This Week in K-State Sports: Football and volleyball come off bye week, baseball gets started in the fall

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(Graphic by Marshall Sunner | Collegian Media Group)

Tennis

The women’s tennis team is off this week after a weekend event at the SMU Challenge. On day three in Dallas, Texas, the team came home with a couple of wins from seniors Karine-Marion Job and Anna Turco.

“I think we maybe had a little bit of a slower start with some of our second doubles and maybe not closing out some singles matches on the first day, but I was really proud how all three ladies responded,” head coach Jordan Smith said.

The team travels next to Iowa City, Iowa, for the ITA Regionals on Oct. 21.

Men’s Golf

Men’s golf is currently at Big 12 Match Play in Hockley, Texas, after finishing 11th of 12 this past week at the Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate.

“It was a disappointing finish,” head coach Grant Robbins said. “With the way the course was set up and the conditions the way they were, you had to go low, and we weren’t able to get anything going.”

This week’s three-day event, which wraps up Wednesday, features an interesting take on the sport where teammates earn points by beating their matchup.

“The guys are really excited to play the Big 12 Match Play event,” Robbins said. “If you were to ask the ones that have played before, they would say this is the most enjoyable tournament they play in all year.”

The team is off until Oct. 30 following the conclusion of the tournament.

Women’s Golf

Women’s golf is currently at the Dale McNamara Invitational in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, for a two-day event that ends on Tuesday. The event comes after not seeing a tournament since Sept. 27.

“We have had a good week of practice, focusing on putting skills and chipping,” head coach Kristi Knight said in preparation for the tournament.

K-State plans to use the Dale McNamara Invitational to start the women’s team off on a better foot after a not-so-great start to the season.

“To this point, our overall execution during tournament rounds has been very mediocre,” Knight said. “However, we have seen glimpses of our best golf. We are capable. It’s time to get it done throughout the tournament.”

This is the last scheduled tournament for the fall until play picks back up again in the spring at the Westbrook Invitational in February.

Soccer

While it might not seem like much to the average eye, the K-State women’s soccer team has put together back-to-back draws against ranked opponents, which is huge for the sixth-year program, as they are the first non-losses against a ranked team.

“Resilient effort,” head coach Mike Dibbini said after Sunday’s draw against No. 23 Baylor. “We survived a thunderstorm in the first half; they were itching to get one back after the loss to KU. The ability to keep grinding and to make some adjustments at half-time allowed us to get back in the game.”

Looking ahead, the team will stay down south this week for a matchup against both teams from Oklahoma — Oklahoma State on Thursday and Oklahoma on Sunday.

Sophomore goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer looks to keep her hot-streak alive after recording a school-record 13 saves — including a penalty save — during the shutout draw on Sunday.

“You can’t think about what might or might not happen,” Werremeyer said. “You just trust what you know about the other team and do what you have to do.”

Thursday’s game against Oklahoma State can be watched on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. Sunday’s matchup against Oklahoma can be watched on Bally Sports at 1 p.m.

Volleyball

After a well-deserved off week, K-State volleyball picks up where it left off against West Virginia for a Thursday/Friday meet-up with the Mountaineers at home.

On Oct. 1 and 2, K-State split a two-game series against Oklahoma on the road with a win and a loss.

“I think the thing I was most excited about was our defensive point-scoring,” head coach Suzie Fritz said.

K-State looks to continue its hot start to the season after a 9-2 non-conference record hoisted them to the top of the Big 12 rankings. After losses to tenth-ranked Baylor, K-State looks ahead with confidence.

Thursday’s match can be watched on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. and will feature “TikTok Night.” Friday’s matchup will show on ESPNU at 7 p.m. and will feature “Dollar Day,” where general admission tickets and select concession stand items are just $1.

Cross Country

Cross Country is set to run at the Pre-National Invitational in Tallahassee, Florida, at 7:35 a.m. on Friday.

The meet comes after an Oct. 1 performance that saw the men’s team finish eighth and the women’s team finish fifth.

“The men had a solid race, and we will be even stronger in a couple weeks,” head coach Ryun Godfrey said. “The women ran well, too. All six girls running … had personal bests.”

Friday’s race will be the final contest before the Big 12 Cross Country Championships on Oct. 29.

Baseball

The K-State baseball team kicks off its two-game fall-ball exhibition schedule this Friday against Omaha. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is free for all fans.

Here is a look at the fall schedule:

6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15 — Omaha Tointon Family Stadium

2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22 — Crowder College Tointon Family Stadium

TBD Saturday, Oct. 30 — ALS Halloween Game Tointon Family Stadium

6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5 — Fall World Series Tointon Family Stadium

2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6 — Fall World Series Tointon Family Stadium

1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7 — Fall World Series Tointon Family Stadium

The baseball team is coming off of a 34-23 season where the team reached the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

Football

Football is back home this week after taking a bye week. The week before, K-State fell to the Oklahoma Sooners 31-37. This week will see a “Farmageddon” match against the Iowa State Cyclones.

After a strong 3-0 start to the season, the Wildcats look to rebound against a struggling Iowa State team as both teams find themselves at 3-2. The game will feature a strong running back match between K-State’s Deuce Vaughn and Iowa State’s all-American Breece Hall.

Be on the lookout for the Collegian’s football preview and “Know Your Opponent” articles for a more in-depth look at Saturday’s game.

The game will take place at 6:30 p.m. in Bill Snyder Family Stadium and will be broadcasted by ESPN2.

As always with every sport, check back with the Collegian after events are over to see finals and recaps.

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