Kansas Volleyball Announces 2004 Schedule

May 3, 2004

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

After a program-best season in 2003, University of Kansas head volleyball coach Ray Bechard announced today another challenging schedule for the Jayhawks in 2004. KU will open its 30th season of competition with an alumni match and eight non-conference contests before Big 12 play begins in mid-September.

Highlighting the Jayhawks’ non-conference schedule in 2004 are NCAA Tournament teams Arkansas and Wisconsin. The Lady Razorbacks defeated KU and Creighton in the 2003 Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Classic while Wisconsin and KU have not met since 1976.

Jayhawks fans can enjoy 14 regular-season home matches including 10 Big 12 contests. KU will have a four-game home stand at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center in late September which features Texas (Sept. 25) and Big 12 powerhouse Nebraska (Sept. 29). In-state rival Kansas State comes to town Oct. 6 while the Border War continues Oct. 16 when Missouri visits Lawrence.

The ‘Hawks’ regular season culminates Nov. 27 when KU hosts Colorado on Senior Night. Four seniors — Jill Dorsey, Ashley Bechard, Ashley Michaels and Lindsey Morris — lead a KU squad that welcomes four newcomers in 2004.

Kansas finished the 2003 season 22-11 overall and 13-7 in league play and made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Jayhawks were ranked 20th in the nation by Volleyball Magazine and received votes in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches’ Poll for seven straight weeks. KU’s 13 conference wins and third place finish also marked the best in school history.

“We open with an NCAA (Tournament) team in Arkansas and will host Wisconsin, a top Big Ten team, early in the season to get us ready for league play,” Bechard said. “The Big 12 is sizing up to be all that it is expected to be and we look forward to making another run to postseason play in 2004.”

Jump to 2004 volleyball schedule.