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FINALS GUIDE
FINALS
GUIDE:
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
KANSAN.COM
CRYPTOQUIP:
DEVONTE' GRAHAM...4
BEHIND LFK*...6
No.9 Kansas stuns No.1 USC in dramatic comeback to advance to the Final Four
PUZZLES...7
PUZZLES...7
NUDISTS* ...8
CROSSWORD...9
ZOE LARSON/KANSAN its first Final Four in
SENATE*...11
NORMAN AKERS*...12
MARLENE MAWSON*...13
The Kansas women's volleyball team celebrates after winning a point. On Dec. 12, the team topped No. 1 USC to advance to its first Final Four in program history.
SUDOKU...14
TIMELINE...15
THESE STORIES
WERE PUBLISHED IN
PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF
THE KANSAN.
AMIE JUST
@Amie_Just
It all came down to the fifth set. If the Jayhawks won, they would be Omaha-bound. If they lost? The unprecedented season would come to a screeching halt.
Somehow Kansas found a way, outlasting and upsetting the No.1 USC Trojans for the first Final Four bid in Kansas volleyball history.
Prior to this year, Kansas had not previously advanced to the Elite Eight. Never before had Kansas defeated a No.1 ranked team.
Entering the Elite Eight match, Kansas was 0-10 all-time against No. 1 teams, only managing to win 2 of 30 sets in those matches.
That all changed Friday.
No. 9 Kansas (30-2) rolled out to a 2-0 set lead over No. 1 USC. But the Trojans weren't going down without a fight. USC (33-3) came out of intermission fired up and squashed late Kansas rallies in the third and fourth sets. In the fifth set, Kansas had a late start, finding itself in a 0-4 hole. But that didn't stop the Javahays.
The USC fans in the Jenny Craig Pavilion were stunned. Dropping a set to a non-conference team? That's unlike the Trojans.
Set 1: Kansas wins (25-18)
The Jayhawks got out to a 5-3 lead, in part to attack errors by Samantha Bri.
cio and Alyse Ford, a service error and a bad set by Baylee Johnson. The only offensive point for Kansas in that run was a service ace.
The set went back and forth, last tied at 14-all when sophomore setter Ainise Havili threw down her first kill of the match. Back-to-back errors from USC's Johnson gave Kansas the 16-14 lead. USC couldn't recover, and Kansas went streaking, rolling to a 25-18 set victory.
Set 2: Kansas wins (25-21)
USC ran out to a 4-1 lead off of two Bricio killies. USC's lead grew to 6-2 and then 9-5. But Kansas rallied, capitalizing off of two Bricio attack errors and kills from sophomore right side hitter Kelsie Payne, senior outside hitter Tiana Dockery and junior middle blocker Janae Hall. Hall's kill tied the set up at 12 apiece. An attack error from USC's Allicia Ogoms gave Kansas the lead.
Ogoms needed to be seen by athletic training staff, as she was visibly in pain in a violent coughing episode. It was later disclosed that Ogorms had an asthma attack.
Once Kansas gained the lead at 14-13, USC couldn't make a comeback, throwing up attack error after attack error.
After intermission was when things got sticky. USC leapt out to a 9-2 lead. Kills from Brittany Aerbromcib, Ford
The final nail in the coffin before the intermission was a kill from Payne. Set 3: USC wins (25-22)
Set 3: USC wins (25-22)
and Bricio paired with service aces helped the Trojans' cause.
The closest the Jayhawks would get it was 19-all from a kill by Payne. But she committed an attack error on the ensuing point. Then Havilli had a rare bad set, and just like that, USC was up 21-19.
USC went up 12-3 after back-to-back-to-back kills, one from Ford and two from Elise Ruddins. But Kansas fought back, getting the set back within reach at 10-13. Four USC attack errors provided some cushion.
A kill from Abercrombie ended set three.
Kansas hadn't dropped a fourth set all season. The Jayhawks were 10-0 in needed four frames. Until this one.
Set 4: USC wins (25-19)
The Jayhawks were out to a slow start, falling behind 5-11 and then 7-15. But, again, Kansas rallied. A kill from junior middle blocker Taylor Soucie got the ball rolling, and a service ace followed. Then a kill from sophomore outside hitter Madison Rigdon. Two kills and an ace later, Kansas was only down by three at 15-18.
A few points later, Kansas was down by three again at 16-19, but it wasn't going to be enough.
Two service aces for USC, paired with kills from Bricio, swung the momentum in USC's favor. A Bricio kill ended the set.
Set 5: Kansas wins (15-13)
The set for all sets. Kansas had only
played one match to five sets. That was when No. 2 Texas came to Lawrence
The fifth set was off to a rocky start. Kansas was in a 0-4 hole. It didn't look good.
The Lajhawks' first point of the match was a kill from Hall. USC went up 1-5 in part to a Kansas service error.
But then, magic happened.
Back-to-back kills from Payne put Kansas down by two. An attack error from Brisco put Kansas down by one.
As the set progressed, USC went up 7-10, then 9-13, and Kansas' hopes of making the Final Four looked dashed.
Kansas was down by four points USC only needed two to win the match. But insanity overtook Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Hall threw down a kill. 10-13.
Johnson had a bad set. 11-13.
Bricio faulted on her attack. 12-13.
Junior libero Cassie Wait put up a service ace. 13-13.
Payne hammered out a kill. Kill. 14-13.
Ridgdon sealed the deal. Kill. 15-13
Stat breakdown
Payne recorded 18 kills. Hall, Ridgon and Soucie all had 10 kills apiece. Havili had 48 assists. Wait flew all over for 28 digs. Havili recorded 22 digs and senior outside hitter Tiana Dockery compiled 14 digs. Hall led the team in blocks with five.
Up next
No. 9 Kansas faces the No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers (30-4) on Thursday, Dec. 17.
AUSTIN, TEXAS. REGIONAL
The No. 3 Texas Longhorns (27-2), the No.14 UCLA Bruins (25-7), the No.6 Wisconsin Badgers (28-6) and the No.11 Florida Gators (24-6) make up the Austin, Texas, Regional. The Longhorns and the Bruins face off on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. central time. The match will be streamed on ESPN3. The Badgers and the Gators face off on Friday, Dec. 11 at 4:30 p.m. central time. The match will be streamed on ESPN3. PREDICTION: Texas tops UCLA, and Wisconsin defeats Florida, with Texas upending Wisconsin for a bid to the Final Four.
LEXINGTON, KY., REGIONAL
The No. 5 Washington Huskies (30-2), the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes (25-9), the No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers (28-4) and the No. 13 BYU Cougars (28-3) make up the Lexington, Ky., Regional.
The Huskies and the Buckeyes face off on Friday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. central time. The match will be streamed on ESPN3.
The Huskers and the Cougars play on Friday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. central time. The match will be streamed on ESPN3.
PREDICTION: Washington defeats Ohio State, and Nebraska tops BYU. Nebraska edges out Washington for a Final Four bid.
Graphic by Jake Kaufmann/KANSAN
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