photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas defender Jordan Fjelstad dribbles forward in the second half of Kansas’ game against Florida State on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Lawrence.

The Kansas soccer team will look to extend its best start to a season in program history when it welcomes Baylor to Rock Chalk Park on Thursday at 6 p.m.

The Jayhawks are an unprecedented 7-0-2, including 1-0 in Big 12 play after a gritty shorthanded 1-0 victory on the road at Oklahoma State last Thursday.

“It almost felt like we were a man up in some ways because we were just so unified and together,” sophomore midfielder Kate Langfelder said.

Losing freshman forward Jordan Rowan to a red card prior to halftime surprisingly spurred KU to greater success after what head coach Nate Lie described as a lackluster first half-hour of action.

“Once we had that red card and that moment of adversity, from that second onward, I thought we were excellent, and I thought the team and individual players and the bench and everyone just really stepped up in that moment,” Lie said. “And I don’t know what to attribute that to. Hopefully it’s something within our culture there.”

Whatever the case, it allowed the Jayhawks to continue to boost their national standing with another hard-fought victory. KU is now up to No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, its highest ranking since Oct. 20, 2020, and has even entered the top 10 at No. 9 according to TopDrawerSoccer.

“I feel like we really don’t think about ‘Oh, we’re ranked this,’ or this certain expectation,” sophomore defender Jordan Fjelstad said. “It’s more of like, ‘Hey, what are we going to do today that’s going to help us achieve our goal down the line?’ And then from there, hey, we show up for this game and then the next game.”

The Jayhawks’ early-season success has been so comprehensive that while KU has faced certain forms of adversity, it hasn’t even really had to play from behind. KU has allowed eight goals on the season, but all but one have come with the Jayhawks already in the lead. That means they have trailed for a total of 12 minutes and 51 seconds this season, all during the first half of the 1-1 draw with then-No. 2 Florida State on Aug. 28, before freshman Mary Sola equalized.

“I wish we would have had that exposure because usually when it’s the first time you probably don’t do your best in dealing with it,” Lie said. “Hopefully we’ve helped prepare the team to face that challenge when it comes.”

Another rare privilege for the Jayhawks has been their extremely consistent lineup. Lie said he doesn’t think he’s ever coached a team with the level of continuity KU has experienced thus far this season. The Jayhawks have started the same 11 players in all nine matches to this point: goalkeeper Sophie Dawe, the three center backs Fjelstad, Olivia Page and Fiona Skwierawski, wing backs Caroline Castans and Emily Tobin, midfielders Jillian Gregorski, Langfelder and Livvy Moore, and forwards Lexi Watts and Saige Wimes.

“I can look at anyone on the field and know I can trust them, and know if I make a mistake, they’re going to be there to cover for me, and I’ll do the same for them,” Langfelder said.

The latest challenge for this battle-tested group is Baylor, which is coming to town for its first matchup with the Jayhawks since Lie took over as head coach. The KU staff had a chance to watch the Bears’ matches during last season’s Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, but otherwise has not yet crossed paths with Baylor.

The Bears are off to a reasonably hot start of their own, with a 5-1-2 record that includes a 2-0 victory over the United Soccer Coaches poll’s current No. 15 Mississippi State. However, BU is coming off its first loss of the year, 1-0 to Texas Tech, in its conference opener on Friday.

Baylor is led by fourth-year head coach Michelle Lenard and has gotten a team-high four goals this season from senior forward Tyler Isgrig, its lone preseason all-conference player. Goalkeeper Azul Alvarez has allowed just three goals and has 26 saves on the season. The Bears were picked to finish 10th in the league’s preseason poll.

“I think they’re very good on the ball,” Lie said. “I think they have an identity as a program that they really buy into. I think they’ve added a little bit of talent and danger, just on their roster. It’s going to be a really challenging match for sure.”

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU sophomore Kate Langfelder sprints to the ball during the Jayhawks’ match against Missouri State on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

KU head coach Nate Lie chats with players after the team’s win over Missouri State on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.

Personnel updates

With Rowan suspended due to her red card at OSU, Lie said that fellow freshman Faith Johnston, a forward from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, could take on a larger role on Thursday. Johnston scored in her debut against Missouri State on Aug. 14 but has played just 118 minutes on the season and did not appear against the Cowgirls.

Lie also said that the freshman midfielder Sola, from Homer Glen, Illinois, will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering an injury early in KU’s game against Liberty on Sept. 14. She had played 243 minutes in seven prior appearance.

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure we’re going to see Mary the rest of the year,” Lie said. “I don’t think I’m probably breaking too much news. She had an unfortunate injury. She was just coming on. Up until Sunday she was the only player to score on Florida State all season, and she took a goal very well against Liberty right before she got hurt.”

Senior defender Brooke Otto, a team captain who occupied a key role on KU’s 2024 team, could be close to playing again at center back. She missed the end of the 2024 season due to injury and has only appeared once in 2025, in a cameo against Missouri State. Lie said she likely would have appeared at OSU if not for Rowan’s red card. The Jayhawks are looking to cultivate depth on their back line, where they also have young players like freshman Molly Shepherd in reserve.