Ok-State Treks to Utah for Big 12 Matchups

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Fresh off a historic five-set upset over their in-state rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats shut out their five-match street journey in Utah this week, beginning with a midweek matchup at Utah on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT at Huntsman Center.

Following the match in opposition to the Utes (10-10, 2-7 Big 12), Ok-State will head to Provo to tackle No. 17 BYU (17-4, 5-4 Big 12) at Smith Fieldhouse on Friday at 7 p.m. CT.

 

Wednesday’s match marks the primary assembly between Utah and Ok-State in Salt Lake City, whereas BYU holds a 2-1 edge in matches performed in Provo.

Ok-State (4-5, 11-6 Big 12) overcame a 2-1 deficit to tug off a five-set victory over No. 14 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, snapping an eight-match shedding streak with its first win over the Jayhawks since 2020.

 

Symone Sims was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts in opposition to the Jayhawks, main a protection with a career-high 26 digs.

Both matches will be seen on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, whereas dwell stat hyperlinks will be discovered on the Ok-State volleyball schedule web page HERE.

MATCH #18

Ok-STATE (11-6, 4-5 BIG 12) at UTAH (10-10, 2-7 BIG 12)

Wednesday, October 29 // 8 PM CT // Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Live Stats // ESPNU

 

MATCH #19

Ok-STATE (11-6, 4-5 BIG 12) at #17 BYU (17-4, 5-4 BIG 12)

Friday, October 31 // 7 PM CT // Smith Fieldhouse (Provo, Utah)

Live Stats // ESPNU

 

 FOLLOW THE CATS

• Both matches will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
• Live stat hyperlinks will be discovered on the Ok-State volleyball schedule web page on kstatesports.com, whereas followers can discover dwell recreation updates all season lengthy on the Wildcats social media pages (@OkStateVB).
• Single-match tickets for all dwelling matches will be bought by contacting the Ok-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS, visiting kstatesports.com/tickets or on the Morgan Family Arena ticket sales space.

 Ok-STATE AT A GLANCE

• Ok-State enters Week 10 motion with an total file of 11-6 and 4-5 mark in Big 12 play, together with a 6-3 file in matches on the street.  
• The Wildcats are coming off five-set upset over No. 14 Kansas within the first-ever volleyball match held at Allen Fieldhouse, 14-25, 25-17, 18-25, 25-23, 15-18.
• The first marked its first win over the Jayhawks since 2020, snapping the Wildcats eight-match shedding streak.
• Led by 26 digs from Symone Sims, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, Ok-State recorded season-highs in complete digs (93) and complete blocks (11.0).
• Senior center blocker Jordyn Williams Williams led the match with eight blocks (one solo, seven assists) to associate with 9 kills, hitting at a match-leading .381 effectivity.  
• Aniya Clinton, Shaylee Myers and Ava LeGrand every registered double-doubles within the upset.
• Clinton tallied a match-high 16 kills together with 14 digs, whereas Myers added 15 kills and 16 digs. LeGrand, who has recorded eight double-doubles within the final 10 matches, dished out 33 assists with 15 digs.
• The victory marked this system’s first over a top-15 workforce since 2023, the place the Wildcats swept No. 3 Texas – the eventual National Champion.

 SCOUTING UTAH

• Utah (10-10, 2-7 Big 12) is coming off a five-set victory over West Virginia, because the Utes picked up their second convention victory of the season.
• The Utes are of their 36^th season below head coach Beth Launiere, the winningest head volleyball coach in program historical past, who boasts a 684-435 profession file.
• The Utes are 5-4 when taking part in at dwelling, whereas they’re 2-3 of their final 5 outings.  
• Kamryn Gibadlo’s 4.11 kills per set leads the way in which for the offense that’s hitting .204, whereas opponents hit at a .208 effectivity.
• In addition to Gibadlo, three different gamers are averaging over two kills a set.
• Two gamers are recording over two digs a set, led by Gibadlo (2.42) and Key-Powell (2.29).  At the web, Emrie Moea’i is ninth within the Big 12 in complete blocks (85.0), tallying 1.10 per set which ranks 13^th.
• Last season, Utah spent six weeks ranked within the AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. Utah returned 9 gamers from its 2024 roster, whereas including 9 newcomers (six freshmen, three transfers).

  INSIDE THE SERIES

• Wednesday’s contest marks simply the third assembly between the Wildcats and Utes, whereas it’s the first held in Salt Lake City.
• Utah leads the sequence 2-0 after selecting up a 3-1 choice final season in Manhattan.
• Shaylee Myers accounted for 17 kills in opposition to Utah within the final assembly and Aniya Clinton added 12, whereas Sims recorded 10 digs.

 Series Results
12-5-14 Utah 3, Kansas State 0
10-24-24 Utah 3, Kansas State 1
 
SCOUTING #17 BYU

• The second leg of the Wildcats’ journey to Utah is to Provo, the place they’ll face 17^th-ranked BYU (17-4, 5-4 Big 12).
• Last week, the Cougars dropped a five-set match at then-No. 19 Baylor earlier than bouncing again with a four-set victory over then-No. 10 TCU. Freshman Suli Davis, the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year, led BYU with 41 kills (4.56 kills/set) adopted by Brielle Kemavor added 29 (3.22 kills/set) on a .418 clip to associate with 15 complete blocks.
• Heather Olmstead has guided the Cougars to an total 274-50 file in her 10 seasons on the helm of the group, which incorporates 10 consecutive runs within the NCAA Tournament.
• BYU is the Big 12 chief in hitting share (.273) and assists per set (13.21), whereas rating second the league in 5 extra classes. The Cougars’ 14.14 kills per set ranks 15^th within the nation.
• Kemavor is fifth within the convention in complete blocks (93.0) and seventh in blocks per set (1.19).
• Davis, who has garnered Rookie of the Week honors 3 times this season, paces the offense. She totals 339 kills (4.35 kills per set) at a .283 clip, adopted by Claire Little Chamers’ 299 complete kills (3.88 kills per set).
• Alex Bower dishes out a league-high 10.76 assists per set – good for seventh within the nation – whereas her 44 complete blocks ranks second on the workforce.
• Three gamers common over two digs a set led by Emma Barbero at 3.03 (215 complete).  

 INSIDE THE SERIES

• BYU holds a 4-3 edge within the all-time sequence, that features a 2-1 lead in matches performed in Provo.
• Under head coach Jason Mansfield, Ok-State is 2-1 in opposition to the Cougars after recording back-to-back sweeps in 2023.
• Last season, the Wildcats dropped a 3-1 choice within the season finale vs. BYU.

 Last 5 Matches
9/5/09: Kansas State 3, BYU 2
9/3/11: BYU 3, Kansas State 0
10/26/23: Kansas State 3, BYU 0
10/27/23: Kansas State 3, BYU 0  
11/29/24: BYU 3, Kansas State 1
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Libero Symone Sims anchored a Ok-State protection that restricted No. 14 Kansas to only a .104 hitting share – the Jayhawks’ lowest mark of the season – to gasoline the Wildcats’ historic upset victory.
• The junior from Frisco, Texas, anchored a again row with a career-high 26 digs as a part of the Wildcats’ season-best 93, probably the most by any Big 12 workforce this 12 months.
• Sims additionally chipped in eight assists and two service aces to spherical out her standout efficiency.

 LAST TIME OUT

• Wildcats upset KU in five-sets, 14-25, 25-17, 18-25, 25-23, 15-8, Friday night time.
• Ok-State hit .137 (51 kills, 27 errors) whereas KU was restricted to a .104 hitting share with 48 kills and 29 errors.
• In complete, the match had 19 tie scores with 9 lead adjustments.
• Clinton led the match with 16 kills (.156), adopted by Myers with 15. Williams added 9.
• Sims produced a match-leading 26 digs with an ideal 1.000 reception share.
• LeGrand dished out 33 assists to associate with six kills and 5 blocks.
• Ok-State had seven service aces led by Clinton with three.
• Five totally different Wildcats tallied a block, led by Williams with a match-high eight blocks (1 solo, 7 assists),
• The Cats out-dug the Jayhawks 93-78 and with an 11.0-10.0 edge in blocks.

 GOING THE DISTANCE

• Ok-State collected its fifth five-set match victory Friday night time in opposition to the Jayhawks.
• The Cats are 5-1 total in five-set matches, together with a 3-1 mark in Big 12 matches.

 VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• Ok-State is 2-3 in opposition to groups ranked within the AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll with victories over then-No. 25 North Carolina and -No. 14 KU, whereas they’re 1-2 in opposition to groups receiving votes.
• Myers is averaging a formidable 4.24 kills per set in opposition to ranked groups adopted by Clinton (3.38). Defensively, Sims tallies 4.71 digs per set whereas Schmidt and Williams every common a block a set.
• As a workforce, Ok-State leads opponents in service aces (30-21).
• Overall, Ok-State boasts a 8-16 mark in opposition to Top 25 opponents below Mansfield.
• In 2023, Ok-State set a program file for Top 25 wins in a single season, that included 12 consecutive set wins with sweeps over #8 BYU (twice) and #3 Texas.
• Ok-State was final ranked in 2020.

  DOUBLE DOWN

• Ava LeGrand, Aniya Clinton and Shaylee Myers have every recorded a double-double this season for Ok-State, with all three registering double-doubles at KU (Oct. 24).
• LeGrand leads the way in which with 9 in 2025, adopted by Clinton with 5 and Myers two.
• The trio mix for 20 double-doubles of their respective careers.

 SENIOR STACKED

• Ok-State’s 4 seniors are main the workforce in almost each main statistical class.
• Myers paces the offense with 311 complete kills, 4.71 kills per set, 340.0 factors, and 5.15 factors per set.
• LeGrand leads the workforce and is third within the league with 9.89 assists per set (653 complete), in addition to service aces (18).
• Schmidt leads the way in which in blocks per set (1.16), adopted by Williams (1.02 blocks/set), who leads total in complete blocks (62.0) and hitting share (.364).

 SHINING IN PURPLE

• Five of Ok-State’s six true freshman made their collegiate debuts throughout the Wildcats’ non-conference schedule.
• Defensive specialist/libero Caleigh Ponn has appeared in all however three units in her true freshman season, whereas center blocker Cadence Lundgren has performed in 36 of 61.   
• Ponn is fourth on the workforce in complete digs (126) and digs per set (2.00), whereas she has notched 10 or extra digs in 5 matches this season.  
• Lundgren has made seven match begins and totaled 29.0 blocks this season (0.82 blocks/set), that features 4 solo blocks.
• Redshirt freshman Emerson Van Lannen is tied first in service aces (18), recording a season-high three in three matches this season (Last: at #20 Baylor, Oct. 15.)

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The Wildcats are undefeated when main in kills (11-0) and assault share (8-0), and are 9-0 when hitting above .200 with 4 victories hitting north of .300.  ……….
• Additionally, the Cats are 7-1 once they have restricted their opponents to a hitting effectivity below .200. In 4 of these wins, opponents hit below .100.  
• Conversely, Ok-State is 4-5 when opponents submit a workforce effectivity above .200.
• Ok-State has out-blocked opponents in 9 matches (7-2), totaling a season-high 11.0 at KU (Oct. 24).