SANTA CLARA, Calif.—The University of Idaho volleyball team gave the No. 9 team in the nation a scare on Saturday. The Vandals battled the Kansas Jayhawks wire to wire, taking a set from the Big 12 foe. In the end, the Vandals' upset bid fell short, falling in four sets 25-23, 21-25, 25-15, 26-24.

Junior Kaela Straw continued to lead the Idaho offense. She posted 17 kills on the day. She earned All-Tournament honors with her team-high 34 kills. Junior Reece Carman also finished in double figures with 10 kills to go with her match-high six blocks. Junior DeVonne Ryter led the team in efficiency, hitting .467 percent (9-2-15).

"I thought we played really well," head coach Debbie Buchanan commented post-match. "I think we could have even taken the match even longer. I am really proud of how the team came out and competed. That is what we are going to need to continue to do. Play hard and consistent like we did today. We were able to outhit and outblock them. It just came down to a few little things here and there."

Saturday featured 27 total ties, 24 of coming in the first two sets. Idaho gave the Jayhawks a run for their money early on, trading blows back and forth. Neither team trailed by more than four points in the first two sets.

Kansas (11-2) pulled gained early separation with a 3-0 run, going up 11-8 in the first. Idaho used a 3-0 run of its own, capped by a Maura Donovan ace to tie the match at 17. Two kills from Straw and an ace by Haylee Mathis gave Idaho a late 21-20 lead. KU outscored Idaho 5-2 down the final stretch to sneak out the 25-23 win.

Idaho (5-6) bounced out to a 3-1 lead to open the second before Kansas used a 7-3 run to claim a 9-7 lead. An ace from Alycia Wodke gave the Vandals a brief 11-10 lead. The teams played point-for-point until a block from Torrin Crawford and Mathis followed up a Sarah Sharp kill that gave Idaho a 17-15 lead. The Jayhawks would again tie the set at 18, but the Vandals followed up with kills from Ryter and Straw to regain the lead 21-18. Idaho won the race to the finish, taking three of the final four points. Carman and Crawford combined for a block, clinching the set 25-21.

"Game one we were within two," Buchanan noted. "We were right there. Game four we took within two. We are right on that cusp. I thought it was a really good match overall. Offensively, we were able to keep our swings high and get those kills. That is what we have to take away from this. We played fairly steady for the whole match. We were able to keep it close. That is just the difference between a top-10 team. We still need to make some things happen."

KU was able to gain the 2-1 lead after the third set. The Jayhawks were able to outhit Idaho in the set, .385 to .214 percent. Kansas used an 11-4 open to the frame to control the tempo. Idaho would twice slim the lead down to four, but could not break the Jayhawk's momentum.

Idaho had to battle back from another slow start in the fourth. Kansas quickly went up 5-1, forcing Idaho to use its first timeout. The Silver and Gold used a 5-0 run with Paige Rupiper at the serve to take a 9-8 lead. Kansas was the first to 20, gaining a five-point lead. Idaho cut back to within three, 20-18, forcing KU into a timeout. The Jayhawks reached match-point at 24-21, but Idaho held its ground tying the match at 24 thanks to a Carman kill. Kansas won the final two points to slip away with the win.

"The team feels really good about today," Buchanan added. "Our goal in the preseason is not to be 10-0 and blow through everybody. We want to be challenged. Our team has grown and battled. We have beat some really good RPI teams. We have beaten teams that were 7-1, 7-0 and we were able to sweep them. I think we have learned a lot about ourselves and have grown a lot."

Kelsie Payne led KU with 18 kills. Ashley Smith added 13 kills, while Taylor Alexander finished with 10. Ainise Havili led the match with 52 assists.

The Vandals will open the Big Sky season at home next Thursday. Idaho will welcome in Montana State for the team's home opener.

Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho volleyball by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @IdahoVolleyball.

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.