4B
SPORTS / MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
SOFTBALL
Jayhawks go 3-1 at Invitational
Freshman utility player Kendra Cullum places a sacrifice bunt during the 4th inning to advance the runner in the game against Washburn on Satur-
day afternoon. The Jayhawks lost 2-1 to the Ichabods. Kansas finished the Invitational with a 3-1 record.
BY HANNAH WISE
hwise@kansan.com
Over the weekend, the Kansas softball team finished the Jayhawk Invitational 3-1, losing only to Washburn, 1-2. The Hawks runruled in games against Butler County Community College, 8-0; Labette Community College, 8-0; and Seminole State Community College, 16-0.
The Saturday games against Seminole State and Washburn were cut short because of time constraints. The Sunday games against Butler and Labette were each played to six innings and called after the run-rule.
The Jayhawk offense was a commanding force during their 8-0 victory over Labette. Cheers of "Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU Beak 'Emt' resounded after each player rounded their way into home throughout the night. The team appeared to be swinging for the fences. Sophomore shortstop Mariah Montgomery and senior catcher Brittany Hile both hit home runs to assist in the victory over Labette.
"I was kind of struggling the whole weekend and then to just keep at it and keep at it and finish up the tournament with a home run, it just gives me a good feeling to work off of until February comes with our next game." Hile said.
The team regained its confidence after the loss to Washburn. Junior third baseman Marissa Ingle and freshman second baseman Ashley Newman displayed their on-field chemistry numerous times during the night. Ingle swiftly fielded Cardinal buns and catapulted the ball across the infield to Newman who was ready to receive the ball and tag out the runner.
"Everyone on the team has really good chemistry," Newman said. "We all get along really well."
Ingle explained that after a poor defensive performance on Saturday against Washburn, making connections in the game
against Labette was important to her.
"So the high point today was just coming back to make the plays that I know I can make and just having my team really support me the whole way through," Ingle said.
Hile said she believed the team always needed to communicate to be successful.
"We have a lot of people this year who stepped up this year and are talking all the time," Hile said. "It kind of feeds on everybody. When one person starts talking
then another person wants to start too."
A common theme for the few weeks of fall ball was looking forward to the beginning of regular season in February. The team is looking forward to match ups against fellow Big 12 teams such as Missouri and Nebraska. Coach Megan Smith said the team has a couple things to clean up before the real season.
"We are going to work on fine tuning," Smith said. "A lot of big picture things we did well we need to work on the little things and
KANSAS VS.
LABETTE COUNTY CC
make them perfect. We had a few miscues, missing signals, baserunning errors and those are the little things we need to take care of before February so that we will be ready for our season."
Over the offseason the players will continue to be training and getting more reps while the coaches will be looking at to find ways to improve and fine-tune the team before regular season begins in February.
—Edited By Clark Goble
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VOLLEYBALL
BY SARA KRUGER
skruger@kansan.com
Unsung hero's best game so far
the big 12 this year.
"Everyone played at the highest level I've seen as a team," Manda said. "It feels really awesome; our blockers did a great job so it made it easy to pick it up."
"We need to find that consistent level again, whether it's three games or five games not to fall behind and go up and down," Kaiser said.
One of the blockers, senior Jenna Kaiser, is gaining confidence and ground in game
She had a career-high game with two service aces, one that closed out set two. This is Melissa Manda, a Big 12 record holder, in game seven against No. 10 Iowa State.
The senior defensive specialist had her best game of the year on Saturday. With 32 digs, she is tied for the most single-game digs in the Big 12 this year.
Coming off of the team's worst loss against Texas Tech, the Jayhawks knew they had to change their pace and come out with a win at home. Manda said the team was stuck in a five-match game streak and was looking forward to trying and winning this one in four.
"We've been playing well at home, and in practice we've been working on picking up the little things personally," Manda said. "Consistency was what we needed."
State.
"Everything felt really good tonight," Manda said. "Everyone played at the highest level I've seen as a team."
"Looking back and seeing the ball is up was like 'Whoa okay, we can do this', Tolefree said, "Her digging and getting to balls we haven't been getting to was just the extra effort we needed to get to a different level."
The rhythm found in game seven needs to travel with the team to Baylor.
"She has such a heavy arm, sophomore Tayler Tolefree said, "Watching her warm-up is like 'Wow, she can swing fast and it's hard,' I wouldn't want to dig her"
The team noticed Mandas effort in game play, and it gave them confidence.
With 12 kills and 34 attacks Kaiser has habituated the swing in the warm-up of game five of conference play against Missouri, coach Ray Bechard said he noticed.
The first time the Jayhawks have beat a top 10 team and a career-high game is a big high to take into game eight.
play. Accruing more game time starting with the game against Missouri, Kaiser had some of the most noticeably strong blocks and kills that helped the flow of the game — and in turn helped Manda keep her intensity.
Edited by Anna Nordling
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Senior libero Melissa Manda bumps the ball Wednesday against No. 10 Iowa State. Manda recorded a career-high 32 digs in the 3-1 victory.
getting to — is just that extra effort that we need and have been needing to push us and get us to that extra level."
"Just looking back and seeing the ball is up, you're like 'OK! Yes, we can do this.' Tolefree said "So, yeah, her digging and getting to balls that we don't normally get to — or haven't been
Tanner holding Tolefree said Manda's performance was "phenomenal."
Over the course of the first three sets, Kansas hitting effi-
VOLLEYBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
in the past four matches. She said she wasn't hitting harder, but rather "hitting smarter."
TAYLOR TOLEFREE
Sophomore middle blocker
ciency steadily dropped as Iowa State's improved. The Jayhawks won the second set 25-23, but the Cyclones passed the Jayhawks in the third set with a score of 20-25. Iowa State senior outside hitter Victoria Henson racked up 22 kills for the night with an efficiency of .308 and chipped in six digs and two solo blocks.
"She can swing fast, and it's hard — I wouldn't want to dig her." Tolefree said. "When she gets going, we want to get the ball to her."
"Just looking back and seeing the ball is up, you're like 'OK! Yes, we can do this."
Jenna Kaiser, who continues to see more time on the court since conference play goes on, scored four of her 12 kills in the final set. Tolefree said Kaiser has a "heavy arm."
Three Iowa State errors and two kills by Tolefleave gave Kansas a 5-0 lead in the fourth set. The Jayhawks kept the lead to the end of the set to win 25-17 and take the match. Senior outside hitter
junior setter Nicole Tate posted her fourth consecutive double-double with 14 digs and 48 assists.
C o a c h
Ray Bechard accepted congratulations from family
and Athletics Department staff after the match.
"Dig for the Cure is a special event that represents courage and competitiveness and doing things the right way, and I thought that the team that represented us tonight showed a lot of those characteristics," Bechard said. "I think the team just realized 'Hey, they're going to push us, it's not going to come easy, we're going to have to make volleyball plays."
Edited by Clark Goble