LAWRENCE, Kan. – With the
Matt Ulmer era officially set to begin on Aug. 23, ESPN and FOX have revealed their national television schedules for the 2025 Big 12 volleyball season, with the No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks hosting four nationally televised games to Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. Overall, Ulmer and the Jayhawks will play eight total matches on national TV.
"We want to play in big-time matches and environments," said Head Coach
Matt Ulmer. "Exposing our team to national TV matches and allowing the country to see our style of play is exciting, and we're very thankful."
The Jayhawks will host back-to-back nationally televised games against Arizona State on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPNU, followed by hosting Arizona on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Kansas will then host TCU on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. on FS1 followed by a Friday evening battle with Kansas State in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Oct. 24 p.m. at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Kansas' four home nationally televised matches adds to an action-packed 2025 slate, as the Jayhawks will kick off their 2025 season on Saturday, August 23 with a match against Vanderbilt at 3 p.m. CT on FS1 at the AVCA First Serve Tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Jayhawks will also take on Penn State in the AVCA First Serve Tournament on Big Ten Network on Monday, Aug. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
Following the AVCA First Serve Tournament, the Jayhawks will travel to Madison, Wisconsin to play Wisconsin (Aug. 29) and Creighton (Aug. 31) on Big Ten Network.
Picked No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll, the Jayhawks earned four first-place votes and 170 total points. Kansas also notched three Big 12 preseason individual honors, with
Cristin Cline,
Reese Ptacek, and
Jovana Zelenovic named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team, with Ptacek earning a unanimous selection and a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team.
Kansas was ranked No. 14 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason Poll on Wednesday, after the Jayhawks ended their 2024 season with a final AVCA ranking of No. 12. Kansas spent the entirety of the season in the Top 25 for the second consecutive year. .