MANHATTAN (KSNT) -A new look Wildcats squad is coming in 2026.
K-State volleyball hosted and beat Omaha in an exhibition game on April 18. The teams played five sets with the Wildcats completing the sweep.
For K-State, the spring has been centered on growth, particularly with a roster that looks different from the one that won an NCAA Tournament game a season ago.
K-State is integrating a number of young faces into key roles, creating what feels like a fresh start in Manhattan. While inexperience could be viewed as a challenge, head coach Jason Mansfield isn’t approaching it that way.
Mansfield emphasized that talent ultimately outweighs age, expressing confidence that this group will continue to develop as the year progresses.
“Talent doesn’t have an age. I don’t care how young they are, because they are capable of being great,” Mansfield told 27 Sports. “It’s much different than last year’s team, where there was a lot of experience, but good volleyball doesn’t have an age.”
That belief is rooted in what the program accomplished last fall. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament and secured a first-round victory over San Diego before its season came to an end against Nebraska in the second round.
K-State finished with an 18-10 record with a 10-8 mark in Big 12 play in 2025.
As K-State looks ahead to the 2026 season, the foundation is being set—one that Mansfield believes will only get stronger with time.
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