THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2006
SPORTS
3B
VOLLEYBALL
Old, new talent works to surpass NCAA performance
Emily Brown was sitting in the office of her academic adviser, Scott "Scooter" Ward, when she discovered she was picked as a preseason All-Big 12 player.
"I was in Scooter's office, and he happened to pull up the Web site, and we were like, what?" said Brown, junior opposite side hitter/setter. "But none of that matters. The team was preseason No. 7, so we're kind of excited to turn that around and prove some people wrong."
The Jayhawk volleyball team made its third consecutive NCAA appearance last year and is excited to get the season under way.
"We have a chance to do some big things this year," Brown said. "We have a lot of potential. We were preseason No. 7, but we're hoping to get to No. 3."
While four starters return to the Jayhawks, the biggest hurdle for coach Ray Bechard will be replacing Josi Lima, an All-Big 12 player for four consecutive years, Paula Caten and Andi Rozum, who all graduated last spring.
"We lost two four-year starters, but I think our seniors are ready," Bechard said. "This is the only class that has been to three NCAA tournaments. I'm sure they'd like to go out being the only class who went to the NCAA tournament all four years."
Bechard said because the team had been to the NCAA tournament
"We're thrilled to have her back," he said. "She's a dynamic, athletic middle who will obviously get in the mix right away for us."
The other returning starters, including Brown, are Jamie Mathewson, Jana Correa and Savannah Noyes.
Preparation for the upcoming season began Tuesday when the team started two-a-day practices.
second round twice and first round once, the goal this season would be to advance beyond the first two rounds of the tournament.
The season gets under way Aug. 25 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with the Crimson Tide Invitational.
Bechard said he recruited Uhart, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, out of high school and expected her to contribute immediately.
"We've got Alabama and Miami right off," Bechard said of the nonconference schedule. "Bama was a tournament team last year and Miami has been two of the last three
"if you're one of the top five teams in the Big 12 conference, you probably have that opportunity," he said.
The team received some help for this upcoming season when Natalie Uhart transferred to Kansas from Long Beach State. Uhart has been tabbed Big 12 Conference Preseason Newcomer of the Year. The Jayhawks have a total of eight newcomers on the team.
Kansas also plays Brigham Young, who was ranked in the top 10 at one point last season, and Temple, a perennial threat to win the Atlantic 10, during the non-conference games.
years."
The team's schedule will help its case when tournament selections are made. The Big 12 routinely sends several teams to the NCAA tournament.
Playing high-caliber teams will also help the Jayhawks prepare for what awaits them in conference play.
"That'll do more than get us ready for our first week of Big 12 play," Bechard said.
The Big 12 conference season starts on Sept. 13 at Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers are the preseason favorite to win the Big 12. The Jayhawks then face Texas in Lawrence. Bechard said he thought Nebraska and Texas would both be top 10 teams.
Kansas' home opener at Horejsi Family Athletics Center will be Aug. 29 against the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Kansan staff writer Drew Davison can be contacted at ddavison@ kansan.com.
Edited by Shanxi Upsdell
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Summer camps attempt to increase interest in sport, create brighter future
BY DREW DAVISON
The KU volleyball team held volleyball camps this summer for nearly 750 players in grades six through 12, making this one of their best-attended summers ever. The success may even lead to a better team in the future.
Coach Ray Bechard said "we've
the staff really enjoyed the team camp format. Bechard said the staff enjoyed the team camp because each team could train as a group.
New this summer were team camps for middle school and high school teams, which served as an alternative to the traditional individual camps. Bechard said he and
"We did a great job with that and word will get out and it will grow," he said.
got to develop talent in our area, so we can have the best players feel like they want to become a part of our program," Bechard said.
While the camps were successful, Emily Brown, junior opposite side hitter/setter, came down with meningitis while at the camp.
Brown, who is still easing back into practice, had to take a couple weeks off because of the viral infection.
Bechard said the top programs in the country, such as Nebraska, who lost in last season's national championship game, had a majority of their rosters filled with in-state players.
ticipation in volleyball in this area," he said.
"This is a vehicle for us to try to increase the enthusiasm and par-
"It was horrible, I had to go to the hospital," Brown said. "I was there for three or four days."
The camps were hosted by coach Bechard and his staff, which included current and former KU volleyball players.
"We get to hang out with a lot of the local girls and get them invested in our program," Brown said. "It's nice to see them at our games and make contacts. It was a good time."
Brown said her mom took her home to Baldwin City for 10 days. She said the camps were a lot of fun, other than the meningitis.
Kansan staff writer Drew Davison can be contacted at ddavison@ kansan.com.
Edited by Travis Robinett