2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 2005
ATHLETICS CALENDAR
TODAY
- Men's basketball vs. Fort Hays State (exhibition), 7 p.m.
Alain Fieldhouse
- Volleyball vs. Oklahma, 7 p.m., Norman, Okla
SATURDAY
◆ Football vs. Texas, 2:30 p.m., Austin, Texas
V **Volleyball** vs. Texas Tech, 7 p.m., Horejsi Family Athletics Center
Cross Country, Midwest Regional Championship, time TBA,
Iowa Cv. Iowa
- Rowing, Sunflower Showdown, time TBA, Manhattan
SUNDAY
Women's basketball vs. Emporia State, 1 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse
The Associated Press Top 25 preseason men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2004-05 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and 2004-05 final ranking:
| Ranking | Record | Points | Previous |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1. Duke (61) | 27-6 | 1,785 | 3 |
| **2. Texas (6)** | 20-11 | 1,652 | _ |
| 3. Connecticut | 23-8 | 1,578 | 13 |
| 4. Michigan State (4) | 26-7 | 1,572 | 15 |
| 5. Villanova (1) | 24-8 | 1,413 | 19 |
| **6. Oklahoma** | 25-8 | 1,378 | 17 |
| 7. Louisville | 33-5 | 1,319 | 4 |
| 8. Gonzaga | 26-5 | 1,275 | 10 |
| 9. Kentucky | 28-6 | 1,255 | 7 |
| 10. Arizona | 30-7 | 1,212 | 9 |
| 11. Boston College | 25-5 | 1,093 | 14 |
| 12. Memphis | 22-16 | 920 | _ |
| 13. Stanford | 18-13 | 842 | _ |
| 14. West Virginia | 24-11 | 652 | _ |
| 15. Alabama | 24-8 | 621 | 21 |
| 16. Syracuse | 27-7 | 586 | 11 |
| 17. Illinois | 37-2 | 563 | 1 |
| 18. Wake Forest | 27-6 | 524 | 5 |
| 19. UCLA | 18-11 | 499 | _ |
| 20. Iowa | 21-12 | 395 | _ |
| 21. George Washington | 22-8 | 304 | _ |
| 22. Nevada | 25-7 | 291 | _ |
| 23. Indiana | 15-14 | 273 | _ |
| 24. Maryland | 19-13 | 258 | _ |
| **25. Iowa State** | **19-12** | **251** | _ |
Junior outside hitter Megan Hill spikes the ball between two Kansas State defenders during a game at Horesji Family Athletics Center earlier this season. After their first victory in nine matches, the Jayhawks travel to Norman, Okla., tonight to face the Oklahoma Sooners.
Others receiving votes: Washington 144, Texas Tech 142, Kansas 96, N.C. State 74, Ohio State 74, Wisconsin 56, LSU 54, Georgetown 46, Charlotte 44, North Carolina 58, Michigan 24, N. Iowa 21, Miami 16, Oklahoma St. 16, Old Dominion 13, Florida 6, Bucknell 5, Ohio 4, Arkansas 3, S. Illinois 3, Cincinnati 2, Utah St. 2, Wis.-Milwaukee 2, California 1, Hawaii 1, Houston 1 and Notre Dame 1.
VOLLEYBALL
'Hawks up in arms over Sooners
Kansas faces Oklahoma with NCAA hopes
BY MATT WILSON
mwilson@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Kansan file photo
Kansas kept its paper-thin postseason hopes alive by defeating Kansas State on Saturday night. That victory, however, will mean little if the Jayhawks don't follow it up with a victory tonight in their game against the Sooners.
Junior outside hitter Megan Hill, who has come on strong in the past two weeks after replacing injured junior Jana Correa, said the Jayhawks had to win tonight to make the NCAA tournament.
"It's not really a question," Hill said. "We don't have any more matches that we can take for granted. I still believe that we have a chance."
Kansas has five matches left on its schedule. Last year's team finished the Big 12 season with a 9-11 record and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Repeating that feat will be difficult this year, considering it has road matches against Texas A&M and Iowa State, as well as home tilts against Texas Tech and Missouri.
Kansas (13-11, 5-10 Big 12) should be confident going into the match against Oklahoma. Not only have the Jayhawks ended their eight-match losing streak, but they are facing a team that is 1-14 in Big 12 play and 6-18 overall.
Still, Kansas volleyball coach Ray Bechard said that defeating Oklahoma would take the kind of concentration the Jayhawks displayed in Manhattan.
"We have to move on from that match and focus on this one," Bechard said. "Oklahoma's record is a little bit deceiving."
The Sooners have struggled this season. They are four games away from
the 10th-place team in the loss column, and they have five matches left. Barring an impressive rally to close out the year, Oklahoma will finish last in the Big 12 for the second time in the past three seasons.
On top of that, the Sooners have not defeated the Jayhawks since the 2001 season. Kansas has been 14-1 against Oklahoma since Bechard took over the program in 1998.
That said, the Sooners pushed the Jayhawks to the limit in their previous meeting in September. At the time, Kansas was 9-1 and undefeated on its home floor, yet Oklahoma led 2-1 before dropping the last two frames and losing the match.
Hill, who didn't play in the Jayhawks' victorious game against the Sooners in Lawrence, said she thought the match would be tough and the Sooners had the respect of her team.
"We'll definitely see a different team than we saw the last time," Hill said. "We have to come out knowing that we're going to win the match, no matter what it takes."
Bechard said he expected another tough road test.
"It's always a difficult situation on the road," he said. "This match will be no different. They've had some problems, but they were tough last time we saw them."
Hill said she expected the victory against the Wildcats last weekend to be the one that got the Jayhawks rolling in the right direction.
"I think it was exactly what we needed to pull our heads out of the water," she said. "We know that we can do it. It's not too late."
- Edited by Becca Evanhoe
Red Lyon Tavern
A touch of Irish in downtown Lawrence
944 Massachusetts 832-8228
Your checking account on your KU Card. Almost too simple for college.
We can make your KU Card work as a debit card. Use it everywhere you see the KU Card or Interlink® signs - on campus and around town. Head to commercebank.com for a complete list of locations.
It's how we ask listen solve to make your college life just a little easier.
- FREE KU Checking Account
* FREE Gear ATM Transactions
- FOREE Commerce ATM transaction
  (TA Commerce ATMs; citywide)
(14 Commerce AIMs citywide
• FREE Online Account Access
- Ask about overdraft protection
- No minimum balance
call click come by
864-5846
commercebank.com
We can help you keep your finances in shapel Redeem this coupon at the Commerce Bank Branch on the KU Campus when you open a Free KU checking Account, and attach a Free Visa $ ^{®} $ Check Card. Already have an account? Attach a Free Visa $ ^{®} $ Check Card to an existing account; sign up for online banking, overdraft protection, or receive a Free Financial Needs analysis, and choose one of the following*:
amazon.com.
$10.00 Amazon.com® Promotional certificate**
864-5846
$5.00 Blockbuster Card***
1 Free
Order of Checks
Commerce Bank
- Only one coupon per person while supplies last. Available at the KU Commerce Bank Branch only.
** This offer is subject to Amazon.com's terms and Conditions. Please see www.amazon.com/promos for details. Amazon, Amazon, com, and the Amazon.com log are registered trademarks of Amazon.com. Inc. or its affiliates.
The purchase of this offer includes Gift Cards are subject to complete terms and conditions found on Gift Card and/or packaging. Gift Cards cannot be used to purchase Gift Cards. Gift Cards are redeemable at participating BLOCKBUSTER store locations. BLOCKBUSTER name, design, and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster Inc.
2005 Blockbuster Inc. All rights reserved.
1