Elli Mortensen recorded a career-high 19 kills to lead No. 18 BYU women's volleyball to a 3-1 victory over Kansas State on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The win at Morgan Family Arena moved the Cougars to a 10-1 record and 2-0 in the Big 12.
Mortensen achieved her second consecutive double-double, adding 12 digs to her 19 kills while hitting .630. Other BYU contributors included Claire Little Chambers and Sophia Callahan, who each recorded 13 kills. Kelli Jo Burgess provided a match-high 10 blocks, while Lulu Po’uha led the team with 20 digs. Setters Alex Bower and Kaylie Kofe each recorded 25 assists during the win (27-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-18).
In a separate matchup, UC Santa Barbara swept Utah Valley 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 26-24) at Lockhart Arena. The Gauchos were led by Auburn Tomkinson and Gabi Martinez, who both recorded 15 kills. Utah Valley was led by Olivia Gloeckner, who finished with 10 kills, and Alyvia Watkins, who contributed seven kills and seven blocks.
The Utah Valley Wolverines finished the match with 10 team blocks, including six from Alyvia Watkins. Evalyn Medaris contributed 28 assists, six digs, and a solo block during the contest.
Utah Valley concludes its four-match homestand on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a match against Cal Poly scheduled for 1 p.m. MDT.
