The 2025 Kansas Volleyball season, under first-year head coach Matt Ulmer, sure hasn’t lacked dramatics. KU’s four matches, three of which have come against nationally-ranked teams, have each gone into a decisive fifth set. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, they have only won that crucial fifth set once, resulting in a 1-3 start to the new campaign. Most recently, No. 14 Kansas fell to No. 12 Creighton in the final match of the Opening Spike Classic in Madison, Wi.
In the loss to Creighton, Kansas was led by freshman Jovana Zelenovic who paced the team with 16 kills, while sophomore Cristin Cline dished out 33 assists. Creighton won each of the first two sets before Kansas took the third set, 25-21, and the fourth, 27-25, which was clinched by a final point service ace from freshman Selena Leban. Kansas would get out to an early 3-0 lead in the fifth set, but the Bluejays strung together nine consecutive points to build a gap and eventually win 15-12.
While KU’s 1-3 record is disappointing from a win-loss standpoint, it’s important to note that all three losses have come to teams ranked in the Top 12 in the inaugural AVCA Top 25 poll. After a season-opening five-set win over Vanderbilt, the Jayhawks’ setbacks came against No. 2 Penn State and No. 8 Wisconsin before the most recent loss to the No. 12 ranked Bluejays.
First-year head coach Matt Ulmer has a track record of winning, and there’s no reason to fret for KU Volleyball fans after a string of early-season heartbreakers. The Jayhawks are loaded with talent, and young talent at that, namely with rookies Zelenovic and Leban, as well as sophomores Cline and Reese Ptacek. While there won’t be quite as many big-name programs on the rest of Kansas’ non-conference slate, challenges still await. This week, the Jayhawks head to the Purdue tournament to do battle with Bowling Green, Georgia Tech and Purdue.
Here’s to hoping the early-season five-set setbacks prove as motivation and learning experiences for the Jayhawks in more vital matches down the road. Rock Chalk!
Sean Kellerman