LAWRENCE, Kan. — Utah Valley University women's soccer battled back from an early deficit but came up just short in a 3-2 setback at No. 23 Kansas on Thursday night at Rock Chalk Park.

The Jayhawks (2-0) struck first just 34 seconds into the match when Lexi Watts slipped past a defender and scored to give KU the early advantage. The Wolverines (1-1) responded in the 22nd minute as Greta Davis sent a ball forward to Ruby Hladek, who delivered a perfectly placed pass to Faith Webber on the left side. Webber then fired a left-footed shot inside the far post to pull UVU even at 1-1.

Kansas quickly regained momentum two minutes later after Watts was fouled inside the box and converted the ensuing penalty kick to put the Jayhawks back on top. KU added to its lead in the 31st minute when a collision inside the box allowed Jordan Rowan's shot to trickle into the net, making it 3-1.

Utah Valley continued to press and nearly completed a late rally. In the 85th minute, Marie Quentel's corner kick found Hladek, who buried a header into the back of the net to bring UVU within a goal at 3-2. Despite controlling much of the second half, the Wolverines couldn't find the equalizer.

"We were careless in some critical moments, and good teams will make you pay," said Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay. "But I'm really proud of the way we reacted, especially after the first one. We came back and tied it up, and in the whole second half I thought we were the much better team. Had we put two halves together like our second half, I think the result would have been different."

UVU outshot Kansas 7-4 in the second half and finished with a 14-9 advantage overall. Hladek led the Wolverines with four shots, including two on frame, while Sadie Beardall added two shots—both on target. Goalkeeper Leah Wolf recorded four saves in the match.

"Walking out of here against a top-25 team, we felt like we were the better side in the second half," Lemay said. "There's a lot of good to take away, and that's what we're going to focus on as we prepare for our next one."

Utah Valley now returns to Orem to host ACC foe California on Thursday, Aug. 28, at UCCU Stadium. The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m., following the UVU men's game against Florida Gulf Coast at 5 p.m. Both contests will stream live on ESPN+. Tickets are available at GoUVU.com/Tickets