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

KU sophomore Grace Nelson tosses the ball up to serve during the Jayhawks' match against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

Over the last few weeks, Kansas volleyball coach Matt Ulmer felt that his team had been too cautious from the service line.

In an attempt to get the team back to its aggressive ways, Ulmer brought out the radar gun during practice, and it paid dividends, as No. 15 KU (12-7, 3-2 Big 12) recorded a season-high 12 aces on Wednesday night to sweep Texas Tech 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-18) inside Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

The season-best total surpasses the previous high of 10, set on Sept. 4 in a 3-1 win over Georgia Tech.

“Our best volleyball is when we’re an aggressive serving team,” Ulmer said. “Our block comes out, our defense comes out, it’s just the mindset we need to have.”

The Jayhawks came into the match fresh off a 3-2 win at Baylor this past Friday, the team’s second five-set win and first since the opening match of the season. Outside hitter Grace Nelson said the win in Waco, Texas, gave the team an extra jolt of motivation going forward.

“We’ve been fighting really hard all season and it’s been pretty defeating to lose those five-setters because we’re right in there,” Nelson said. “Seeing all of our hard work finally paying off is super exciting. I think we know how well we can play.”

Pin hitter Jovana Zelenović paced the Jayhawks with both her offense and behind the service line. The freshman from Novi Sad, Serbia, tallied 12 kills and a hitting percentage of .409, while also recording a career-high seven aces.

“From the service line, especially in this gym, I think she’s pretty comfortable in here,” Ulmer said. “Some of those balls had a lot of movement on it, plus pace, and that makes it pretty tough.”

Nelson matched Zelenović with 12 kills of her own, while hitting at a .300 percentage. Outside hitter Rhian Swanson put seven kills away, while middle blocker Reese Ptacek had six of her own. Setter Katie Dalton was steady all night, recording a double-double with 26 assists and 14 digs.

After Texas Tech earned the first point of the match off an attacking error, KU won the next nine points as Zelenović, Nelson, and Ptacek each tallied two kills in the early going.

Ulmer was pleased with the service from the beginning, and credited libero Ryan White who “came out right away, right in the game plan, with pace and put a lot of pressure on them.”

He added: “We got big leads early because I thought our serving was just really aggressive and executable.”

Following a timeout, the Jayhawks surrendered the next three points before Zelenović made the score 13-4 following a pair of service aces and two errors by the Red Raiders. An attack error and a kill by Texas Tech’s Jasmine Martin cut the deficit to seven before KU ended the set on a 12-6 run, capped off by Nelson’s fourth kill of the night.

KU finished the first set with 12 kills and five errors to hit .259, while Texas Tech had just three kills and four errors, hitting -.038, vastly lower than its season average coming into the match (.178).

After starting Big 12 play with a two-setter rotation, the Jayhawks have since returned to the more common one-setter rotation, with Dalton getting time as the leader of the offense.

“Katie’s a baller,” Nelson said. “She’s super aggressive, super confident, so I know when I’m next to her on the court, I know she’s gonna do her job. She’s just a really good competitor.”

The second set began in almost identical fashion to the first, with the Jayhawks taking a 9-2 lead to force a timeout as Zelenović and Nelson once again had two kills in the early going, with the former also recording her third service ace of the match.

After the timeout, Zelenović continued the scoring run with her fourth and fifth service aces to extend the lead to 13-2. The Red Raiders stormed back and made the score 23-16 late in the set, but timely kills from Zelenović, Nelson, and Ptacek allowed KU to take a 2-0 match lead with a 25-16 set victory.

The Jayhawks improved on their hitting percentage in the second set, placing 15 kills and only three errors on 36 attacks for a .333 mark. Nelson had five kills in the set, including on set point.

“I think I just had that mentality, we wanted to come out and play well, so we were all doing our jobs and that made it a lot easier for everyone on the court,” Nelson said.

Set three proved to be the closest of the match, as KU led by as many as five points on multiple occasions, but Texas Tech cut the lead down to three before Zelenović’s 12th kill of the match to make the score 15-11 at the first media timeout.

The timeout was beneficial for the Red Raiders, who won the next three points, cutting the margin to 15-14. Leading 17-15, the Jayhawks won the next four points thanks to a service run by Ptacek, who recorded the team’s 11th and 12th aces of the match. With the score 24-16, Texas Tech won the next two points before a four-hits violation on the Red Raiders ended the set and the match, as KU claimed the sweep.

The Jayhawks will look to improve their winning streak to three matches on Friday at 6 p.m., when they host Iowa State.

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

KU freshman Aurora Papac (center) high-fives teammate Jovana Zelenovic during warmups as the Jayhawks wear mental health awareness shirts prior to the match against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

KU freshman Jovana Zelenovic tips the ball over the Texas Tech defense during the Jayhawks’ match on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

KU freshman Logan Bell sends the ball over to Texas Tech during the Jayhawks’ match on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

KU senior Ryan White prepares to send a serve over to Texas Tech during the Jayhawks’ match on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

KU senior Ryan White receives a Texas Tech serve during the Jayhawks’ match on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

KU’s Rhian Swanson, Aurora Papac, and Jovana Zelenovic (left to right) go to block a ball during the Jayhawks’ match against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

The KU volleyball team comes together to celebrate a point against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

KU redshirt junior Molly McCarthy dives into the scorer’s table while saving a ball during the Jayhawks’ match against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

KU sophomore Reese Ptacek gets into position as the Jayhawk serve is sent over to Texas Tech’s Reagan Engler on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

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

The KU pep band plays as the volleyball team warms up prior to their match against Texas Tech on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.