Season Inches Closer as Blue Team Takes Crimson and Blue Match, 2-1
Aug. 20, 2011
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Several Jayhawk fans took the opportunity to preview the 2011 Kansas volleyball team in action, as the Blue team won the Crimson and Blue match, Saturday at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19.
Head coach Ray Bechard and his staff divided the team into a Crimson squad and a Blue squad for a live-action scrimmage as a conclusion to the team’s preseason two-a-day practice schedule. The two squared off in an intense dress rehearsal before the Jayhawks officially open the season against Florida A&M on Aug. 26 at the Georgia Bulldog Invitational.
Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc led the offense, tallying 11 kills and a pair of blocks for the Blue side. Senior outside hitter Allison Mayfield added nine kills, nine digs and a block to just miss the double-double. Redshirt sophomore Catherine Carmichael hit for an impressive 1.000 percentage on Saturday, going 5-for-5 for the Blue team.
“I thought it was great to get the team on the floor in front of a live crowd, live refs and a game environment,” Bechard said. “This gave us some more info about our team and will continue to help us prepare for next weekend when we start up for real.”
On the Crimson side, sophomore middle blocker Jessie Allen racked up six kills to set the tone. With each member of the team switching squads for evaluation purposes, Carmichael also added a powerful component to the Crimson offense with seven kills to finish the scrimmage with 12 total.
The Blue team jumped out to an early lead using a perfect 5-for-5 performance from Carmichael to lead the offense. Down 1-0, Crimson came back to claim the second set, 25-19, and knot the match at a set apiece.
Powered by six kills and a .857 attack percentage from junior middle blocker Tayler Tolefree, the Blue squad bolted out to a big lead it wouldn’t surrender for the remainder of the set. Five more kills from Mayfield helped the Blue squad cruise to a 25-19 victory to claim the set and the shortened match, 2-1.
Jayhawk volleyball alumni in attendance met with the team and the coaching staff following the match for a fun reception in their honor.
UP NEXT
Kansas will officially kickoff the 2011 campaign in Athens, Ga., against Florida A&M in the opening match of the University of Georgia Bulldog Invitational. First serve is set for Aug. 26 at 3:30 p.m. CT.
Fans can watch live streaming of the Kansas vs. Georgia match on Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. by clicking here. All matches will be available on GameTracker by accessing the Kansas Volleyball schedule on kuathletics.com.