photo by: Kansas Athletics

The KU volleyball team huddles during a match against Colgate on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Durham, N.C.

The Kansas volleyball team opened its season in emphatic fashion over the weekend, claiming three wins in three matches at the Duke Tournament in Durham, North Carolina.

KU dropped just one set — the opener against the host Blue Devils on Saturday — as it defeated South Carolina 3-0 on Friday, Duke 3-1 and then Colgate 3-0 on Sunday.

“I thought we competitively and technically got better throughout the weekend,” head coach Ray Bechard said in a press release, “and I’m looking forward to opening up at home on Wednesday.”

The Jayhawks, who entered the campaign with a No. 13 national ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, will welcome Wichita State to Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Through three matches, veteran middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo leads KU with 36 kills while hitting .727, closely followed by Caroline Bien (31) and Ayah Elnady (28) with additional support from London Davis (19).

Onabanjo’s career-high 22 kills against Duke helped the Jayhawks overcome an uneven first set, in which service struggles and a late 10-3 run aided by four attack errors allowed the Blue Devils to jump ahead.

KU won the remaining three frames by 11, nine and nine points, respectively, culminating with a fourth set in which Onabanjo managed a whopping 10 kills, including six of the Jayhawks’ first eight points.

Neither the South Carolina nor Colgate matches featured as much intrigue, although KU did need to stave off the Gamecocks in a close opening set 25-23 thanks to a pair of late kills by Onabanjo that prevented South Carolina from tying the game. Bien ended up as that match’s offensive leader with 12 kills, and Elnady got a team-high dozen of her own against Colgate.

Camryn Turner, the reigning Big 12 setter of the year, was consistent throughout the weekend with 10.80 assists per set. Sophomore middle blocker Aisha Aiono rounded out the Jayhawks’ starting lineup, while Raegan Burns (team-high 34 digs) and Bryn McGehe played in all 10 sets defensively. Freshmen Zoey Burgess, Heidi Devers, Ellie Moore and Grace Nelson all debuted; Devers served well on the weekend, tallying three aces to just one error.

The Jayhawks head home Wednesday before another weekend tournament sends them to Milwaukee to face Marquette and Western Michigan. Marquette ranks 24th in the preseason poll and lost to the Jayhawks 3-1 in Lawrence last season.