SPORTS
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 2015
Junior Tiana Dockery smiles as the Kansas volleyball team celebrates its 19th win of the season over Oklahoma on Wednesday, Oct.21 in Lawrence.
PAIGE STINGLEY/KANSAN
AMIE JUST
@Amie_Just
One more match.
That's all Kansas needs to hit
20 straight wins.
But it's not going to be easy. The Goliath of the Big 12 — No. 2 Texas — stands in the way and the Jayhawks know that.
Asked whether or not the Texas game was looming over the team, Kansas coach Ray Bechard answered with just two words:
"No question."
Texas (17-1) has been nationally ranked every week since Week 1 of the 2004 season. Rarely have they dropped out of the top 10. The Longhorns have been ranked 428 times in the history of the AVCA. Only six schools nationwide have been ranked more than that.
The Longhorns are the reigning queens of the Big 12, as they have won the conference for the five of the past six seasons.
"We can thank [Jerritt Elliott] for elevating everybody else in the league because that's what we've done over the last decade is try to chase them," Bechard said of Texas' coach and program.
No. 7 Kansas (19-0) hasn't had that level of sustained success. Before this season, the highest Kansas had ever been ranked was No. 17 and that was in 2013, when the Jayhawks advanced to the Sweet 16. Over the history of the AVCA, Kansas has been ranked 50 times.
Kansas hasn't beaten Texas since its senior leaders were fourth graders. Kansas defeated the Longhorns twice in 2003. Both matches were
extended to five sets. Bechard had just surpassed 800 career wins and 100 wins at Kansas that season. In context, Bechard clinched 1,000 career wins in 2014 and 300 wins at Kansas in 2015.
"They've been great," Bechard said of Texas. "They've been to a ton of Final Fours in a row. They've been in a position to win a national championship many of the last few years. If we have aspirations of being a player in the Big 12, it's not a must win, but certainly we have to impress how we play on them. It needs to be a really competitive match."
Outside of beating Texas twice, 2003 was a good year for Kansas volleyball. Kansas made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and advanced to the round of 32 before falling to Pepperdine.
Kansas can end the 12 year drought. Beating Texas isn't impossible. This season, Texas has dropped one match already, against then-No. 4 Florida. At the time, Texas was No. 3 and lost that match 1-3. Texas hasn't faced a top 10 opponent since.
It isn't rare for Texas to lose at least one conference match. Since 2005, Texas has lost at least one Big 12 matchup in all but one season. During the 2013 campaign, Texas won every conference game and rode the momentum all the way to the Final Four.
But just because it's possible doesn't mean it's not going to be difficult. History is stacked against the Jayhawks.
Kansas hasn't played a single ranked opponent this season and hasn't defeated a nationally ranked team since 2012, when the Jayhawks defeated
then-No. 19 Iowa State in five sets. The last time Kansas defeated a top 10 ranked opponent was in 2011, when Kansas topped then-No. 6 Minnesota in five sets. Kansas has never defeated an opponent that has been ranked in the top five.
This season Kansas has defeated 19 straight opponents, only dropping five sets on the season. That's the least amount of set losses in the country. No. 1 Southern California is also undefeated at 20-0, but has lost nine sets so far this season.
"I think this is everything and more," sophomore right side hitter Kelsie Payne said of going undefeated into the impending Texas match. "This is more than what we could have hoped for and asked for. We've worked hard for it, so I'm excited."
Several Jayhawks are native Texans. Payne and sophomore
"I'm from Austin so [this game], it's a big deal," Payne said. "I've always dreamed of one day playing in that gym. This is my way of doing that."
outside hitter Madison Ridgon grew up going to Texas volleyball matches.
There's no debate. This is the best season Kansas volleyball has ever had in the history of the program. If the Jayhawks were ever to upset the Longhorns, the time would be now.
["Winning would be] really high," Payne said of where a potential win would rank on her volleyball achievements list. "This is something I've thought about for a really long time and the past few weeks it's all I've been thinking about."
No. 7 Kansas and No. 2 Texas face off in Austin, Texas at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23.
- Edited by Leah Sitz
HOW THEY GOT HERE
No.7 Jayhawks sweep the Sooners
JOSHUA MCQUADE
@LOneW0lfMcQuade
The Jayhawks were able to keep their unprecedented streak alive as they defeated the Sooners in three straight sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-18) at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center on Wednesday night.
After 19-straight games, coach Ray Bechard said he feels strongly about the team he has built, but also about staying quiet on the team's ability to dominate sets until after the Texas game.
Kansas flashed its No.7 ranking, the best AVCA Coaches Poll ranking within the history of the program, and proved just why the team warrants such a high ranking.
"It would be fun to have [talk about dominating sets] after Friday night." Bechard said in the post-game interview.
The first set proved Kansas to be the dominant team as it led for the entirety. However, the Sooners tied the set three separate times before the Jayhawks quickly shut them
down. Kansas racked up an impressive amount of kills in this set, topping Oklahoma 17 kills to 11.
The second set was a bit tougher for the Jayhawks, but it was nothing they couldn't handle. The Sooners were just three points shy of winning the set themselves, but the Jayhawks were able to keep the lead until the end. This set showed many of the players diving all over the court, with the dig amount totaling 10 for the team, led by junior libero Cassie Wait with six.
"This is more than we could've hoped for, could've asked for."
KELSIE PAYNE Middle Blocker
Wait dominated the court with her skills to dig any ball that came her way and impressed Bechard in the process.
"She had 23 digs, extended rallies and passed the ball well," Bechard said.
In the third set, the Jayhawks jumped on the Sooners quickly and were in the lead the entire game with only one short moment of a tie. However, the third set consisted mostly of attack errors by Oklahoma, — a total of nine — which didn't give Kansas the opportunity to show its killing ability.
Freshman middle blocker Kelsie Payne led the offense with 15 kills and four blocks. Payne continued to portray how much of an offensive force she has been this year.
Sophomore setter Ainise Havili was another force to be reckoned with as she set up 37 assists. Havili tied her personal record of five kills after a push from Bechard to bring out her killing instinct.
"We moved Payne around a little bit, which is good," Bechard said. "She's started to attract a pretty big crowd when we set her in the middle of the floor."
Oklahoma was no match for
Kansas and its ability to ruthlessly attack the opponent, even with Payne limited by the Sooners.
“This is more than we could've hoped for, could've asked for," Payne said of the 19-game win streak. "We've worked hard for it, so I am excited for Friday's match (against Texas)."
The Jayhawks' next game, which Payne mentioned, is the one everyone has been waiting for: Texas. Kansas was able to focus on the same skills against Oklahoma that it will soon use to take on the No. 2 team in the country.
"It'd be amazing for us to go down there and win, but we still got to work for it," said Madison Rigdon, sophomore outside hitter. "They're a great team, so it's going to be difficult."
- Edited by Rebecca Dowd
PAIGE STINGLEY/KANSAS
PAIGE STINGLEY/KANSAN Sophomore Ainise Havilli sets the ball on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
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