The Wildcats finished in second place, with 16 points and a 5-2-1 record, with the road win. WSU is the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big Sky Tournament, earning a bye to the semifinals at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in Missoula, Montana.

Weber State actually entered Sunday with the No. 2 seed locked up thanks to other results, namely Idaho playing to two straight ties leading up to the final day. The worst WSU could do is tie for second place with Idaho and/or EWU, and held tiebreakers over both.

Kirby, the Fremont High alum, had no thought of that scenario, though.

In the 41st minute, WSU won a takeaway near midfield and freshman Simone Packer sent it ahead to Kirby. The senior touched twice, turning toward the top of the box and launching a big left-footer that bent past ISU keeper Hannah Wieler and tucked inside the right post.

Just after halftime, in the 50th minute, Weber’s high pressure won a run at goal when Kirby dispossessed ISU defender Tess Livingston deep in Bengals territory. Kirby chased down the ball rolling toward Idaho State’s goal just inside the box and struck a grounder that nutmegged Wiler between the legs and into the goal for a 2-0 lead.

The hat trick came in the 67th minute on a team beauty. Presley Ray sent a ball forward toward ISU’s goal. To catch up with the pace of the pass, midfielder Harlee Thomas lunged to slide and pass the ball from 12 yards out, going left to Kirby standing all alone. Kirby deadened the ball to set up a right-footed pop shot past Wieler.

The feat helped Kirby eclipse her career goal total with this season’s effort, giving her seven goals in 2025 after netting six in her first three seasons. It also moved the 2025 Wildcats into seventh place (out of 29 seasons) with 33 goals this season.

The second-place finish in head coach Kyle Christensen’s first season is Weber State’s best conference result since winning the regular-season title in 2018.

Going 11-6-1 overall in the regular season, it’s only the second time in 20 seasons that WSU soccer has won 11 matches (11-9 in 2021). A tournament semifinal win would give this team the program’s most wins since 2005 (14-5-2).

Weber State will face the winner of No. 3 Eastern Washington and No. 6 Northern Arizona. WSU previously defeated EWU 2-1 at home and played NAU to a 1-1 draw on the road.

No. 1 Montana, who became the first soccer team in Big Sky history to win three straight regular-season titles, will face the winner of No. 4 Portland State and No. 5 Idaho.

WSU VOLLEYBALL FALLS TWICE ON ROAD

Weber State volleyball fell back into the Big Sky pack with road losses at Montana State and Montana, giving the Wildcats three straight defeats.

Now 12-8 overall and 4-4 in the Big Sky, WSU fell from second place to seventh.

The Wildcats, who are 1-7 on the road, next return home (7-1 in Swenson Gym) to host Portland State on Thursday and Sacramento State on Saturday. PSU is in sixth place, a half-game ahead of WSU, while Sac State is 6-3 in league play and part of a four-team pack tied for second place.

Both road losses came in four sets.

Thursday at Montana State, Weber hit .194 and lost 25-14, 18-25, 25-19, 25-22. Rose Moore had a career-high 22 kills for WSU and Kaylie Ray added 14.

Saturday at Montana, WSU lost the first two sets before extending the match then, in the fourth, rallied from down 21-17 to reach set point at 25-24. But Montana won three straight points, with two Delaney Russell kills, to win the match instead (25-15, 25-14, 21-25, 27-25). Ray led both sides with 20 kills; Russell totaled 15.