THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12; 2012
PAGE 11
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks let lead slip away, fall to Longhorns
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
Maybe last year Kansas would have found a moral victory in taking Texas to five sets before losing.
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But not this year.
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The Jayhawks had a two-sets-to-one lead against the Longhorns, but they weren't able to hold on during the meet on Saturday. With the success this team has experienced this season, redshirt junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc wouldn't even entertain the idea of a moral victory.
"No," Jarmoc said. "If you have the possibility to win, then you win. It doesn't matter what the team's ranked. We didn't finish, we didn't execute to the fullest, and we didn't win the match, so no moral victories."
After holding late leads in two sets during its 3-0 loss to Texas on Oct. 12, coach Ray Bechard said his team committed to beating Texas in Lawrence when it came for the rematch.
12 For the first three sets, it looked like Kansas would accomplish just that. Texas committed four service errors in the first set alone, and had seven service errors after three sets. Buoyed by junior libero Brianne Riley's return after missing the Kansas State match Wednesday due to injury, the Jayhawk back line outdug Texas by 12 during the first three sets.
The Longhorns used four players listed as 6-foot-3 or taller, hoping that by hitting the ball at steep angles with brute force, the Jayhawk defense wouldn't be able to dig the attack. But Kansas responded well to the Longhorns' physicality in both the attack and the serve. Riley finished with a match-high 26 digs and sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Albers added 14. Those two, coupled with senior defensive specialist Morgan Boub and junior defensive specialist Jaime Mathieu, extended multiple rallies by digging Longhorn attacks when it seemed like the ball was headed for the ground.
needed for the ground.  Riley and
Riley and Albers also contained Texas sophomore outside hitter Haley Eckerman's powerful line drive serve. Eckerman didn't record an ace until the fourth set. This
helped the Jayhawks to side out at 62 percent for the match.
Brianne Riley said that assistant coach Todd Chamberlain tried to help the team practice for Eckerman's serve.
"If you have the possibility to win, then you win."
However, Bechard said the Jayhawks didn't do a good job of converting digs into attackable balls.
"Pretty difficult, it comes a lot faster than you think," Riley said of the serve. "We practiced it at practice, we had Todd spin at us, but she's a lot better than Todd."
"A lot of that was the opportunity, when we did dig a ball up, did we convert to a kill?" Bechard said. "We just didn't dig enough balls to our setter to where we could convert."
Jarmoc led the Jayhawks with six kills in the fourth set, but Texas also blocked four of her attacks.
In the fourth set, the Longhorns blocked eight balls, while Kansas didn't block any. Texas hit a smooth .375 during the set, while Kansas hit .025 with 10 kills and nine attack errors. Both Jarmoc and Bechard said Kansas didn't do a good enough job of converting kills in transition during the final two sets.
"There was two blockers following me around everywhere I was going," Jarmoc said, "The coaches kept telling them to set me, and it's difficult when you're a middle. The ball's fast-tempoed,
CAROLINE JARMOC Junior middle blocker
and you're supposed to hit past a 6-4 girl and a 6-3 girl. It's difficult, and that definitely influenced the fourth set."
In the fifth
and final set, Texas scored three straight points to turn a 5-5 deadlock into an 8-5 lead. Because the final set is first to 15, Kansas didn't have enough opportunities to erase the three-point deficit. The Jayhawks twice closed Texas' lead to one point, but Texas just responded with another three-point run the second time.
The Longhorns won the fifth set 15-12, giving them a 3-2 victory and at least a share of the Big 12 title with a 13-0 conference record. The loss dropped Kansas to 21-6 and 9-4 in Big 12 play. Although the loss ended a brutal five-match stretch of the Jayhawks' schedule, Riley said the Kansas team wouldn't hang its hat on just playing tough in those matches.
"I don't have many moral victories, not really my thing," Riley said. "A wins a win, and we didn't get that tonight, so it means we go into the gym and practice harder on Monday."
— Edited by Nikki Wentling
TYLER BIERWIRTH/KANSAN
Sophomore outside hitter Sara McClinton leaps to make a return during Saturday's game. The Texas Longhorns defeated the Jayhawks 3-2.
B1G 12
KSU defeats TCU to move to No.1 in BCS ranks
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
NO. 12 OKLAHOMA 42 -
BAYLOR 34
OU 7-2 (5-1) - 4-5 (1-5)
Oklahoma hosted a Baylor team driven to pull an upset in Norman, Oklau., but Oklahoma kept its composition under difficult times and survived with a win.
The Oklahoma running backs carried the team in the first half. Brennan Clay opened the game with a touchdown reception and rushed for one touchdown, while Damien Williams added one of his own on the ground early.
The Sooners took a 28-17 lead at halftime and encountered a couple of problems. Two early second-half turnovers resulted in a touchdown score for Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk. Seastrunk scored three touchdowns and was one of three running backs for the Bears to rush for at least 60 yards.
But the Sooners had a large cushion and got a big touchdown from Blake Bell to win. The Sooners never trailed in this game.
OKLAHOMA STATE 55 -
WEST VIRGINIA 34
OKST 3-4 (4-2) -
WVU 5-4 (2-4)
When Oklahoma State started backup quarterback Clint Chelf, some wondered whether Oklahoma State could win at home against a West Virginia loaded with talent on offense. It turned out Chelf would get the job done.
Chelf threw four touchdown passes against West Virginia, two of them to Josh Stewart. Stewart pulled in 13 catches for 172 yards. Stewart also rushed for 46 yards for a touchdown on a trick play.
But Oklahoma State still had to deal with West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, who returned to his old form, throwing for 364 yards and two touchdowns on 36 completed passes. Both Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin had more than 10 catches, which included one in the end zone. Bailey had a field day on the Cowboys defense with 225 yards receiving.
But the Cowboys defense stepped up in the second half and shut out the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys went on a 17-0 run to end the game and pick up a win.
David Ash completed 25 of 31 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns. Ash's day was a success, thanks to his top two receivers, Jaxon Shipley and Mike Davis. Both receivers had 100-yard receiving games. Iowa State's defense was unable to stop the passing game, as well as 'Texas' running game.
NO. 17 TEXAS 33 -
IOWA STATE 7
UT 8-2 (5-2) - ISU 5-5 (2-5)
Joe Bergeron rushed for 86 yards off 12 carries. Johnathan Gray took 14 carries for 74 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. The Longhorns collected 222 yards on the ground.
Iowa State quarterback Steele Jantz led his offense to only one touchdown. Jantz threw interceptions to cornerbacks Carrington Byndom and Josh Turner.
Texas three-dimensional offense was key in defeating Iowa State in a one-sided game.
NO.1 KANSAS STATE 23 -TEXAS CHRISTIAN 10
KSU 10-0 (7-0) - TCU 6-4 (3-4)
Edited by Megan Hinman
Collin Klein ended up playing after questions rose whether or not an injury would keep him out of Saturday's game. Klein pulled through and gave Kansas State a big win.
Klein got off to a slow start when he threw an interception to Devonte Fields on his second pass attempt of the game, but Klein bounced back right away with a rushing touchdown on the following drive. He finished with two in the game.
The Wildcats were perfect on defense for three quarters as they shutout the Horned Frogs until the fourth quarter. Kansas State also got help from Texas A&M when it defeated Alabama, giving Kansas State a great chance to make the national championship game.
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ASHER ROTH
FT. KNDS THESE DAYS, CHUCK
INGLISH, CHEAP COMPTON, JOSH
SALLEE, MATT EASTON
1/16
CLOSE TO HOME
FT. THE ATLANTIC, SOVEREIGN STATES,
CONFLICTS, THE RUNAWAY SONS AND THE STRIVE
11/17
RANDY ROGERS BAND
FT. JESSE HARRIS & JEFF PERKINS OF JESSE
HARRIS & THE GYPSY SPARROWS
11/18
MOD SON
FT. PAT BROWN, GEE WAITS, RICH BROWN & JET
1/20
THE MEDITATIONS
FT. JESSE HARIS & JEFF PERKINS OF JESSE
HARRIS & THE GYPSY SPARROWS
11/21
ASHLEY RAY & LOGAN MIZE
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