6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF DARY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2008
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2008
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks looking for conference road victory tonight
BY JOSH BOWE jbowe@kansan.com
If there were a way Kansas could take the Horesji Family Athletic Center on the road with them for every match, the season outlook might look a little brighter.
"We've got off to slow starts," Bechard said of the team's road woes. "That's pretty typical. I think teams try to get comfortable on the road."
Although their record won't indicate it (2-3 at home and 1-4 on the road), the Jayhawks look like a different team when they have played on
their home court.
keys to the game
Hasn't this been mentioned before? Unfortunately until Kansas fixes this problem, it will continue to be an issue. It is amplified now that the Jayhawks are playing on the road against one of the premier defenses in the conference.
Strong start:
Offensive balance: If Kansas again relies on outside hitter Karina Garlington for most of the offense, Baylor will key in on her and force other Jayhawks to contribute. If nobody steps up, it could be a long night.
Players to watch:
Kansas:
Jenna Kaiser: The sophomore
outside hitter needs to return to the form she showed against Texas & M, when she recorded 18 kills. With Savannah Noyes and Natalie Uhart playing well, a strong showing from Kaiser will bolster the offense.
The Jayhawks have looked competitive against ranked conference powers Texas and Kansas State, even taking K-State to five sets. An impressive five-set comeback against Iowa State and a four-set slug match with Oklahoma round out the home victories.
Baylor:
But Kansas is not out of the picture in the conference yet. Just one match separates six teams. That's why Bechard is concerned about Baylor, which Kansas plays tonight at 7.
**Anna Breyfogle:** The junior middle blocker is part of a Baylor defense that leads the conference in blocks overall and blocks per match. Breyfogle leads the defense up front with 1.64 blocks per set. Kansas will have to work around her imposing presence to score. Breyfogle also chips in 1.66 kills per set.
"I think whichever team can win on the road obviously is going to separate themselves from the rest of that group" Bechard said.
Though Kansas has been competitive against quality teams at home, it has looked sloppy on the road against lesser foes.
— Josh Bowe
Kansas scrapped out an ugly victory against Texas Tech in four sets, but lost to Colorado and Missouri, two teams Kansas needed to beat to stay ahead of the middle pack in the conference. A victory against Baylor will help propel Kansas toward a topfive standing.
Freshman outside hitter Allison Mayfield jumps to attempt a block during Saturday's victory against OKahla at the Horeis Athletic Centers.
"There are a bunch of teams fighting for top five and this is our way to clamp it," senior middle blocker Natalie Uhart said.
problems had less to do with focusing on the opponent and more with focusing on Kansas.
"It's really just KU's side," Garlington said. "We just have to play KU volleyball and start set one strong."
Sophomore outside hitter Karina Garlington said fixing the team's road
As for tonight's opponent, Bechard had nothing but positive things to say about Baylor's program, which, under coach Jim Barnes, has improved vastly this season. The Bears are fourth in the conference with a 5-4 record, and post an overall record of 13-6, which is also fourth-best in the conference.
"Coach Barnes has done a great job." Bechard said. "Each year he's been putting more pieces together and he's got a team that fits what he likes to do."
Specifically Bechard mentioned how well the team served and blocked. The Bears are in the top two in the conference in every defensive category.
Baylor also leads the conference in service aces, mainly because of its setter, junior Taylor Barnes.
"They get a lot of instant points that way." Bechard said. "It'll be quite a challenge for us."
not as fluid as they liked.
The Jayhawks have shown the ability in past matches to grind it out, and against Baylor, they might have to do it again.
It might be bad timing Kansas to face a defense like Baylor's. The Jayhawks' offense has been inconsistent at best, with front row players not all playing their best at the same time.
"We have to make smart shots. Offensively, you've got to have a little diversity." Bechard said. "With that I think you can keep them off balance a little bit."
could give Kansas its most impressive road victory of the season and certainly an NCAA Tournament resume-booser.
Against Oklahoma on Saturday, Kansas compiled 29 errors, approaching its season-high, 31. One positive was that the layhawks were able to win a match when the offense was
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"If everybody . . . s 60 to 70 percent at home and can't win on the road, then we're all going to be in one big jock." Bechard said. "So Wednesday would be a great way to get that started."
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Staying in tune with the game plan
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