Open and shutout

By Staff     Aug 27, 2005

Jared Soares
Kansas University volleyball players, from left, Josi Lima, Jamie Mathewson, Andi Rozum and Savannah Noyes, celebrate a point against Alabama. The Jayhawks beat the Crimson Tide, 3-0, in their opening match at the Jayhawk Classic on Friday at Horejsi Center.

Kansas University freshman Savannah Noyes started her Jayhawk volleyball career Friday night with a spike in front of 900-plus fans in Horejsi Center.

The Jayhawks weren’t too shabby, either, sweeping Alabama, 3-0 (30-28, 30-28, 30-22), in their first match in the Jayhawk Classic. KU will play UMKC at 7 tonight.

“That definitely helped relieve some tension,” said Noyes, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Indianola, Neb., who, in addition to starting Game One with a thunderous slam, chalked up eight other kills in her first match and had a dig and a block.

“I definitely felt a little pressure to come in and perform at the level that Ashley did,” Noyes said of replacing middle blocker Ashley Michaels, one of four seniors who graduated last season. “But basically, I’ve always had to play at a high level, so the adjustment wasn’t that big of a deal.”

KU coach Ray Bechard said he was pleased by the lopsided season-opening victory.

Jared Soares
KU coach Ray Bechard, left, instructs his squad as assistant Jill Jones Stucky tracks the game stats. The Jayhawks beat Alabama, 3-0, Friday night at Horejsi Center.

“I was really proud of the way we battled back in Game Two,” said Bechard, whose squad trailed 10-5 early and didn’t take the lead until 28-27. “Then I thought we really got rolling pretty good in Game Three.”

Junior Jana Correa tallied 15 kills and seemed to show no lingering effects from an ACL injury that has plagued her during her first two years at KU.

But fellow Brazilian Josi Lima was the biggest star. The senior, who is on pace to rewrite KU records, led KU with 16 kills, but probably only half were hit hard. Her change-of-pace tips and perfectly placed set shots kept Alabama players on edge. And just for good measure, Lima would respond with an emphatic spike.

“I think a lot of that just comes from playing the game for so long,” said Lima, who ended the match with a picture-perfect set shot that clipped the back of the court untouched.

“When I go up I try to see the whole court and then decide where I think the other team’s weak point might be. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m going to do until I’m in the air.”

Jared Soares
Kansas University junior Libero Jamie Mathewson, right, dives for the ball against Alabama. Senior setter Andi Rozum is at left. The Jayhawks won, 3-0, Friday night at Horejsi Center.

Jayhawk fans might not have known what to expect at times Friday – thrice KU players used body parts other than their hands to return balls.

On one unusual exchange Lima kept a ball in the air with her foot, leading to an even more bizarre rally when Correa chased down a ball out of bounds on Alabama’s sideline.

“I guess you can do that,” said a smiling Bechard, who was upset when an Alabama player made a diving save with her hand that seemed to touch the floor. But he quickly regained a smile when Lima had a ball ricochet off her shoulder, then bounce off Paula Caten’s head and over the net.

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