THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
SPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
9B
Team sweeps weekend competition
Kansas wins nine straight matches; players recognized with MVP, all-tournament honors
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
The Kansas volleyball team recorded back-to-back-to-back sweeps for the first time since 2005 in a first-place finish at the Arkansas Tournament this weekend.
Kansas, now 7-2, also finished first in a non-conference tournament for the first time since 2007.
Kansas players raked up tournament honors as senior middle blocker Paige Mazour was named the MVP of the tournament and junior outside hitter Karina Garlington and sophomore settler Nicole Tate added their names to the all-tournament team.
"It feels amazing." Tate said. "All our hard work is finally paying off."
Mazour said Kansas took care of its own side and played strong, which allowed the team to win the matches. Kansas committed 32 errors this weekend compared with 89 errors last weekend.
"Our passers did an amazing job, which made it very easy for us to
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Arkansas Tournament
Kansas v. North Texas:
25-15, 25-16, 25-20
Kansas v. Jacksonville State:
25-15, 25-12, 25-16
Honors
Kansas v. Arkansas:
25-15, 25-18, 25-15
Honors
Paige Mazour – MVP
Karina Garlington –
All-Tournament Team
Nicole Tate –
All-Tournament Team
Up next:
run the offense and for us to be effective" Tate said.
Kansas started off the weekend with a victory against North Texas (25-15, 25-16, 25-20). Kansas led North Texas in nearly every stall, including out-digging North Texas 56-41 and out-killing them 44-27. Kansas also posted a .324 attack percentage compared with North Texas' .061. Tate recorded her second double-double of the year with 11 digs and 38 assists.
Kansas (7-2) at Missouri (7-3)
Columbia, Mo.
(Hearnes Center)
Kansas earned its second victory of the weekend against Jacksonville State (25-15, 25-12, 25-16). Kansas continued to dominate the stats against Jacksonville State, out-killing 43-26, out-digging 56-47 and hitting a better attack percentage, .290 to .085.
Kansas clinched its first place trophy against Arkansas (25-15, 25-18, 25-15). Kansas was well-balanced and had a 371 attack percentage with just nine errors in the entire
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match.
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said the team still needs to work on a more balanced offensive, but he said he was pleased with how well the players served, which allowed the team to set up the defense. Bechard also said the team gained some momentum from the victories.
"We gained some confidence that we are always going to be in the match." Bechard said.
Kansas will need that confidence and momentum as the team shifts its focus to the competitive Big 12 Conference. Kansas opens conference play on Wednesday against Missouri in the Border Showdown.
"I think our team has a good shot at being competitive in the Big 12," Tate said. "I'm just ready to go."
Sophomore Nicole Tate, left, sets the ball for senior Paige Mazour during Kansas weekend sweep of the Arkansas tournament. Tate was named to the all-tournament team, and Mozour was named the MVP of the tournament.
Wesley Hitt/UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
Davies' arm powers Royals to victory against Indians
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — Once the calendar turns to September, Kyle Davies turns into an ace.
Angeles Angels on Monday.
The right-hander carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and won his fourth straight start, pitching the Kansas City Royals to a 7-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.
Davies (8-9) held the Indians hitless until Shin-Soo Choo's lead-off single to center in the sixth. He walked six and struck out three over six innings in his second straight wild start. He walked six and gave up five hits and one run over five innings in a 6-3 win over the Los
"He had a very good changeup," Choo said. "And he threw enough strikes to get big outs. I hit a curve, but he was pretty good."
Davies is 3-0 in September. A year ago, he went 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA after Sept. 1. But he struggled early this season and was sent back to the minors after going 1-6 in seven starts between May 16 and June 19 that dropped his record to 3-7.
"I know I can win in September," he said. "Right now, it's like I am going to do it — not, are you going to?"
Davies said he worked the kinks out of his delivery while going 4-2
with a 2.14 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A Omaha before being recalled Aug. 5.
"It's really about mechanics for me," Davies said. "I don't have a lot of movement on my pitches, so I've got to stay in rhythm and keep the ball down. I've been a little lucky, too. I can't keep walking guys."
Davies improved to 4-3 with a 2.66 ERA on the road. He is 4-6 with an 8.92 ERA in 11 home starts.
The 26-year-old thought it could be a special day after first baseman Billy Butler made two fine plays on sharp grounders by Cleveland's first two batters.
"That second one hit the bag and
went straight left, but he got it with his bare hand," Davies said. "I don't know how. He made another good play the next inning, then caught a
popup in the sun. I had no idea where it was. Four good plays in two innings helps."
Matt LaPorta lined a two-out single off reliever Carlos Rosa in the ninth for Cleveland's only other hit.
Three of the Royals' eight shutouts this season have been at Progressive Field. The last time the Indians were blanked
three times at home by the same team in a season was by the 1971 Baltimore Orioles.
John Buck and Butler each had
"I've got to stay in rhythm and keep the ball down. I've been a little lucky, too. I can't keep walking."
and Butler each had two RBIs in the Royals' sixth win in seven games. Kansas City took two of three from the Indians, losers of 10 of 13, for only its second road series win since May.
"We had our hitting shoes on again and gave Kyle some
breathing room." Royals bench coach John Gibbons said. "Take away the walks and he's on quite
a roll."
Gibbons spoke in place of manager Trey Hillman, who left immediately after the game to attend to a personal matter.
Buck put the Royals ahead 1-0 in the third with his sixth homer, an opposite-field shot to right off Carlos Carrasco (0-2). Two errors helped make it 3-0 in the fourth. Willie Bloomquist hit a leadoff double. Carrasco, who had picked Bloomquist off first base following a first-inning single, this time threw the ball into center field on a pickoff try, sending the runner to third. Bloomquist scored on a groundout by Butler.