Jayhawk Volleyball Sweeps Past Arkansas for Tournament Title, Mazour Named MVP
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Three players finished with double-digit kills in Kansas volleyball’s 3-0 win versus Arkansas Saturday night as the Jayhawks claimed the tournament title. KU won by scores of 25-15, 25-18, 25-15 to go undefeated in the tournament and record back-to-back-to-back 3-0 sweeps for the first time since September 2005.
KU improved to 7-2 overall and extended a four-match winning streak. Arkansas’ record fell to 6-5.
Senior Paige Mazour hit a team-high .588 attack percentage against the Razorbacks and finished the tournament swinging at a .474 clip to earn tournament MVP honors. She also recorded seven service aces over the weekend to increase her season-high total to 12 and has had at least one ace in six straight matches.
Junior Karina Garlington and sophomore Nicole Tate were also named members of the all-tournament team.
Garlington tallied a team-best 14 kills versus Arkansas and was joined in double figures by Mazour, who had 12, and sophomore Allison Mayfield, who pitched in 10. Tate was just shy of a double-double recording 36 assists and nine digs. She also had five kills on seven attempts for a .714 attack percentage.
In the back court, senior Katie Martincich had 12 digs in the win at UA followed by nine digs a piece from Melissa Manda and Mayfield.
Freshman Tayler Tolefree blocked a team-high five balls in the match and led KU with 1.44 bps during the Arkansas Tournament.
The Jayhawks got off to a slow start in the opening frame but slowly built momentum. KU trailed at 11-10 but knotted the score at 11-11 and scored five straight points to take a permanent lead for the set. Leading 16-14, Kansas scored nine of the final 10 points, five from Arkansas errors, to score a 25-15 win. Kansas made just one attack error in set one for a .400 attack percentage.
Kansas kept things rolling with a 25-18 win in set two. The Jayhawks played from behind for the first half of the set until they tied the score at 16-16. From there, KU went on a 6-1 run to increase its lead to 22-17. One Arkansas point later, Garlington tallied a kill, Grieb scored an ace and Tolefree recorded a solo block to end the frame.
Leading two sets to none, Kansas jumped out to an early lead in the third and final set quickly getting out of reach from the Razorbacks. The Jayhawks used a match-high .486 attack percentage to put the match away 25-15. KU had 20 kills compared to Arkansas’ 10.
Kansas opens Big 12 Conference play Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Border Showdown rival Missouri. Game time is slated for 6:30 p.m.
