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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16.2011
VOLLEYBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Jayhawks still upset after previous loss to Sooners
Freshman outside hitter Sara McClinton prepares to spike the ball over the neck during Saturday nights game against Texas at Horeisi Family Athletics Center. Kansas will take on Oklahoma tonight.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
MATT GALLOWAY
mgalloway@kansan.com
twitter.com/IDK_vball
On Wednesday night, the Kansas volleyball team has a chance to avenge what was perhaps its most frustrating loss of the season against the same team a month ago.
With only three games remaining in the regular season, the Jayhawks (14-12, 2-11) hope to win back-to-back conference games as they take on the Sooners (19-9, 6-6) at 6 p.m. in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
The teams last met on Oct. 15 in Norman, Okla., when the Jayhawks came within two points of sweeping the ranked Sooners. However, Oklahoma ranled and took the game in five sets. The outcome of that game is still a sore subject for many Kansas players.
"It was pretty painful," said freshman outside hitter Sara McClinton. "Whenever you go to a five-set game, and if it doesn't turn out the way you want it, you always have that taste of bitterness on your tongue."
Coach Ray Bechard said the memory of the loss has upped the intensity of practice this week but there are other fires his team has lighted under itself at the moment.
"More importantly at this time of the year, we're just needing wins," Bechard said. "Obviously we had a very tough loss to them last time, but as lot has changed since then. It's been a while."
The Sooners have been a bit of an enigma this season. Ranked nationally for most of the year, Oklahoma is the only team in the conference to hang a loss on firstplace Texas. But more recently, the Sooners have lost four straight games, including a four set loss to Baylor at home on Saturday.
"It it just goes to show that in our league it's hard to play at a high level over an extended period of
time," Bechard said. "You're going to take your bumps and bruises and they're no different than anybody else."
Bechard's squad positioned itself out of the bottom of the Big 12 on Saturday with a road win against Texas Tech. But while
the win is a confidence booster, freshman outside hitter Chelsea Albers said it has not made the team complacent.
"We just forgot for a while what it took to push and win a game," Albers said. "With that win under our belts, it's going to help us to
make that push at the end of the game."
Both McClinton and Albers have come on strong late in the season. McClinton had a career-high 15 kills in the last home game against Texas. On Saturday against Texas Tech, senior outside
hitter Allison Mayfield had a career game of her own, recording 22 kills in the win. Both Albers and McClinton said learning under Mayfield this season has been a great experience.
a senior," McClinton said. "I have that role model right there and I'm trying to do everything I can to learn from her while she's here."
"I have someone doing exactly what I want to be doing when I'm
Edited by Rachel Schultz
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansas prepares for Creighton
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
Freshman guard Natalie Knight hit her first shot as a Jayhawk in a heroic fashion. After shooting 5 for 6 from the free throw line, she knocked down a three pointer with 1:40 left to take a two-possession lead in the first game of the season. Her points contributed to the 11-4 run by the Jayhawks that sealed their victory.
Knight, an Olathe native, played significant minutes in exhibition, but didn't score. Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson had been surprised by the lack of production from the former Kansas Women's Gatorade Player of the Year, but was relieved to see Knight score her first points.
"I think she kept her composure late," Goodrich said. "I saw her in the corner and I knew she was looking for the ball. She had her hands up, was ready for it and she knocked it down."
Goodrich was credited with the assist on Knight's bucket, and finished the game with a team high seven assists.
"When it got tight, Natalie picked a great time to make her first shot at Kansas," Henrickson said.
After the hard-fought 76-64 victory against Western Michigan, Kansas prepares to host Creighton at 8 p.m. The Jayhawks have won the last nine contests between the two schools, including an overtime win in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament in 2010.
One of the biggest threats the Creighton Bluejays bring into the game is their consistently powerful perimeter scoring.
"Creeighton is a shooting team so we need to be able to contain and not let them shoot a three," Goodrich said.
The Kansas post faced an unfamiliar challenge as it played without scoring-leader Carolyn Davis, who sat on the bench while she battled a stress fracture in her right foot.
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"I thought in big moment, Tania gave us some important finishes and found some rhythm at the free throw line" Henrickson said.
The Jayhawks will focus on their transition game, which was slowed down without the familiarity and dependability of Davis in the front court. The Jayhawks committed 20 turnovers and scored just 12 fast break points.
Her highlighted an 8 for 11 performance at the free throw line as Kansas converted 28 out of 37 from the charity stripe.
Edited by Jason Bennett
"It feels good," Jackson said. "Any way that I can help my team out is a good feeling to have, I didn't try to be Carolyn or do what she does at the five. I just tried to play my game and contribute in any way that I could."
KU Dance Marathon Percentage Night
Sophomore forward Tania Jackson stepped into Davis' place as a starter. She recorded her second career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Good Eats For A Great Cause
@ Noodles & Company November 16th,2011 Fn.9p
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