Volume 125 Issue 11
kansan.com
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
COMMENTARY
It's not close to all the way back, but there's enough to feel a pulse again.
The energy for Kansas football is back.
Continue momentum against Owls
Even though Saturday's game had lulls when the crowd at Memorial Stadium was ridiculously calm, the football team did enough to win. Everyone was a little underwhelmed by the end of the game, but for a team that went a whole calendar year without winning, I would say enough people were satisfied with the result.
The offense was not the dominating presence that many anticipated. Senior quarterback Dayne Crist looked flustered at some points and badly overthrew to his receivers on several occasions.
Despite having this look of confidence, it didn't end up that way.
However, the running game appeared sharp. Sophomore Tony Plerson and junior Taylor Cox ran with authority that carried the load.
It wasn't just the fans who had a good feel throughout much of the game; the players looked confident and prepared before the game with the jackrabbits.
The defense was putrid last year, and it appeared to go in the same direction.
All of this has been touched on and micro-analyzed throughout the long weekend, but the one thing that cannot be overlooked is the defense.
Now the attention turns to the Rice and how its team will fare against Kansas this weekend.
This game on Saturday won't be the test that TCU will be next week, but at least it's a Division 1 opponent for Kansas.
Now that we've all seen one week of football, I think it's safe to say that this team is in a better position than last year. But taking care of these non-conference games are the most important part of building any sort of momentum into the difficult Big 12 season.
Edited by Sarah McCabe
After seeing a few batched drives by both teams, Jackrabbits speedster Zach Enner brake open a run for 99 yards, blowing past all the Kansas defenders.
The Owls from Houston are by no means a world-beater from Conference USA. They've only made two bowl games the last 50 years and finished with a 4-8 record last season. They also dropped their first game of the season on Thursday to UCLA with a score of 49-24.
The Bruins quarterback completed 20 of 22 passes and their running back ran for 215 yards. UCLA moved efficiently and effectively throughout the game against Rice, so I would expect the same from Kansas this weekend.
But the defense settled down and only allowed 63 total yards the rest of the half.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Junior setter Erin McNorton (17) and junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc attempt to block a spike by a UMMC opponent Tuesday night, Sep. 4, at the HoreiS family Athletics Center. For the third time in four matches, Jarmoc tied a career high of 16 kills The Jawhaws defeated the Kangaroo 25-15, 25-15, 25-17.
Oh no, here we go again. More defense that can't be stomached or gives up 5-plus points a game.
KICKING THE KANGAROOS
HAWKS DOMINATE
Jayhawks sweep UMKC in tournament, 3-0
GEOFFREY CALVERT
ecalvert@kansan.com
The Kansas volleyball team defeated the University of Missouri, Kansas City Kangaroos 3-0 Tuesday at the Horeisi Family Athletics Center, spoiling the return of the Kangaroos' head coach Christi Posey, a former lavhawk assistant coach.
The Jayhawks began the first set on a 6-2 run, which set the standard for the rest of the match. They never trailed in the first set, they won 25-15, or the second set, which finished 25-17. The team briefly trailed in the third set but still won 25-17.
"I thought our blocking set the tone in the first set," Kansas coach Ray Bechard said. "We blocked six balls and I think that put them back on their heels a little bit. I thought they changed offensively a little bit what they were doing."
Although Bechard said his team could have been more efficient, the lajawhacks' 275 hitting percentage was above their season average of .266, and was easily better than UMKC's .045 hitting percentage.
They also had more assists than UMKC (42-23) and digs (59-36). Junior libero Brianne Riley finished the game with 17 digs, which moved her into the top 10 in Jayhawk history for career digs.
"I think we've been real scrapy this year," Riley said of the Jahayws' defense. "I've said it before, but we're all veterans back there, and we work really well together."
During the young season, multiple layhawks have frequently threatened the 10 kill mark each match. Against the Kangaroos, only two players had at least 10
kills, redshirt junior middle blocker
Caroline Jarmoc and freshman
outside hitter Tiana Dockery.
Jarmoc had 16 kills, tying her
career high, and Dockery had 13
kills, easily setting a career high.
The Jayhawks also varied their lineup this match and played natural setters junior juniors McNorton and Kara Wehrs at the same time. Wehrs received extensive playing time as an outside hitter and contributed two kills, a dig and a block assist. Outside hitter Sylvia Bullock also received her first time on the court as a Jayhawk late in the first set. Sophomore outside hitter Sara
"It was just working in transition again, getting my feet to the ball," Jarmoc said. "I was trying to emphasize going behind the setter and just driving and getting kills."
McClinton, who was named to the Kansas Volleyball invitational All-Tournament team, didn't play.
"The roster that was ready yesterday (Monday) is the roster we went with," Bechard said. "And as you go through these pre-conference tournaments where you're playing a lot, you deal with certain things, just dinged up or a little injury here or there. It was an opportunity for some other folks, and that's what we needed."
"We visited before, and I'm sure we'll visit a little bit after." Bechard said. "During the match, she's about what I thought shed be. Pretty intense, pretty fired up, and her team would play hard. I'm just really proud of her."
The match was the first time Posey coached in Horejsi without wearing crimson and blue. Posey is in her second year as the UMKC head coach after serving 11 years as an assistant to Bechard at Kansas.
The Jayhawks will host the Jayhawk Invitational this weekend at home. They will open the tournament against the College of Charleston Friday at 11:30 a.m., continue at Arizona State Friday night at 7:30 and finish against Wyoming at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
- Edited by Allison Kohn
Freshman forward Ashley Williams from Albuquerque, N.M., defends the ball against her Georgia opponent during their Aug. 24 match. Williams suffered a minor injury in the first half, but later was well enough to return to the field.
CLAIR HOWARD/KANSAN
Freshman soccer player wins two Big 12 awards
Ashley Williams continues to roll in the accolades early in her Jayhawk career. The freshman forward has been honored with the Big 12 Offensive and Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday after a conference release.
Williams then added a third goal against Arizona State. This helped Kansas in the difficult 2-2 draw.
Williams helped the lajhawks to their second consecutive weekend sweep on Friday and Sunday.
The Albuquerque, N.M., native put a two-goal performance during a 3-0 win over the Creighton Bluejays on Friday. She also had an assist in the game.
She now has 11 points on the year, currently a Big 12 lead. Her give goal is also leading the Big 12 thus far in the 2012 season.
Williams is just the third Big 12 student athlete to earn both the Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week honor in the same week. The feat was last accomplished in 2009.
FOOTBALL
This was the first time a Jayhawk won both awards in one week.
Kansas soccer is back in action this weekend. The Jayhawks host Missouri State on Friday at 5 p.m. Then they will face North Carolina State on Sunday at 12 p.m.
Crist hears critics, looks to step up game
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
One player Weis wants to see progress is senior quarterback and captain Dayne Crist. In his debut as a Kansas Jayhawk, Crist went 17 of 36, throwing 169 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception against the Jackrabbits.
After studying footage from Saturday's 31-17 win over South Dakota State, coach Charlie Wife has zeroed in on what the football team must improve on to be successful this season.
While Weis has high expectations for the Notre Dame transfer, he also wants to make sure Crist keeps his head high after Saturday's game.
"You only get 12 of these regular season games and the first one was a win," Weis said. "You're not supposed to feel bad after a win. You're supposed to feel good after you win. You deal with the problems in the game, but don't feel bad after a win."
Crist
"His parents would not have been happy if he brought that grade home," Weis said of Crist.
Weis grades his players after watching film of the previous game and said that no player gets graded harder than the quarterback of the team.
"We grade relatively difficult. We grade hard."
As for Crist, he gladly welcomes the criticism and is open with his coaches and teammates on how he can be a better leader and quarterback.
"I'm just as hard on
I'm just as hard on myself," he said. "I've got to practice better. I have a better understanding of how the game went. But at the end of the day, I know that I can play much better than how I did on Saturday, and I am excited for the opportunity to get better this week in practice and go out and have a better shot on Saturday."
As a captain of the team, Crist continues to keep in touch with his receivers in and out of the facility as much as possible. Not
only does everyone on the team want to improve for their own personal benefit, but they also make the players around them better to help the team be more successful.
"I think the communication between they and I are great," Crist said. "We all have the same goal, and that's getting better and playing more efficient, and that's what we are going to aim to do all week."
Crist wants to make practice count this week with his teammates before Saturday's game against Rice University. He made it clear that the team can evolve their playing, even after this season's first win. Crist would like to improve the dynamic with his receivers after making mental errors and leaving points on the field last weekend.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
"At the end of the day, we've got to be more efficient," he said. "I think that starts in practice, so we've got to have a great sense of urgency today in practice, tomorrow and all week and practice efficiency as well."
Senior quarterback Dayne Crist looks for his teammate sophomore halfback Tony Pierson to hand the ball off on Saturday night, Sept. 1, at Memorial Stadium, where the Jawhawks won 31-17. Christ had 17 complete passes during the game.
4