Chasin' rings | Chapter 2

With one season of college volleyball now under her belt, Kansas sophomore Logan Bell — the lone freshman on KU's 2025 team — has her sights set on an even bigger second year with the program, both for herself individually and for the team.

In Year 1 with the Jayhawks, Bell made an instant impact in multiple areas — as a hitter, with her defense and behind the service line.

She said recently that nearly every step of that first year brought with it lessons to learn and she's excited to move into her second season of college volleyball with a greater understanding of what it takes to play the game at this elite level.

She also has bigger goals than before. And they're written down as a reminder in a team-issued binder, which has the Jayhawks' scouting notes for the season and a pretty important first page.

That's where the team goals are listed. Last year, Bell said the same page had a trip to the Sweet 16 as its biggest achievement. And the Jayhawks got there during what could only be viewed as a successful first season under new KU coach Matt Ulmer.

This year? They added to the list and the 2026 first page now includes reaching the Elite Eight, Final Four and winning a national championship as this team's goals, along with their quest to win a Big 12 title and host NCAA Tournament matches, as well.

"They’re on there now. All of them," Bell said before the season began. "Baby steps. But you’ve gotta keep fighting until you get all the way there."

As Bell and the Jayhawks chase those goals — and the championship rings that come with some of them — we’ll follow her every step of the way in the latest edition of our weekly diary series that will chronicle Bell's 2026 season.

Some of what you’ll read here, in Bell's own words, will focus on the stuff happening on the court — big wins, memorable moments and the grind of the season.

But a lot of it will focus on Bell the person, whose passion for volleyball is almost unmatched and ready to be further unleashed.

The Logan Bell File

Age: 19 | Number: 25 | Height: 5-11 | Position: Outside Hitter

Hometown: Beech Grove, Ind. (Indianapolis) | High School: Roncalli High

Notable: Logan Bell came to KU after initially committing to Oregon, where current Kansas coach Matt Ulmer recruited her before he left to take the job in Lawrence... During her standout high school career, which featured a 35-o run to the Class 3A Indiana state title during her senior season in 2024, Bell was named the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024 and also was one of five finalists for the MaxPreps National Player of the Year award that same season... She was a two-time, first team all-state selection and also played libero during her prep career... As a freshman at KU last season, Bell appeared in all 35 of KU's matches, aiding her team's run to the Sweet 16 by making an impact all over the floor... She has younger twin siblings, one brother and one sister, and is the daughter of lefty parents... Her mom, Jessica, was a setter at Miami (Ohio) and is in the school's athletics Hall of Fame, and her father, Kory, played minor league baseball. Bell is majoring in sport management and also has interest in journalism.

KU record to date: 2-3

Next up: The 22nd-ranked Jayhawks will host South Dakota State (1 p.m. Friday) and Tulsa (2 p.m. Sunday) at the Kansas Invitational before heading south for a mid-week rematch with Wichita State next Tuesday night.

Tuesday's 3-set win over Wichita State at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena marked the Jayhawks' first home match of the season, which, in a sense, marked the true beginning of Logan Bell's second year with the program.

When the offseason hit and Bell began to look forward to Year 2 with the Jayhawks, she identified two big goals for herself in the offseason.

The first was physical and the other was more mental or philosophical.

“Freshman year was really tough. I don’t think people talk about it enough, how hard freshman year actually is, especially when you’re the only freshman.”

Like most athletes, Bell wanted to add muscle and continue to develop her skills through training, but she also wanted to find a way to use her vast knowledge of the game to help take her team to another level.

“I think, personally, you see me on the court, and you think, 'Oh, she’s just a sophomore.' But I’ve played so much volleyball, I’ve been around the game, my mom’s a coach, my mom played in college and because of all of those things it’s like, what can I bring to this team because I have all this knowledge and want to help us play with maturity rather than just being the underdogs because we are so young.”

What does maturity mean in this case? Simple. It's more about X's and O's and finding a way to examine the game on both sides of the net in real time and exploit your opponent's weaknesses.

One of the reasons Bell believes she's so well equipped to do that is the ridiculous number of hours she has logged watching people play volleyball.

Live. On TV. And, perhaps her favorite, on YouTube.

“In my off time, like before I go to bed and things like that, I just watch YouTube videos of people playing volleyball.... All the time.”

Here three favorites, among dozens of athletes and teams include former Oregon All-American Brooke Nuneviller, Louisville senior Chloe Chicoine and men's national team player TJ DeFalco.

She's had multiple hour-long phone calls with Nuneviller, who was the first player in Pac-12 history to record 1,500 kills and 2,000 digs in her career; she played for the same club volleyball team as Chicoine back in Indiana and has been around her plenty of times; and she watches DeFalco, who starred at Long Beach State, on the recommendation of current KU assistant coach Connor Wexter.

The things all three have in common? They each play with high-level IQ and execution and emphasize creative shots and quick decision making.

“I’m a visual learner. I can rep it out, but if I can see someone doing it, that really helps me get it and create that muscle memory.”

The first time Bell remembers diving into watching volleyball came in middle school, when she was at Butler University of volleyball and basketball camps in the summer and would kill the time between sessions by watching the U.S. men's team play on TV.

She got into Chicoine and Nuneviller's highlights during high school and hasn't stopped watching.

“I probably have the most views of Chloe Chicoine's page of anyone. I’ve subscribed and everything and have watched it on repeat for years.”

Given all of her passion for volleyball action on YouTube, has she thought of starting her own channel yet?

“I haven't. I don’t want to give my tricks away.”

One of her "tricks" that is as old as time is good, old-fashioned hard work.

She put on 16 pounds of muscle — back, shoulders and arm swing to get more pop on the ball were big target areas for that — and went in twice a week for extra work with KU strength coach Luke Bradford.

Her favorite new tool? Adding weight to her pull-ups. That approach certainly didn't hurt her all-around athleticism either.

“When we do vertical jumps in the weight room, I’m touching high, but I feel way higher on the court. I just feel more explosive, I’m moving better and I’m making bigger and better first steps.”

She lists emotional maturity, physical growth and IQ as three main areas she wants to continue to improve and said the thing she has tried to focus on the most has been how she can worry less about the results and focus on "small wins."

Even in errors, she said, there are things to be gained.

“I’m a self-coach. (KU coach) Matt (Ulmer) barely talks to me during practice. And if he does, I usually know what he’s telling me before he even says it. Sometimes we’re saying it at the same time.”

Not bad for a second-year player who was a gymnast for 10 years.