photo by: Chance Parker/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas freshman Reese Ptacek spikes the ball against Kansas State on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Lawrence.

For a Kansas volleyball team with so much experience across the board, one of the biggest postseason honors went to a freshman.

Reese Ptacek, a first-year middle blocker from Prescott, Wisconsin, saw her first action at KU in late September and by early October had become a fixture in the Jayhawks’ starting lineup. After averaging 1.94 kills per set on .325 hitting during the regular season to go with a team-high 1.27 blocks per set, Ptacek was announced as the Big 12 Conference freshman of the year on Tuesday afternoon.

Between Ptacek, who was also the only unanimous all-rookie selection, and fellow freshman middle Zoey Burgess, KU received both preseason and postseason freshman of the year honors, suggesting a strong foundation beyond 2024.

KU’s other solo honoree was outside hitter Caroline Bien, the league’s scholar-athlete of the year. The senior from Overland Park averages 2.54 kills and 3.22 digs per set and per a league press release has a 4.0 GPA as an accounting major. Bien was also a second-team all-conference pick, along with senior opposite hitter London Davis and her 2.69 kills per set on .309 hitting.

The Jayhawks had four players named to the all-league first team: Ptacek, outside hitter Ayah Elnady, middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo and a unanimous pick in setter Camryn Turner.

Elnady leads the team in kills per set with 3.75, to go with 2.76 digs and 0.35 aces. Onabanjo has the best hitting percentage among KU’s regular contributors at .399 (also No. 3 in the conference) and was recently selected in the Pro Volleyball Federation draft.

Turner, another PVF pick, leads the league with 11.40 assists per set and has garnered some form of All-Big 12 honor each year of her career since coming to KU from Topeka’s Seaman High School.

Of note, she did not receive the title of Big 12 setter of the year this season after earning it in 2023. The coaches instead gave it to Argentina Ung of champion Arizona State, who averages an assist less than Turner per set. The Washington State transfer, also a unanimous selection, records more kills and aces than Turner but fewer blocks and digs.

ASU’s Mary Shroll was named libero of the year, and its coach JJ Van Niel was the coach of the year, making ASU the only school with three individual honors. TCU’s Melanie Parra was the overall conference player of the year.

KU will host Colgate in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.