Fresh off the school’s first winning volleyball season since 1993, Kansas will be searching for consistency in coach Ray Bechard’s third season.
The loss, though, of five seniors to graduation, including all-Big 12 performer Amanda Reves, could infringe on KU’s progress.
“It’s a transition year from a standpoint that a couple of our all-time Jayhawk career leaders have graduated,” said Bechard, 17-14 last season and 32-31 in two years at KU. “With some promising recruits coming in, I think the key is how long will it take for the transition stage to take place where some of the younger players are comfortable competing at the Big 12 level.”
Outside hitter Amy Myatt seems cozy at the Big 12 level. Myatt, a 6-foot senior from Iowa City, Iowa, ranked second on the team in kills (423) and received honorable mention all-Big 12 honors.
“If we can keep her healthy, she’d be a candidate for all-conference,” Bechard said. “She battled nagging injuries at the end of last year.”
Junior Molly LaMere is another key returnee after starting all 31 matches last season. The 5-7 setter from Papillion, Neb., supplied a team-high 1,471 assists, second on KU’s career chart.
“I think she really solidified herself as one of the top setters in our conference,” Bechard said.
LaMere should be pushed by red-shirt freshman Amy Billings, sidelined last season with an injury.
“We’ll have good competition at that position,” Bechard said.
Billings will be one of six new faces this fall. Other newcomers are freshmen Sarah Rome, Abbie Jacobsen, Anna Wheeler and Jordan Garrison, and sophomore transfer Molly Scavuzzo.
“We are making that transition to being a pretty youthful team,” Bechard said. “How do you keep that competitiveness and growth you’ve been experiencing the last couple of years? That means new people have to step up.”
Last fall in the Big 12, the Jayhawks finished seventh with an 8-12 record. The eight conference victories were the most in the program’s history.
KU hopes to continue its ascension in the conference.
“The group around you is always improving,” Bechard said. “There’s a group ahead of you, too. This league creates a tremendous amount of challenge. You try not to look around too much at what everyone else is doing and concentrate on what you’re trying to get done and upgrade.”
KU was in position to qualify for the NCAAs last fall before losing its final five matches and seven of the last nine.
“If you look at the overall picture of the year, everybody is pleased,” Bechard said. “If you say, ‘Hey, we had a chance at the end to get in the tournament,’ that was disappointing. Obviously, that’s not the way we wanted to end. Prior to that we had a lot of great moments, too. I think you have to balance the entire year. We had a chance to make it a great year and we couldn’t quite get it done.”
In addition to several new players, Bechard has a new assistant.
Christi Posey, a 1982 KU graduate and coach at Class 6A power Blue Valley Northwest the past seven seasons, replaced Jan Madlock in the spring.
“I think she’s had a great, burning desire to coach at the next level,” Bechard said of Posey. “She’s been a big Jayhawk fan and I’ve been a big fan of hers for a long time.”
Before KU opens at a tournament in Purdue on Sept. 1-2, the Jayhawks will hold alumni matches on Aug. 26 at Horejsi Center.
KU’s home opener is Sept. 6 against Wichita State.
