Last offseason was a challenge for Kansas volleyball coach Matt Ulmer. He moved to Lawrence, then had to get situated at his new job and fill out a roster of players he’d just met.
But despite all of that, the Jayhawks still finished second in the Big 12 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. So, now that Ulmer and the Jayhawks are settled in, Ulmer has been able to focus on the most basic element of the job: coaching.
“I feel like I can coach volleyball,” Ulmer said. “Just build relationships stronger with our players and maybe work on some more intricate things on the volleyball court.”
The most important thing for Ulmer to establish in his first year at KU was culture. The Jayhawks started with some difficult road games early in the season and finished strong with a 13-5 conference record. The Jayhawks continued to face tough teams and compete in the NCAA Tournament, where the Jayhawks beat No. 13 Miami at home before losing on the road to No. 1 Nebraska.
“They feel a lot more experienced at this point,” Ulmer said. “They have a much better idea of where I’m trying to lead us. My hope for the program and the goals that I want them to have — they’re on board with all those things. They’ve been working hard to get as close as they can to making those goals reality.”
Culture is always important for building a consistent, winning program, and the seven returners on the roster are helping Kansas build it.
“I feel like the team has the right priorities,” Ulmer said. “They’re doing everything that they need to do on their end to be successful. They’re all on the same path, they’re all doing the same thing together.”
While the returners, such as first-team all-conference middle blocker Reese Ptacek and second-team all-conference pin hitter Grace Nelson, will certainly play a pivotal role for the Jayhawks this year, there are still a number of new faces that are set to round out the team. Of the 15 Jayhawks on the roster, eight are in their first year in Lawrence. Three of the newcomers are freshmen who committed to KU before Ulmer took the job, and several other freshman Jayhawks were committed to Ulmer when he was at Oregon but flipped over to Kansas after Ulmer made the switch.
The six freshmen bring a physicality that Ulmer said the team didn’t have a year ago. Ulmer said it’s about the size of the block at the net that teams like Nebraska had, and that the size of the block can really disrupt an opposing team in shot selection and rhythm. With more physicality this year, the Jayhawks can attack other teams’ blocks, instead of trying to avoid them.
“When you’re just trying to avoid the block, you’re really limited offensively,” Ulmer said. “We just didn’t score great (last season). For us to have as much success as we had without having much offense was a great credit to our defense.”
Libero Olivia Hasbrook and setter Reese Messer are two incoming transfers who bring in a lot of experience, coming from Ohio State and USC, respectively. Ulmer looked to bring in more offense to the Jayhawks, who won sets with their defense last season. The two transfers should help the Jayhawks improve their first two contacts, and therefore generate better offensive opportunities.
“We’re young, but they’re hungry, and they’re used to winning and having success,” Ulmer said. “They’re all starting to realize there is going to be a lot of competition to get on the floor. They’re going to push each other, they’re going to make each other better every day.”
As much as the team’s internal competition will help the team improve, so will the team’s external competition with a challenging nonconference schedule ahead of them. The Jayhawks start with an exhibition game against Creighton, a team that held a No. 3 seed in the tournament last year. After that, the Jayhawks open on the road at Pittsburgh against the Panthers and the Stanford Cardinal, both of whom will be among the top five teams nationally.
“The rest of the schedule is a lot of teams that are looking to make the tournament,” Ulmer said. “Teams that are used to winning a lot of games. We get to be home for five (nonconference) matches, which is exciting. We weren’t able to do it last year, so I think all that is a really good thing for us.”
Things don’t get easier for the Jayhawks once conference play starts. Ten Big 12 teams reached the NCAA Tournament last year, and only two teams in the conference had a losing record in 2025. Ulmer said the conference has teams that come prepared, have good schemes and bring a physical presence.
As much as an easy ride into the tournament would be nice, the team’s experience playing tough games early in nonconference and in Big 12 play set them up to play good teams late. This year’s schedule prepares the Jayhawks for the same thing.
“You have got to go get in these matches and get the team used to that,” Ulmer said. “The more we do it, the more that will be an established thing for us and be more part of our culture. This is the type of competition that we’re used to playing, and these are the matches that we want to be in.”
The Jayhawks’ season is rapidly approaching, with the exhibition game against Creighton scheduled for Aug. 22 and the official start of the 2026 season coming the following Friday.
KU sophomore Reese Ptacek looks to the other side of the court before serving to Arizona State on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.
KU sophomore Grace Nelson waits for play to resume during the Jayhawks’ match against Arizona State on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.
Ohio State’s Olivia Hasbrook passes against Northwestern on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio.
USC’s Reese Messer sets the ball during a match against Northwestern on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Ohio State Athletics
USC Athletics