K-State Volleyball Upsets San Diego to Advance in NCAA Tournament

LINCOLN, Neb. – Kansas State University volleyball clinched a dramatic victory against San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, winning three sets to two on Friday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The match began with a challenge as K-State (18-9, 10-8 Big 12) fell behind 2-1 in sets. However, the Wildcats rallied, securing victories in the fourth and fifth sets. The final score was 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12.

This win marks K-State’s first postseason victory since 2016, and it comes in their first NCAA appearance since 2021. K-State’s last 18-plus-win season occurred in 2016, adding significance to this achievement.

K-State’s success was partly due to their defensive capabilities, forcing San Diego into 30 attack errors and recording a season-high of 13 blocks, with seven from senior middle blocker.

Junior setter LeGrand, a local from Papillion, Nebraska, contributed significantly with 49 assists and 14 digs, marking her sixth consecutive double-double. This achievement puts her in the record books as the ninth player in school history to have 17 double-doubles in a season.

Myers notched a remarkable 26 kills, setting a rally-scoring era record for single-season matches with 20 or more kills. She became the 20th player in K-State history to hit the 1,000 career kills milestone during this match.

On the opposing side, San Diego (25-5, 18-0 WCC) was led by Player of the Year Beach, who tallied 22 kills and 12 digs. Other notable performances included Clark with 20 kills and Bennett, the WCC Libero of the Year, who registered 25 digs.

K-State head coach Jason Mansfield congratulated San Diego for their strong season and praised his team’s resilience throughout the match. He acknowledged the nerves that come with playing in the NCAA Tournament but expressed pride in how his players bounced back.

The Wildcats now look forward to facing the number one overall seed, Nebraska, at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The matchup promises to be intense as Nebraska is also vying for a championship after sweeping Long Island University in their opening match.