6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAIES KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2007
VOLLEYBALL
Cyclones beat Hawks with late comeback
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Senior setter Emily Brown, left, and senior middle blocker Caitlin Mahoney both performed well in Kansas' volleyball game against Iowa State on Saturday. Despite their efforts, the Jayhawks still lost to the Cyclones in five matches, tarnishing senior day and the two players' last home game.
Coach Ray Bechard called senior Caitlin Mahoney's 13-kill performance the best one of her career. Bechard called senior Emily Brown's performance of 15 kills, 29 assists and 13 digs a fitting display of her versatility. But on Saturday, the one thing Bechard couldn't call his two seniors was winners. Iowa State spoiled senior day and defeated Kansas 3-2 (20-30, 30-24, 25-30, 30-26, 17-15). Kansas fell to 12-17 and 5-14 in the Big 12 Conference, while Iowa State improved to 16-12 and 10-8 in conference play.
"We desperately wanted this to be a match that they could remember in a fond way from a standpoint of being successful, and Iowa State made a few more plays in the end than we did," Bechard said.
Kansas had two great opportunities to win the match. The first came in game four with Kansas leading the match two games to one. An ace from junior middle blocker Natalie Uhart gave Kansas a 10-2 lead, but the team couldn't hold on. The Cyclones slowly crept back into the game, cutting the Jayhawks' lead to 22-19 before going on a 7-0 run for a 26-22 advantage. Iowa State closed out the game and won 30-26.
"They ratcheted it up defensively, and we got out of our system a little bit and got a little predictable offensively." Bechard said.
Kansas had its second opportunity in the decisive game five. An ace by Brown put Kansas ahead 12-
volleyball notes
KANSAS SIGNS TWO
Kansas coach Ray Bechard announced Friday that two players had signed national letters of intent to play volleyball at the University of Kansas in 2008-2009. Allison Mayfield, a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, and Nicole Tate, senior at Lindbergh High School in St. Louis, currently make up the 2008 recruiting class. Bechard commented on Mayfield in a Kansas Athletics press release.
centage while dominating game one 30-20. Iowa State responded in game two, winning 30-24, but Kansas again went ahead in the match with a 30-25 victory in game four.
the type of player that is difficult to find in today's volleyball field where there is so much position specialization.
"We are extremely excited to have Allison join our team," Bechard said. "She is a six-rotation player who blocks well and has great back row skills. She is
Bechard also recognized Tate's talent in the press release.
"Nicole has good size and good quickness as well as great leadership skills." Bechard said. "She is very comfortable with a 5-1 system and is capable of running a complex offense."
But after the match, all the talk was the about Kansas' two
10, and the team needed only three more points to win the match. But Iowa State rallied again, winning game five 17-15 and clinching the match 3-2.
UP NEXT
"Breaks went both ways, and in the end, the ball hit the floor on our side last," Bechard said.
Kansas closes out its season with a road match Wednesday against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Brown also had three aces and six blocks. Mahoney had only one error and a team-high .480 hitting percentage. Freshman outside hitter Jenna Kaiser equaled Brown's 15 kills
"We desperately wanted this to be a match that they could remember in a fond way from a standpoint of being successful."
seniors, who played their last match on the Horejsi Family Athletics Center floor. Bechard couldn't help but get a little emotional.
RAY BECHARD
Coach
to tie for the team lead, and junior middle blocker Savannah Noyes added 11 kills.
"I thought it was great that the Horejsi Center was full
Kansas started Saturday's match playing some its best volleyball of the season. The Jayhawks had a .229 hitting percentage and held the Cyclones to a .125 hitting per-
for an 11 o'clock match, and many of those people had a direct relationship with those two seniors, so that tells you a little about the influence they've had on the program," Bechard said.
Edited by Chris Beattie
More than you think
Freshman leads Jayhawks in Texas
Erin Mertz seals three finishes in top four at Houston invitational
>> SWIMMING AND DIVING
BY SCOTT TOLAND
stoland@kansan.com
The Kansas diving team traveled to Texas this weekend for the Houston Diving Invitational and returned with valuable experience for future meets this season.
which was held on Thursday,
Mertz was again the top finisher
for the Jayhawks,
placing third out of twelve divers.
Roberts claimed fifth place, while
Freshman Erin Mertz led the Jayhawks. She placed in the top four in three different competitions during the three-day event. The invitational began on Thursday and concluded with the final competitions on Saturday morning.
Mertz
Proehl and McMacken were also in the top ten, placing sixth and
"We all dowe really well, and we cheered for
"We're all learning new dives, and we're definitely stronger than we were last year."
ERIN MERTZ Freshman diver
each other", Mertz said. "It was a good bonding experience."
Friday's three-meter competition included six jayhawk divers. Mertz led the way with a second-place finish with a score of 288.70. The other five divers claimed the seventh through 11th spots in the event. Sophomore Megan Prohel placed seventh with a score of 248.90, while Hannah McMacken's score of 245.45 earned her eight place. Senior Jenny Roberts placed ninth, sophomore Allison Ho was 10th, and freshman Chelsea Hartling earned 11th place.
In the one-meter competition,
eighth, respectively.
"We really used the facilities to our advantage," Mertz said. "We're all learning new dives, and we're definitely stronger than we were last year."
The competition concluded with the platform event on Saturday. Mertz placed fourth, while Proehl came in at sixth, McMacken claimed eighth and Ho earned ninth place.
"I think that I dove the best that I could," Mertz said. "I know a lot of the girls had some personal records."
The diving team will not have another competition until the three-day Nike Cup-Kenyon Invitational, which begins Nov. 29 in Ohio.
Edited by Kaitlyn Syrina
CROSS COUNTRY Wissel to run final race at NCAA Championships
Senior Colby Wissel will be the only Jayhawk competing today
Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., for the last race of the year. Because the rest of the team did not qualify, Wissel will represent
Wissel
the university of Kansas and try to better his finish from last year. With a strong performance, Wissel could become only the fifth runner in Kansas cross country history to
become a two-time All-American.
Wissel competed in the event last year with the entire Kansas squad and finished 26th overall. Wissel could do even better this year. In last year's final race, the team had to overcome bad weather, but forecasters are expecting near-perfect running conditions for this year's race. Wissel will run the Indiana State University course for the seventh and final time in his career. Wissel has posted better times in his last two races than he did in last year's Championships.
The event, a 10K race, is set to start at 12:50 p.m. It will be Wissel's final college cross country race, and he should go down as one of the best runners in Jayhawk history.
- Tyler Passmore
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