WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2002
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3B
Kansan file photo
Kansas' volleyball team, coming off a 3-0 sweep of Baylor Saturday, will take on rivals K-State and Missouri over fall break. The Hawks are currently 14-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12 conference.
'Hawks to clash with Big 12 rivals
By Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Jayhawks, coming off a 3-0 sweep of Baylor on Saturday, will play traditional rivals Kansas State today and Missouri Saturday.
Kansas (14-2 overall, 5-2 Big 12 Conference) will host the Kansas State Wildcats (9-6, 5-2 Big 12) at 7 tonight in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. Kansas then travels to face the Missouri Tigers (14-2, 4-1 Big 12) at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.
"Every game is a big game," said senior middle blocker Kylie Thomas. "But against these two rivals if we can take both these games, it will put us in really good position in the Big 12."
The Wildcats have not lost to the Jayhawks since 1994, winning all 14 matches in that time, including 3-0 sweeps in the last four meetings. Kansas State has
won its last three conference matches, including a 3-1 win over Colorado on Saturday at home.
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said Kansas State has good balance in the middle and left side. Senior outside hitter Jennifer Pollard, junior middle blocker Lauren Goehring, and junior outside hitter Cari Jensen lead the offense, each averaging more than 2.8 kills pergame.
"I don't think we can put too much into what happened in the past," Bechard said. "It's a reflection of K-State having good teams in the past."
Second-year Kansas State coach Suzie Fritz was a setter for Bechard from 1990-1991 when he coached Barton County Community College to back-to-back final four appearances at the NJCAA tournament.
"Each year going into the match, we have to respect K-State because they're a great team and we know they're going to do great things on the court," senior
defensive specialist Jaime Morningstar said.
The Jayhawks dropped to third in the conference in team hitting percentage (.278) after the victory against Baylor, but remain in second place in kills (16.73), assists (15.19), and service aces per game (1.96).
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Michaels's .412 hitting percentage remained atop Big 12, and freshman setter Andi Rozum moved up to second in Big 12 with 12.63 assists per game.
"Whether we win or not, as long as we give good effort I know that enough our team will be happy," Morningstar said. "But it would be such an amazing feat to come out with a win over K-State."
The all-time series versus Missouri has been close, with the Tigers leading 53-52. Bechard is 4-4 all-time against Missouri, and the teams split their matches last year with each winning on its opponent's home court. In
Kansas' 3-1 win at the Hearnes Center, junior outside hitter Sarah Rome registered 17 kills and 15 digs.
Missouri has had its best start since 1982. After losing two consecutive conference games, the Tigers won Saturday at home against Oklahoma.
Tigers' redshirt freshman outside hitter Shen Danru is sixth in the Big 12 with 3.95 kills per game. Junior outside hitter Mary Lauren Smith's 3.80 kills per game rank her eighth in the Big 12 and senior middle blocker Christi Myers 3.76 mark puts her in ninth.
"You got to approach these matches like any other matches. Execution is just as important against any other team," Bechard said. "We got to stick to what got us here. Eventually there will be key times when someone has to make plays, hopefully we pull through."
Senior soccer women featured in last home game
—Edited by Matt Gehrke
Valento, Wahle Hunting and Jones wrap up season against Iowa State on Sunday
Four seniors will play their last home soccer game at Kansas on Sunday.
Brianna Valento, Nikki Wahle and Lindsay Hunting, the first three players to play their entire career under coach Mark
Francis, came into the program during Francis' first year on staff. That team went 8-10-1, which was the winningest season the Jayhawks had to that point.
During the 2001 season, the three seniors saw Kansas have its first winning season (13-7) and make it to the NCAA Championships for the first time before losing to BYU 1-0 in the tournament.
The fourth senior on the squad midfielder Brooke Jones, transferred after her sophomore season from the University of
Nebraska.
"The seniors have stepped up in a big way this season," Francis said. "They all step up at different times and provide leadership and guidance for our team."
The seniors' last game will come against a Cyclone team with a record of 5-7-1 and a conference mark of 2-4.
The team,coached by first-year coach Rebecca Hornbacher, dropped a pair of 1-0 games to Colorado and No.23 Nebraska last weekend.
Offensively, the Cyclones are led by sophomore midfielder Nikki Gamble, who has 11 points this season. Sophomore Karen Hasselman has taken over the goaltending duties during the past four games and has a 1.50 GAA.
Central Missouri State (6-7) is led by juniors Taleshia Joseph and April Reyes, who both have seven goals on the season.
The Jennies are anchored by freshman goalie Stephanie Reyes who has 1.22 goals against average in 808 minutes of action this
season.
The Jayhawks beat Oklahoma State 6-0 on Friday and lose to Oklahoma 2-1 on Sunday.
"In our conference every weekend is a big test for us." Francis said. "You need to be ready to play every game or else you will lose."
Kansas gets a one-game break from its brutal conference schedule this weekend to play Central Missouri State on Friday at 4 p.m. at SuperTarget Field.
The Jayhawks will then return to conference action at 1 p.m.
Sunday as they host Iowa State in their last home game of the season.
The Jayhawks are 9-3-2 and tied with Missouri for fourth place in the conference at 3-2-1. The Jayhawks will travel to Columbia to take on the Tigers on Nov. 1. But no one is looking ahead.
"Coming off a tough loss like we are, we need to come out this weekend and play hard and get some momentum," Francis said.
Daniel Berk
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