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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks to face unconventional Baylor squad
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
Junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc clears the net as she jumps to spike the ball Monday night. Kansas defeated West Virginia 3-0 to capture their 20th win of the season.
Kansas faces one of the Big 12's most unorthodox offenses in the Baylor Bears Saturday at 7 p.m. in Waco, Texas.
BRANDON SMITH/KANSAM
Instead of keeping its hitters tight on the net and trying to force attacks through the Jayhawk block, Baylor instead elects to hit from farther back to avoid the block and create angles that defenses aren't used to.
"I think they just have more spacing in some of their sets off the net, which creates a little different angles," coach Ray Bechard said. "They don't necessarily challenge the block as much as other teams might, so they try to create angles that the ball's going to be in and maybe not force it into the block."
Junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc said that by attacking
away from the net, the Bears can hit either over or around the Jayhawk block.
When the Jayhawks and Bears met for the first time this season on Oct. 6 in Lawrence, Kansas defeated Baylor 3-2. However, the Bears fough
back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set. The Bears used its own block to get back into the match, finishing with 13 blocks compared to the lavwhacks' three blocks.
Bechard said his team should never be outblocked by 10 and that his middle blockers must stay home because Baylor's setter, senior Kate Harris, feeds the middle blockers in
situations that would usually go to outside hitters.
"The setters' off the net," Bechard said. "Typically that's a time where you take a little safer set to one of your right sides or your left side. But they have a connection to where the settter can still come off the net and force what we call 'force their middle.'"
Baylor and Kansas rank second and third in the Big 12 in fewest blocks allowed. Since both teams emphasize negating the block, this puts a premium on digging. Kansas may be able to distance itself from Baylor here, as the Bears allow 14.3 digs per set and Kansas gets 15.9 digs per set.
Junior libero Brienne Riley leads the Jayhawks' back line with 466 digs on the season for a 5.18 digs per set average. Earlier this year she moved into second place all-time in school history in digs and now
has 1.351.
Also, freshman outside hitter Tiana Dockery and sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Albers have played pivotal roles for Kansas on the defensive end, even though they are hitters. They are the only two offensive weapons
averaging at least one dig per set for Kansas, with Albers averaging 1.24 dig per set and Dockery with 2.08.
"I won't be expecting us to be blocking tons of balls, but defensively I think that we're going to have a lot of opportunities to dig balls," larmoc said.
The match against Baylor (16-9.
3-7 Big 12) marks the return of a normal schedule for Kansas, which is 20-4 overall and 8-2 in the Big 12. After falling to Iowa State last Wednesday, Kansas didn't play that Saturday like it normally would. And instead of hosting West Virginia on Halloween in its normal
Wednesday match, the two teams moved the match to Monday to accommodate West Virginia's travel schedule.
Bechard gave his players the same amount of time off as he does during a normal week, with the time off just being on different days.
Senior defensive specialist Morgan Boub said the Jayhawks handled the different game and practice schedule well, and that playing only one match during a nine-day span gave them more time to recover.
"We've still got done what we needed to do, and I think our off
days have been productive rest days for us, and when we come back in the gym we're ready to get back at work." Boub said.
— Edited by Stéphane Roque
MLB
The car of San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, is showered with confetti during the baseball team's World Series victory parade on Market Street, on Wednesday in San Francisco. The parade for the team's second championship in three years went along Market Street and ended with a celebration in front of Civl Hall.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thousands line the streets to celebrate World Series victory
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO — Orange-and-black clad hoodies flooded the streets of San Francisco on Wednesday for a ticker-tape parade celebrating the World Series champion Giants — a Halloween treat made even sweeter as a repeat performance from 2010.
Tens of thousands of people decked out in the team's holiday-appropriate colors stood 30 deep behind barriers, climbed trees and
mounted rooftops along the city's main commercial street to watch their favorite players wave from individual convertibles.
Standing next to a gold Rolls Royce that served as his ride, Giants manager Bruce Bochy credited the fans with helping lift San Francisco to its second World Series victory in three years, an improbable double play for a team that had not won a World Series title since 1954.
"The support they gave us was unwavering," said Bochv. who
hoisted the World Series trophy during the procession but had to walk the last few blocks when the Rolls broke down.
"Even when we were six to seven games back, they kept filling the park," he said. "They never gave up on us. They are like part of the club."
As with the 2010 parade, this year's edition drew a cross-section of the region's diversity, from children who were allowed to skip school to older couples who had
Clouds of black, orange and white confetti were shot from cannons positioned on roofs along the canyon-like, skyscraper-lined street. It showered spectators and parade participants, who included legendary Giants alumni Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Juan Marichal and politicians such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
been Giants fans since the team arrived in San Francisco from New York in 1958.
The unifying energy of the Gianis' latest victory was evident as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith drove the car carrying Giants pitcher Matt Cain and his family, while 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh did the honors for Giant Brandon Belt.
The convertibles gave fans good views along the parade route that began at the foot of Market Street near San Francisco Bay and covered about 1 1/2 miles to Civic Center
"It's unbelievable! Unbelievable! Just great!" said fireup-up right fielder Hunter Pence, who was acquired in a midseason deal and led pregame pep talks.
With the victory parade coinciding with Halloween, costumed masses brought an even more festive feel to what city officials hoped would be a family friendly, alcohol-free event.
Many fans carried brooms as a reminder of the Giants' four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers. Others crowded cap-to-glove on the sidewalks strained to catch handfuls of candy thrown from parade floats.
Star reliever Sergio Romo, wearing a T-shirt that read, "I just look illegal," whipped the roaring crowd into a frenzy when he got out of his convertible and mingled.
Richmond resident Kevin Yarbrough wore a giant white panda costume in tribute to Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval, whose nickname is
Plaza, the scene of a rally.
Many people camped overnight at Civic Center Plaza to ensure a good vantage point for the rally. They erected tents and crawled into sleeping bags for a few hours of uncomfortable sleep amid the chill and drizzle of the foggy night.
"You've got to come out and celebrate like this. You meet a whole new family, make new friends, and it really lets the community celebrate in a positive way," he said.
James Darden, 42, dubbed the tent city "Occupy San Francisco Giants" and said the wait was worth it.
Bottles of whiskey and wine were passed around in the morning, and the pungent scent of marijuana floated through the air.
the "Panda."
Yarbough got up early and put in time at work before reaching the parade route around 7:30 a.m.
"I'm front and center" the Yount-
ville resident said. "There's no other
place I'd rather be right now."