The Kansas tennis team begins its season this Friday in North Carolina. The team lost only one player during the offseason.
The Jayhawk softball team will host the Kansas Fall Invitational this Saturday to kick off the fall season and give the team's new players game experience.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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SPORTS
Big 12 play commences in Oklahoma
BY MARK DENT
If you asked coach Mark Francis about Kansas' chances in the Big 12 Conference last Friday after his team lost to Pepperdine, you might have gotten a pessimistic response.
But after the Jayhawks convincingly beat Central Florida on Sunday, his outlook has improved.
"I'm excited; going into the conference with a win is good," Francis said. "It's funny how day-to-day coaching is."
Kansas (5-2-0) will try to build on Sunday's victory tonight at Oklahoma State and Sunday at Oklahoma in
Jessica Bush said. "In conference, we really need to finish well, because they'll execute on our mistakes."
"Finishing just comes with repetition," senior midfielder Holly Gault said. "We'll work on finish-
Weekend schedule
Taking advantage of scoring opportunities will be crucial this weekend, because Oklahoma State and Oklahoma ranked first and fifth in the conference in goals allowed.
Kansas vs. Oklahoma State
7 p.m., tonight
Kansas vs. Oklahoma
1 p.m., Sunday
its first conference games of the season.
"When we have a lot of players play well,we have a better chance of controlling the tempo," Francis said.
Seventeen different Jayhawks got on the field Sunday, and 16 players have appeared in four or more games.
A lot of players may have seen action Sunday,but those players also missed several scoring chances.
The importance of depth is something that the coach has been preaching all year long, and he said it would help throughout the conference season.
The Jayhawks impressed Francis so much against the Knights that he said the game was his team's best of the season, especially because Kansas' depth was on display.
Shots from inside the box routinely fly anywhere except the goal. The jayhawks converted on only two of eight shots,' about 20 percent below their season average.
"We need to put the ball away more," sophomore midfielder
ing balls and getting goals at practice."
T he Jay hawks need to cure their shooting ills tonight as they face the Cowgirls (6-1-1, 1-0-0). Kansas defeated Oklahoma
State last season 4-1, but the Cowgirls are off to a fast start this season and already picked up their first conference win against rival Oklahoma (3-5-0, 0-1-0).
Four of the five losses have been by one goal. Oklahoma has nine starters from last season's 13-win team, showing that it does have the returning talent to turn the season around.
The Jayhawks have traveled across the nation to California and Alabama this season and will have to face the road again this weekend.
Only this time the games will be different.
"This is my first year, but I've heard conference play is a little more exciting," freshman forward Monica Dolinsky said. "I think our team is going to step it up."
The players said that conference play provided a challenge different from their earlier road trips.
Kansan sportswriter Mark Dent can be contacted at mdent@ kansan.com.
Edited by Erin Wiley
FOOTBALL
RYAN SCHNEIDER'S
FRIDAY FIVE
The burning questions surrounding Saturday's game.
Can the Jayhawks win without Kerry Meier?
If Meier doesn't play, it'll be tough. Kansas coach Mark Mangino said his offense won't change if Meier doesn't start, but it's clear that Adam Barmann doesn't have Meier's speed. This season Kansas' opponents have made it a point of emphasis to stop Cornish and the running game and force the quarterback to beat them with his arm. Barmann will be forced to win the game through the air, which he struggled to do when he played last season.
Is Adam Barmann ready to start again?
Mangino said throughout fall practice that Barmann has made significant progress and is improved in reading routes and finding receivers. If he starts, Barmann must show the progress he's been said to have made. Any repeat of last season's Florida Atlantic game, where a majority of Barmann's passes were long or short-hopped their intended receivers, and this game could get ugly.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
Senior Jon Cornish rushes past the Louisiana-Monroe defense in a game earlier in the season. The offense will rely on Cornish Saturday to establish a running game against South Florida.
Jared Gab/KANSAN
Mike Rivera, sophomore linebacker, attempts to tackle Kinsmon Lancaster, Louisana-Monroe sophomore quarterback, during the first-half of Saturday night's game.
Is South Florida any good?
The Bulls will be the best and most experienced team the Jayhaws have seen this season. They have a young quarterback who, like Meier, has shown great potential. USF also has an experienced defense, especially at the linebacker and cornerback positions. It's very possible that Kansas could be starring at a two-game losing streak if they continue to fall behind early.
：
Does Aqib Talib make that much of a difference?
Talib's return to the starting lineup last week at Toledo was a boost for a defense that had struggled defending the pass. His replacement during the two-game suspension, Raymond Brown, was picked on early and often by opposing quarterbacks. Talib wasn't the entire reason Kansas' defense looked much improved against Toledo, but his return certainly helped. More than anything else, Talib's experience is needed, because he's surrounded by youth in the secondary.
Why can't the defense create turnovers?
Last season, Kansas' defense was able to create turnovers at a crucial time and often score touchdowns. This season though, Kansas hasn't forced in turnover in nearly three weeks. Mangino said the reason was that his defense, mainly made up of younger players, had been focused on being in the right position rather than creating turnovers. Especially if Meier doesn't play, this defense must force turnovers to get the offense extra possessions.
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks ready for game against Buffaloes in Colorado
BY DREW DAVISON
Kansas' match against Colorado this weekend will feature two of the most evenly matched teams in the Big 12, especially after Kansas won a thrilling five-game match against Texas A&M on Wednesday.
The Buffaloes (6-4, 2-1 Big 12) and the Jayhawks (8-4, 1-2) were picked to finish sixth and seventh in the conference preseason polls.
Kansas and Colorado rank sixth and seventh in hitting percentage, and third and fourth in both kills and in assists.
This season, both teams have put up similar numbers in the conference.
for the upcoming road trip, especially after beating &M.
After losing to No.1 Nebraska and No.5 Texas, Kansas feels better
"We lost to Nebraska and lost to Texas, so now we're a little more confident going into Colorado," Jana Correa, senior outside hitter, said.
Kansas has stops at Colorado and at Texas Tech in the coming week.
Emily Brown, junior right side hitter/setter, knew how important it was for her team to win at home Wednesday, especially with two upcoming road games.
The Jayhawks are 0-1 on the road against conference opponents and 1-2 on the road overall.
Brown said the games would be tough matches for Kansas to win, especially considering they're on the road.
The match-up to look for in
Kansas' Correa is leading her team with four kills a game, and Colorado is led by Amber Sutherland with 4.22 kills a game.
Boulder will be both teams' outside hitters.
Sutherland, a 5-feet-10 junior, earned Big 12 Player of the Week for Sept. 11 through 17.
After the first three conference matches, coach Ray Bechard said he would like to see the team get freshman Brittany Williams involved more.
Colorado began conference play 2-0, but in its last match it was swept by No. 5 Texas in Austin.
Williams has started at middle blocker for 10 of Kansas' 11 games this season, as she is replacing injured Natalie Uhart, Big 12
preseason Newcomer of the Year. Williams is averaging just 2.05 kills a game and a .211 hitting percentage.
The Jayhawks' next home contest is against the Iowa State Cyclones on Sept. 30.
Edited by Shanxi Upsdell
The Jayhawks split last year's series with the Buffalooes. Kansas defeated Colorado the last time the teams met, winning a five-game match in Boulder, Colo.
After Colorado, Kansas will travel to Texas Tech on Wednesday on Sept. 27.
Kansan sportswriter Drew Davison can be contacted at ddavison@kansan.com.
SOCCER PREVIEW
Texas A&M won last year's championship but this season is just beginning.
See what the Big 12 South has in store for the Jayhawks.
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