8A
/ SPORTS / FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
SOCCER
Border Showdown kick off
BY JACKSON DELAY
jdelay@kansan.com
There will be no easing into conference play for the lawhayes, as their first Big 12 test comes at the hands of Missouri, the defending Big 12 champions, at 6:30 tonight.
Karlie Brown/KANSAN
This will be the first time since 1999 that Kansas has opened Big 12 play against Missouri. Although Kansas usually plays Missouri closer to the end of the season, coach Mark Francis said that the team is ready.
Missouri is currently 2-4-2 and was picked to finish third in the Big 12 preseason poll, while Kansas was picked to finish eighth. During Francis' time at Kansas, the team has had an 8-6-1 record against Missouri.
Francis said the Missouri team is athletic and physical, with an average of just less than 15 fouls per game.
However, senior midfielder Erin Ellefson said this is nothing unlike past matchups.
"Kansas versus Missouri is always physical," Elleson said.
Junior forward Kortney Clifton outpaces a Missouri State defender during a game last week. The Jayhawks open Big 12 play this evening, facing off against Missouri in Columbia at 6:30 p.m.
Francis said his team has been through highly physical matchups before, which gives him confidence for the Missouri game.
"I think we will be ready," Francis said.
The game will match the Jayhawks against some of the conference's top players, including Missouri's leading scorer, forward Alysia Bonnick. Bonnick is the best offensive threat for Missouri, netting five goals throughout this season's eight games.
Francis noted that Bonnick is a big time player and he said that the Jayhawks would have to play good one-on-one defense against her.
The game also comes with the high stakes of competition, which Francis said should serve as motivation.
"Big game, big, big rivalry. If the kids aren't ready to play Friday, they might as well pack it in and go home," he said.
The players also have their own reasons to stay motivated.
Ellesfon, from Overland Park,
she has said has a lot of exposure
KANSAS VS.
MIZZOU
DAY: Friday
DATE: Sept. 24
LOCATION: Columbia, MO
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
to the border rivalry.
"Growing up in Kansas it's always KU versus MU," she said. "It means a lot to go out and play for Kansas and represent our school."
KANSAS VS.
IOWA
DAY: Sunday
DATE: Sept. 26
LOCATION: Ames, Iowa
TIME: 1 p.m.
Ellefon also expects her team to show up ready to play.
"It is Kansas and Missouri so everyone brings their A game. It's a battle," she said.
- Edited by Emily McCoy
VOLLEYBALL
Chris Bronson/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Senior outside hitter Karina Garlington competes against Northern Iowa on Sept. 10 in Lawrence as part of the Kansas Invitational. The Jayhawks lost 3-2.
Kansas' unforced errors lead to a loss at Nebraska
BY IAN CUMMINGS icummings@kansan.com
Kansas was off to a good start when it won the opening frame against Nebraska — for the first time in series history — 25-21. In her second start of the season, junior sister Nicole Tate put up 15 assists in the first set, later reaching a career high of 42. Senior outside hitter Karina Garlington scored four kills. Kansas bested Nebraska's hitting efficiency in that set with .243 over the
Cornhuskers' .133, helped by senior outside hitter Jenna Kaiser, who racked up six kills with an efficiency of .556.
While the Jayhawks were dropping a four-set match to the Cornhuskers Wednesday night in Lincoln, Neb., Colorado broke a three-match losing streak by plunging Kansas State. Kansas will hit the road again to play Colorado in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday.
From there, the Jayhawks ran into trouble as their hitting efficiency dropped off and the Cornhuskers consistently stayed on top. Freshman middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc said Nebraska's response was aggressive.
"I feel like the other side just stepped it up." Jarmoc said.
Kaiser said the team had prepared for a tough match and felt confident and disciplined at the outset, but the last three sets were problematic.
"We ran into some unforced hitting errors and blocking errors," Kaiser said. "Nebraska just played really well."
Nebraska won the second, third and fourth sets 25-13, 25-18 and 25-18, respectively. Kansas made 30 attack errors in the
KANSAS VS.
COLORADO
DAY: Saturday
DATE: Sept. 25
LOCATION: Boulder, CO
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
conference play. Kansas dropped to 10-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
ForColorado, the five-set match was its first victory in conference play this season, and it leaves them 4-5 overall. Sophomore outside hitter Kerra Schroeder recorded career-high numbers across the board: a hitting effi
match, compared with Nebraska's 20. The Cornhuskers had no service errors in the match and the Jayhawks had three. On the way back to Lawrence.
"We ran into some unforced hitting errors and blocking errors. Nebraska just played really well."
JENNA KAISER Senior outside hitter
"That's too many," he said. "But I thought our passing was solid."
Portuguese
Garlington and Kaiser led the
Jayhawks with 11 kills apiece and
freshman libero Brianne Riley
topped all players in the match
with 18 digs.
coach Ray Bechard said the errors were a big reason that Nebraska took the match.
It was the Cornhuskers' 10th straight win, improving their record to 11-1 overall and 3-0 in
ciency of .327, 24 kills and 12 digs. It was her third double-double of the season. Two middle blockers also scored double-digit kills, as junior Anicia Santos and freshman Nikki Lindow
contributed 15 and 11, respectively. The Buffalooes also have a group of freshmen in the back row that made a difference in the match against the Wildcats. Freshmen liberos Megan Beckwith and Elysse Richardson each contributed 17 digs, and freshman libero Hannah Walker chipped in seven.
Edited by Alex Tretbar