BOULDER - No. 23 Colorado volleyball is back home Sunday, looking to steady itself after three straight road matches and a four-set loss to Arizona State when Kansas State visits the CU Events Center at 1 p.m.
It’s the 52nd meeting between the Buffaloes and Wildcats, and Colorado has a chance to nudge ahead in the series. The Buffs currently hold a 27-24 edge all-time and are trying to build on a 3-1 win over then-No. 21 Baylor on Oct. 4, a result that pushed them up to No. 23 in the AVCA-Taraflex Poll.
Colorado enters Match No. 16 at 11-4 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play, while Kansas State comes in at 9-4 and 1-4 in the conference. The Wildcats won the last matchup, a 3-0 decision on Nov. 8, 2025, in Manhattan, Kan.
One of Colorado’s biggest strengths has been its net play. The Buffs lead the Big 12 in blocks per set at 2.98, a mark that also ranks seventh nationally. Senior middle blocker Cayla Payne is right in the middle of that push, sitting third in the conference with 1.36 blocks per set.
Colorado also got a milestone from senior defensive specialist Peyton Neal against Arizona State, when she recorded her 1,000th career dig. Senior setter Jenna Ylivainio added 28 assists in that match to extend her streak of double-digit assists to 15 consecutive contests. On the offensive end, senior pin attacker Ana Burilovic has been a steady force, ranking 27th nationally with 4.21 kills per set.
The Wildcats bring their own punch. Kansas State leads its opponents in kills, assists, aces, digs and total blocks, with freshman pin attacker Addison Massey playing a major role in that production. Massey has 206 kills, 22 total blocks and 94 digs, making an impact on both sides of the ball in her first college season.
Kansas State is coached by Jason Mansfield, who has collected 11 wins over ranked teams, including a 2023 victory over then-No. 3 Texas.
In Other News...
Colorado Let A Big Chance Slip In Costly Four Set Loss
Colorados trip to Desert Financial Arena started with promise, as the No. 23 Buffaloes took the opening set from No. 11 Arizona State and looked ready to put a statement win on the board. Instead, the Sun Devils settled in and Colorado wound up dropping the next three sets, leaving the Buffs with a 10-4 record and a 2-3 mark in conference play after a match that felt very much there for the taking.
There were still individual bright spots for Colorado in the loss, with Peyton Neal reaching a career milestone on the defensive side and Jenna Ylivainio turning in another busy night at the net. Ylivainios production gave the Buffs some resistance as the match wore on, but the bigger concern is the one Colorado keeps trying to solve in league play: how to turn a good start into a full four-set performance against one of the conferences better teams. [Read more 🡒]
No. 24 Colorado Puts Its Home Streak On The Line Against Kansas
Colorados 3-0 win over Baylor did more than keep the Buffs rolling. It pushed the No. 24 team into the program record book with a new mark for consecutive home wins, and it also preserved a perfect 8-0 home record heading into an Oct. 11 visit from Kansas. The Buffs have been especially tough to break down in Boulder, stacking up eight shutouts already, with freshman goalkeeper Brooke Goerish collecting her fifth solo shutout in the process.
Kansas arrives with plenty of momentum of its own, having posted three shutout wins in its last four games and leaning on midfielder Jillian Gregorski to drive the attack. For Colorado, the challenge is as much about maintaining the standard it has built at home as it is about handling a Jayhawks side that has recently made life difficult for opponents. The matchup has all the ingredients of a test between a team protecting a streak and another trying to spoil it. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Bye Week Could Expose Problems Deion Sanders Must Fix
With Colorado on a bye, Deion Sanders gets a rare chance to step back and study the road ahead instead of worrying about the next snap. The Buffaloes are expected to keep a close eye on Utah, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, using the week off to gather a better feel for the opponents waiting in the weeks ahead. It is the kind of pause that can be valuable for a team still sorting out its own identity on both sides of the ball.
What makes this stretch especially useful is that each of those upcoming opponents offers a different kind of test, from offensive tempo to defensive pressure to the little details that can swing a game plan. Colorados staff is looking for clues on where the Buffaloes need to tighten things up, particularly in how they handle matchups on offense and contain them on defense. The bye week may be quiet on the schedule, but for Sanders it is also a chance to spot the problems that will matter most once play resumes. [Read more 🡒]