Wildcats Fall in Five-Set Thriller to Iowa State, Eye Redemption vs. Texas Tech

K-State Volleyball player Van Lannen faces the net on the court while holding a volleyball.

A K-State volleyball player jumps to spike the ball over the net.

Kansas State fell in a five-set heartbreaker to Iowa State, dropping a tense match 3-2 at Morgan Family Arena after leading early and missing late chances to close it out. The Wildcats moved to 9-4 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play ahead of a home test against Texas Tech on “I Miss Manhattan and Jersey Night.”​

How it happened

Kansas State controlled the opener from the first serve, building a cushion the Cyclones never erased and sealing the first set 25-16 behind steady side-out execution and clean transition swings.​

The tone flipped in set two as both teams traded blows in a back-and-forth frame that slipped away late, 22-25, when Iowa State found just enough separation in the final rotations.​

Set three turned chaotic and electric. K-State burst to a 5-1 start, then weathered a Cyclone surge fueled by multiple Reagan Hanfelt kills, before both sides pushed past 25 with extended rallies; the Wildcats finally slammed the door 27-25 to reclaim the match lead.​

Turning points

Iowa State clawed out the fourth with timely siding out and a mid-set 15-11 edge that held as the Cyclones closed 25-19, forcing a winner-take-all fifth.​

The decisive frame unraveled quickly for K-State. Four successful Iowa State challenges on the first four rallies spotted the Cyclones a 4-0 start, a margin that proved decisive despite the Wildcats briefly halting the run; ISU finished it 15-11 to take the match.​

Numbers and notes

K-State’s first-ball pressure and serve-receive steadied the 25-16 opener and powered the 27-25 third, but inconsistent closing stretches in sets two and four kept the door open for ISU’s late-set execution.​

Momentum swings defined the night: the Wildcats led the match twice and were within four in the fourth set with a chance to finish in four, but the Cyclones’ clean side-out run from 15-11 forward extended the contest.​

What’s next

Head coach Jason Mansfield’s group sits 9-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play, with Texas Tech coming to Manhattan as K-State looks for a response at 6:30 p.m. in Morgan Family Arena on a themed night celebrating the community and classic jerseys.