Chasin' rings | Chapter 5

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: 14-5 overall, 7-2 Big 12 play, ranked No. 15

Next up: Friday, Oct. 30 vs K-State, first serve 7 p.m. (central) at Allen Fieldhouse

It's been about a year since these Jayhawks got their first taste of a match at famed Allen Fieldhouse, where nearly 8,000 volleyball fans from the area showed up on a cold night to watch the Jayhawks do battle with Sunflower State rival Kansas State at the Jayhawks' home basketball arena.

Ask any player or coach who was there that night and they'll tell you that the experience was outstanding, the crowd was amazing and the opportunity a true dream. The outcome, though? Not so much something they'll want to talk about, as the Wildcats topped No. 14 KU in five sets that night, spoiling the fun.

Fast-forward 53 weeks to the rematch, and it's clear that, at least for Bell, the chance at payback is very much on her mind.

“We want our revenge. And I think that’s why he signed us up to do it again this year. I think you can never slack off in a rivalry game. You’ve gotta bring your A-game or else it’s gonna be exactly what happened last year.”

Allen Fieldhouse was full of volleyball fans on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 for the Sunflower Showdown between Kansas and Kansas State. [Kansas Athletics photos]

The Jayhawks have played inside Allen Fieldhouse a few times since that unique Sunflower Showdown match in 2025.

A five-set loss to Arizona State a couple of weeks ago, combined with a couple of matches in the spring and a dozen or so practices has made competing in the old venue a little more familiar. But Bell said there's still something about it that brings an added bonus to a special night.

“I think it’s a reflection of where women’s sports and women’s volleyball is going. Playing in Allen, with the big fan base that we have and seeing that it’s growing makes us realize that we do have so many more fans than just what Horejsi holds.”

“I remember looking up and I was like, 'Wow, we’re close to max capacity.' We still have a lot to fill, but it’s really remarkable to just look up and be like, ‘Wow, all these people are here for volleyball and not just basketball.”

More than 6,000 Jayhawk fans showed up for that five-set loss to Arizona State earlier this month, and that was during fall break, severely limiting the number of students in town.

This week, the Jayhawks hopped all over campus to hand out fliers and candy to their classmates to try to drum up as much support as possible with the goal being to push past 8,000 fans in the stands and possible close in on the 10,000 mark.

Bell said the fact that this team now has played so many times in Allen Fieldhouse gives them a significant advantage — albeit different than their home-court edge at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena — because there are certain aspects of the action that you have to get used to and experience before understanding them.

“One hundred percent. The depth perception is off and the ball, when you’re serving, it floats so much more because I think there’s more air in the space or something like that.”

“It’s also really echoey in the there and it’s not as on top of you as Horejsi is. And there’s good and bad to that. I can actually hear myself think in warm-ups, but it’s still really fun because there are so many fans in there and you still hear them, of course, you just can’t make out what they’re saying and all of that.”

Allen Fieldhouse figures to again be full of volleyball fans on Friday night for the Sunflower Showdown between 15th-ranked Kansas and Kansas State. [Kansas Athletics photo]

Bell, who comes from the basketball-crazed state of Indiana, did not know much about Allen Fieldhouse's history before coming to KU, but she had a fairly solid reason for being in the dark.

“I did a lot of research on Oregon when I was committed there. So, it was a quick flip and I didn’t do as much research on KU. I feel like I should know, just because of the history and being an Indiana person and we’re a basketball state and Indiana is so basketball with the movie "Hoosiers" and all those things. Fun fact: My mom played in a varsity basketball game in that gym.”

“I knew that basketball was KU's big sport, but I didn’t understand fully or grasp Allen Fieldhouse and how loud and echoey it is and how the sound hits the ceiling and comes back down and hits the floor. It’s just crazy.”

Scenes from KU's first match at Allen Fieldhouse this season, a 5-set loss to Arizona State, with Logan Bell pictured in the photo at right bending over with her hands on her knees. [Kansas Athletics photos]

Despite their own busy schedules, Bell said she and several of her teammates have made it to plenty of men's and women's basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse during the past couple of years.

In fact, on Thursday night, she and KU setter Cristin Cline went to the women's Late Night exhibition game to support volleyball teammate Cydnee Bryant. They brought signs and cheered for Bryant and a few other girls on Brandon Schneider's team that they know and have become friends with.

After the match vs. K-State, KU will travel north to take on Iowa State, where they'll host a Halloween Day practice in Ames, Iowa, ahead of their Sunday match versus the Cyclones.

Bell is looking forward to that because, this year, unlike last year, she and a few teammates got together costumes for the Halloween Day practice.

Bell is dressing up as a purple minion, Cline will be the regular yellow minion, freshman Taylor Stanley will be Vector Perkins, Liv Hasbrook will dress up like Felonious Gru and, perhaps best of all, Reese Ptacek will take on the look of Dr. Nefario.

“We did here last year, but it was like a last-minute thing and nobody really had a good costume. Cris dressed up as (KU coach) Matt (Ulmer) and Ryan White dressed up as (former KU assistant coach) Matt Werle. It was great.”