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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
PAGE 9B
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GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Coach Ray Bechard, in what is now his 17th season with the Jayhawks, has the potential to win the 1000th game of his career, and 283rd with Kansas, Friday night against Cleveland State.
Kansas prepares for last invitational of season
MATT CORTE
@Corte_UDK
Kansas volleyball will host its second and final invitational of the season this weekend, the Jayhawk Classic, hoping to claim the team's second tournament title at home.
NORTH TEXAS
Although there are no marquee matchups, the three visiting teams coming in have a respectable combined record of 20-10.
The first match Kansas will play is against the University of North Texas, which has the best record of any team in the tournament field, including Kansas.
Led by senior setter Camille Cherry, senior defensive specialist Eboni Godfrey and senior offensive hitter Hanna Forst, the Mean Green are off to the best start in school history, going 9-1 so far, with the teams only loss coming against Missouri.
Offensively, North Texas will be led by junior offensive hitter Carnae Dillard. The 5-foot-8 player may be shorter than most of the blockers she faces, but Dillard has already totaled 184 kills this season, almost
100 more than the next person on the team and the most of any player in the invitational.
This tournament will also be the first true road test for North Texas, as the team has played all of its matches in the state of Texas so far.
CLEVELAND STATE
Kansas' second match of the Jayhawk Classic will be against Cleveland State (6-4), a team the Jayhawks have only played twice in program history.
Coach Ray Bechard has a perfect record against the Vikings in two matches with Kansas, the last occurring in 2012 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Just like the Jayhawks, Cleveland State only has two seniors on its team. Senior outside hitter Maggie Hannon leads Cleveland State in kills with 92, while the other senior, Ally Beck, is second on the team in digs and fourth in kills.
ARKANSAS
Kansas will face Arkansas in the last game of the Jayhawk Classic on Saturday, featuring the invitational's only game between two power conference schools.
The Razorbacks, 5-5, started
the season strong by finishing 3-0 in their own invitational, but have fluttered ever since.
Arkansas has dropped four of its last five matches coming into this weekend, with three of those losses going all five sets.
Outside hitter Meredith Hays, who transferred from New Mexico State after her sophomore year, is the Razorbacks' lone senior. She leads the team in kills with 88, which is 40 more than the next player.
COACHING MILESTONE
To compare, Kansas already has two hitters with more kills than Hays, and two more within 10 kills of her.
After the conclusion of last week's Villanova Classic, Bechard stands at 998 wins for his career. In what is now his 17th season with the Jayhawks, Bechard has the potential to win the 1000th game of his career, and 283rd with Kansas, Friday night against Cleveland State, further perpetuating his legacy as the winningest coach in Kansas' history.
— Edited by Sarah Kramer
FREE ADMISSION FOR KU STUDENTS!
COLLAGE CONCERT
The University of Kansas 15th Annual
A Musical Collage of the Extraordinary Talents at KU
FRI. SEPT. 19 | 7:30 PM | LIED CENTER
$16 Adults | $11 Seniors & Children | Free for KU students w/ID For tickets: Lied Center Ticket Office | 785-864-2787 | lied.ku.edu
music.ku.edu/collage
KU SCHOOL OF MUSIC The University of Kansas
CHECKING IN ON THE CHIEFS
Record: 0-2
Division standing: Tied for last place
Last time out: Lost 24-17 to Denver Broncos
Next opponent: @ Miami Dolphins (1-1)
Brian Millix
Trending up: Travis Kelce - Led the Chiefs with 81 receiving yards against Denver
Trending down: Jamaal Charles - Will likely be out at least a month with a high ankle sprain
Player to watch: Knile Davis - Stepped in for Charles last week and had an impressive two-touchdown performance to go along with 79 rushing yards
Looking ahead: With a tough slate against three playoff teams looming after the Miami game, this game appears to be the Chiefs' best chance for a win
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, catches a pass in front of Tennessee Itians defensive tackle Jurrell Casey in the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 7.
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