Wildcats Surge Past Bearcats to Open Key Homestand

A K-State volleyball player holds up her fist in celebration. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

Five K-State volleyball players prep for another set against Cincinnati. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

A K-State volleyball player prepares to spike the ball. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

A K-State volleyball player spikes the ball. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

K-State Classy Cats cheer on K-State volleyball. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

Willie the Wildcat holds up the powercat hand sign and sits on the bench. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

K-State volleyball players clap for their teammates. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

A K-State volleyball player jumps to spike the ball. Courtesy: Paige Mueller

As November arrives, the implications for making the NCAA tournament start to rise. 

This case applies to your Kansas State Wildcats, who are returning home to Morgan Family Arena after losing in Provo to BYU in three sets. Their next challenge is hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats to start a four-game homestand. A lot is on the table for Kansas State, like Cincinnati; they look to clinch a spot in the tournament. 

The last time the two teams met was on October 3rd in Cincinnati, where Kansas State appeared victorious in five sets. 

First Set 

To start things off, Kansas State got up to a 4-0 lead resulting from two attack errors on the Bearcats, along with a kill by Ava LeGrand and a service ace by Lilly Gillespie. Kansas State held a lead for most of this set because of Cincinnati’s service and attack errors and kills notably by Shaylee Myers, Avery Stones, and Reagan Fox (15). The Bearcats got their first lead of the set and match with Sydney Nolan to put them up 16-15 before the Wildcats stormed back with a Myers kill and Carly Glendinning attack error. 

With Kansas State at a set point, Cincinnati’s Andi Spies committed a service error by hitting the net, giving Kansas State the first set win by a score of 25-22. 

Second Set 

Wildcats once again get on the board to start with Myers recording another kill to strike first before a service error committed by Emerson Van Lannen ties it at 1. The Bearcats kept this set close by allowing Kansas State to be up a max three points with them now taking advantage of attack errors.  

Cincinnati takes the second set by a score of 25-21 with two points coming from an attack error by Myers and a kill by Glendinning, tying the match at one apiece. 

Third Set 

The third set started exactly like the second set as the Wildcats got on top first with a kill, and Cincinnati tied it at one after Stone committed a service error. Cincinnati refused to let Kansas State run away with the game, keeping the lead within two points until Kansas State trailed 13-11. Kansas State went on a 5-1 run, which later made them look like they were about to take this set early, with Cadence Lundgren and LeGrand leading the way with three total kills, including a team service ace, in that timeframe. 

With Cincinnati now trailing 17-12, they took a timeout, which helped them go on an 8-5 run to tie the set at 21. Kills by Tatjana Simeunovic, Spies, Nolan, and Crummel, along with a Stones attack error, contribute to this late run for the Bearcats. Next, kills recorded by Myers and LeGrand, plus two service aces, helped Kansas State take the third set 25-21. 

Fourth Set 

Like the earlier three sets, Kansas State scores the first point of the fourth set with the Bearcats committing an attack error (Glendinning). The Bearcats also remained close in the beginning and kept the game either tied or within one point following service and attack errors by the Wildcats.  

With Kansas State leading 8-7, they bounced back from the errors made earlier and went on to record four-straight service aces in a 5-0 run. Now Cincinnati was causing more service and attack errors, allowing the Wildcats to outscore the Bearcats 12-6. 

With a kill by Stones, the Wildcats took the fourth set and match by a score of 25-13. 

What’s next? 

This game begins a four-game homestand for your Wildcats which consists of three nationally ranked opponents including the Jayhawks for the second time. Kansas State improves to a 6-6 conference record (13-7 overall) and will return home next Saturday against the 20th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes while the Bearcats continue their road trip in Kansas by playing the Jayhawks that same day.  

The Buffaloes are coming off a 4-set loss to the 13th-ranked Jayhawks in Lawrence, dropping their second conference game (10-2), boasting a 7-3 road record. Tune into full-game coverage on Wildcat 91.9 at 1 p.m.