Season snapshot
- Record:
- 15-5
- Last result:
- W 3-0 vs Kansas State · Fri, Oct 30
- Next match:
- at Iowa State · Sun, Nov 1 · 12:00 PM CT (TV: ESPN+)
- Remaining ranked opponents:
- 3
- Schedule sites:
- 15 home · 14 away
Independent fan guide · Big 12
Follow the Jayhawks on their journey to championship glory. Get the latest schedules, roster updates, and game information.
Last updated · Sources & updates
Kansas match dates, TV channels and results. All times are as listed. View schedule.
Match dates & results
Scores checked Oct 31, 2026 · Times as listed
8 upcoming matches · Times shown as listed
Arizona on Nov 25. Start times are not confirmed in the schedule.
Original analysis of the Kansas Jayhawks program, coaching staff, and 2026 outlook.
Matt Ulmer inherited a program in good shape and immediately made it better. His first team won 24 matches, finished a game behind the Big 12 leader, went 9-2 at Horejsi and beat High Point and Miami in the NCAA Tournament before the run ended in the regional semifinal. Kansas closed the year ranked No. 14 by the AVCA and spent the entire season in the Top 25 for a third straight year. Year two starts from a stronger place: the Jayhawks were picked third in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll with 159 points, behind Arizona State and TCU, the seventh consecutive season Kansas has been slotted fifth or better.
The reason for optimism is the middle of the court and the arrival of a setter. Reese Ptacek returns as a genuine problem for opposing offenses, and Reese Messer gives Ulmer a distributor who was an all-conference pick as a freshman at USC before transferring in. Add the Big 12's Preseason Freshman of the Year in Taylor Stanley and there is real ceiling. The caution: six freshmen and only two seniors means the pin rotation will look different in November than it does in September, and a non-conference slate of Pitt, Stanford, Florida State and Ole Miss is unforgiving enough that early results may look worse than the team actually is.
Kansas has been a fixture in the national Top 25 for three consecutive seasons and reached the NCAA regional semifinal in 2025, beating High Point and Miami before the run ended. That team went 24-11 and finished second in the Big 12, closing the year ranked No. 14 by the AVCA. Ray Bechard led the program for 27 seasons in Lawrence before retiring after 2024. Home matches are played at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, one of the more difficult small buildings in the conference, where Kansas went 9-2 in 2025.
Matt Ulmer is in his second season at Kansas, hired in January 2025 as the seventh head coach in program history after Ray Bechard's retirement. He arrived from Oregon, where he spent eight years as head coach following three as an assistant. The first season went about as well as a first season can - 24-11, second in the Big 12, a Sweet 16 - and what stood out was how quickly the group took on an identity: disciplined out-of-system play, real depth in the pins, and a willingness to swing away in tight sets. His 2026 staff includes associate head coaches Erika Dillard and Connor Wexter, and assistant coach Ainise Havili, a former Kansas setter who has played professionally in Major League Volleyball.
Kansas has five matches on national television this season, the most in program history for a regular season. The non-conference slate is deliberately brutal - Pitt, Stanford, Florida State and Ole Miss - and is the reason early results may understate this team. In Big 12 play the Jayhawks were picked third behind Arizona State and TCU, and the league sent 10 schools to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the most of any conference. Note that the Big 12 does not hold a volleyball tournament: the regular-season standings decide the conference title, and NCAA at-large bids follow from there.
Schedule and scores checked October 31, 2026 · Official source: kuathletics.com
Kansas opens the 2026 season under Matt Ulmer in his second year, after a debut season that produced 24 wins, a second-place Big 12 finish and a Sweet 16 run. The Jayhawks were picked third in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll behind Arizona State and TCU - the seventh consecutive season Kansas has been slotted fifth or better. The non-conference schedule is deliberately unforgiving, with Pitt, Stanford, Florida State and Ole Miss all on it, and five matches are set for national television, the most in program history for a regular season. Home matches are split between Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena and Allen Fieldhouse.
Full dates, times, venues and broadcast assignments are below.
A 2025 Final Four program on a non-conference schedule built to test a young roster before October.
One of four non-conference opponents - with Pitt, Florida State and Ole Miss - chosen to make the NCAA resume unambiguous by December.
The Big 12's preseason No. 1 and back-to-back conference champion, and the clearest measure of whether Kansas can win the league.
Picked second in the Big 12, one spot ahead of Kansas. The two most likely challengers to Arizona State.
Horejsi is a genuinely difficult building, and BYU's trip there is one of the dates that decides home-court positioning in the league race.
Junior. AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and All-Big 12 First Team in 2025, and a unanimous preseason All-Big 12 choice this year. The most established player on the roster and the first name opposing scouts write down.
Sophomore. The transfer that changes the offense - a first-team all-conference selection and AVCA All-Pacific Region honoree as a freshman at USC before coming home to Kansas. Preseason All-Big 12.
Freshman. The Big 12's Preseason Freshman of the Year and an AVCA High School Region Player of the Year - rare billing for a true freshman to carry into her first college season.
Junior. All-Big 12 Second Team in 2025 and the most experienced returning pin, providing scoring balance opposite the newcomers.
Kansas was picked third in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll with 159 points, behind Arizona State and TCU. The realistic ceiling is a Big 12 title race that goes to the final weekend, a top-16 national seed and a home NCAA first-and-second-round weekend; the realistic floor is a top-five Big 12 finish and an at-large bid. The variable is youth - six freshmen and two seniors - which means the pin rotation will look different in November than in September. Judge this group in October.
Everything you need to know about Kansas Jayhawks volleyball
The Kansas Jayhawks play their home volleyball matches at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence, Kansas.
Tickets can be purchased through the Kansas Athletics website, at the arena box office, or through authorized ticket resellers.
Doors typically open 60 minutes before the scheduled match time. We recommend arriving early for the best seating options.
Kansas competes in the Big 12 Conference, facing teams like BYU, TCU, Baylor, and Arizona State in conference play.
The complete 2026 Kansas volleyball schedule with every Jayhawks match, opponent, date, time and location is listed on this page above. It is updated whenever the athletic department confirms new times, TV assignments or venue changes.
Kansas opens the 2026 volleyball season in late August with non-conference play, then rolls into Big 12 matches from mid-September through November. The full 2026 slate leads into the NCAA Tournament in December.
Kansas plays home volleyball matches at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence. The arena hosts every home date on the 2026 schedule, and doors typically open about an hour before first serve.
Most 2026 Jayhawks matches air on Big 12 network partners (ESPN, ESPN+, Big Ten Network, ACC Network, SEC Network or FS1 depending on the game). Each row on the schedule above shows the confirmed TV or streaming outlet as soon as it is announced.
The 2026 schedule features Big 12 rivalry matches plus marquee non-conference tests. See the schedule table on this page for every Jayhawks opponent, dates and locations for the full 2026 season.
Meet the 15 athletes on the Kansas Jayhawks volleyball team
The leadership behind Kansas Jayhawks volleyball success
Matt Ulmer is in his second season at Kansas, hired in January 2025 as the seventh head coach in program history after Ray Bechard retired following 27 seasons in Lawrence. He arrived from Oregon, where he spent eight years as head coach and three more as an assistant. His first Kansas team went 24-11, finished second in the Big 12, went 9-2 at Horejsi and reached the Sweet 16, closing the year ranked No. 14 by the AVCA.
Associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Jayhawks.
Joined the Kansas staff from James Madison in early 2026 as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
A former Kansas setter who has played professionally in Major League Volleyball, Havili returned to Lawrence in early 2026 after a season coaching at Butler.
Directs day-to-day operations for the program.
Technical coordinator for Kansas volleyball.
Address: 1651 Naismith Dr, Lawrence, KS 66045
Capacity: 1,800 fans
Kansas plays home matches at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, where the Jayhawks went 9-2 in 2025, with selected dates at Allen Fieldhouse. Tickets are sold through Kansas Athletics and students get in free with a valid KU ID. Doors typically open one hour before first serve.
Networks: ESPN, ESPNU, FS1
Streaming: ESPN+, Big 12 Now
Five Kansas matches are on national television this season, the most in program history for a regular season. Most other Big 12 matches stream on ESPN+ through Big 12 NOW, with a handful picked up for linear ESPN2, ESPNU or FS1, usually confirmed one to two weeks out. Non-conference road matches follow the host school's platform. Tickets are sold through Kansas Athletics, and students get in free with a valid KU ID.
The Kansas Jayhawks women's volleyball program has a rich history in the Big 12 Conference. Under head coach Ray Bechard, Kansas has become a consistent NCAA Tournament participant and competitive force in the conference.
The Jayhawks have produced numerous All-Americans and have established themselves as a program on the rise. The commitment to excellence has made Kansas a destination for top recruits.
Kansas volleyball has created a passionate fanbase at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, with the intimate venue providing an electric home court advantage against Big 12 opponents.
Kansas faces tough Big 12 competition, battling rivals like BYU, TCU, Baylor, and Arizona State throughout the conference season.
Experience the electric atmosphere at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena where Kansas volleyball creates an intimate and passionate home court advantage.
Follow Kansas's journey through the NCAA Tournament as the Jayhawks compete against the nation's best programs.
Join thousands of Jayhawk fans supporting Kansas volleyball
