 mixed lead modifications. The Wildcats hit .222 in comparison with Cincinnati’s .204, registering 58 kills on the night time. Defensively, Okay-State collected 72 digs with 4 gamers reaching double figures, whereas UC (12-9, 4-7 Big 12) held a slender 8.0-7.0 edge in blocks.
Myers joined an elite group because the 28
th participant in program historical past – and 14th within the rally-scoring period –to eclipse 1,000 profession factors. The senior from Lincoln, Nebraska, entered the match needing 20.5 factors to achieve the milestone and achieved it late within the third set. She completed with 23.5 factors, marking the 15
th time in 20 matches this season she has led the staff within the class. Myers tallied 21 kills and added 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the 12 months.
LeGrand reached a milestone of her personal, breaking the 1,000
th profession help mark early within the opening set. The senior from Papillion, Nebraska, totaled 44 assists and 19 digs for her eleventh double-double of the season.
In her first collegiate begin, Stones turned in a standout efficiency with 17 kills and 9 digs. The true freshman turned the primary Wildcat to document a 10-kill match in her debut season since
Aniya Clinton in 2023.
Five Wildcats contributed to the staff’s record-setting 13 service aces – essentially the most in a four-set match throughout the rally-scoring period. Redshirt freshman
Emerson Van Lannen led the way in which with 5, adopted by LeGrand with 4 and
Symone Sims with two, whereas Stones and Myers every added one.
Sims, a product of Frisco, Texas, anchored the again row with 21 digs – her ninth match this season with 20 or extra. She turns into simply the sixth participant in Okay-State historical past to document 9 or extra 20-dig matches in a single season and the 12
th to take action in a profession.
Caleigh Ponn added 10 digs for her sixth double-digit efficiency of the 12 months.
FROM THE CATS JASON MANSFIELD, Okay-STATE HEAD COACH Opening Statement… “I simply love the response after the final match that we had. I feel that being on the highway for 5 straight matches was robust, and it is so nice to be again dwelling and have the group behind us, they usually undoubtedly confirmed up tonight. It’s about making performs, and we won’t take any win without any consideration within the Big 12, these groups are actually good. We should win matches. They’re not going to present it to us. I could not be extra pleased with our effort, particularly defensively.
I imply, for us to have 72 digs – Symone [Sims] with 21, Ava [LeGrand] with 19, each Caleigh [Ponn] and Shaylee [Myers] with ten, that is actually the place it begins for us. [It was] an unbelievable efficiency. Thirteen aces is rather a lot and the run Emerson [Van Lannen] went on within the fourth set was particular. I feel Avery [Stones] coming in for Aniya [Clinton], has been working actually exhausting in observe, and the perfect factor she did tonight was simply being herself and making the performs that she’s able to making. When Brenna [Schmidt] went down within the first set and Cadence [Lundgren] needed to are available, she did an incredible job, too. I believed Ava ran an incredible offense. She set a number of totally different individuals properly, and we had been aggressive offensively. [I’m] simply actually pleased with them, and it was undoubtedly a win that feels actually good.”
On Shaylee Myers’ a thousandth profession level tonight… “Starting with Shaylee [Myers], she’s having a special year, and I’m really proud of her and happy for her, for her career 1000
th point to happen in her senior year. She’s been waiting for this year and working really hard. I think that 21 kills tonight against a really good defensive team says a lot about her, but she really has carried us a lot this season and hopefully she gets some confidence back. She’s one of the best attackers in all of the Big 12.”
On Ava LeGrand’s a thousandth profession help… “Ava [LeGrand], is our leader, somebody that touches the ball the most for us, runs our offense, but an unbelievable server, defender, blocker, she just does everything for us. She’s really running our offense now the way that we need her to, and kind of setting everybody by committee and everybody knows that they need to be ready, to get set from her. Yeah, there’s no one more important to our team than Ava.”
AVA LEGRAND, SENIOR SETTER On total efficiency ideas… “I think there were a lot of changes. There was a major change with Aniya [Clinton] out, but I think all of us can agree that we’re so proud of Avery [Stones] and she just had so much confidence that helped us just believe in her. We already did, but it just kind of came together and she did such a good job– I couldn’t be prouder of her. My teammates like Shaylee [Myers], she’s always gonna get a kill for me. I can trust her in that. I feel like our defense was really good. I’m unsure of the stats, but I feel like we got a lot of digs which kind of made their offense struggle a little bit.”
On what a profession 1000 assists means to her… “It’s like being a senior, I kind of want to give it all for this program and leave it better than I found it. I mean, that’s awesome, but I don’t really mind. I think it has a lot to do with other things, and I hope that I’m not really remembered for anything like that, but rather I’m more so remembered helping this program be as great as it can be this year, and the next year, and even better, in the years to follow.”
SHAYLEE MYERS, SENIOR OUTSIDE HITTER On how tonight’s efficiency performed out… “There was a change today, but we all kind of came together, and Avery [Stones] did a really good job, but we’re really proud of her and Cadence [Lundgren] for coming in and being ready at all times. I feel like we just kind of went at them from all angles – our defense was good, our offense was good, our serving was good, and it’s just really hard for them to keep trying to win when we had a lot of pressure on them. I think we all played really well tonight. Ava [LeGrand] did a really good job running the offense, and therefore she got 1000 assists.”
On what a profession 1000 factors means to her legacy… “Similar to what Ava [LeGrand] said, it’s a really big milestone – but it’s not who I am. I play volleyball, but I also hope it reflects my hard work and doing things to make the team better and just pushing each other. I also am very proud of it but definitely couldn’t do it at all without everybody on the team.”
SET-BY-SET Set 1 – Okay-State 25, Cincinnati 22 - Okay-State rushed out to a 5-1 lead within the opening set, highlighted by Stones’ first collegiate service ace. The two sides had been locked up at 17 till Okay-State capitalized on a 6-2 scoring run to take the set.
- Stones and Myers every put down 4 kills within the opening set and hit at a .333 clip, whereas Williams added three.
- As a staff, the Wildcats produced a .306 hitting proportion (15 kills, 4 errors, 36 swings), towards the Bearcats’ .250 (13 kills, 5 errors, 32 makes an attempt).
Set 2 – Cincinnati 25, Okay-State 21
- In Set 2, the Cats rushed out to an early 8-5 lead after a kill by Jordyn Williams, solely to see the Bearcats claw again and stage the rating at 13. After exchanging blows, Cincinnati took benefit of a 6-0 spurt to take the set 25-21.
- The set noticed a complete of six tied scores and three lead modifications.
- Myers led the Wildcat offense with six kills within the set, adopted by Stones with 5.
Set 3 – Okay-State 25, Cincinnati 21
- A 6-1 run by the Bearcats turned an 18-12 rating right into a 19-18 recreation. Tied 21-21, Okay-State closed out the set with a 4 straight factors, that included a pair of aces from LeGrand.
- Myers led all gamers and recorded eight of Okay-State’s 17 kills within the set, hitting .263 on 19 swings.
- Set 3 featured seven tied scores and two lead modifications.
Set 3 – Okay-State 25, Cincinnati 13
- Tied 6-6, Okay-State pieced collectively an 11-2 scoring run halfway via the body to take a 17-8 lead, highlighted by 4 consecutive service aces from Van Lannen. Stones’ 17th kill of the night time closed the match.
- Stones led the set with 5 kills (.400), with Myers recording three.
- The Wildcats protection held Cincinnati to a match-low .097 (9 kills, 6 errors, 31 makes an attempt) with three blocks and 14 digs.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Okay-State defeated Cincinnati in 4 units Thursday night time at Morgan Family Arena – 25-22, 21-25, 25-21, 25-13.
- The Cats hit .222 (58 kills, 22 errors, 162 swings) with seven gamers tallying a kill. UC produced a .204 hitting proportion (47 kills, 18 errors, 142 makes an attempt).
- Two Wildcats recorded double-digit kills led by Myers’ 21 whereas Stones added a career-high 17.
- LeGrand handed out 44 assists to go along with 19 digs for her 11th double-double of the 12 months, and Myers had 10 to finish her fourth.
- Sims led the Cats again line with 21 digs – her ninth 20-dig match of the 12 months. Caliegh Ponn added 10.
- Five totally different gamers tallied a service ace with a career-five coming from Van Lannen and 4 by LeGrand.
- UC held a 8.0-7.0 edge in blocks, whereas Okay-State held a 72-67 benefit in dig manufacturing.
- Sydney Nolan was the one participant to achieve double determine kills for the Bearcats (16), whereas three gamers every added eight.
- Lilly Gillespie led all gamers with 24 digs adopted by Paige Pickering (11).
- The match noticed a complete of 24 tied scores and 11 lead modifications, together with a match-high 4 in Set 1.
BEYOND THE BOX
- Okay-State leads the all-time collection with Cincinnati, 3-1. Thursday’s contest marked the Cats first win within the collection in Manhattan.
- The Cats’ 13 service aces set a program document for whole aces in a four-set match within the rally scoring period.
- Myers turned the 28th participant in class historical past to achieve 1,000 profession factors, whereas LeGrand recorded her 1,000th profession help.
- With her 21 kills Thursday night time, Myers is 104 from her 1.000th profession kill. She would turn into the 20th participant to achieve the milestone. She is the eighth participant to compile eight or extra 20-kill matches in a single season.
- Myers recorded her 17th consecutive match with double determine kills – her 19th total of the season.
- Sims turns into the sixth participant in class historical past to register 9 or extra 20-dig matches in a single-season, whereas she is the 12th to submit 9 in her profession.
- Stones earned her first collegiate begin, turning into the fifth true freshman to begin in a match this season. Six true freshman have made their collegiate debuts beneath Mansfield.
UP NEXT
Okay-State returns to Morgan Family Arena to host No. 20 Colorado (20-3, 10-1 Big 12) – the Big 12 chief within the convention standings – on Saturday at 1 p.m. The match with the Buffaloes will be seen dwell on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Saturday’s contest marks the Wildcats’ fifth match towards a Top 25 staff in a seven-match stretch.
Single-match tickets can be found for all Okay-State dwelling matches via the Okay-State Athletics ticket workplace at 1-800-221-CATS and www.kstatesports.com/tickets.