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THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 12, 2013
VOLLEYBALI
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Jayhawks hope to reverse losing streak in Wisconsin
BRIAN HILLIX
bhillix@kansan.com
Kansas will play its last nonconference road matches of the season this weekend as the Jayhawks travel to Madison, Wis., for the 22nd annual InnTowner Invitational.
Along with Kansas, the competitive field includes Bowling Green, No. 25 Wisconsin and Milwaukee.
Currently on a two-game losing streak, the Jayhawks open the tournament on Friday at 11 a.m. against Milwaukee. Kansas fell to No. 24 Creighton on Tuesday in a match where the Jayhawks
saved seven match points.
Freshman middle blocker
Touche Soycie set a program record with 12 blocks in the match while redshirt senior
Soucie
middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc led the team with 12 kills. Last
Saturday, the Jayhawks dropped the home opener in five sets to Arkansas. Jarmoc and junior outside hitter Sara McClinton led the team with 18 kills each.
wisconsin (6-0) is off to a hot start for the season after victories at the Pepperdine Invitational and the North Dakota State Invitational. The Badgers, who are one of nine Big Ten teams in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25, vaulted into the rankings after their two tournament victories. They come into this year's invitational as defending champions and have won the tournament 16 total times.
Wisconsin's victories include a five-set victory over Northern Iowa and a three-setter against Louisville. Kansas won its only previous meeting against Wisconsin in 2004.
After losing its first three matches of the season, Milwaukee (3-3) won its next three to claim the Akron Invitational last weekend. The Panthers return five starters and their libero from last
season, including senior middle blocker Rachel Neuberger, who was named the tournament's most valuable player at the Akron Invitational. Milwaukee has won the Horizon League regular season title in eight of the last ten seasons.
Bowling Green (1-4), like Kansas, had a tough preconference schedule to begin the year. Projected to finish first in the Mid-American Conference East division by the conference's coaches, the Falcons have played No. 13 Brigham Young University (BYU). No. 22 Purdue and No. 25 Creighton already this season. The Falcons' lone victory came against BYU at home in the Hampton Inn Invitational.
Kansas' only meeting against Bowling Green was in 1994 with the lavihawks earning the victory.
This tournament will end a 9-out-of-10 game road stretch for the Kansas squad. They will be back home to play in the Kansas Invitational on Sept. 20-22.
Edited by Sarah Kramer
Redshirt senior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc, left, and senior setter Erin McNorton block a shot during last Saturday's game against Arkansas. The Jayhawks lost 3-2.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, SEPT. 13
FRIDAY, SEPT. 13
11 a.m.- Kansas vs. Milwaukee
4:30 p.m.- Milwaukee vs. Bowling Green
7 p.m. - Kansas vs. Wisconsin
SATURDAY, SEPT. 14
11 a.m.- Wisconsin vs. Milwaukee
1 p.m.- Kansas vs. Bowling Green
7 p.m.- Bowling Green vs.
Wisconsin
TEAMS AT-A-GLANCE
Kansas
2012 record: 26-7
2013 record: 4-3
Impressive win(s): at Arizona, at Arkansas
Wisconsin
2012 record: 17-16
2013 record: 6-0
Impressive win(s): Northern Iowa, No.17 Louisville
Milwaukee
2012 record: 9-19
2013 record: 3-3
impressive win(s): none
Bowling Green
2012 record: 22-11
2013 record: 1-4
Impressive win(s): No. 13 BYU
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