Houston volleyball traveled to the Sunflower State to take on No., 19 Kansas on Sept. 25 and Kansas State on Sept. 27 to open Big 12 conference play.
The road trip started with Kansas sweeping the Cougars, but ended with Houston beating undefeated Kansas State 3-1. The win marked Houston’s first conference win against a team other than Texas Tech since 2024. In 2025, the Cougars compiled a 2-16 conference record during Big 12 play.
When facing No. 19 Kansas, junior outside hitter Lily Barron reached 200 career digs with nine on Friday. She totaled 16 on the trip.
Junior setter Kalei Edson reached 400 assists this season, with 70 across both matches.
Junior outside hitters Sydney Jones and Kamille Gibson and sophomore outside hitter Noemi Despaigne combined for 80 kills.
Houston upsets Kansas State, acquiring first win in Big 12 play
Houston walked into Morgan Family Arena to take on undefeated Kansas State looking for its first win in Big 12 play, which it was able to secure in four sets.
Jones recorded her fourth 20-kill match of the season with 22 kills against Kansas State. Together with Gibson’s 14 and Despaigne’s 13, the trio accounted for 49 of Houston’s 58 kills.
The first set started off close with neither team able to gain a large advantage. The Cougars got a 10-2 run to go up 14-7 early on but Kansas State fired back with a 12-2 run to tie the set at 19-19. Houston won the opening set 25-23 on a kill from Jones, who accounted for five of the Cougars’ final six points. She finished the set with nine kills, the most by a Cougar in a single set this season.
The second set started off similar to the first with neither team able to gain control. Houston was able to take the second set 25-21 after both teams had four service errors each. Kansas State then fired back, winning the third set 25-15 after Houston totaled 12 errors.
Kansas State was 6-0 in fourth sets this season, but the Cougars were able to take a 25-20 win to secure their first win in conference play on the season and hand Kansas State its first loss.
Sophomore Gillian Pitts took over libero duties from sophomore Mattie Casale before the set began; the two recorded six and 11 digs respectively.
The Cougars led by as many as six points in the final set as the Wildcats never took a lead.
Jayhawks sweep the Cougars in Big 12 opener
Houston’s first set of conference play started off with the Cougars facing an early 8-0 deficit to start the set. The Cougars managed to battle back and extended the set after an 8-2 run but it was in vain as Kansas took the first set 31-29. The Cougars fended off five set points before a kill from Kansas junior outside hitter Grace Nelson and a Houston attack error finally ended the set.
Edson led the Cougars with 23 assists and Jones led the Cougars with 14 kills.
Kansas took the second set after a back-and-forth battle that ended 25-20 after two Houston errors.
The Cougars failed to avoid the sweep as Kansas then took the third set 25-15, winning off of a 13-4 run. Houston suffered its first loss in conference play of the year behind 17 kills from freshman outside hitter Taylor Stanley.
Next up, the Cougars will play their Big 12 home opener at Fertitta Center against Cincinnati on Friday, Oct. 2, at 6:30 p.m.
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