The Volleyball Jayhawks

📰2025 KU Volleyball Season Recap📰 🏐Season storylines 🏐Superlatives 🏐Top plays of the season 🏐Looking at the current roster + areas KU will look to improve 🏐Portal thoughts

@rockvolleychalk I’d give Hasbrook the edge after being prioritized in the portal. But Burns is an elite passer so should be in the rotation Will definitely miss JZ’s physicality. Gonna have to make up the difference with tempo

@VBJayhawks Burns vs Hasbrook depends on Burns recovery program, no? I think this is a solid lineup. The only concern I have, besides having a young core group, is replacing JZ serving pressure and blocking. Her offensive numbers are not that great for a 6’7” player, no offense.

MB: Ptacek, Aiono OH: Poulton, Nelson Opp: Stanley L: Hasbrook DS: Bell (will likely rotate in at OH as well) S: Cline Lots of players that could go six rotations but expect Burns to get time too

Calendar of spring events, now that the exhibition matches have been announced: 3/28: at Wichita St. 4/11: UMKC Tournament 4/18: vs. Arkansas / vs. Mizzou 4/23: Alumni Match Mid-April (based on 2025 timing): 2026 schedule release May 1-15: Spring transfer portal window

@ainisehavili Welcome home!!

@VBJayhawks Thank you!!! So happy to be coming back!

Oooooo this is FUN. One of the best Jayhawk volleyball players of all time will join the staff as an assistant coach Havili started all 4 years from 2014-17, a period when KU made the Final Four and won a Big 12 title. 4-time All-American and 3-time Big 12 Setter of the Year

The current coaching staff now has three Jayhawks from the 2015 Final Four team Ainise Havili Maggie Bowen Tori Hohlios A nice blending of eras in this new regime

@wayniackc A fan favorite for sure. One of the emotional leaders of all those great teams

@VBJayhawks She was a DAWG. My favorite player from that era.

Rutledge, Poulton and Stanley have joined the team for the spring semester Jersey numbers: 🔵Rutledge: #7 🔵Poulton: #21 🔵Stanley: #23

Logan Bell selected and will train with the liberos

KU locks in Wexter ahead of the Triple Crown club volleyball tournament in Kansas City this weekend, which hosts many of the best volleyball players in the country and serves as an important recruiting opportunity

KU fills one of its coaching vacancies with Connor Wexter, who will be the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Wexter was the assistant coach for James Madison in 2024 & 2025. Before that, he was the VP for MOD Volleyball Club, an elite club program in Chicago

Another KU assistant departs as associate head coach Matt Werle gets a huge opportunity to become a head coach in the Big Ten at UCLA Werle was the head coach for the men's volleyball team at Grand Canyon before coming to Kansas for the 2025 season

KU assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Arica Nassar has accepted a role at Minnesota for the same position. Nassar was with Ulmer the past three seasons (2 at Oregon and 1 at KU) Was recently named to the ABIS Women's Volleyball Coaches Watchlist

Molly McCarthy ➡️ TCU McCarthy was at KU for 3 seasons and played a big role last year, appearing in 85 sets and logging 137 digs as a defensive specialist TCU tied for 6th in the Big 12 in 2025 and will be a strong contender next season with a lot of returning production

Gatorade has announced their 2025-26 Player of the Year awards for high school volleyball, and two KU Class of 2026 signees were recognized 🏐Tessa Dodd (Wyoming) - repeat honoree from 2024-25 🏐Avery Poulton (Utah) Logan Bell (Indiana) was a recipient last year

Ellie Schneider ➡️ Rice An AVCA First Team All-American in high school, Schneider was at KU for 3 years and appeared in 55 sets Rice won the American Conference regular season title last season, finishing with a 15-1 league record

Major League Volleyball (MLV) begins its season today, and there are six Jayhawks represented throughout the league 🏐Omaha Supernovas: Reagan Cooper, Toyosi Onabanjo 🏐Grand Rapids Rise: Allison Mayfield, Camryn Turner 🏐Indy Ignite: Ainise Havili 🏐Dallas Pulse: Kelsie Payne

@Trev_Dote34 Some were 3- or 4-year players who likely wanted a more guaranteed role elsewhere. The others were international players who Ulmer needed to fill out the roster after he was hired (and not necessarily the best long-term fits for the program). Scheme fit is also a factor

@VBJayhawks What’s the reason for so many leaving after coach had a successful first year!?

With the winter transfer portal window closed, the offseason tracker has been updated 🏐4 Jayhawks announced next school 🏐More additions could come in the spring - next portal window opens on 5/1 after spring practice 🏐International players can be signed as late as the summer

@brittanyyyy_11 Would love if visits were reported so we could see what other schools were in contention for players!

@VBJayhawks you made me create one of my own for kstate... 😂 if only vb got as much publicity as other sports.

@michaeljdunlap7 Really excited for Stanley/the freshman class. It's possible two of them start at the PINs next season. The spring practices/exhibitions will give the coaching staff a good idea on which positions may need to be bolstered

@VBJayhawks She didn’t get a ton of opportunities, but Taylor Stanley looked solid at the UA Next All Star game. Truly excited about the freshies, and hopefully Grace and Reese can take the next step. I’d like to see us go get a true OH1, but if this is our roster, lots to be excited about