Kansas Finishes Omaha Tournament 2-1, Falls to No. 18 Creighton

Sunday, September 21

Omaha, Neb.

10 a.m. CT

University of Kansas

9-4,0-0Big 12

South Florida

4-7,0-0American

South Fla.

Kansas

Kansas Finishes Omaha Tournament 2-1, Falls to No. 18 Creighton

9/21/2025 7:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Season Stats 9.21 (2)Box Score (PDF)

OMAHA, Neb. – Kansas opened the Omaha tournament with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over South Florida before falling 3-0 to Creighton in a tightly contested matchup at DJ Sokol Arena. Grace Nelson and Reese Ptacek were both named to the Creighton Classic All-Tournament team for their standout performances over the weekend. With the tournament complete, Kansas improves to 9-5 overall as the team looks ahead to Big 12 Conference play.

Game One
Kansas battled back and forth with South Florida in a four-set thriller, ultimately claiming a 3-1 victory. The Jayhawks overcame early deficits in each set, fueled by timely kills and key blocks from Jovana Zelenovic, who had 13 kills and 7 blocks, Nelson with 17 kills and 5 blocks, and Ptacek with 17 kills and 3 blocks. Kansas pulled away late to secure the decisive fourth-set win.

Kansas opened the first set with a kill from Zelenovic, but South Florida answered, and the teams traded points early. The Jayhawks built a 6-3 lead on a Cristin Cline kill before the Bulls tied it at 6 and moved ahead 7-6 on an ace. After Kansas closed within 10-8, USF responded with a 3-0 run to force a Jayhawk timeout. Kansas rallied to cut the deficit to one at 15-14 on another Zelenovic kill, prompting a USF timeout. The teams continued to trade points, with Kansas earning set point at 24-22 after a Ryan White ace. South Florida, however, answered with two quick kills to tie it and then closed with three straight points to take the set 28-26.

Kansas opened the second set on a 5-0 run to grab a 5-1 lead, forcing a South Florida timeout. The Bulls answered with three straight points to get within 5-4, but a Nelson kill stopped the run and sparked another Kansas burst to 12-5, prompting a second USF timeout. Out of the break, Ptacek and Nelson combined for key swings as the Jayhawks stretched the margin to 15-8. South Florida cut the deficit to 16-13 with back-to-back kills, but Papac answered with a kill and later teamed with Zelenovic on a block to make it 19-15 for Kansas. Ptacek and Nelson kept the offense rolling to 22-18, and the Jayhawks reached set point at 24-19 after a Bulls attack error. USF fought off three points with a kill and an ace, but Kansas closed the set 25-22 on a block from Cline and Papac to even the match.

The Jayhawks opened the third set with a kill from Zelenovic, but USF quickly evened it at 1-1. Nelson and Ptacek fueled a 3-1 Jayhawk lead before the Bulls rallied back, eventually tying the set at 7-7 after a Kansas attack error. The Jayhawks answered with two straight points, pulling ahead 9-7 on a kill from Cline. The teams traded points through the middle of the set, with key kills from Ptacek, Nelson, Brus, Zelenovic, and Papac keeping Kansas in front. USF pulled within a point several times, forcing multiple timeouts, but the Jayhawks responded with timely kills and blocks to hold a slim lead at 22-21. After a back-and-forth stretch, Kansas tied the score at 23-23 on a Nelson kill, then reached match point when the Bulls attacked out of bounds. Zelenovic closed the set and the match with a final kill, giving Kansas a 25-23 win in the third set.

Looking to close out the fourth set, the Jayhawks jumped to a 3-1 lead before the Bulls answered with an ace. Kansas responded with kills from Ptacek and Nelson, pushing the lead to 6-3. USF battled back to tie the set at 8-8 with a service ace and a kill. The Jayhawks regained momentum with kills from Papac, Nelson, and Ptacek, forcing a USF timeout at 11-8. Out of the timeout, Kansas steadily extended its lead to 16-14. The Bulls countered with a kill, but the Jayhawks answered immediately, building a 20-16 advantage. The final stretch featured a mix of errors and kills, but Kansas stayed composed, and a USF attack error sealed the fourth set 25-20, giving Kansas the decisive match victory.

Game Two
The Jayhawks battled Creighton in a tightly contested matchup but came up short in a 3-0 loss. Despite strong efforts from Zelenovic, who led the team with 11.5 points, and Ptacek adding 8.5, Kansas was unable to sustain momentum down the stretch.

Kansas and Creighton traded points early before the Jayhawks grabbed a 5-2 lead behind kills from Ptacek and a Zelenovic ace. Creighton rallied to move ahead 8-7, but KU's block—led by Zelenovic, Ptacek, and Selena Leban—pushed the Jayhawks back in front 12-9. Kansas held a 15-13 edge at the media timeout, but the Bluejays responded with a 5-0 run to lead 19-16 before a Zelenovic kill stopped the surge. Kansas rallied late, tying the set at 21 and again at 23 behind kills from Zelenovic and Swanson. The Jayhawks fought off two set points before the Bluejays won it 26-24.

In the second set, Kansas and Creighton traded points early, with kills from Zelenovic, Leban, and Nelson keeping KU even at 9-9. The Bluejays pulled ahead briefly, but a Ptacek kill kept the Jayhawks within 13-14 before the media timeout. From there, Creighton took control, using an ace and a pair of blocks in a 5-1 run to go up 20-15. Kansas fought off one match point, but Creighton's balanced attack proved too much down the stretch. The Bluejays closed the frame 25-18 to go up 2-0.

Kansas edged ahead 3-2 in the third set, but Creighton quickly tied it at 6-6. The Bluejays then went on a 4-0 run to take a 10-7 lead and extended it to 13-8 with a kill and an ace before Kansas halted the streak. Swanson and Ptacek combined on a block, and Swanson and Devers added kills to trim the deficit to 15-12. Creighton responded at the net, but Kansas rallied to tie it at 18-18 following a service ace by White. Kansas briefly regained the lead after a 3-0 run, going up 21-20, but Creighton finished the set with three straight points to take the final set 25-22 and the match.

Up Next
Kansas closes out the Omaha tournament with a 2-1 record on the weekend. The Jayhawks return to Horejsi Arena for their first home game of the season and Big 12 play, hosting Arizona State on Friday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPNU, followed by a matchup against Arizona on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT, broadcast on ESPN.