K-State Volleyball Takes Down No. 21 Baylor in Manhattan Showdown

The Kansas State Wildcats delivered a statement win Wednesday night. They took down No. 21 Baylor 3-1 at Morgan Family Arena. It was a victory that marked K-State’s first home win over the Bears since 2016. With this win, K-State improved to 15-7 overall and 8-6 in Big 12 play, continuing a hot streak against ranked opponents.

Wildcats Continue Their Ranked-Team Surge

The Wildcats have now secured four victories over Top 25 teams this season. They did it by joining an elite company in the conference alongside No. 8 Arizona State, No. 16 TCU, and No. 13 Kansas.

CATS WIN!!!#EMAW👌 pic.twitter.com/KeoPJxx1QN
— K-State Volleyball (@KStateVB) November 13, 2025

It also marked the end of a seven-match home drought against Baylor that stretched back to October 29, 2016. For head coach Jason Mansfield, the win was a reflection of his team’s resilience under pressure.

"I’m really proud of how we battled, especially the second set," Mansfield said. "We were down 23-20, found a way to tie it up, and even though we lost a close set, we were in the exact same situation in the third, down 23-20—and this time we tied it and won. It shows just a lot of character and grit in situations that are tough. That’s a very good, tough team to stop defensively, and I thought we just found ways to kind of win that third set."

Kansas State’s defensive wall proved to be the deciding factor in this win. The Wildcats limited Baylor to a .188 hitting percentage, bolstered by a season-high 13 team blocks and 67 digs. Symone Sims anchored the back row with a match-high 19 digs, her 15th time leading a match in that category this season.

Up front, Jordyn Williams stood tall with seven blocks, while Aliyah Schmidt added five. On the offensive end, Shaylee Myers is fresh off her Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honor. She continued to dominate with 21 kills and 13 digs for her fifth double-double of the year. Her performance also etched her name into the K-State record books. Her 10th career 20-kill match ties her with Hall of Famer Liz Wegner-Busch for third all-time.

Aniya Clinton added her own spark with 14 kills, marking her 15th double-digit performance of the season. Setter Ava LeGrand orchestrated the attack with precision, tallying 43 assists, 16 digs, and a career-high six blocks, her 12th double-double of the year.

For Baylor, Ksenia Rakhmanchik led all players with 23 kills, while Harley Kreck chipped in 39 assists and 13 digs for a double-double effort.

The Sunflower Shows a Set-by-Set Battle

K-State came out firing in the opening set, riding a 7-0 scoring run fueled by four Clinton kills to take control early. The Wildcats held Baylor to a mere .059 hitting percentage and closed out the set 25-15, with Clinton delivering the final kill.

The third set became the turning point. Down 23-20, the Wildcats stormed back behind clutch plays from Myers and Reagan Fox, capped by a service ace from Sims that sealed a thrilling 26-24 comeback win.

The Wildcats will host No. 13 Kansas in the 2025 Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Morgan Family Arena.

The Wildcats took the first meeting in Lawrence in five sets, and now, with confidence soaring, they’ll look to repeat that success at home. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, as K-State aims to extend its ranked-team magic into another unforgettable showdown.

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