📰KU Volleyball Offseason Recap📰
➡️Details on Messer commitment + mini film review
➡️Updated look at the roster
➡️Coaching changes
➡️Schedule release
➡️Summary of Big 12 Transfer Portal Moves
Article link in the comments
KU volleyball made a splash in the transfer portal when it earned the commitment of Reese Messer, an Olathe native who was a first-team All-Big Ten setter last year.
Here's why Messer decided to come home.
https://t.co/OFYJJBebRK
Final offseason tracker update
🏐Roster sits at 15 after addition of Messer and departures of Burns and Moore
🏐Could have multiple freshman starters at the pins
🏐Aiono will have Senior Night to herself
Ellie Moore ➡️ SMU
Moore spent two seasons at KU as a backup setter. With Messer joining, would have been third on the depth chart
SMU has been among the best ACC teams the last two years. Will be a less-crowded setter room, with only a redshirt freshman setter on the roster
📰KU Volleyball Offseason Recap📰
➡️Details on Messer commitment + mini film review
➡️Updated look at the roster
➡️Coaching changes
➡️Schedule release
➡️Summary of Big 12 Transfer Portal Moves
Article link in the comments
Quick hits on new KU commit Reese Messer:
As a freshman for USC:
🏐10th nationally in assists/set (10.78)
🏐All-Big Ten First Team
🏐Appeared in all 117 sets
🏐Won Big Ten Freshman of the Week 2x + Big Ten Co-Setter of the Week
🏐No. 8 ranked recruit in the country, per Prep Dig
@rockvolleychalk That is definitely a big question pending this news. But at this stage in college athletics you focus on the year ahead and figure the rest out later
Big transfer portal update: KU has signed USC setter Reese Messer
Messer went to St. James Academy in KC and was the 2024 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year. Was a starter as a freshman for USC and named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team
She will have three years of eligibility
Raegan Burns ➡️ Tennessee
Burns led KU in digs in 2023 & 2024, appearing in all but 4 sets across both seasons. Missed most of 2025 season due to injury
UT has made the last 5 NCAA Tournaments. Last year’s starting libero graduated, so Burns will have a good shot at that role
The volleyball spring transfer portal window opens today and runs through May 15. Student athletes must enter during this period but can commit at any time
This cycle is a lot slower than the winter portal season. For KU, wouldn’t expect more than a few names going in/out
Based on her latest Instagram post, Raegan Burns appears to be leaving KU. Burns redshirted in 2025 after suffering a knee injury in August
Burns was the starting libero her first 2 seasons & was among the best passers in the Big 12. She’ll have lots of interest from P4 programs
Conference Schedule Notes:
🏐Majority of matches are on Friday/Sunday (only one Saturday match)
🏐Teams KU will play twice: K-State, Arizona State, Baylor, TCU
🏐Home only: Houston, Utah, BYU, Cincinnati, West Virginia
🏐Road only: Tech, UCF, Iowa State, Colorado, Arizona
Matt Ulmer said on Hawk Talk tonight that the plan is to have two matches in Allen Fieldhouse this fall
Without much promotion, last year’s match in AFH drew ~7,500 fans. Wondering if one of the matches this season will come in the non-conference portion of the schedule
Notes:
🏐5 home games - Wichita St, South Dakota St, Tulsa, Ole Miss, Grand Canyon
🏐3 road games - Pitt, Lipscomb, Wichita St
🏐2 neutral games - Stanford, Florida St
🏐4 games vs. 2025 NCAA Tourney teams - Pitt, Stanford, Florida St, Tulsa
Big 12 schedule should be out soon
KU's non-conference schedule has been released. Way more friendly this year after a tough 2025 slate with no home matches
8/28: Pitt
8/30: Stanford
9/3: Lipscomb
9/4: Florida St
9/8: Wichita St
9/11: South Dakota St
9/13: Tulsa
9/15: Wichita St
9/18: Ole Miss
9/20: Grand Canyon