No. 15 Jayhawks Sweep Houston for Fourth Straight Win

Thursday, October 16

Houston, Texas

7 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

14-7,5-2Big 12

Houston

8-10,1-6Big 12

Kansas

Houston

No. 15 Jayhawks Sweep Houston for Fourth Straight Win

10/16/2025 8:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 10.16 Season Stats Box Score (PDF) 21

HOUSTON, Texas — The No. 15 Kansas Jayhawks won their fourth-consecutive Big 12 match with a 3-0 victory over Houston Thursday evening at the Fertitta Center. The Jayhawks won the match by set scores of 25-14, 25-23, 25-26, to claim a ninth sweep of the season.

With the win, Kansas improves to 14-7 (5-2 Big 12) on the year, while Houston falls to 8-10 (1-6 Big 12).

Kansas was led by the trio of Grace Nelson, Jovana Zelenovic and Rhian Swanson, who combined for 33 kills and six blocks. Nelson led the way with 12 kills and eight digs, while Zelenovic had 11 kills and Swanson added 10. Katie Dalton continued her consistent play from the setter position with 30 assists and seven digs. Reese Ptacek recorded a team-high six blocks and Ryan White led KU with 13 digs.

"When we are having fun on the court, that is when we play our best," said Head Coach Matt Ulmer. "We have been really disciplined, and it is showing; our energy and focus are translating into wins."

The Jayhawks came out firing in the first set, going on an 8–0 scoring run behind eight straight serves from freshman Logan Bell, who notched a career high. Houston finally halted the run with a kill to get on the board. The Cougars added four more points to close the gap at 11–4, but Kansas responded with a 4–0 run behind the serving of Nelson to extend its lead to 15–4. Houston countered with a 6–0 run of its own, capitalizing on three Kansas attack errors and two kills, which prompted a Jayhawk timeout as their lead was trimmed to five. Out of the break, Houston added two more points to cut the deficit to 16–12, but Kansas remained composed as a Nelson kill reignited the offense. That swing sparked a dominant 7–0 run, fueled by seven serves from Dalton and kills from Swanson and Zelenovic. Zelenovic continued to shine, recording back-to-back kills to clinch the set 25–14 and give Kansas a 1–0 lead in the match.

Houston opened the second set with renewed energy, trading points early before pulling ahead 7–5. Kansas answered behind strong swings from Nelson and steady serving from Dalton, who helped the Jayhawks stay within striking distance. After the Cougars built a 15–10 lead, Kansas called a timeout and came out refocused. Zelenovic and Swanson found their rhythm on the pins, sparking a surge that brought KU even. The Jayhawks then grabbed their first lead at 19–18 after back-to-back blocks from Nelson and Ptacek. Following a Houston timeout, Kansas maintained its momentum, with Swanson and Zelenovic powering the offense to a 23–21 edge. A block from Nelson and Ptacek set up match point, and Swanson finished the set with authority, clinching the 25–23 win and giving Kansas a 2–0 lead in the match.

Houston struck first in the third set, but Kansas quickly responded with a dominant 6–0 run highlighted by a pair of service aces from White. The Cougars halted the surge with a kill, but the Jayhawks maintained control early with a 6–2 lead. Houston managed to string together a few kills to trim the deficit, yet Kansas continued to dominate, adding another ace by Dalton to extend its advantage to 14–5. The Cougars answered with a brief 3–0 run to reach double digits, but the Jayhawks still held a commanding 17–10 lead. Despite another short Houston push, Kansas responded immediately with a 3–0 run of its own, sparked by back-to-back kills from Nelson to make it 22–14. The Jayhawks closed out the match in style, with kills from Swanson and Zelenovic sealing the 25–16 set victory and completing the sweep.

UP NEXT
Kansas returns home next week to face No. 11 TCU in Horejsi Volleyball Arena at 6 p.m. CT, with the match airing on FS1, before staying in Lawrence but playing in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since 2013 for a Sunflower Showdown matchup against Kansas State at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.