Mortensen leads No. 18 Cougars to four set win over Wildcats

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Elli Mortensen’s second double-double in a row pushed No. 18 BYU women’s volleyball to a four-set win at Kansas State (27-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-18) at Morgan Family Arena on Thursday night.

BOX SCORE

The Cougars (10-1, 2-0 Big 12) saw Mortensen put down a career-high 19 kills, hitting .630, to go along with 12 digs for the second double-double of her career and in as many games.

Claire Little Chambers and Sophia Callahan joined her in double figures, both tallying 13 kills. Setter Alex Bower and Kaylie Kofe recorded 25 assists apiece and Lulu Po’uha led the way with 20 digs.

Kelli Jo Burgess posted a match-high 10 blocks, the third double-digit block finish of her career and second this season as BYU sent back a season-high 14 blocks, also hitting .336 to the Wildcats’ .185.

Set 1
Trailing early, a 6-0 run by BYU fueled by a pair of Mortensen kills and two double blocks involving Burgess forced a Kansas State timeout at 9-6. Weathering a 3-0 KSU run, the teams traded points with the Cougars taking a 15-14 lead into the technical timeout.

Then tied at 17, a 3-0 BYU run capped off by Callahan’s third kill of the set forced K-State’s second timeout. Brooke Hardy got on the board with two quick hitters, and after Kansas State fought off a pair of set points to draw within one, BYU took a timeout ahead 24-23.

After ties at 24 and 25, a tip kill by Callahan and Mortensen overpass slam wrapped up the first, 27-25. The pair of pins had 13 of the Cougars’ 17 kills in the opening set, with Mortensen recording eight and Callahan carding five.

Set 2
Battling again, two separate 3-0 runs paced BYU to a 15-12 advantage at the break. Hardy scored once more before teaming with Mortensen on a double block, prompting a K-State timeout with the Cougars leading 18-15.

Coming out of the timeout, Hardy and Mortensen repeated the sequence, as Hardy recorded another kill before the duo combined for another double block to give BYU a 20-15 lead.

Two Little Chambers kills and a quick hitter for Kelli Jo Burgess gave the Cougars set point, which the pair converted on the next play with a double block for a 25-18 second set win.

Set 3
Tied at four, three straight from the Cougars, highlighted by a Little Chambers ace and Burgess-Callahan double block, to lead 7-4. Two kills by Mortensen and three from Little Chambers had BYU leading by six at the technical timeout, 15-9.

The Wildcats went on a 4-0 out of the break, but Little Chambers, Burgess, Mortensen and Callahan kept the Cougars in front by three at 20-17. Three straight by KSU tied the set at 21, and both teams took a timeout with Kansas State taking a 23-22 lead.

After a Wildcat ace gave KSU set point, a Little Chambers kill made it 24-23, Kansas State, forcing its second timeout. Tied at 24, the Wildcats took two of the next three to force a fourth, 26-24.

Set 4
Both teams went on 3-0 runs to start the final frame, with KSU taking a 15-13 advantage into the technical timeout. The Cougars flipped the script from there, reeling off seven straight amidst both of the Wildcats’ timeouts to lead 21-17. Little Chambers and Callahan closed things out with kills down the stretch, picking up a 25-18 final frame win to close out the four-set victory.

Up Next
BYU will be back in action on Friday, Oct. 2 visiting No. 19 Kansas in Lawrence at 6 p.m. CDT on ESPN+.