Volleyball Reports to Campus for First Day Business
Aug. 7, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. –A visit with Kansas Athletics Director Dr. Sheahon Zenger, meetings with the support staff and a welcome back dinner highlighted the Kansas volleyball team’s return to campus on Tuesday.
Thirteen letterwinners – including five starters and the libero – and four newcomers headed back to Lawrence for a full afternoon of meetings, headed by veteran head coach Ray Bechardwho enters his 15th season with the Jayhawks this fall.
KU kicks off nearly two weeks of two-a-day preseason camp on Wednesday morning. Fans can get their first look at the 2012 edition of the Jayhawks on Saturday, Aug. 18th, when the team hosts its annual Crimson and Blue match, marking an end to the intense preseason practice schedule before school starts on Aug. 20th. The Jayhawks will officially begin the 2012 campaign at the Arkansas Tournament, Aug. 24-25.
Last fall, Kansas went 15-14 and ended the year at No. 47 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings, narrowly missing what would’ve been the Jayhawks’ fourth NCAA Tournament berth under Bechard.
A year later, the Jayhawks return to the court led by 2012 All-Big 12 Preseason selection Caroline Jarmoc. The redshirt junior middle blocker appeared on several of the Big 12’s top-10 lists last season, including blocks (1.25 blocks per set), attack percentage (.311), kills (2.92 kills per set), points (3.93 points per set) and service aces (0.28 aces per set).
In addition, Kansas returns fellow middle blocker Tayler Tolefree (1.14 blocks per set) to keep a highly-potent frontline of defense intact. Sophomores Chelsea Albers (1.01 kills per set), Sara McClinton (2.34 kills per set) and redshirt junior Catherine Carmichael (1.23 kills per set) come back to help fuel the offense as KU looks to replace Allison Mayfield, who led the Big 12 last year in kills per set.
Junior setter Kara Wehrs (7.93 assists per set) will take the lead at the setter position after starting 19 matches last year. Senior defensive specialist Morgan Boub (1.87 digs per set) and two-year starting libero, junior Brianne Riley(4.34 digs per set) will lead the defensive effort from the back row.
Maggie Anderson (S), Tiana Dockery (OH) and Janae Hall (MB) make up the Jayhawks’ freshmen class, while graduate student Sylvia Bullock(OH) joins the KU roster after a four-year career on the Miami (Fla.) women’s basketball team. The four newcomers join seven returning letterwinners with notable experience that will be called upon this fall.
Up Next
The Crimson and Blue Match is set for Saturday, Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. Fans are invited to attend free of charge. Kansas officially opens the season on Friday, Aug. 24 against Northwestern State at 4:30 p.m. in the first match of the Arkansas Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark.
