Kansas volleyball keeps perfect streak alive in victory over K-State

The Kansas volleyball team stayed perfect — this time against a conference rival.

On Wednesday night, inside a packed Horejsi Family Athletics Center, No. 15 Kansas posted a four-set victory over K-State, downing the Wildcats by a score of 25-23, 19-25, 25-22, 25-21. Sophomore outside hitter Kelsie Payne paced the Jayhawks’ offense, finishing with a match-high 20 kills.

The Kansas victory, which came in the Big 12 opener for both teams, propelled the Jayhawks to 13-0 on the season after a clean start during the nonconference schedule. KU dropped a set for just the fourth time this season and notched its sixth win in its last seven matches against K-State. The Wildcats, meanwhile, dropped their fourth straight match and fell to 8-5 on the season.

As the Sunflower Showdown commenced in Lawrence, the Jayhawks got early help from a Kansas native. Junior middle blocker Tayler Soucie, a graduate of Osawatomie, finished the first set with a kill, giving the Jayhawks a 25-23 win. The Wildcats rallied to steal the second set, but the Jayhawks’ deep roster gave the Wildcats trouble all night.

KU sophomore setter Ainise Havili, the reigning Big 12 offensive player of the week, spent the night putting Payne in good position to finish off points. The Jayhawks took out the Wildcats with a late spurt in the third set, then finished out the match in the fourth.

The Jayhawks will now travel to TCU on Saturday, where they will try to keep their perfect mark alive. K-State will return home Saturday to face Baylor at Ahearn Field House.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 9:36 PM with the headline "Kansas volleyball keeps perfect streak alive in victory over K-State."