Kansas University’s volleyball squad has experienced more than its share of disappointment this season. But the Jayhawks will have a chance to avenge one of those low points when they play host tonight to Baylor.
Game time is 7 p.m. at Horejsi Center.
“This team better be excited about Baylor,” KU coach Ray Bechard said. “One of our most disappointing losses this year is to them.”
Kansas (14-9 overall, 5-9 Big 12 Conference) bowed to Baylor (12-14, 4-11) in four games Oct. 2 in Waco, Texas. The 3-1 defeat came in the midst of a five-game conference losing streak.
After Saturday’s 3-0 sweep of Oklahoma, the Jayhawks are in seventh place in the league standings and still hope to receive an NCAA Tournament bid.
“We’re planning on winning the rest of our home games,” KU senior Ashley Michaels said. “We need to do that. We’re just hoping to get closer to a winning record to show an even balance of wins and losses in the conference, which would hopefully push us into the NCAA Tournament.”
After tonight, KU has two home matches remaining, but must face powerhouses Nebraska and Texas on the road.
Clearly, the Jayhawks can’t afford to overlook teams below them in the conference standings — like Baylor.
“We feel that is our only bad loss this year, and I don’t know if that’s good to say or not, but we do,” Michaels said. “Our thing is to go out there and show them that they didn’t get the best of us.”
Kansas University volleyball player Ashley Michaels, a native of Wathena, knows how important tonight’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State is.
“This one is going to be serious for us,” she said.
But Michaels, who picked the Jayhawks instead of the Wildcats in recruiting, swears her stance is because of the seriousness of this particular game, not siding against a team who she says she “really doesn’t hate.”
“I’ve never hated them because of who they are,” Michaels said. “This game is important because it will have a lot of implications in the Big 12.”
That it will. The 14-2 Jayhawks, who are off to their best-ever start in the Big 12 at 5-2, would like keep their third-place standing in the conference.
But in order to do that, Kansas will have to defeat K-State (9-6 and 5-2), one of the team’s it shares that third-place spot with, tonight at 7 at the Horejsi Center.
And while Michaels’ just-another-game attitude may be the refreshing view the Jayhawks need to end their 14-game winless streak against the Wildcats, Kansas coach Ray Bechard knows it won’t be that easy.
“This is one of those games that our fans circle,” Bechard said. “Our in-state players get pretty pumped up for this one.”
So might Bechard, who has yet to beat Wildcat coach Suzie Fritz, who was Bechard’s former setter at Barton County from 1990-91 when the pair led BCCC to back-to-back Final Four appearances at the NJCAA tournament.
“For us Kansans it’s a pretty important match,” Bechard said with a smile. “But all that’s going to matter is who executes better tomorrow at 7.”
Both teams are riding hot streaks.
While Kansas is undefeated at home with an 8-0 mark, Kansas State has won seven straight conference matches on the road.
Kansas University volleyball player Ashley Michaels, a native of Wathena, knows how important tonight’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State is.
“This one is going to be serious for us,” she said.
But Michaels, who picked the Jayhawks instead of the Wildcats in recruiting, swears her stance is because of the seriousness of this particular game, not siding against a team who she says she “really doesn’t hate.”
“I’ve never hated them because of who they are,” Michaels said. “This game is important because it will have a lot of implications in the Big 12.”
That it will. The 14-2 Jayhawks, who are off to their best-ever start in the Big 12 at 5-2, would like keep their third-place standing in the conference.
But in order to do that, Kansas will have to defeat K-State (9-6 and 5-2), one of the team’s it shares that third-place spot with, tonight at 7 at the Horejsi Center.
And while Michaels’ just-another-game attitude may be the refreshing view the Jayhawks need to end their 14-game winless streak against the Wildcats, Kansas coach Ray Bechard knows it won’t be that easy.
“This is one of those games that our fans circle,” Bechard said. “Our in-state players get pretty pumped up for this one.”
So might Bechard, who has yet to beat Wildcat coach Suzie Fritz, who was Bechard’s former setter at Barton County from 1990-91 when the pair led BCCC to back-to-back Final Four appearances at the NJCAA tournament.
“For us Kansans it’s a pretty important match,” Bechard said with a smile. “But all that’s going to matter is who executes better tomorrow at 7.”
Both teams are riding hot streaks.
While Kansas is undefeated at home with an 8-0 mark, Kansas State has won seven straight conference matches on the road.
Kansas University volleyball player Ashley Michaels, a native of Wathena, knows how important tonight’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State is.
“This one is going to be serious for us,” she said.
But Michaels, who picked the Jayhawks instead of the Wildcats in recruiting, swears her stance is because of the seriousness of this particular game, not siding against a team who she says she “really doesn’t hate.”
“I’ve never hated them because of who they are,” Michaels said. “This game is important because it will have a lot of implications in the Big 12.”
That it will. The 14-2 Jayhawks, who are off to their best-ever start in the Big 12 at 5-2, would like keep their third-place standing in the conference.
But in order to do that, Kansas will have to defeat K-State (9-6 and 5-2), one of the team’s it shares that third-place spot with, tonight at 7 at the Horejsi Center.
And while Michaels’ just-another-game attitude may be the refreshing view the Jayhawks need to end their 14-game winless streak against the Wildcats, Kansas coach Ray Bechard knows it won’t be that easy.
“This is one of those games that our fans circle,” Bechard said. “Our in-state players get pretty pumped up for this one.”
So might Bechard, who has yet to beat Wildcat coach Suzie Fritz, who was Bechard’s former setter at Barton County from 1990-91 when the pair led BCCC to back-to-back Final Four appearances at the NJCAA tournament.
“For us Kansans it’s a pretty important match,” Bechard said with a smile. “But all that’s going to matter is who executes better tomorrow at 7.”
Both teams are riding hot streaks.
While Kansas is undefeated at home with an 8-0 mark, Kansas State has won seven straight conference matches on the road.
Kansas University volleyball player Ashley Michaels, a native of Wathena, knows how important tonight’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State is.
“This one is going to be serious for us,” she said.
But Michaels, who picked the Jayhawks instead of the Wildcats in recruiting, swears her stance is because of the seriousness of this particular game, not siding against a team who she says she “really doesn’t hate.”
“I’ve never hated them because of who they are,” Michaels said. “This game is important because it will have a lot of implications in the Big 12.”
That it will. The 14-2 Jayhawks, who are off to their best-ever start in the Big 12 at 5-2, would like keep their third-place standing in the conference.
But in order to do that, Kansas will have to defeat K-State (9-6 and 5-2), one of the team’s it shares that third-place spot with, tonight at 7 at the Horejsi Center.
And while Michaels’ just-another-game attitude may be the refreshing view the Jayhawks need to end their 14-game winless streak against the Wildcats, Kansas coach Ray Bechard knows it won’t be that easy.
“This is one of those games that our fans circle,” Bechard said. “Our in-state players get pretty pumped up for this one.”
So might Bechard, who has yet to beat Wildcat coach Suzie Fritz, who was Bechard’s former setter at Barton County from 1990-91 when the pair led BCCC to back-to-back Final Four appearances at the NJCAA tournament.
“For us Kansans it’s a pretty important match,” Bechard said with a smile. “But all that’s going to matter is who executes better tomorrow at 7.”
Both teams are riding hot streaks.
While Kansas is undefeated at home with an 8-0 mark, Kansas State has won seven straight conference matches on the road.
Kansas University volleyball player Ashley Michaels, a native of Wathena, knows how important tonight’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State is.
“This one is going to be serious for us,” she said.
But Michaels, who picked the Jayhawks instead of the Wildcats in recruiting, swears her stance is because of the seriousness of this particular game, not siding against a team who she says she “really doesn’t hate.”
“I’ve never hated them because of who they are,” Michaels said. “This game is important because it will have a lot of implications in the Big 12.”
That it will. The 14-2 Jayhawks, who are off to their best-ever start in the Big 12 at 5-2, would like keep their third-place standing in the conference.
But in order to do that, Kansas will have to defeat K-State (9-6 and 5-2), one of the team’s it shares that third-place spot with, tonight at 7 at the Horejsi Center.
And while Michaels’ just-another-game attitude may be the refreshing view the Jayhawks need to end their 14-game winless streak against the Wildcats, Kansas coach Ray Bechard knows it won’t be that easy.
“This is one of those games that our fans circle,” Bechard said. “Our in-state players get pretty pumped up for this one.”
So might Bechard, who has yet to beat Wildcat coach Suzie Fritz, who was Bechard’s former setter at Barton County from 1990-91 when the pair led BCCC to back-to-back Final Four appearances at the NJCAA tournament.
“For us Kansans it’s a pretty important match,” Bechard said with a smile. “But all that’s going to matter is who executes better tomorrow at 7.”
Both teams are riding hot streaks.
While Kansas is undefeated at home with an 8-0 mark, Kansas State has won seven straight conference matches on the road.
Kansas volleyball coach Ray Bechard would call this weekend’s Jayhawk Classic a homecoming if he could remember what home was like.
Sure, the fifth-year coach has seen plenty of the Horejsi Center during the Jayhawks’ fall practices, but it’s been 298 days since KU played a competitive match in the gym.
“We’re all excited to run out into the Horejsi Center and compete,” Bechard said. “It’s been quite some time since we played here.”
It was Nov. 17 when the Jayhawks stopped the Texas Longhorns to win their 16th and final match of the 2001 season.
KU will take its first test at Horejsi at noon today against Southeast Missouri State in the second game of the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Classic. Purdue and Marquette will square off in the opener at 10 a.m.
Kansas hasn’t been too shabby away from home this season.
For the fifth straight year the Jayhawks have started undefeated, sporting a 5-0 mark with just a single game loss Tuesday against Wichita State in the first game.
“It’s a good start, but we’ll find out a lot more about our team this weekend because all three teams are going to be very quality,” Bechard said.
“Southeast Missouri, with all six starters returning from last year, feels like they could win their conference, and that would secure an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Marquette’s off to a great start at 5-1 and Purdue at 6-1.”
Much of the Jayhawks’ early success has stemmed from the performance of young players.
Sophomore defensive specialist Jill Dorsey started all but seven of KU’s 31 matches last year and a pair of sophomores, Ashley Michaels and Lindsay Morris, start at middle blocker and outside hitter.
The team’s primary setter has been true freshman Andi Rozum, and freshman middle blocker Josiane Lima was named tournament MVP at the Hofstra Invitational.
Michaels, a Wathena graduate who was also an all-tournament selection last weekend, has been impressive. During Kansas’ season opener at Creighton on Aug. 31, Michaels set a KU record with a .917 hitting percentage. She added 11 kills and no errors in 12 attempts.
Tuesday against the Shockers in Wichita, Michaels had nine kills and zero errors.
“We lost our first game and it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, can we bring ourselves back, can we bring ourselves back,'” Michaels said of the WSU match. “We did good the second game. The third game we were down by eight points and we brought ourselves back from that one, and then won the fourth game, incredibly.
“We have the stamina, the motivation and the determination to do what we have to do.”
This weekend, the Jayhawks add a homecourt advantage. Finally.
“It really doesn’t seem like that long,” Michaels said. “Time flies during the season, so we need to savor every moment.”
