Less than two weeks ago, the Kansas volleyball team was on the ropes at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, after dropping the first two sets to No. 24 Baylor.
The Jayhawks turned the tide in their favor on that day with a five-set win, and on Thursday night inside Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, history didn’t repeat itself as KU swept the Bears (25-20, 25-21, 29-27) on Ray Bechard Court.
“It felt like a very similar match, this time we won the close set,” KU head coach Matt Ulmer said. “You could have seen this being a reverse of what happened in Waco … They were gaining momentum and feeling better and figuring things out.”
It was an offensive-minded match throughout with the Jayhawks, who have now won five straight matches, outhitting the Bears .379-.304, but the Big 12’s player of the month, Ksenia Rakhmanchik, kept the visitors in striking distance all night with 20 kills on a .405 hitting percentage.
“They’re one of the best offenses for sure in the Big 12 and in the country,” Ulmer said. “Their lefts are just a lot to handle, and they run it so fast, so we really needed to serve tough to make them a little bit more predictable.”
For the fifth straight match, KU’s attack was paced by junior pin hitter Grace Nelson, who recorded 17 kills (one shy of her career-high) on a blistering .484 percentage.
“Grace Nelson, you know, just watching her bloom in front of our eyes, like just becoming one of the best all-around players in the country,” Ulmer said. “You can see just her confidence grow match by match, and she’s doing it under pressure time and time again.”
Added freshman pin hitter Taylor Stanley: “It’s obvious to see that she’s doing amazing things, and she’s taking a huge load off of us, and we’re able to run our offense in different ways now.”
The Jayhawks’ first two points of the opening set came via service errors before an ace by Nelson kickstarted the offense. Nelson added yet another ace while Aisha Aiono and Kenzie Dean put down the first two kills of the match for KU, who forced a timeout, leading 7-2.
Dean soon added two more kills to her first-set total, and Stanley got going with her first three kills as the Jayhawks held a 15-10 advantage at the technical timeout. The Bears cut into the lead with two points out of the timeout, but KU didn’t let the lead get any closer than three, taking the opening set 25-20.
A big key to the opener was the Jayhawks’ attack. The team hit .480 (15 kills, three errors). Dean led the way with five, while Nelson and Stanley chipped in with four each.
“Just continuing to mix it up,” setter Reese Messer said of what was working offensively. “My hitters are just so good; they make my job so easy. Our passing’s great, we’re always in system, so it’s really just me making the right decision and the right read.”
A kill by Reese Ptacek on the first rally of the second set sparked a four-point run by KU as the Prescott, Wisconsin, native served up an ace to cap off the early run. Nelson also picked up right where she left off with three kills soon after as the Jayhawks held a 15-8 lead.
Ptacek claimed another ace out of the timeout as KU began to wear Baylor down with a few more kills by Nelson and an additional point from Dean to lead 21-12. Soon after, the Bears did score five consecutive points to make the Jayhawk advantage 23-19, but a service error and a kill from Nelson gave Ulmer’s team a 2-0 lead.
Ptacek’s success from the service line continued into the third set, as she gave the Jayhawks an early lead in the third game with an ace, her third of the match.
Neither team could create any separation on the scoreboard until Baylor’s second unsuccessful challenge of the match gave Kansas a three-point lead. The lead soon expanded to four points at 10-6 after a block by Aiono and Nelson, forcing a timeout.
A pair of three-point runs by the Bears ultimately cut into and then completely erased the Jayhawks’ lead, but a service error followed by kills from Nelson and Ptacek, along with a Baylor attack error, gifted KU a 19-16 advantage.
Baylor once again rallied to tie the set, this time at 20, but the Jayhawks’ offensive firepower was just enough to force two match points, leading 24-22. The Bears crawled back and ultimately fought off four KU match points in total, before kills by Nelson and Aiono finally ended the set and gave the Jayhawks the victory.
KU, which is now 17-5 and 10-2 in Big 12 play, is beginning to peak at the right time with just six matches remaining in the regular season. The Jayhawks will finish the week at home on Sunday, hosting Cincinnati at 1 p.m.
“One thing that’s special about being coached by Ulmer (is) he’s going to have you the best by the end of the season,” Messer said. “I feel like we just get better every single day, and I feel like we’re playing our best volleyball right now.
The Kansas volleyball team listens to head coach Matt Ulmer during a timeout during their matchup against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Kansas freshman Taylor Stanley winds up to spike the ball against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Kansas junior Reese Ptacek hits the ball over two Baylor players during their game on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Junior Grace Nelson bumps the ball during Kansas’ game against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Junior Grace Nelson spikes the ball during Kansas’ matchup against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Kansas sophomore Logan Bell holds a fist up in celebration of scoring a point against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Junior Grace Nelson and Kansas teammates celebrate together after scoring against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Kansas junior Grace Nelson spikes the ball through two Baylor players on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Kansas sophomore Reese Messer serves the ball to Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Freshman Taylor Stanley spikes the ball during Kansas’ matchup against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
The Kansas volleyball team comes together in celebration after scoring against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Kansas junior Reese Ptacek and sophomore Reese Messer block a spike sent by Baylor during their game on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
The Kansas volleyball team celebrates scoring a point against Baylor on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World
Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World