Sports
Jayhawks Rally, Defeat Vanderbilt in Ulmer’s KU Debut
The Jayhawks opened the season 1-0 with a victory by set scores of 19-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-20, 15-4. The Jayhawks were powered by Reese Ptacek and Grace Nelson, who combined for 28 kills in the match and had several points in a game-changing, nine-point run in the fifth set.
Kansas returns to action on Monday, Aug. 25, against No. 2 Penn State, with first serve set for 5:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. The match will be KU’s second and final matchup of the AVCA First Serve, taking place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“I knew it was a matter of them believing in themselves,” Ulmer said following the match. “I hope that’s what they learned, how good they can be. If they play together and trust each other, this can be really fun.”
Kansas opened the 2025 season against Vanderbilt, which made its debut in the program’s inaugural campaign. The Commodores built an early five-point lead, but the Jayhawks quickly settled in. A strong serving run from Raegan Burns sparked a rally that pulled Kansas even at 13-13, and a kill from Cristin Cline off a set from Logan Bell gave KU its first lead at 15-14.
The two teams traded points before Vanderbilt used a short run to regain control at 18-15. Kansas continued to battle, with Cline and Ptacek teaming up for a block and Maddy Bowser adding a kill to keep the Jayhawks within striking distance. Despite the push, Vanderbilt closed the set on a late 6-1 run to take it, 25-19.
Kansas carried its momentum into the second set, racing out to a 6-2 advantage, and quickly extending the margin to 14-5 behind strong serving and steady defensive play. The Jayhawks dominated the middle portion of the frame, with blocks from Cline, Jovana Zelenovic, and Aisha Aiono helping KU stretch the lead to double digits.
Vanderbilt attempted to claw back late, but Kansas never let the Commodores get within range. Ptacek delivered a kill to bring up set point, and a block from Kenzie Dean and Aiono sealed the 25-18 victory, evening the match at one set apiece.
With the match tied, the third set opened with both teams trading points before Kansas gained momentum. A kill from Aiono gave the Jayhawks a 10-7 lead heading into the media timeout. Vanderbilt answered with a push of its own, pulling even at 12-12 behind a service ace. The frame remained tightly contested, with neither side able to create much separation until the Commodores edged ahead 19-17, their largest lead of the set.
Kansas stayed in the fight, as Ptacek delivered a kill to pull the Jayhawks within one and Nelson followed with another to even the score at 22-22. KU reached set point at 24-23, but Vanderbilt closed with three straight points to escape with a 26-24 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
In the fourth, Vanderbilt jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Kansas answered to even the score at 3-3. The Jayhawks grabbed their first lead at 7-6 on a kill from Ptacek, and the teams continued to trade points. A kill from Nelson gave KU a 10-8 advantage at the media timeout, and Cline later tied the frame at 15-15 with a kill of her own. From there, Kansas began to take control, using blocks from Aiono and Zelenovic to build a 20-18 lead heading into the final stretch.
The Jayhawks pushed the margin to 24-19 on another Ptacek kill to reach set point, and Zelenovic sealed it at 25-20 with the final swing, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
The Jayhawks entered the fifth with momentum and quickly jumped out to a 5-2 lead. Kansas then took complete control, stringing together a dominant nine-point run behind strong serving from Nelson and a balanced offensive attack. Vanderbilt managed just two more points the rest of the way, as Nelson capped the match with her final kill to secure the 15-4 set victory. The emphatic finish gave Kansas its first win of the season.
ALBANY, Ore. (KPTV) – It’s a new year with the same goals for the girls of top-ranked South Albany Redhawks.
“It really makes you think what we have done here is truly amazing and to make sure you take it in because it’s not a common thing,” said Kaylee Cordle, South Albany High School senior.
Senioritis is real as the calendar flips to January for the senior class of 2026.
“It’s just reminding us that we need to take it all in while we can,” said Maddie Angel, South Albany senior.
The Redhawks soar into Mid-Willamette Conference play after falling just short in overtime of the 5A state final last March on the heels of placing third a year prior.
“I think that when I had older, upperclassmen telling me that people leave for our games and they stay for the boys’ games, that made me mad,” said Taylor Donaldson, South Albany senior. “It made me upset when people said that nobody thinks anything of South Albany and that’s not the case anymore.”
A trio of South Albany’s seven seniors also spiked with the Redhawks back-to-back state volleyball champs. Angel, Cordle, and Donaldson helped capture the first team titles in school history.
“We knew we could change the culture here and that’s exactly what we did,” Cordle said.
Making an impact on the court and in the classroom, the volleyball team’s cumulative GPA was 3.92. Basketball has big brains and big dreams too.
“Our mental game is a lot different now,” Angel said. “I think that we are stronger mentally especially than we were freshman year when we made it to the state championships, and we didn’t win a single game.”
Donaldson is a basketball commit to the University of Wyoming and looking to major in kinesiology in Laramie, Cordle will be off to study nursing and hoop it up at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, and Angel is undecided where she’ll pursue a business degree and play volleyball at the next level.
“Everyone is just kind of all in. We’ve been around each other for our years so there’s not any beef,” Donaldson. “There can’t be any beef really, so I just think team chemistry-wise, it’s amazing.”
For Kaylee, this last flight is bittersweet as her dad, head coach Marc Cordle, has been their coach since the first grade.
“Sometimes it’s hard to separate basketball and life but me and him do a really good job of making sure we two separate,” Cordle said. “And I think it’s super special that we get to share all of these moments together that I will remember for the rest of my life and my dad is going to be a part of it.”
“You’d be shocked to see how much he actually listens to our input which I don’t think most players can really say,” Donaldson said.
“I pretty much owe everything I know of basketball to my dad,” Cordle said.
Hard to believe but we’re just 10 weeks out from crowning basketball state champs as the Redhawks look to hang another banner in the gym.
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Coming out of high school, Morgan Creer’s first offer to play collegiate volleyball came from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS). She jumped at the chance to play for the Lions, and hasn’t looked back.
Creer, a 6-foot right side hitter, recently finished up her sophomore season with the Lions. For her first two seasons, she was third on the team in kills and second in blocks.
“Sometimes in volleyball, it’s not always about slamming the ball,” Creer said. “You’ve got to work on your shots, you’ve got to tool (hitting the ball off a blocker’s hands) and roll (a technique to get in better defensive position after a hard hit) and throw down the ball. So, I like playing mind games on other people.”
As a sophomore, Creer finished with 191 kills, and had seven matches where she had at least 10 kills, including 14 in a September match against Ouachita Baptist. She also had 14 blocks.
“I signed with UAFS, and that was my first offer,” Creer said. “I think I was at my sister’s volleyball game, and I got a phone call from (coach Jane Sargent). Right after she gave me the offer. I was like, I’m completely down (with accepting it). … And I’m grateful to be here.”
Playing at UAFS also checked a lot of boxes in other ways for Creer. It wasn’t too far from home, having played high school ball at Hooks, Texas, just outside of Texarkana. She likes the program and playing for Sargent, the Lions’ longtime coach.
Creer said the school has the degree – media communications and business – she’s pursuing. But she hasn’t ruled out possibly being a coach after college, as she has also coached youth volleyball on the side.
Volleyball has been a lifelong passion for Creer, whose mother coached the sport. Having spent time in the gym at a young age, Creer also used volleyball as a diversion from having to do her homework. What also drew Creer to volleyball was the sport’s mental aspect.
“It’s like a mental sport where you can have fun and then cancel all the noise in the outside world and all your problems,” she said. “And like if you’re upset, like take it out on a ball and then have fun at the same time. … And when you’re inside those lines in the volleyball court, your problems go away. That for me, that makes life so much easier.”
Creer recorded more than 1,000 kills in her high school career. While in high school, she also played AAU volleyball in Dallas, going there three times a week, even on school nights. Though Creer also played basketball in high school, it still didn’t compare to playing volleyball and the bonds she shared with her teammates in that sport.
“You just have fun and you make friends and like my AAU team, we still talk to this day,” she said. “Without volleyball, I would not be traveling the world or I would still be in Texarkana if I was not in volleyball. … I have had fun, like I have a great support system and everybody just wants to watch me be great and everybody knows that I’ve been playing this sport since I was five years old and nothing has changed my mind.”
In preparation for her third season, Creer wants to add another dimension to her game. Not to mention attaining a few goals.
“I’m really trying to train to be a six-rotation right side serving and passing; that’s a goal for me,” she said. “Then, I want to keep building team chemistry with each other. Be the leader on the court, be the vocalist on the court. Stars don’t yell all the time, but you need to back it up on the court so I would be that person.”
Related
Smith brings extensive experience working within the USA Volleyball pipeline and most recently served as an assistant coach at TCU in 2025, helping guide the Horned Frogs to a 21-11 record and a win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. TCU appeared in every AVCA poll during the season and finished the 2025 campaign ranked No. 9, marking the first top-10 ranking in program history. The Horned Frogs also recorded a program-best six victories over top-25 opponents.
“I’m excited to welcome Keith to Utah State as our new head volleyball coach,” said Walker. “He’s a proven recruiter with a strong track record of developing players. From the start of the hiring process, his professionalism and expertise were evident, and his attributes and vision aligned with those of our volleyball student-athletes, making him the ideal choice to advance Utah State volleyball. His background with USA Volleyball will be invaluable as the program works to reach the next level.”
Before the 2025 season, Smith served as an assistant coach for the women’s U21 national team at the 2025 NORCECA Pan American Cup, helping Team USA capture a gold medal in Costa Rica. The team swept all five matches en route to the championship.
“I am grateful to USU Vice President and Director of Athletics Cameron Walker and the search committee for trusting me with the opportunity to continue Utah State volleyball’s rich history,” said Smith. “My goal is not to rebuild the program, but to retool it for long-term, sustainable success that keeps it on an upward trajectory.”
At Auburn, Smith spent three seasons (2022–24) as an assistant coach. The Tigers posted back-to-back 20-win seasons, including a modern program-record 22 victories in 2022, and earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023 for the first time in school history. Auburn recorded six top-25 wins during his tenure, matching the program’s combined total from the previous 15 seasons. In 2023, the Tigers also made their first-ever appearance in the AVCA Poll.
Working primarily with the setters, Smith helped elevate Auburn’s offensive production. Jackie Barrett became the sixth setter in program history to reach 1,000 assists in a season, achieving the milestone in 2022 while earning SEC Setter of the Week honors twice. Barrett again surpassed 1,000 assists in 2023 and guided the Tigers to a .241 hitting percentage, the third-best in program history.
Smith also played a key role in planning and conducting daily practices, including skill development, game strategy, and preparing scouting reports.
“My philosophy and core values focus on putting people and connections first while maintaining the standards and discipline that lead to excellence,” Smith added. “Success begins with the daily decisions we make to build winning habits. I’m excited to bring a highly competitive staff to Logan and develop a roster that will chase championships in the new Pac-12 and wins in the NCAA Tournament.”
Before Auburn, Smith served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Grand Canyon, helping the men’s program emerge as a national contender. The Lopes recorded 19 wins over top-15 opponents, including a straight-set upset of No. 1 BYU in 2021, climbed as high as No. 6 in the AVCA Poll and produced five All-Americans.
An accomplished recruiter, Smith helped GCU secure the nation’s No. 8-ranked signing class in 2021, highlighted by 10 of the top 50 recruits nationally. His work earned national recognition as a 2021 AVCA 30 Under 30 award winner, honoring the top coaches in the country under the age of 30.
As an assistant coach at Providence in 2017, he helped the team earn its first winning season in 10 years and its most conference wins since it rejoined the Big East.
In seven years with USA Volleyball, Smith has worked with the National Team Development Program, including the women’s U21 national team in 2025 and as an assistant coach for the men’s national team at the 2021 NORCECA Championships, where Team USA finished fifth.
During his collegiate career, Smith was a setter at Grand Canyon, finishing with a school record 4,484 career assists. He totaled 1,294 assists in 2013, ranking 10th all-time in NCAA history during the 25-point scoring era.
After college, Smith played professionally with Orion TopVolley in the Netherlands, helping the team finish in the top four in the regular season, playoffs and national club tournament.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management and a master’s degree in business administration from Grand Canyon University.
Smith and his wife, Kierstin, have one son, Theodore.
PARKERSBURG – Wood County Christian and Ohio Valley University graduate Kayla Ward has been hired as the next head volleyball coach at Parkersburg Catholic.
Ward, who works for the IRS in human resources and is replacing Michelle Wiltse, most recently served as an assistant and junior varsity coach at Williamstown.
“We’re going to do that after Christmas break and try to get the kids excited,” replied Ward when asked if she had a chance to meet with the team yet. “Just try to get them excited and get other kids excited about going.
“My goal this year is definitely just to create some ways for Catholic volleyball and hopefully other people will want to join the program.”
A 2006 graduate at Wood County Christian, Ward was recruited to play volleyball at OVU for head coach Paul Jacoby where she earned her degree in elementary education and special education in 2010.
“I did not,” admitted Ward when asked if she played volleyball for the Fighting Scots. “I had a baby instead.”
During her time as a Wildcat, Ward competed in volleyball, basketball and track.
Along with serving as an assistant girls basketball coach at Belpre, Ward coached middle school track for three years and was an assistant for two years for cross country.
Ward, who also was an assistant track coach at Williamstown Middle School and an assistant cross country at the high school, led the WMS volleyball team to three state Wood County championships.
“I definitely jumped at the chance,” Ward said. “They had a need and I got asked if I was interested and I jumped on it.”
Parkersburg Catholic is in its final year as a member of the Little Kanawha Conference as they are set to be members of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference.
“I do know we’ll have more regional opponents that we’ll see,” Ward added. “We’ll still play some of the LKC rivalries, but still have those regional opponents as well.”
Ward won’t be in the building at PCHS, which she admitted “definitely helped” in the past.
“That’s a little bit of a challenge now. I was able to sub during the government shutdown,” she added. “We’re going to have some summer stuff and hopefully we can get some interest that way and get the conditioning started in the spring, summer and start rolling.
“I’m excited for the opportunity. Definitely a little nervous. My goal is to have fun, but I want them to be competitive. Ultimately my goal is to build a championship program. That’s the ultimate goal. We’re going to work hard, compete and have fun at the same time.”
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com
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