Volleyball embarks on a road trip to challenge South Dakota State & St. Thomas

Kansas City Notes

Kansas City heads into the second week of Summit League play after a hard-fought four-set victory over North Dakota, improving to 1-0 in conference play. The Roos demonstrated resilience, overcoming deficits in two tight sets to earn their first league win of the season.
Kaia Dunford, currently ranked second in the Summit League and 13th nationally in attacks per set, continues to lead Kansas City's offense. She delivered 18 kills in the match against North Dakota, tying her season high, and remains the focal point of the Roos' attack.
Leah Green set a season-high with four service aces against North Dakota, helping the Roos register a team-best 10 service aces for the match. This places Kansas City among the top serving teams in the Summit League.
Kansas City's blocking has been a critical component of their success, averaging 2.2 blocks per set, which ranks them among the top five in the Summit League. The Roos are steadily improving their defensive presence at the net, with key contributions from Kpea and Kimora Whetstone.

South Dakota State Notes

The Jackrabbits are riding a 13-0 start, the best in their DI era, and are leading the Summit League after a 2-0 opening weekend in conference play. Kansas City and SDSU will meet for the 28th time, with South Dakota State holding a slim 14-13 lead in the series after winning their last encounter on Saturday, October 21st, 2023.
Middle blocker Sydni Schetnan has been a force for the Jackrabbits, earning Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week honours for two consecutive weeks. She has tallied 31 kills and seven blocks while hitting .652 in her last two matches.
The Jackrabbits defense has been formidable, with players like freshman Madison Burr leading the team in blocks. Burr recorded eight blocks and hit .438 in the victory over Denver. SDSU's collective blocking ability has helped them record 16 blocks in their most recent match.

St.Thomas Notes

The Tommies are 0-6 against Kansas City, heading into their seventh matchup in history with the Roos. The last time these two teams met was on November 15, 2023, when St. Thomas fell in straight sets 3-0 to Kansas City in the regular-season finale.
St. Thomas is coming off a great non-conference stretch, going 8-1, marking a new DI single season win record for the program. Led by outside hitters Lauren Galvin and Kasia Rudzitis, the Tommies have been a force offensively, ranking in the top 10 of the Summit League for kills per set. Galvin also recently surpassed 1,000 career digs.
The Tommies' defense has been particularly strong, ranking first in the Summit League with 17.83 digs per set. Libero Ellie Voegele leads the team and the league with 5.19 digs per set and had a season-high 30 digs in a match against Valparaiso. St. Thomas will look to solidify their defense as they aim to capture their first league win this season.

University of Missouri Kansas City Athletics