No. 17 Kansas sweeps Coyote Invitational, wins all matches 3-0

Saturday, September 13

Vermillion, S.D.

5 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

6-4,0-0Big 12

South Dakota

6-3,0-0Summit League

Kansas

South Dakota

No. 17 Kansas sweeps Coyote Invitational, wins all matches 3-0

9/13/2025 6:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

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VERMILLION, S.D. – No. 17 Kansas capped the Coyote Invitational with a dominant 3-0 sweep over South Dakota, improving to 6-4 on the season and claiming the tournament title after winning every match in straight sets.

Jovana Zelenovic led the Jayhawks with 15.5 points on 13 kills and a .480 hitting percentage, while Rhian Swanson added 11.5 points. Reese Ptacek contributed 11 points, including four blocks. Setter Cristin Cline orchestrated the offense with 31 assists and added key late-set blocks, helping Kansas control all three sets, 25-16, 25-16, 25-14.

"In our previous two away matches, we struggled to manage our emotions, so it was great to see the growth in that area tonight," said head coach Matt Ulmer. "Our serving executed the game plan perfectly, which allowed our defense to really dial in."

South Dakota raced out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, but Kansas answered with three straight kills from Zelenovic to close the gap to 4-3. The Coyotes held a slim 7-6 advantage before the Jayhawks steadied with kills from Zelenovic and Ptacek, tying the score at 11-all on another Zelenovic swing.

Logan Bell gave Kansas its first lead with a service ace, sparking a 7-0 run that included kills from Aurora Papac and Grace Nelson, plus a block by Zelenovic and Papac to make it 18-14. South Dakota used both timeouts to try to stop the surge, but Kansas stayed in control. The Jayhawks finished the set with five consecutive points, highlighted by a Zelenovic ace and a block from Cline and Ptacek, winning 25-16.

In the second set, the teams traded points early, tied 3-3, before South Dakota pulled ahead 5-3. Kansas responded with steady swings from Zelenovic and Nelson, taking advantage of Coyote errors to go up 7-4. After falling behind 9-4, the Jayhawks went on a 6-0 run, capped by Swanson and Ptacek kills and a Leban service ace to take a 10-9 lead. Kansas extended its advantage with kills from Swanson, Zelenovic, and Ptacek, along with a block from Papac and Cline, eventually closing the set 25-16.

The third set opened with a Swanson kill, and Kansas took control after a Zelenovic service ace gave them a 6-3 lead. The Jayhawks stretched the advantage to 13-9 after a timeout by South Dakota, then extended it to 21-12 behind kills from Swanson and Ptacek, and Ptacek added a service ace. Kansas closed the set 25-14, sealing the 3-0 sweep over the Coyotes and completing a flawless tournament performance.