MALIBU, CALIF. ? All season, Kansas University’s volleyball team has been fueled by the snub of not getting into last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Tonight, the Jayhawks will be one of the 64 teams in the tourney for the first time in the 28-year history of KU’s program — not that anyone expects them to stick around long.
“When you think Kansas and Long Beach in volleyball, I don’t know if a lot of people are giving us a great chance,” said sixth-year KU coach Ray Bechard, whose team will take on Long Beach State in the first round at 6 tonight in Firestone Fieldhouse on the campus of Pepperdine University.
“That’s what this team has faced all year, and that’s the kind of challenge they’ve responded to all year.”
On paper, the two teams seem evenly matched.
Kansas sports a 21-10 record, and tied for third in the always tough Big 12 Conference with a 13-7 mark.
The 49ers are 19-10 and tied for second in the Big West, a conference that, like the Big 12, sent six teams to the NCAAs.
But that might be where the similarities end and the one glaring difference begins. While Kansas is in its first NCAA Tournament, the 49ers have 18 postseason appearances, including 17 straight.
Long Beach State has won five NCAA titles — including three since 1989 — and has been the home of some of the best players ever to play the sport.
“The biggest thing we know about Long Beach State is their history,” KU senior outside hitter Sarah Rome said. “We don’t have any tournament history, and they have a lot. But it doesn’t matter now. It’s who plays well on Thursday night and who comes to play.”
Historically, Kansas can’t compete with Long Beach State, but tonight the Jayhawks won’t be facing history when they take on the 49ers for the first time.
A key could be if Kansas can jump on the 49ers early. Long Beach State has lost all nine of its matches when it has dropped the first game. While the 49ers are 44-14 under coach Brian Gimmillaro in NCAA Tournament play, they haven’t advanced out of the first two rounds in the last two seasons.
The 49ers also dropped out of the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. Top 25 poll this season for the first time in 202 consecutive weeks.
Another factor could be if the match goes the distance. While 12 of KU’s matches have gone five games, the 49ers have been in only three such matches.
“We’re definitely comfortable in that situation,” Rome said of KU’s 6-6 mark in five-game matches. “We’ll play as long as we have to.”
Considering the Jayhawks have won seven of their last eight matches and the 49ers were 2-2 during their final week, Kansas might be the hotter team.
“I think we’re playing our best volleyball right now and I think we’re ready to go to California and win some matches,” senior middle blocker Jordan Garrison said.
While Kansas has a balanced attack with four players averaging 3.10 or more kills per game, Long Beach State is led by junior Erika Chidester’s 4.61 kills and senior Liz Hudson’s 3.89 kills. LBS freshman Natalie Uhart, who KU recruited out of Lansing, leads the 49ers with an attack percentage of .321.
Kansas senior outside hitter Abbie Jacobson said the Jayhawks won’t face an attack that they haven’t seen yet this season.
“I think being in the Big 12 Conference prepares us for any team in the country, so I don’t think we’re going to go out there and be surprised by any means,” Jacobson said. “No matter what they come after us with, we’ll have seen it before.”
Bechard said he only hopes that his team remains poised and keeps their NCAA trip in perspective, perhaps even play with the same fire that got them there.
“To see them all here and playing in December, that means you’re one of the elite teams left,” Bechard said. “That’s what this program has aspired to do. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer.”
Ashley Michaels agreed, but said if the team relishes the role its carried all season, who knows how far KU could go.
“That our biggest asset,” the junior middle blocker said of the Jayhawks being overlooked. “Almost every game we’ve been the underdog, we’ve come out on top.”