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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, OCT. 6, 2016
After statement, KU hopes to take action
The volleyball team said its pregame "moment of reflection" has received plenty of postive feedback.
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
The reaction to Kansas volleyball's reflection on social issues before four-set win over Baylor Saturday at Horejsi Family Athletic Center was, for the most part, exactly what the earn hoped.
Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN Prior to the national anthem, Kansas volleyball players and coaches united and knelt to take a moment of reflection on social injustice.
"I think it went just exactly how we planned," junior middle blocker Kayla Headle said. "We knew we'd have a lot of people on board about it and some people probably wouldn't understand, but from what coach [Ray Bechard] said, a lot of people were supporting is and only positive things were coming out of it."
The decision to take anee and lock arms before he national anthem in reflection before the game against Baylor took time to materialize. The display from he volleyball team came just few weeks after Terence Crutcher, an unarmed Tulsa, Okla., man was shot and dilled by police.
Cheadle said the team went to Bechard before a Sept. 21 game against Oklahoma, where the team originally
planned its "moment of reflection," as Bechard and the team's statement called it. After Bechard, the players, athletic director Sheahon Zenger and Kansas associate athletics director Jim Marchiony collaborated on the statement, the team emerged from the locker room to a packed Horejsi Family Athletic Center.
I think it went just exactly how we planned,
Kayla Cheadle Junior middle blocker
After the team sprung itself into the attention of the community, action is the next step for Bechard and Kansas.
work in local schools.
Marchiony, who Cheadle and Bechard identified as a supporter of their ideas, asked the team to write down some of their thoughts on what the team should do going forward. Bechard's plan is to work with local groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also emphasized
"As a coach, I think for me it's setting a good example for how we treat each other on our staff, how our players treat each other." Bechard said. "And that might be the best thing I can do is set an example."
The influence from the volleyball team may spread into different parts of Kansas athletics. Cheadle told the Topeka Capital-Journal she talked about the moment of reflection with her sister Chayla, a guard for the women's basketball team. Cheadle also spoke with athletes from other sports about the statement her team made.
"As athletes we have a platform," Cheadle said. "And people look up to us and we have a voice in a lot of things. So I feel like if you can take a stand and you try to make a change and you can use that platform you can go from there."
Bechard reiterated his team's purpose for uniting to observe the social issues that were addressed.
"We thought our team represented kind of a melting pot of what the country looks
like, we're very diverse," Bechard said. "And we can
still treat each other with a lot of respect and compassion.
And that's what we're kind of asking everybody to do."
KU to face No. 3 West Virginia
Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN organ's second of the season.
Forward Mandi Duggan beats a Colorado defender to score for Kansas. This was the only Jayhawks goal of the game and Duggan's second of the season.
> SKYLAR ROLSTAD @SkyRolSports
In the 2016 season so far, Kansas soccer has played almost exactly the opposite as last season.
Kansas claimed its second and third wins in the Big 12 over TCU and Texas last weekend. Combine those wins with a 2-1 home win over Texas Tech the week before, and the 3-0 Jayhawks have defeated three of the teams they lost to during conference play last season.
The team rolled through the first three wins, but its toughest opponent of the season arrives at Rock Chalk Park on Friday: No. 3 West Virginia.
"It's just another opportunity for us to play against a very good team, a ranked team, as we've done many times this year," Kansas coach Mark Francis said. "I know the girls are very excited that we're coming back home, so I know we'll want to take advantage of coming back to Rock Chalk Park."
Kansas is close to a national ranking. The team shot up to 25 in the RPI rankings after last weekend, but found themselves outside the NSCAA Coaches' top
Although 2015 College Cup quarterfinalist West Virginia is the highest-ranked team Kansas has faced so far, it's nothing the team hasn't already seen.
Francis referred to performances in a 2-0 away loss to then-No.7 USC and an away draw to No.25 Pepperdine when he said his team was ready for the matchup.
25, despite eight votes to be ranked. These eight votes put Kansas at No.32 in the rankings.
"We played Colorado, played Marquette, played Pitt, Pepperdine and Southern (California)," Francis said. "Those are tough games, you know. So it definitely prepared us for coming into the conference."
Last year, Kansas faced West Virginia in Morgantown, W. Va., and lost 6-0. Francis said at the time the crushing defeat left the team
with little to assess properly.
This time around, Francis said the teams are fairly even, so huge changes to his team aren't necessary. The team, however, did make large adjustments for how USC played earlier in the season, but noted the similarities in formation between Kansas and West Virginia.
"I don't think there's anything different we need to do." Francis said. "Any time you're playing a good team like that it's exciting for that challenge. I know the girls are up for it."
- Edited by Christian Hardy
Missu Minear/KANSAN
Sophomore quarterback Ryan Willis prepares for a snap. Kansas played Rhode Island in its home opener and won 55-6.
After two close calls, KU aims to upset TCU
WESLEY DOTSON @WesleyDee23
In each of the last two meetings between Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) and TCU (3-2, 1-1 Big 12), games have been tight, despite the Horned Frogs being ranked in the top 15 and the Jayhawks being at the bottom of the Big 12 in both meetings.
Ultimately, the Jayhawks lost both of those games. But the Jayhawks are aiming to effectively play the role of the underdog once more. The Jayhawks are 29-point Vegas underdogs against Horned Frogs at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Still, Kansas coach David Beaty won't allow the partial success Kansas has found against TCU in the past to dictate the flow of this weekend's game.
"The thing our team understands and knows, it doesn't matter what the past held." Beaty said during his weekly press
However, Beaty does think the recent close games can give TCU more motivation going into the game, especially being such significant underdogs.
conference. "It matters what you do on that day, it really does."
The thing our team understands and knows,it doesn't matter what the past held. It matters what you do on that day, it really does."
David Beaty Football coach
"[With TCU] coming in as one of the better teams in the conference over the last two seasons," Beaty said.
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