This Week Today: Oct. 5th – Oct. 11th

Though GK Maddie Sibbing ended the match with nine saves to 11 shots on goal, K-State’s 13 fouls put the Cats in a bad spot, eventually leading to the game-winning penalty kick for the Cougs.

Meanwhile, KU is 8-3-1 on the season and was undefeated in conference play until last week, where the Hawks lost to Baylor 1-3. While the Cats had gone 0-1-1 against the Arizona schools, KU beat them both by a combined score of 4-0, tearing through some tough competition as they got their Big 12 schedule underway.

K-State is not only looking for their first win against a Big 12 team, they’re looking for their first win at home against KU in school history. The Jayhawks are 4-0-1 in Buser Family Park, so the Cats have another first to pick up in what will be an important game if KSU wants to see the postseason this year.

Friday, Oct. 9th – 6:30 p.m. – KSU Volleyball vs Iowa State – Ames, IA – Watch on ESPN+

K-State volleyball follows Colleen Corbin’s Cats with the second most important rivalry: Farmageddon. K-State hits the road to take on the Iowa State Cyclones, their first road game since they opened conference play against UCF. Oddly enough, that was also the last win K-State has on their schedule. In their three game home stand, KSU went 0-3, losing both games to the ranked Utah schools last week by a combined score of six sets to one. The Cats hit a tough part of their schedule, and it has unfortunately sent Jason Mansfield’s group from undefeated into a 9-3 tailspin as the Cats sit at 1-3 in  Big 12 play.

With that being said, K-State might be able to pick their winning ways back up on the trip to Ames. K-State is 4-1 against the Cyclones in their last five games in Hilton Coliseum, with the Wildcats winning the last matchup three sets to zero in November of 2025. The Clones enter the matchup 9-6 on the season, but they’ve gone 3-1 in Big 12 play with their sole loss coming to a ranked ASU team on the road. KSU has a chance to get back into the win column, but they have to tighten the ship before their next home game as they host KU a week from Thursday.

Saturday, Oct. 10th – 2:30 p.m. – KSU Football vs #22 Houston – Manhattan, KS – Watch on FOX

K-State football is back from hiatus to host one of their toughest opponents on the schedule this Saturday as the Cats play the Houston Cougars at 2:30 p.m. on FOX. K-State will enter Saturday with an extra week of rest, but it will be the first game since their loss to Cincinnati to open Big 12 play late September. Since that loss, TE Will Anciaux has been ruled out for the year and the Bearcats lost to Arizona 34-7. Not the best indicators for a Cats team that’s welcoming one of the few ranked teams on their schedule.

For Houston, they’ve looked about as expected so far this season. The Cougars are 4-1 after winning “The Space Race” against UCF 27-17, going on a 27-7 run in the second half of the game after entering halftime trailing 10-0. Houston has yet to pick up an impressive win; though their win against Oregon State looks more impressive now, the Cougars still haven’t made a statement win yet. That’s not to say that they lack the ability to do so; their offense has a great running back duo of Makhi Hughes and Re’Shaun Radford II, both accounting for over 300 yards on the ground. QB Connor Weigman has looked confident in his second year with the Cougs, throwing for 1,186 yards, 11 TDs and only one pick through five games. Houston’s defense is well balanced, with 10 sacks and four INTs to start the year. Houston is a balanced team that isn’t necessarily flashy, but they win. They win a lot. K-State will have their work cut out for them, but the Cats have a chance to get back in the Big 12 Champ conversation with a win over HC Willie Fritz.

Sunday, Oct. 11th – 12 p.m. – KSU Soccer vs #9 Baylor – Waco, TX – Watch on ESPN+

Colleen’s Cats are back in action on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Waco Texas to play the ninth ranked Baylor Bears. This is set to be one of the hardest games on K-State’s schedule as the Bears are a top 10 squad with two ranked wins and haven’t lost a game since August. Baylor is averaging almost two goals per game and have only allowed one team to score more than a goal against them. The Bears are 10-1-1 and are 14th in the nation in assists per game. BU plays together and has a well balanced unit, something K-State could really struggle against given their foul problems and lack of scoring. This will undoubtedly be the biggest test for this K-State unit and will tell us a lot about who this Cats team is.

Sunday, October 11th – 2 p.m. – KSU Volleyball vs #23 Colorado – Boulder, CO – Watch on ESPN+

To finish the week, K-State volleyball heads to Colorado to take on the Buffaloes and finish a two game road trip. The Buffs currently sit at 11-3 with losses to Utah, Colorado State and TCU. K-State is 8-2 in their last 10 matchups with the Buffs, but the only two losses in that span came in their last two trips to Boulder. The Cats are undefeated on the road, though they will have to beat Iowa State in order to keep that streak heading into Sunday. CU is 8-1 at home, so it will be a clash of two teams in situations where they play their best. The Buffaloes will be the third ranked team the Cats will play in four games and they rank eighth in the nation in blocks per set. K-State has fared well against black and gold teams that block well, but this will be a whole other beast for Mansfield’s group to tackle before hosting the Sunflower Showdown next week.