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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
PAGE 7B
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Kansas volleyball seeks season sweep of Texas Tech
MATT CORTE
@Corte_UDK
One hour and 27 minutes was all the time Kansas volleyball needed to sweep Texas Tech on Oct. 25 in Lawrence, which marked the shortest amount of time Kansas took to knock off a Big 12 opponent this season.
The Jayhawks' second shortest time needed for a victory was against TCU, using an hour and 29 minutes to sweep the Horned Frogs on Oct.18.
Why is this important?
Well, because Kansas (17- 7, 5-5) ended up losing to TCU the next time out, and if the team isn't prepared, Texas Tech (15-8, 3-8) — Kansas' Saturday opponent in Lubbock, Texas — could be the second team to defeat the Jayhawks after being swept by them previously.
It's not every day you see a Big 12 team sweep an opponent, just to be defeated the next time the two played each other.
In fact, Kansas is the
one school in the entire conference to lose to a team they had swept before.
Texas Tech will be coming into the match on a five-match losing streak.
The only other team to almost accomplish this feat, if you'd call it that, is rival Kansas State. Last Saturday the Wildcats came back after being down 2-0 to defeat Texas Tech, who previously swept in Lubbock.
See the big warning label vet?
Kansas will be coming into the match with momentum on its side after a complete
performance against Baylor on Wednesday. The Jayhawks defeated the Bears in straight sets.
Kansas will need to follow its old blueprint against Texas Tech. The Jayhawks held the Red Raiders to a combined .081 hitting percentage in the first meeting, and out blocked Texas Tech 13.5 to 2.5.
the match as well, showing the team can win solely off a dominant blocking performance.
One of the perks of a big block is the energy it can bring to a team. There's nothing like thwarting the opposing offense from gaining an edge, and coach Ray Bechard noted that after Kansas last defeat Texas Tech in Lawrence.
"When you start blocking teams, you can really change the game," Bechard said. "Tiana Dockery blocked a
ball in the second set, it was just a thunder block, and I really thought it changed the momentum of the game."
Kansas had just one person reach double-digit kills in
Under .500 in away Big 12 matches and playing in Lubbock on Saturday, Kansas will need a couple of those momentum-shifting blocks in order to a secure a victory against Texas Tech.
Edited by Logan Schlossberg
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