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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2016
New assistant Bri Young energizes Kansas soccer
▶ SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
Mandi Duggan chases down the ball from a Colorado defender.
Alex Robinson/KANSAN
A after a 2015 season marred by inefficient finishing, close losses and frustrating missed opportunities, Kansas soccer's attack has shown marked improvement.
The team has only been shut out twice on the year, once by a top-10 USC team and again in an overtime loss to Nebraska, and has three scorers with three or more goals so far this season.
Freshman additions Katie McClure and Mandi Duggan, each with three goals, have been big positives for the team so far this season. Along with them, sophomore Grace Hagan, with five goals on the year, has been instrumental in getting the Jayhawks scoring again, but Kansas' biggest acquisition this season was off the field.
With the addition of Bri Young to the Kansas coaching staff this season, the team has set new offensive goals and are striving to achieve them.
Bri Young shook hands with her mentors and former players Sept. 23 in a Friday night win over Texas Tech.
Eight months ago, she celebrated a Big 12 Tournament title with the Texas Tech, a 1-0 against Kansas in the final which was the first Big 12 tournament final in school history. For Kansas, the game represented a big missed opportunity.
Midfielder Grace Hagan dribbles down field in a game against Texas Tech
Texas Tech's coaching team of Tom Stone and Neil Payne were huge influences on Young's journey through coaching. She said Payne, who coached her club team, was like her second dad growing up.
"I definitely like being on the winning side so it's cool to be around your mentor on the different side, because I learned a lot [from them]," Young said. "It was a little bit different, but it was also really cool and it is kind of full circle. I learned a lot from them so it was cool to be able to apply that and get that win."
On Sept. 23, she enjoyed the 2-1 come-from-behind win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders from the other side: as the new assistant coach with the Kansas Jayhawks. Unlike the November Big 12 Tournament loss to the Red Raiders, the 2-1 win signified an important step forward for the Jayhawks.
Not only did the team
achieve a win over the Red Raiders, whose win in the final last season was a crushing one, but the Jayhawks recorded a record attendance of 1,617, a significant step forward for a growing program that moved into state-of-the-art new venue Rock Chalk Park for the first full season last year. On the field, Kansas turned 17 shots into seven shots on goal, and converted two penalty kicks on the way to the win.
Since Young joined the Jayhawks in February 2016, associate coach Kelly Miller said she brought energy to the coaching staff. The Kansas dugout has been headed up by coach Mark Francis and associate head coach Miller for the last 18 years.
"For our forwards, we have basically said to them [scoring] is part of your job," Francis said after a 1-0 win over Colorado on Aug. 26. "This is part of your role on the team."
Young has injected energy into a coaching re-think.
Young takes the place of Jessica Smith as assistant coach for the Jayhawks. Smith moves on to an upstart Kansas State women's soccer program, taking the same position for the Wildcats in the program's first season.
Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN
"I just think I bring a different voice than they've heard for a long time."
Bri Young Assistant coach
The team's freshmen had no problem scoring important
Young is hard on the players she challenges to improve. For forwards, the practice schedule is everything except reliable. Along with set piece specialists, Kansas forwards work well after practice ends for the others players to practice their finishing.
The Jayhawks entered the season with depth across every position, and that was evident quickly.
"Bri's been a great motivator for us and shes been very positive about it all," Forward Mandi Duggan said. "She's very stern about it but you want to do good for her because she really believes in you."
goals in the nonconference season, while the roster afforded plenty of rotation of players in the back line and midfield for Francis. At this point in the season last year, Kansas had was out four times. This season, Kansas has only been shut out twice and faced considerably tougher competition in the nonconference season.
that we want to do."
"Our forwards have done a really good job this season about like buying into what we want to do," Young said. "I love when forwards combine with each other because that's what makes the back line have to make a decision and when the back line has to make a decision that leaves gaps and so that just makes it a little bit easier for us to do the things
Young said she wasn't sure whether the impact from her coaching has created the increased scoring efficiency, or whether it's been the makeup of a deep roster full of forwards. Regardless, what the Jayhawks are doing this season has produced some results.
Young pointed out that Kansas is fifth in the nation in corner kicks so far this season.
Kansas earned a result against 25th-ranked Pepperdine with a 1-1 draw to end the nonconference season, one that along with the win over No.25 Texas Tech last weekend will shine on an NCAA tournament resume. The Jayhawks also narrowly lost to a now-top-10-ranked Minnesota team in the first match of the season.
The decision Young made to leave Texas Tech, the school she helped lead to the Big 12 Tournament title and the NCAA tournament last season, has gone smoothly. She said Kansas' attacking and possession-oriented style of play attracted her to Lawrence.
"I think as a unit we've been doing a really good job of making sure that when we do possess the ball, we have a purpose," Young said. "And that's our main goal throughout this whole season."
For a coaching tandem as experienced as Francis and Miller, new ideas become hard to find or stick with. Francis said he hired Young to bring something different to the team. He added he has been happy with the job Young has
done so far in her time with Kansas.
"I think she's a different personality," Francis said. "She has her way of doing it and she's just a little bit different. Sometimes different's good."
As a player, Young was a standout defender at Texas A&M. At the time, Texas A&M was still in the Big 12, but it has since moved to the SEC. Francis recruited her, but lost out to a powerhouse Texas A&M that went on to win the Big 12 regular season title in Young's junior year in 2010, finishing in second the two years previous.
In both the 2010 and 2011 season, her junior and senior years, Young was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, college soccer's player of the year award, before the season.
When injury plagued her senior season, Young's dreams of turning pro turned into coaching dreams. She worked her way up from coaching with her club team to coaching her high school's varsity team, until landing with her mentors Stone and Payne at Texas Tech.
Moving on to Kansas, Young said she brings a different voice to a Kansas program looking to move forward.
"I just think I bring a different voice than they've heard for a long time. Of course, [Francis] and [Miller] have been together for 18 years. So I think it's just a different perspective, you know. The best of both worlds. We make a pretty good team."
After Texas loss, KU volleyball looks to regain Big 12 momentum
▶ TIFFANY LITTLER
@nlin33
After a heartbreaking loss to then No. 5 Texas (10-2, 2-0 Big 12) on Saturday, the No. 8 Jayhawks (12-2, 1-1 Big 12) are looking to climb their way back to the top of the Big 12 with a home matchup versus Baylor (13-4, 1-0 Big 12) this weekend.
Kansas lost to Texas in four sets (27-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-19). Junior right side hitter Kelsie Payne and junior outside hitter Madison Rigdon led the team in kills. They combined for 38 of Kansas' total kills.
"We'll commit to getting to be a better team," said Bechard. "Baylor is red hot right now and that's going to come rolling in. There's a lot ahead of us."
The latest AVCA Coaches Poll was released Monday and Kansas remained at No. 8 for the second-straight week. Texas bumped up one spot to No. 4. This is the 16th-straight week both Kansas and Texas have been ranked nationally in the top 10. Kansas State dropped out of the polls but is still receiving votes. Baylor and TCU are also receiving votes.
Big 12 in aces, averaging 1.65 this season. Senior libero Cassie Wait is 82 digs away from sneaking into the Big 12 top 10 for career digs.She currently leads the Big 12 with 1.635 digs. Senior middle blocker Tayler Soucie currently ranks first in the conference in blocks with 446 and first in block assists with 415.
Gametime is set for Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Horejsi Family Athletics Center. The match will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Kansas defeated Baylor in both meetings of the 2015 season. The Jayhawks swept the Bears at home, but Kansas had more of a challenge on Baylor's home court as they went 3-1. Baylor has swept its opponent
in just three sets in eight of its 13 wins. Baylor is on a nine-game winning streak and will go up against Texas Tech (10-7, 0-2 Big 12) Wednesday evening.
We just got to believe it, believe in each other and control what we can control on our side," said coach Ray Bechard.
The Jayhawks lead the
Edited by Missy Minear
Hannah Edelman/KANSAN
Hannah Edelman/KANSAN Ainise Havili celebrates after a win against Arkansas.