KU Comes From Behind to Down Miami, 3-1

Aug. 26, 2006

Box Score

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –

Despite losing the opening game, Kansas volleyball rallied to a 3-1 victory over Miami Saturday afternoon in the Academy Sports/Crimson Tide Invitational at the CAVE. Wearing their red jerseys for the first time, the Jayhawks (2-0) defeated the Hurricanes (1-1) by scores of 23-30, 30-28, 30-25 and 30-23.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

The Jayhawks face host Alabama (0-1), who fell to Miami in five games late Friday, tonight at 7 p.m.

Senior Jana Correa led KU for the second-straight match with 16 kills and added 10 digs. Sophomore Savannah Noyes set a new career high with 14 kills while junior Emily Brown and senior Megan Hill added 11 kills apiece. Freshman Brittany Williams totaled nine kills on a team-best .348 hitting efficiency and had four block assists.

Rookie Katie Martincich (30 assists, 12 digs) and Brown (26 assists, 10 digs) ran the KU offense and senior Jamie Mathewson led the defense with 19 digs. After solid hitting in Game One, Miami was held to a .140 attack percentage for the match while the Jayhawks swung at a .210 clip in the win.

The Hurricanes’ Frannie Savage led all hitters with 21 kills (.340) and Ann Gallo totaled a match-best 25 digs in the losing effort.

Despite a slow start and an eight-point deficit early in Game One, the Jayhawks rallied back to within two, 17-19, behind three kills from Noyes (seven total kills in the stanza). KU came within one, 22-23, on a four-point run with senior Dani Wittman at the serving line. The Miami offense gained momentum late and ended with six unanswered points, compiling a .375 hitting efficiency in the game.

In Game Two, the Hurricanes pulled away, 12-7, forcing KU to take its first timeout of the stanza. Miami lead by as many as nine, but the Jayhawks found their groove and came within two after a Wittman ace (21-23). Freshman Melissa Grieb stepped in to serve and the Jayhawks rattled off six straight, taking their first lead of the game at the 26-25 mark. Three big kills from senior Megan Hill and two aces from Grieb helped KU to game point, when Correa’s shot tied the match, 1-1.

A kill from Noyes tied Game Three, 8-8. With Wittman serving, the Jayhawks went on a 4-1 run to take a 12-9 lead. Two straight hitting errors by Miami gave KU a 19-14 lead and control of the game. Correa provided a spark with a solo block and kill to start a string of five unanswered points, giving the Jayhawks a 24-15 advantage. Williams put away the game with a swing from the middle, bring KU to a 2-1 lead in the match. Miami totaled 11 kills and 11 errors in the game (.000).

Down 13-8 in Game Four, the Hurricanes took a timeout to break Mathewson’s serving but couldn’t regroup, allowing seven straight Jayhawk points. Miami threatened with a 6-0 run to come within four (26-22) but KU came away with the win after three consecutive kills from Correa, Noyes and Hill.

-KU-