Notes: Roos Head to Prairie State for Saluki Bash

Kansas City Notes

Kansas City opened the season at the Highlander Invitational, dropping their first three matches to Marshall and Radford in straight sets and falling 3-2 against Eastern Michigan. The Roos were outscored 144-187 for the tournament and averaged 48 points a match while holding opponents to 62 points a match.
The Roos were well represented on the Highlander Invitational All-Tournament Team with Ledisi Kpea and Ryanne Wattree both earning bids for their stellar play in the tournament.
Kpea was the Roos most consistent presence in multiple facets as the Dallas, Tex. native posted 24 kills on 50 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .380 while notching 13 total blocks which leads the team in 2025.
Wattree led the way offensively, recording a team-high 30 kills across all three matches, the fourth most kills of any player in the Highlander Invitational. Wattree landed double digit kills twice with 11 against Radford and 10 versus EMU.
Freshmen Emry Brown, Mia Weaver and Natalie Ptacek all made their collegiate debuts, with Brown starting in two matches and Weaver starting all three. Weaver concluded the weekend with 24 kills, tied for the second most by a Roos this year. Brown had four points in five sets played.
The Roos also saw the debuts of several new upperclassmen transfers including Lyla Jones, Chloe Kaminski and Alaina Larson. Starting at setter in all three matches, Jones recorded a team leading 67 assists as well as three service aces. Kaminski led the team in digs with 38 from her libero perch. Larson started the Roos opening match against Marshall and accumulated 20 digs, six assists and two service aces.
Last time the Roos played in the state of Illinois was in the 2022 Bradley Invitational. Kansas City went 1-2 in Peoria, Ill., beating Miami (OH) 3-2 while losing 0-3 to No. 21 Western Kentucky and 3-2 to the hometown Braves.
In 2025, the Roos will host nine matches at the Swinney Center, eight of which will be against Summit League foes. This season Kansas City will be hitting the road early and often as the Roos will play matches across nine different states in 2025 including: Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Coach Posey will have three brand new assistant coaches to support the Roos 2025 effort from the sidelines in Izzy Enna from Missouri Western State, Cade Berg from Washburn and Toyosi Onabanjo from Kansas and the Omaha Supernovas.
The Roos return seven players from the 2024 squad, including Kailee Deffebaugh, Maria Eduarda Motta, Nyle Mathis, Coco Buschhorn, Ryanne Wattree, Ledisi Kpea and Doga Eski. Together the group brings back 373 sets and 136 matches of prior experience to the table.
Kpea and Deffebaugh come back as the Roos top two leaders in blocks, blocks per set and the top two out of three in block assists from the 2024 campaign. Additionally, the duo picked up some preseason hardware, being named to the Summit League Players to Watch ahead of the 2025 season.
As a redshirt-freshman, Kpea racked up 77 blocks, 65 block assists and 0.97 blocks per set, leading the team in all three categories. Offensively, the Dallas, Tex. native is the Roos leading returner in kills with 130, points with 174.5 and sets played with 79 in the 2024 season.
Deffebaugh was a staple on the Roos front line in 2024, totaling 55 blocks (2nd on team), 51 block assists (3rd on team) and 0.75 blocks per set (2nd on team) as a junior middle blocker. Offensively, Deffebaugh is the Roos second-leading returner in points with 140.5 and third-leading returner in kills with 98 in the 2024 season.
Back for her fourth season in Kansas City, Mathis brings championship mettle to the floor as the senior outside hitter is one of two active Roos who was on KC's 2023 conference title team. Mathis is the Roos top leading returner in total attacks with 474 and second leading returner in kills at 125 and sets played at 76 last season.
Buschhorn returns as a key piece to the Roos puzzle for 2025. In her freshman season, the Springfield, Mo. native compiled 112 assists which ranked second on the team. Additionally, Buschhorn is the Roos top returner in assists, assists per set at 2.49 and digs with 58 last season.
Along with the seven returners, Kansas City brings in 10 newcomers to round out the 2025 roster. Included in that group are seven true freshmen as well one junior, senior and a graduate student that were all added in the transfer portal.

Eastern Illinois Notes

The Panthers are undefeated at 2-0 in 2025, winning their first two matches against Bucknell 3-2 and Ohio 3-0 respectively.
EIU is 4-2 against the Roos all-time, winning the first four matches between these two teams from 1994-96. Since the turn of the century, the Panthers have lost both matchups to the Roos, 3-1 in 2004 and 3-0 in 2013.
The Panthers trot out a first year head coach in Ryan Millar. Hired in February of this year, Millar was an associate head coach at San Diego Miramar College before joining the Panthers. Millar had an ultra-accomplished volleyball playing career, winning NCAA Player of the Year in 1999 at BYU as well as being a part of three US Olympic teams including 2000, 2004 and the gold medal-winning 2008 team.
Destiny Walker's team-leading 35 kills ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference while Catalina Rochaix's team-leading 78 assists also slots in as the fifth best mark in the OVC in 2025.

Southern Illinois Notes

The Salukis first stop of 2025 came at the SHSU Invitational where they went 2-1, defeating Sam Houston and Tulane 3-2 while dropping their final match by the same score to McNeese State.
SIU has grabbed the first and last matches of the all-time series against the Roos as the Salukis beat Kansas City 3-0 in 1998 and 3-1 in 2007 while dropping four contests to the Roos from 1999-2005.
Southern Illinois joins EIU as the two teams to have a new head coach in the Saluki Bash. Brittany Harry takes over as the program's tenth head coach. Harry has loads of experience at the Division II level, coaching West Texas A&M to a 310-178 record in 16 seasons and to a Lone Star Conference Championship in 2024.
Larissa Seger is first in the Missouri Valley Conference in blocks with 21 for the season and 1.40 per set. Additionally, Emma Lade is third in the MVC in assists with 96 for the season.

New Mexico State

New Mexico State is 2-1 in 2025 with a 3-1 victories over Eastern Washington and UC San Diego as well as a 3-1 defeat to Northwestern in the UC San Diego Invitational.
The Aggies have had plenty of success against Kansas City historically with a 14-2 all-time record against the Roos. NMSU has won the last 12 matches dating back to 2015. Kansas City's last win against the Aggies came in 2014 when the Roos took the match 3-1 at home.
NMSU's head coach Mike Jordan is 14th on the NCAA active wins list with 586 victories in 28 seasons in Las Cruces. In 17 of those years, the Aggies have reached the 20 win mark or better and won a WAC Regular Season Championship in 2021.
Mia Fox is third in the Conference USA in hitting percentage at .548 while Maggie Lightheart leads the conference in service aces with 10 on the season.

Notes: Roos Head to Prairie State for Saluki Bash

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Emry Brown

Coco Buschhorn

Kailee Deffebaugh

Doga Eski

Lyla Jones

Chloe Kaminski

Ledisi Kpea

Alaina Larson

Nyle Mathis

Maria Eduarda Motta

Natalie Ptacek

Ryanne Wattree

Mia Weaver

Notes: Roos Head to Prairie State for Saluki Bash

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Emry Brown

Coco Buschhorn

Kailee Deffebaugh

Doga Eski

Lyla Jones

Chloe Kaminski

Ledisi Kpea

Alaina Larson

Nyle Mathis

Maria Eduarda Motta

Natalie Ptacek

Ryanne Wattree

Mia Weaver

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University of Missouri Kansas City Athletics