No. 14 Kansas Drops Five-Set Battle to No. 12 Creighton

Sunday, August 31

Madison, Wis.

3:30 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

1-3,0-0Big 12

Creighton

1-2,0-0Big East

Kansas

Creighton

No. 14 Kansas Drops Five-Set Battle to No. 12 Creighton

8/31/2025 5:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Season Stats 8.31 Box Score

MADISON, Wis. – Kansas volleyball played its fourth-straight five-set match to open the season on Sunday, falling in five to No. 12 Creighton in the final match of the Opening Spike Classic.

With the setback, Kansas falls to 1-3 on the year with all three defeats coming against teams ranked in the top 12 of the inaugural AVCA Top 25 poll for the 2025 season. The Jayhawks return to action Sept. 1-3 at the Purdue Tournament in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Kansas was led by Jovana Zelenovic, who had 16 kills on the night while Selena Leban added 10 kills and seven digs. Cristin Cline led KU with 33 assists while adding seven digs and Ryan White (15) and Grace Nelson (14) led the team in digs. Aurora Papac contributed to five of the Jayhawks eight blocks in the match.

In the first set, Kansas battled point-for-point with No. 12 Creighton early in the first set, trailing just 8-7. A Bluejay run forced an early Kansas timeout, but the Jayhawks regrouped and halted the 7-0 surge on a Creighton attack error to stay within reach at 14-7. Kansas continued to push down the stretch, but Creighton maintained its edge to take the set 25-17.

After falling behind 4-1 early in the second set, the Jayhawks responded with a 4-0 run capped by a Leban kill, giving Kansas its first lead at 7-6. But the Bluejays regained the lead with an 8-3 run that pushed the score to 15-11, sending Kansas into a much-needed media timeout, out of the timeout, Kansas closed the gap and pulled within one at 16-15 after a kill from Nelson. But, Creighton was not phased, and continued to hold the lead and earn the set victory at 25-21.

Kansas carried momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind strong swings from Reese Ptacek. Creighton answered to close the gap, but the Jayhawks continued to find offense through Rhian Swanson and Leban, forcing the Bluejays to call a timeout with Kansas in front 10-6. Out of the timeout, Creighton responded with a 5-0 run to grab the lead at 11-10, prompting Kansas to regroup with a timeout of its own.

The Jayhawks quickly regained their rhythm as Leban delivered a kill and White added steady serving to push Kansas back ahead 13-11. After trading points, Swanson and Ptacek powered the offense before Heidi Devers came off the bench and made an instant impact, sparking a 3-0 run with a kill and a service ace to extend the lead to 19-17. Kansas carried the momentum late, building a 22-19 lead and never looking back to claim its first set of the match, 25-21, with Zelenovic sealing the win with a decisive kill.

Creighton struck first in the fourth set, but Kansas quickly settled in as Zelenovic and Nelson provided early answers. The teams traded points through the opening rallies, with Cline setting up a key kill and the Jayhawk front line combining for a block to even the score at 8-8.

Kansas began to pull ahead, forcing Creighton to call a timeout with the Jayhawks leading 11-8. Out of the break, Kansas extended its advantage with strong swings from Swanson and Zelenovic, building a 12-8 lead. The teams traded points over the next several rallies, but Kansas maintained momentum, keeping the score even at 16-16 as both sides battled for control.

From there, the set turned into a nail-biter. Cline and Leban combined for key kills to push Kansas ahead, only for Creighton to respond with timely kills of their own. Match-point opportunities came and went for both sides, with neither team able to pull away. Finally, Leban delivered a clutch service ace on the final point, forcing a reception error from Creighton and sealing a thrilling 27-25 set victory for Kansas, keeping the Jayhawks alive in the match.

In the fifth set, Kansas jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Creighton surged with a 9-0 run to take control at 9-3. The Jayhawks continued to battle and kept the set competitive, but a final kill by Creighton secured a 15-12 win.

Up Next: Kansas wraps up play at the Opening Spike Classic but will remain on the road Sept. 3-5 to compete in the Purdue tournament, facing Bowling Green, Georgia Tech and Purdue.