Jayhawks Drop Four-Set Match to No. 12 TCU

Wednesday, October 1

Fort Worth, Texas

6:30 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

TCU

Jayhawks Drop Four-Set Match to No. 12 TCU

10/1/2025 9:46:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF) Season Stats 10.1

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Behind double-digit kills from Reese Ptacek, Grace Nelson and Selena Leban, Kansas volleyball showed stretches of strong play but couldn't overcome TCU's balanced attack, falling 3-1 on Thursday night in Schollmaier Arena. The Jayhawks Move to 1-2 in Big 12 play and 10-7 overall.

TCU came out firing, opening the first set with a 3-0 run that included back-to-back service aces. Kansas answered with its first point on a kill from Nelson, and a swing from Ptacek pulled the Jayhawks within two at 6-4. The Horned Frogs countered with a nine-point surge that forced Kansas into a timeout. Rhian Swanson broke the streak with a kill, and KU added two points off a TCU error to make it 16-7. Kansas showed some late fight, piecing together a 4-1 stretch capped by a Ptacek block that cut the margin to 18-11, but TCU quickly regrouped and finished the set 25-15.

The Horned Frogs jumped out to an early lead in the second set after a string of Kansas errors, forcing an early timeout while trailing 6-2. Out of the break, Nelson and Logan Bell delivered key kills to steady KU, and a service ace from Ptacek gave Kansas its first lead of the set at 9-8. TCU regained control midway through, but Kansas stayed close with kills from Nelson, Aurora Papac and Jovana Zelenovic. Down 22-20, KU kept the set alive with kills from Papac and Zelenovic, and a block from the same duo cut the deficit to one at 22-21. TCU held strong down the stretch, using a late kill to win 25-23.

Kansas stormed ahead in the third set with a 7-0 run behind a balanced attack. Zelenovic opened the scoring, and Leban added four kills during the run. Nelson capped it with an ace, forcing a TCU timeout. The Jayhawks extended the lead to 10-3 with kills from Ptacek and Papac, while a block by Leban and Papac stifled the Horned Frogs. TCU chipped away late, closing the gap to 24-23, but a TCU service error gave Kansas the set 25-23, its first of the match.

In the fourth set, TCU opened on a 4-0 run, but Kansas quickly settled in with kills from Zelenovic and Nelson to make it 4-2. KU trimmed the margin to 6-3 on a TCU service error before the Horned Frogs scored back-to-back points, forcing a timeout while KU trailed 10-4. Nelson delivered another kill off a set from Cristin Cline, and Swanson added a strong swing to stop the run at 15-6. Kansas continued to battle with points from Nelson, Papac and Ptacek, cutting the deficit to 21-11, but TCU closed out the set 25-13 and the match.

Up next
Kansas makes a quick trip to Waco to face No. 15 Baylor on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT. The match will stream on ESPN+.