The Jayhawks didn’t make it into the NCAA Tournament this year, but they will go down in history.
The Jayhawks finished the season 19-10 overall and 10-10 in the Big 12 Conference. They set a team record with 10 conference victories, and the .500 conference-winning percentage tied the school record. Kansas’ four conference victories on the road are the most ever in a single season for a Jayhawk squad. Its 12-match sweeps are an all-time high.
Despite the record-breaking year, Kansas fell short of making the NCAA Tournament. But coach Ray Bechard said it should not take away how much the team accomplished this season.
“We had an awesome year. The senior class will be missed,” junior outside hitter Sarah Rome said. “It was good being on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. But none of us want to be left out next season.”
Bechard said he was impressed by the senior leadership that Jennifer Kraft, Jamie Morningstar, Molly Scavuzzo and Kylie Thomas have displayed during the season.
Senior defensive specialist Jennifer Kraft was selected as the Big 12 Defensive
Specialist of the Year. She finished her career as the all-time Kansas leader in service aces (151). She is also seventh in career games played (411) and career digs (970).
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Michaels was added to the honorable mention All-Big 12 team, the first Kansas sophomore ever to be awarded this honor. She was also named to the first team Academic All-Big 12. Michaels earned the Kansas single-match record with a .917 hitting efficiency, getting 11 kills in 12 attempts in the Aug. 31 match at Creighton. She finished with the Kansas single season record of a .363 hitting efficiency, sixth in the Big 12 this season.
Freshman Josiane Lima is the second Kansas player ever to be named to the first team All-Big 12. She is the first Kansas freshman to receive this honor. Lima finished the season with 327 kills, the most by a freshman in a single season.
Bechard said the team would have some motivation and anger that they were not selected for the tournament. He said these motives would drive his players to work hard in the offseason.
“We hope that the momentum we left this season can maintain itself and reappear next fall, when everything settles and we have a chance to look back this season,” he said. “I know we’ll have a lot of great moments. We look forward to a bright future.”
