Kansas University's Caitlin Mahoney (11) and Flavia Lino (16) elevate above the next attempting to block St. Peter's Stephanie Phillips (16) on Friday at Horejsi Center.

No one is going to mistake St. Peters’ and Wyoming’s volleyball teams for perennial Big 12 powerhouses Nebraska and Texas.

Still, a win’s a win, and Kansas University’s volleyball team fashioned two totally different ways to do just that during Friday’s Jayhawk Invitational in the Horejsi Center on the cusp of starting Big 12 play.

After disposing of the Peahens earlier in the day, 30-14, 30-16, 30-16, in little more than an hour, the Jayhawks found themselves in a frenetic, five-game dual with the Cowgirls that lasted twice as long – a matchup KU eventually won, 38-40, 30-27, 30-25, 20-30, 15-13.

Game One alone lasted 45 minutes and had more plot twists than a Hardy Boys novel. The teams tied at 25 and kept the score deadlocked on every point through 38. There were 23 ties and 11 lead changes, or more than the other four game’s totals combined.

KU had four chances to win the game, but Wyoming (4-3) finally prevailed on its seventh game point when Lauren Whitney’s serve found the right corner of KU’s court for an ace.

Head coach Ray Bechard, in his 10th year with the Jayhawks, admitted it may have been the wildest game he has ever been a part of.

“We had players out there playing positions they don’t normally play,” he said. “You know, we used all 15 subs.”

Freshman outside hitter Karina Garlington had never seen anything like it, either.

“No, never,” Garlington said. “Oh my gosh, I almost peed my pants. It was the most intense game ever.”

Rather than wallowing in dejection, though, the Jayhawks fought back to win the next two games before Wyoming handled KU easily in game four.

Garlington led the charge to begin the final game, slamming four kills in KU’s first six points. Then, with the Jayhawks leading 14-13, middle blocker Brittany Williams sent the more than 800 fans in attendance into bedlam when she tipped the ball over the net and out of Wyoming’s grasp for the win.

“In game four, we just looked dead,” Bechard said. “But I just challenged them. One of our goals was that we never quit at home, we have a dog-fight attitude and a little bit of that showed up I thought in game five. Thank goodness.”

Williams tied a season high with 13 kills, Emily Brown led the Jayhawks with 37 assists and Melissa Manda paced KU with 25 digs.

The Jayhawks (6-3) won for the third consecutive time and play one final match in the Jayhawk Invitational against Morehead State before taking on Kansas State at home on Wednesday.

Bechard said the emotions from the Wyoming win will dissipate quickly, but hopes there won’t be a letdown against the Eagles.

“Now the challenge will be to respond tomorrow at noon because we can’t afford for a Morehead State team to be more excited about the opportunity than us.”