#13 Manu Johnsen rises to hit the ball against UTEP at VyStar Arena. Photo courtesy of KSU Athletics.
Volleyball wrapped up its 2025 regular season, entering the Conference USA tournament as a three-seed.
The Owls, led by head coach Keith Schunzel, battled through one of the most competitive conferences in recent years.
Despite early injuries and a lineup shuffle during the season, Kennesaw State finished with an 18-8 record and secured the third seed in the CUSA Tournament, where a late-season surge showed the program’s development.
The Owls were anchored by veteran hitters and emerging underclassmen such as Manu Johnsen and Olivia Burrage.
KSU relied heavily on its growth mindset and displayed strong defensive performances – especially strong blocks to push matches and compete with the conference’s top teams.
Senior leadership played a crucial role, particularly in tight five-set wins that defined the Owls’ October schedule.
“I think our composure in big moments in tight sets has improved dramatically from the beginning of the fall until now,” Schunzel said. “We expect these matches to be tight and high level, and we keep our heads up and play through it.”
That growth was evident in the back row, where KSU’s serving and defensive pressure improved substantially from September to November, and Burrage earned Defensive Player of the Week after defeating Liberty.
“Looking back, I thought it was really rewarding winning something like that because it is a lot of hard work,” Burrage said.
The Owls finished the regular season being the conference leaders in digs per set. A breakout year from Leah Freeman, steady contributions from the team’s younger defensive players, freshman talent and clutch moments gave KSU momentum heading into what promises to be a competitive postseason tournament.
Offensively, KSU has continued to build around a balanced approach, making sure everyone is contributing to the score on the front line rather than depending on a single individual.
That versatility often made the Owls difficult to beat and it kept them competitive even against top defenses. The setting unit also saw notable strides, with improved team chemistry and connection helping stabilize the offense during the season’s most challenging games.
Looking ahead, the future appears bright for the program. KSU is set to return most of its core roster in 2026, including several underclassmen who saw significant playing time this season.
Going into this week’s tournament, Johnsen is projected to beak the school’s record for the most points scored for the volleyball team.
“I want to beat the all time points,” Johnsen said. “I am only 6.5 points from that right now, so I would love to do that this weekend.”
With another year of experience and a strong recruiting class entering, the Owls are hopeful for an even longer run in the 2026 season.
“We want to be in the mix for the NCAA Tournament, and long term we want to win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament,’ Schunzel said. “We want to compete to get to the Sweet 16. We want to give our players a really high level Division I experience and a really healthy positive culture.”
As KSU shifts into offseason training, the program is focused on building consistency, team bonding and strengthening this season’s powerful finish. If this season was any indication, the Owls’ path forward is lined up to be another great year and a growing expectation that the Owls will continue climbing within CUSA.
The Owls are set to face Jacksonville State on Friday to open the tournament.
