Historic Season Celebrated at 2012 Volleyball Banquet

Feb. 3, 2013

seniorsLAWRENCE, Kan. – The winningest season in program history, the team’s first All-America selection and two Coach of the Year awards highlighted an extensive list of reasons to celebrate at the 2012 Kansas Volleyball banquet held Sunday inside the Kansas Union.

Jim Marchiony, the Associate Athletics Director of Public Affairs and the volleyball sport administrator, started the festivities with a heartfelt story. He informed the Jayhawks that listening to their reaction as the NCAA Selection Show revealed that they would host the First and Second rounds – an unprecedented feat in KU volleyball history – was one of the best moments of his professional career.

Head coach Ray Bechard, who was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year as well as the AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year, then took to the podium. The 15-year coaching veteran thanked each member of his support staff who helped along the way. Leaving no one out, Bechard even gave recognition to the team’s devoted bus driver as well as the director of the KU volleyball band.

Kansas Athletics Director Dr. Sheahon Zenger was in attendance and while he addressed the team, he thanked them for truly taking to heart and executing his mission of being assignment correct, fundamentally sound and mentally tough. After Bechard presented the players by class and handed out individual awards, Dr. Zenger and Marchiony presented a surprise plaque to the veteran coach to honor him for guiding the Jayhawks to the program’s best-ever winning percentage (26-7, .788).

With family, friends, staff and teammates together to relive the season through highlight and blooper videos, everyone enjoyed brunch and each other’s company before wrapping up the event with plenty of pictures and hugs.

Among many others, including back-to-back Jayhawk Champs awards, Bechard had a remarkable list of highlights to cover.

2012 HONORS AND AWARDS

  • AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year: Ray Bechard
  • Big 12 Coach of the Year: Ray Bechard (first COY award in the Big 12 era)
  • AVCA All-America Second-Team: Caroline Jarmoc (first All-American in program history)
  • AVCA All-District First Team: Caroline Jarmoc
  • Big 12 Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tayler Tolefree
  • All-Big 12 Conference First Team: Caroline Jarmoc, Sara McClinton (first time two Jayhawks on First Team)
  • All-Big 12 Honorable Mention: Erin McNorton, Brianne Riley
  • Big 12 All-Freshman Team: Tiana Dockery
  • Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District: Caroline Jarmoc (First Team), Erin McNorton (Second Team)
  • Academic All-Big 12 First Team: Chelsea Albers, Caroline Jarmoc, Jaime Mathieu, Sara McClinton, Erin McNorton, Brianne Riley, Tayler Tolefree and Amy Wehrs (led Big 12 with eight First Team selections)

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • The 2012 Jayhawks became the winningest team in program history, finishing the season with a 26-7 overall record for a .788 winning percentage, topping the previous best set in 1986 (26-9, .743).
  • Kansas made its fourth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance – all under Bechard – but did so this time with a No. 11 overall seed. The Jayhawks hosted the NCAA First and Seconds rounds in Allen Fieldhouse (Austin Regional) for the first time in program history.
  • KU earned its highest AVCA ranking in program history (No. 17) and was ranked in the final nine polls, including No. 25 in the final poll.
  • The Jayhawks collected their highest RPI ranking in program history (No.6), and came in No. 9 in the final RPI projection.
  • Kansas posted its highest conference finish in the Big 12 era (12-4, 3rd place) after being voted to finish sixth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
  • KU’s 17 home wins were the most in a single season by the Jayhawks, while the 13-match winning streak at home was also a program best.
  • The Jayhawks finished 2012 in the program’s top-five for single-season: kills (1,738, 5th), attack percentage (.238, 4th), assists (1,624, 4th) and block assists (492, 2nd).
  • Fittingly, KU’s season numbers also checked in highly among its Big 12 and NCAA counterparts: 13.20 assists per set (2nd Big 12, 30th NCAA), 2.62 blocks per set (2nd Big 12, 31st NCAA), 14.13 kills per set (3rd Big 12, 34th NCAA), .238 attack percentage (4th Big 12, 57th NCAA), 16.07 digs per set (2nd Big 12, 90th NCAA) and a .788 winning percentage (2nd Big 12, T-22nd NCAA).

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS

  • Redshirt junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc became the first Jayhawk in history to record 400 kills (424) and 150 blocks (157) in a season. Next season, the Calgary, Alberta, Canada native has the opportunity to be the program’s only player to record 200 kills and 100 blocks in four-straight seasons.
  • Jarmoc also broke KU’s single-season attack percentage record (.386) and holds the career record (.330) heading into her senior season.
  • Junior libero Brianne Riley became Kansas’ all-time digs leader in only three years, surpassing former record holder Melissa Manda (1,457) in the last match of the regular season. Riley now has 1,498 digs heading into her senior season. She also broke the single-season mark (613), becoming the only Jayhawk to record 600+ digs in one year.
  • Junior setter Erin McNorton racked up a Big 12-best 1,443 assists. After not starting a match until 2012, McNorton finished the year ranked seventh in the country in assists per set (11.73).

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