SPORTS
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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, OCT. 29, 2015
Soccer faces TCU in regular season finale
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
After the toughest weekend of the season so far, Kansas soccer returns to Lawrence and Rock Chalk Park for the last regular season match of the year.
The Jayhawks have a chance to bounce back from a three-game losing streak and boost their chances at a Women's College Cup bid against TCU at Rock Chalk Park on Friday.
"The weekend was tough. We played two good teams in two really, really close games," Kansas coach Mark Francis said. "We made it really tough on ourselves. For us, we're just looking to finish off the season with a good result."
Hopes for a top-three finish in the Big 12 ended last weekend as Kansas lost to Texas Tech (1-0) on Friday and Oklahoma State (2-0) on Sunday.
Kansas currently stands at No. 6 in the Big 12, while TCU is one place before last-place Iowa State at No. 8 in the conference. Kansas can even out its 3-4 record in the conference with a win over TCU. Although TCU is ranked lower in the standings, the Horned Frogs actually have a better win percentage than the Jayhawks. The Horned Frogs have won two games to the Jayhawks' three, but have tied two games this season while the Jayhawks' matches have all produced a winner and a loser.
A lot could be on the line for Kansas' result Friday. The Jayhawks will also be honoring their seniors for their last game at Rock Chalk Park.
"It's going to be a huge game for [the seniors] but also for the standings in the league," Francis said after practice Wednesday. "The result will determine where we'll finish in the league."
Kansas' team has been led
You get punished for your mistakes. We've made a couple but we've also played really well [this season.]"
all year by the senior class. Senior midfielder Liana Salazar is tied for the lead in scoring with four goals on the year for Kansas. Her four assists lead the team as well. Senior forward Ashley Williams follows close behind Salazar with three goals on the season. Both of those players have started every game this season along with senior midfielder Tavier Estrada.
MARK FRANCIS Head Coach
On the season as a whole, Francis said his team had no regrets when it came to its performances down the stretch.
"You get punished for your mistakes," Francis said. "We've made a couple but we've also played really well [this season.]"
— Edited by Derek Skillett
CHARLOTTE CARPENTER/THE DAILY TEXAN
Tayler Soucie attempts to send the ball over the net in Austin on Oct. 23.
Kansas volleyball notches 20th win of the season on the road at Iowa State
JOSH MCQUADE
@LOneWolfMcQuade
After dropping its first set, Kansas volleyball was in trouble.
For the second straight game, the team had fallen behind on the road early. The Jayhawks were in danger of dropping their second straight match of the year and losing any hope at winning the Big 12.
In the next three sets, the team that started the season 19-0, returned.
The No. 10 Jayhawks topped the Cyclones 3-1 (20-25, 28-26, 25-15, 25-20), improving to 20-1 on the year.
"We certainly earned [this] win on the road." Kansas coach
Ray Bechard said after the match." Anytime you can come in and beat a team that has a great volleyball reputation and plays hard ... It certainly puts you in a good place"
The team looked like it was in a good place after the match, evident by the dancing that followed in the locker room.
However, this wasn't a runaway win.
The first set provided a bit of a scare for the Jayhawks, as they lost 25-20. Iowa State posted an impressive 20 kills during the set, compared to just 14 for Kansas. However, after the set finished, the Jayhawks quickly responded, posting what Bechard called the best set of the match.
"I think I'm most proud of the end of the second set, where we didn't get many breaks, but we fought off a bunch of points that would've gotten us in trouble," Bechard said in a postgame interview. "That 28-26 resembles just how hard we need to play and with what energy we need to play [with]."
The Jayhawks won the second set with a team total of 17 kills. The Cyclones posted nine errors in the set, and the momentum started to build.
Things really exploded for the Jayhawks in the third set; the Jayhawks won 25-15, posting their best hitting percentage of the match, while holding Iowa State to a 000 hitting percentage. Iowa State recorded just
nine kills, while committing nine errors, as Kansas took a 2-1 lead.
The Cyclones didn't lay down in the third set, but they didn't have enough left in the tank. Iowa State posted seven errors as Kansas rolled 25-20, improving to 20-1 on the season.
Throughout the match, middle blocker Kelsie Payne had one of her better games of the season, posting a total of 26 kills, the individual season high for the Jayhawks. Bechard said he was pleased with her offensive output.
"Payne carried us from an offensive standpoint," Bechard said. "She got a ton of swings in transition."
Setter Ainise Havili also had
a memorable night, as she recorded yet another double-double. Havili posted 46 assists along with 20 digs, leading the team in both areas. Havili also recorded three kills, showcasing her ability as an all-around player.
It wasn't perfect for the Jayhawks. Bechard mentioned "ace-to-error ratio" and "passing" as two areas the team could improve, but in the end, a win is a win. For the Jayhawks, the potential crisis of dropping out of the top 10 in the rankings was averted, as the team finished off the two game road trip at 1-1.
Next up for Kansas is Baylor. That game will take place on Oct. 31 at 11:30 a.m.
Jayhawks vs. Samaje Perine: A look ahead at the Kansas-Oklahoma Homecoming matchup
EVAN RIGGS
@EvanRiggsUDK
When the Kansas Jayhawks left Norman, Okla, last November, their confidence was at all time low after giving up an FBS record of 428 rushing yards to the Oklahoma Sooners' freshman running back Samaje Perine.
"It was hard for us, as a defense, to sit there and just watch them in the middle of the game just sit there and celebrate his record-breaking game," said junior safety Fish Smithson. "That was just very tough and that stuck with us."
Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine (32) carries past Texas Tech defensive back Tevin Madison (20) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015. Oklahoma won 63-27.
SUE OGROCK/AR
This time around, the Jayhawks will face Perine fresh off his best performance of the season. The sophomore rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns on his way to Big 12 Player of the Week in a 63-27 win over Texas Tech.
Kansas, on the other hand, is reeling from a 58-10 defeat at the hands of Oklahoma State. But the Jayhawks haven't lost confidence — and they won't be intimidated on Saturday — even against the man who broke their spirit last season.
"I look at them like they're just men," said senior defensive end Ben Goodman. "I'll give them credit, they're pretty good, big and fast. But I come from wrestling steers and roping cows. No man intimidates me."
Although Perine should be
In the passing game, junior quarterback Baker Mayfield has been a pleasant surprise, and two wide receivers — junior Dede Westbrook and senior Sterling Shepard — have been the primary options in the Sooners' attack.
the Jayhawks' primary concern, he will be just one of many this Saturday. Freshman running back Joe Mixon has been a complement to Perine in the backfield. The Sooners have been able to maximize their talented backfield by running most of their plays with both backs on the field.
But still, everything the Sooners have been able to accomplish this year goes back to Perine and the constant attention he draws from opposing defenses.
If the Jayhawks — who rank 119th in rushing defense — are going to slow down the Sooners' attack, it's going to start with the defensive line that has struggled for much of this year.
"Defenses have to put numbers in the box, but then guys get one-on-one matchups on the outside in the passing game," said defensive coordinator Clint Bowen.
"Every game we felt like it was our fault, and I believed that," Goodman said. "The defensive line was supposed to be the strength of the team, but we were the weakness of the team.
But the line has started to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks and make some plays in the backfield the last few weeks, thanks to the emergence of freshman defensive tackle Daniel Wise, who Goodman said has been playing "stellar" as of late.
In addition to Wise, a lot of freshmen have earned playing time over the past couple of weeks and have made the most of it. This weekend, they will
"I love when we get to see a lot of the former players,' Bowen said. "It's good to see those guys come back."
get to show some former Jayhawks, who will be in Memorial Stadium for Homecoming, what they can do.
Even though they are still winless at 0-7, the Jayhawks have been able to ignore the scoreboard and claw their way through the season. They will need to remember that on
Saturday against the Sooners, who have won their last two contests by a combined score of 118-27.
"We just have to continue to fight," Goodman said. "We've got all the Jayhawks in the country backing us. We're all in this together as Jayhawks."
- Edited by Rebecca Dowd
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