K-State volleyball brought out the brooms to end its seven-game losing streak, defeating Texas Tech 3-0 in an extended three-set match that went to extra points in two sets. Freshman Skylar Brady’s career-high 15 kills and Addison Massey’s K-State record 24 kills in a three-set match fueled the win, helping the Wildcats get back on track after struggles over the past few weeks.
The Wildcats dominated the first set, using an early 4-0 run to reach 9-5 on kills from three different players. Beyond the outside hitters, the middle also got involved offensively, with Emerson Van Lannen dumping the ball over on the second hit for a Wildcat point and prompting a Texas Tech timeout, with K-State up 13-7.
The full-team effort continued early, as outside hitter Sydney Maue got a kill and two blocks to help K-State reach 15 first. Maue continued her first-set heater, adding another kill to give the Wildcats an eight-point lead, 17-9. After the Red Raiders scratched together a couple points to cut the lead to six, Brady took over, with back-to-back kills and a solo block to give K-State a 22-14 advantage.
Not looking back, the Wildcats capitalized on two Texas Tech errors and capped off the first set with Massey’s fourth kill, giving K-State the first set, 25-16.
Those Texas Tech errors were part of the first-set problems, as the Wildcats held the Red Raiders to a -0.026% hitting percentage. K-State’s defense was stout throughout, totaling five blocks in the first set and driving the first-set win.
“I think the team defense we’re capable of playing is elite,” head coach Jason Mansfield said. “I mean, obviously that’s pretty spectacular to have them hit negative. The goal is to just play great team defense and give ourselves chances to score streaks of points.”
The Red Raiders came out aggressive in the second set, with kills from Aviya Russo and Gretchen Sigman giving Texas Tech their first lead of the game, 5-3. Tech worked it up to a 10-6 lead before Brady and Massey both recorded powerful kills, putting the ’Cats right back in the game.
Russo kept making an impact in the second set for the Red Raiders, tallying two more kills to give Texas Tech a 15-12 lead going into the 15-point media timeout. Sigman and Ella Dinsmore also caused problems for K-State, with six and five kills, respectively.
Massey and Brady’s stellar nights kept the Wildcats in the game, each tallying two kills out of the media timeout to cut the K-State deficit to 16-17. Texas Tech then responded with a 5-0 run, gaining all momentum and silencing Morgan Family Arena.
Van Lannen and Massey responded, reigniting the crowd and going on their own 6-1 run. Van Lannen had a block, an ace and a kill, while Massey had two kills — one of which deflected off a Texas Tech player’s face and into the stands — drawing a huge crowd pop. A Red Raider error then gave the Wildcats a 23-22 lead, causing Texas Tech to call a timeout.
Then came the game of hot potato. K-State and Texas Tech traded points back and forth, with neither team giving up. Massey and Brady kept delivering big swings for the Wildcats, while Dinsmore and Russo kept the Red Raiders in the set. After a Texas Tech attacking error, K-State capitalized and won the set with another Texas Tech error, taking the second set, 30-28.
The Massey show became the highlight of the third set, as she was responsible for four of K-State’s first five points, all four via the kill. After a service error from both teams, Texas Tech and the Wildcats traded points back and forth until K-State scored two in a row off a service ace from Van Lannen, putting the ‘Cats up 15-14.
K-State stayed ahead, going on a 3-0 run with a Brady kill and ace, plus a Massey kill, to take a 19-16 lead before Texas Tech called a timeout. The Red Raiders responded out of the timeout, scoring two straight before the Wildcats answered with a two-point run, forcing Texas Tech to call its last timeout of the set down 21-18.
After a kill from Cadence Lundgren, multiple K-State errors fueled a 4-0 Red Raiders run, prompting Mansfield to call a timeout. Lundgren came out of the timeout with a kill, and Massey recorded her 24th kill of the match, setting a program record for kills in a three-set match and putting the Wildcats at match point, 24-23.
“Honestly, I didn’t know, but that’s pretty cool,” Massey said. “That’s actually really cool. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without my team behind me, all the defense and then also the setters. Like without them, I wouldn’t have did it.”
With Texas Tech down to match point, Russo scored two straight points to bring the score to 25-24, putting the Wildcats on the brink of a fourth set. With K-State backed into a corner, Brady stepped up as she had all game, recording two straight kills to give K-State match point once again. Ellah Derrer finished it with a middle kill, giving the Wildcats another thrilling extra-point set win, 27-25, and solidifying the sweep.
Beyond Massey’s program record, Brady set her own career mark with 15 kills. Lundgren added five kills, while Derrer led the team with five blocks.
K-State’s next game is the second part of this year’s Dillon’s Sunflower Showdown, as the Wildcats travel to Allen Fieldhouse to face the Kansas Jayhawks at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, on FS1.
