SLATE: K-State hasn’t lost at anything since Friday night

The high from Kansas State’s opening game win over Stanford is finally starting to subside, but there’s news from elsewhere with the department to share this morning.

K-State volleyball (3-2) rebounded from a straight set loss to #21 Pepperdine on Friday by sweeping a Saturday doubleheader with a five-set win over Cal-Santa Barbara (1-4) and a four-set victory over San Diego State (1-5). Of course, the records of those two teams sort of cast a pall on the accomplishment, but they’re doing what they’re supposed to do against unranked teams.

Aliyah Carter posted a 20-kill match against the Gauchos with 21, while Hayley Warner had 37 over the course of the doubleheader — 19 against UCSB and 18 against San Diego State.

This weekend, the Cats host the K-State Invitational at Bramlage as they welcome Ohio, Loyola-Chicago, and Fresno State to town on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday respectively. All three matches will be available on ESPN+ if you’re not in town.

On the pitch, the Wildcats (4-2-0) also rebounded from a Friday loss (a 3-1 setback at unbeaten Denver) by destroying Colorado State 4-0 in Fort Collins. Junior transfer Marisa Weichel is now already tied for third place on the all-time single-season goals list for K-State after finding the net twice for her third and fourth goals of the season. The effective game-winner — Weichel’s second of the season, second-all time to Brookelynn Entz already — came in the 11th minute, unassisted after weaving through two Ram defenders; Weichel also closed the scoring in the 60th minute off a long pass from Kenzi Gillespie.

In between Weichel’s brace, two Wildcats knocked in their first career goals. Caylee Thornhill headed in a Katy Coffin corner kick in the 37th minute, while Riley Baker took a Roo Yarnell-Williams pass in the 44th and found the corner of the net. Peyton Pearson posted her third shutout in three starts this campaign.

The road trip continues for one more game, as the Cats head next to West Lafayette to take on Purdue on Thursday night. Unfortunately, you’re gonna need BTN+ to lay eyeballs on that one. They’ll finally get back home on Sunday, facing Indiana’s other Big Ten team as the Hoosiers come calling.