K-State volleyball struggled to slow down No. 23 Utah’s offense Saturday night, as the Utes swept the Wildcats 25-20, 25-15, 25-23 at Morgan Family Arena.
Utah hit .412 as a team, the highest hitting percentage K-State has allowed this season, while the Wildcats hit .211. The loss dropped K-State to 9-3 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play, while Utah improved to 11-4 and 3-1.
“Congrats to Utah, really well-coached team,” head coach Jason Mansfield said. “They have good experience at the pins, especially. [Kamryn Gibadlo] is one of the best outsides in our conference, and [Devyn Wiest] was exceptional.”
The loss came in front of 3,003 fans on Pink Out Night and marked the first time K-State has been swept this season. The Wildcats finished with 33 kills compared to Utah’s 45.
Addison Massey led K-State with 13 kills while hitting .478, marking her eighth consecutive match with at least 10 kills. Reagan Fox and Ellah Derrer each added 6 kills, while Avery Stones had 4 and Skylar Brady finished with 3 kills and a match-high 3 blocks. Emerson Van Lannen recorded 20 assists.
Gibadlo and Wiest led Utah with 11 kills apiece. Gibadlo hit .625 and added a match-high 6 service aces, while Wiest hit .375.
K-State opened the first set down 2-0 before scoring seven consecutive points to take an 11-5 lead. Utah responded with a 7-1 run to tie the set at 12 before the teams traded points to reach 16-16. The Utes closed the set on a 9-4 run to win 25-20.
Massey led all players with 7 kills in the opening set, but Utah hit .379 compared to K-State’s .194.
The Wildcats again took an early lead in the second set, going ahead 6-2, but Utah quickly turned the momentum. The Utes scored 15 consecutive points to take a 17-6 lead, with Gibadlo recording 2 kills and 3 aces during the run.
Massey helped keep one rally alive by attacking three times before K-State eventually won the point, and Derrer followed with a vicious right-side attack on the next point. The Wildcats struggled to build any sustained momentum, however, as Utah hit .462 in the set and closed it out 25-15.
The third set gave K-State its best chance to extend the match. The teams battled through seven ties and four lead changes before Utah created its first significant separation at 15-11.
Back-to-back kills from Brady and Stones helped the Wildcats pull within 19-17, but 2 straight kills from Utah’s Ashley West shifted the momentum back toward the Utes.
K-State kept fighting despite falling behind 24-18. The Wildcats fought off five match points, with Caleigh Ponn’s service ace cutting Utah’s lead to 24-23 and forcing a timeout.
Mansfield credited the team’s fight despite the deficit.
“We fought in every match that we played,” Mansfield said. “I think it just shows the character of this team. I expect that. I mean, certainly we’re not trying to go down 0-1 or 0-2, but I’m not surprised that we had some fight in that third.”
K-State could not complete the comeback, though, as Gibadlo recorded her 11th kill to give Utah the 25-23 victory and complete the sweep.
Brady’s three blocks provided a bright spot for K-State’s defense. Mansfield said her ability to make strong blocking moves has helped the Wildcats against opposing pin hitters.
“Skylar is a really good blocker for us,” Mansfield said. “She makes really good block moves, has really strong hands. So if you hit it low versus her, she’s going to make you pay.”
The Wildcats now turn their attention to another difficult road trip. K-State will face Iowa State at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames before traveling to face No. 24 Colorado on Sunday. Both matches will stream on ESPN+.
K-State returns home Oct. 15 to face Kansas at Morgan Family Arena.
“I thought we improved this week, so it was disappointing to go 0-2, even against two ranked teams,” Mansfield said. “We showed glimpses certainly in both matches, but we just need to be more consistent.”
