Arizona Tops Kansas State in Big 12 Conference Opener
Arizona volleyball opened up its season strong in non-conference play, winning six straight matches before falling in four straight matches, including getting swept by No. 1 Nebraska as well as getting swept in a tournament hosted by Washington.
The Wildcats were able to turn a corner and start conference play in the Big 12 on a high note. Arizona defeated Kansas State 3-1 on the road in Manhattan on Friday. After the two teams split the first two sets, UA was able to come out on top in the third and fourth sets to earn the win.
Arizona won the first set 25-19, combining to record four blocks and hit .387 to take an early lead in the match. Jordan Wilson led the way for UA with six kills, while Carlie Cisneros and Ana Heath each added three kills.
ROOF ROOF ROOF 🙌@jordankalaniw and AB get up for the block! pic.twitter.com/yn77l0uJFP
— Arizona Volleyball (@ArizonaVBall) September 26, 2025
Kansas State evened up the match, winning 25-19 in the second set. They took an early 6-0 lead and did not look back. Arizona posted just a .024 hitting percentage, while Kansas State totaled five blocks. Wilson added another three kills.
Arizona was able to respond in the third set with a convincing 25-14 win. They posted a .355 hitting percentage with four blocks, which helped result in a .053 hit percentage for Kansas State. Heath posted five kills and three blocks to help lead Arizona to being just one set away from winning the match. Wilson also added another five kills.
Arizona was able to close out the match with a tight 27-25 win in the fourth set. It was a back-and-forth set with both teams hitting above a .320 clip. Arizona had 19 kills in the set, while Kansas State added three blocks. Wilson tallied another seven kills, with Adrianna Bridges adding another five kills to help Arizona clinch the match win to open conference play.
BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN 😼 pic.twitter.com/3sovZf3rLa
— Arizona Volleyball (@ArizonaVBall) September 27, 2025
Overall, Wilson totaled 21 kills with a .333 hitting percentage. Heath added 11 kills with Bridges totaling five blocks and serving five aces. Among the two teams as a whole, Arizona recorded more kills (56-49) and had the better hitting percentage. UA also recorded more assists (50-47), had more aces (8-3) and recorded more blocks (9-8).
Arizona will close out the road trip with a match against No. 18 Kansas on Sunday. The match will start at 10 a.m. MST and will be aired on ESPN.
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Ari Koslow is a sports writer covering the University of Arizona athletics at On SI. Koslow has been covering Arizona sports for several years. Born and raised in Seattle, he is a diehard Seahawks fan and a longtime sufferer of the Mariners. He is a huge fantasy football fanatic. Koslow is a graduate of Arizona’s School of Journalism.