The 17th-ranked Kansas volleyball team earned a significant road victory on Sunday afternoon by rallying to take down No. 24 Baylor in five sets — 23-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-13 — at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas.

It was the second straight year with a five-setter in Waco for the Jayhawks, but this time it required a reverse sweep, the first for KU since Nov. 19, 2022.

Three Jayhawks — outside hitter Grace Nelson, middle blocker Reese Ptacek and opposite hitter Taylor Stanley — recorded 13 kills, with outside hitter Kenzie Dean adding 11 in her second match back from injury. Sophomore setter Reese Messer delivered a season-high 53 assists, and Nelson also led the way defensively with 17 digs.

Belarusian outside hitter Ksenia Rakhmanchik had 25 kills and 10 digs for the Bears, who led 16-12 in the fourth set and 11-9 in the fifth but could not finish either.

The victory moves KU to 14-5 overall and 7-2 in the Big 12 as it enters its final month of the season, with a Sunflower Showdown rematch set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.

None of the five sets was decided by more than four points. In the opening set, the Jayhawks gave up a 4-0 run when they had led 18-17, but managed to rally to tie the game at 22. However, a bad set by Messer and attack error by Aisha Aiono gave Baylor set point, and Dean staved off one before Rakhmanchik’s decisive kill.

The Jayhawks needed a dramatic comeback just to make things close in the second set. Three consecutive kills by Rakhmanchik put the Bears ahead 18-9 before Matt Ulmer called timeout. KU responded with a 7-1 run, then later, after a block by Lacy Tinnell and Bailey Warren made it 21-17, scored four straight to even the score.

However, Baylor scored four of the next five points, and a solo block on Aiono by Victoria Davis gave the Bears the set at 25-22.

Stanley and Dean chipped in as KU jumped ahead early in the third. The Jayhawks maintained a narrow lead throughout, staying in front even as the Bears drew within a point on several occasions. KU benefited from a long series of attack errors late in the set, and another one by Tinnell provided the set point.

As mentioned, Baylor looked like it might be closing in on a four-set victory when it went up 16-12 on a service error by Stanley. But some mistakes from the Bears and key kills from Dean and Stanley allowed KU to tie the game at 17. Baylor called timeout, only to concede another four points in a row with Ptacek serving, including an ace. That was essentially all the momentum the Jayhawks needed to force a fifth set.

After playing from behind early on, KU tied the game on a block of Rakhmanchik by Aiono and Stanley; however, the Bears responded by winning a long rally with a solo block by Mya Hemmer. Baylor went up 11-9 with Davis before a service error from Rakhmanchik, kill by Nelson and attack error from Isabela Haggard put KU in front.

The Jayhawks reached match point on an attack error from Warren. She responded with a kill, but KU avoided extra points when Nelson finished off the match.

SOCCER SCORES LATE — AGAIN

The KU soccer team trailed 2-1 at TCU late in the second half on Sunday and looked poised for a disappointing loss to a team that — while once the preseason Big 12 favorite — had struggled in league play and entered on a four-match losing streak.

But the Jayhawks got a 79th-minute equalizer from Livvy Moore and an 84th-minute headed winner from Jillian Gregorski to claim a 3-2 victory over the Horned Frogs at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium.

Senior forward Norah Jacomen finished with a goal and two assists for KU, which improved to 12-3-2 and 6-1-2 in conference play. With two games left against two other top teams in the Big 12 — Houston on the road on Friday and Texas Tech at home on Nov. 5 — the Jayhawks will have the opportunity to cement their best league finish under head coach Nate Lie.

KU’s opening goal in the eighth minute came off a well-placed ground cross from Caroline Castans that skidded by Jordan Rowan in the middle and on to Jacomen, whose shot got by TCU goalkeeper Olivia Geller.

The interplay between preseason all-conference forwards Bella Diorio and Emma Yolinsky generated a quick equalizer for the Frogs, and then Grace Vest got past the whole KU defense just before halftime to make it 2-1 in TCU’s favor.

The Jayhawks were able to regroup and ratchet up the pressure after the break. After a potential penalty kick was not awarded upon review, Geller saved a free kick by Moore in the 72nd minute, but Moore got the last laugh soon afterward. Jacomen sent a low cross from the right wing all the way across the goal, and without getting intercepted it rolled all the way to Moore on the left side of the box, where she fought her way in front of Eres Freifeld and sent a rocket past Geller.

Gregorski’s game-winning goal arrived soon afterward when she jumped over Kamdyn Fuller to receive a pass from Castans and scored with her head past the dive of Geller.