8B SPORTS
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VOLLEYBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009
Jayhawks lose after starting strong
BY BRITT BEASLEY bbeasley@kansan.com
The volleyball team took on yet another ranked opponent this weekend in Texas A&M. Though the team looked good in the first set, it was not enough as it lost 3-1.
The Jayhawks led through most of the first set. When the Aggies tried to climb their way back into it, the Jayhawks shut the door on them. The team won the first set 25-23.
"We started off strong, which is usually our weak point," sophomore setter Nicole Tate said.W "Now we just have to finish the matches that we start."
Tate led the team with 45 assists to go along with her 10 digs.
The second set started and the Jayhawk battles their way through the second set. It looked as though the team would be able to get back into the game after a kill by sophomore Allison Mayfield brought the score to 18-23, but in the end lost 25-22.
"We hit .233 and had as many kills," coach Ray Bechard said. "We just did not hit as high a proficiency."
In the third set the layhawks battled through most of the game but could not come through as they lost 23-25. Freshman middle blocker Taylor Tolefree started the third set and immediately contributed. She had an attack percentage of .667 in the third set with five kills.
The Jayhawks played the first set and had a .277 attack percentage and looked as though they were the better team as Texas A&M had a.176 attack percentage in the first set.
"This is a really important game that we needed; we didn't get it, but everyone just felt the importance of it." Toilefre said. "From here we go back to practice and we either execute it or we don't, so we will get to a point to do that consistently."
The layhawks looked as if they had some momentum going until the ball got stuck in the ceiling and forced a replay on the ball.
The Aggies proved to be just too much in the fourth set as they took the set 25-15. The Jayhawks never seemed to be in a rhythm during the set. By the time they tried to mount a comeback it was already 8-18 and it was too late.
"This was an opportunity we let go." Tate said, "This is our gym and we should have had bigger pride against them. We had our game plan and just didn't execute. The coaches gave us something to do and we were just not able to pull it out."
The team next heads to Colorado Wednesday and then Oklahoma Saturday.
- Edited by Abbey Strusz
Allison Mayfield tips the ball over the net and behind two Texas A&M blockers to record one of her career high 20 kills. Kansas fell to Texas A&M 3-1 Saturday night at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Freshman Goodrich makes solid start
BY ANDREW TAYLOR
ataylor@kansan.com
No one could have predicted what kind of play the Jayhawks would receive from the point guard position, specifically that of freshman Angel Goodrich. But Sunday's game against Pittsburg State was a clear response.
With three minutes and 10 seconds left in the first half, coach Bonnie Henrickson subbed Goodrich in despite the starters' two personal fouls.
"We were trying to tell her you need to learn to play with fouls because it's clear we're going to need her on the court," Henrickson said.
At that point in the game Goodrich had four assists along with four turnovers in what had been an up-and-down first career start. Up to that point she had earned four assists, but matched each assist with a turnover for a total of four turnovers.
Follow Kansan writerAndrew Taylor at twitter.com/andrew_taylor11.
At the close of the first half, Goodrich had walked into the locker room still thinking about her four turnovers.
"I tried to calm myself down," Goodrich said. "There were some decisions I made in the first half and I just tried to focus on making them better in the second half."
Following the bid of confidence from her coach, Goodrich elevated her level of play throughout the rest of the game.
Goodrich played for a total of nine minutes; the last three minutes of the first half and six minutes of play in the second half. During
that time, Goodrich piled up six more assists, for a total of 10, and committed no more turnovers.
At the start of the second half, Goodrich displayed an incredible knack for finding open players, earning two assists in less than two minutes.
"She's the best passer I've ever played with," sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland said. "So long as I run and she's looking for me with the ball, I'll get it."
Some of Goodrich's 10 assists helped Sutherland to earn a double-double for the Jawhaws.
Senior guard and forward Danielle McCray benefited, too. Three of Goodrich's assists led directly to seven of McCray's 18 points.
"She's born with that ability to see the whole floor," McCray said.
Despite not scoring any points and only attempting two shots in the game, Henrickson was very positive about Goodrich's play.
**Game Ball:** Alishah Sutherland — The lanky sophomore tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals in only 26 minutes of play. In Sunday's game, shooters Danielle McCray and Sade Morris had plenty of open looks.
Quote of the Day: "I think it bodes well for us that you've got a player of a caliber of
"Sometimes for a young quarterback the game appears too fast for them, but it doesn't for her," Henrickson said.
Danielle McCray and she's not one of the two most impressive players in the gym," Henrickson said.
Stat of the Game:10 assists from Angel Goodrich
— Coach Henrickson has big hopes for her new point guard. Sunday's showing was a good omen.
Goodrich's fellow point guards didn't experience the same success in Kansas' first exhibition game.
Senior point guard LaChelda Jacobs didn't turn the ball over once.
This was somewhat overshadowed by some bad decisions she made in Kansas's transition offense.
"Shot-wise, she probably needs to drive in and not pull up for shots sometimes." Henrickson said.
Junior college transfer Rhea Codio also suffered some setbacks in her first game as a Jawhawk.
Despite getting her first assist in less than 10 seconds on the court, Codio turned the ball over twice while only garnering one more assist.
"Rhea is going to be fine," Henrickson said. "She was playing a little fast and she's not patient enough right now to just let it happen."
Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Teams comes in at No.20 in Associated Press poll
Kansas women's basketball team was ranked No. 20 in a national poll released last Friday by the Associated Press. The selection ends an almost decade-long absence from the rankings; Kansas last graced the Associated Press' poll on Feb. 21, 2000.
"We were all excited and we're still excited about it," senior guard Danielle McCray said.
Four other Big 12 schools are also ranked. Among them are Baylor, the preseason pick to win the Big 12 conference, and Texas, picked to finish tied for second with Kansas in the Big 12. Last year's national champions, the Connecticut Huskies, again grabbed the top spot.
"We've got to live it up and show that," McCray said.
Despite this preseason recognition McCray, who was tabbed as the Big 12 preseason player of the year, acknowledged the team needs to focus.
Andrew Taylor
A RESOURCE OF THE ADF CENTER FOR ACADMILTREE DOM