Volleyball Hosts Iowa State Saturday In Conference Home Opener
Sept. 18, 2008
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas volleyball (6-4, 0-1 Big 12) will look to bounce back from a heartbreaking five-set loss at Colorado when it hosts Iowa State (9-3, 1-0 Big 12) this Saturday at 1 p.m. in its conference home opener.
Live stats and video (fee) will be available at www.kuathletics.com.
Fans that bring a KU vs. Sam Houston State football ticket can get into the match for just $3. In addition, kids who wear their volleyball uniform to the contest will get in for free, while parents can gain entry for $3. Free Kansas T-shirts will be given out to fans while supplies last.
About Kansas
Kansas (6-4, 0-1 Big 12), who returns home for the first time in four matches, will look to tally its first conference win against Iowa State Saturday. Sophomore Karina Garlington continues to be the most consistent player for the Jayhawks pacing the team with 4.16 kps, third in the Big 12. Garlington has also proven to be an asset from the service line collecting 15 aces so far this season. Newcomer Nicole Tate has adjusted well to the college level starting in the setter position for Kansas and ranking third in the league with 10.22 aps, while digging up 2.03 balls per set, second to only sophomore libero Melissa Manda (3.38 dps). Senior middle blocker Natalie Uhart leads the team with both .300 hitting and 0.92 bps.
Head coach Ray Bechard is 167-148 in 10-plus seasons with the Jayhawks.
Scouting Iowa State
Riding a four-match winning streak, Iowa State, who has been receiving votes in the last three AVCA Coaches’ Polls, is 9-3 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12 after defeating Texas A&M in their conference opener. Seven of ISU’s nine wins have come on 3-0 sweeps, including its last four. The Cyclones currently pace the conference with 13.32 aps and are second averaging 14.05 kps. Kaylee Manns runs the Cyclone offense with a conference-leading 11.61 aps. Victoria Henson leads ISU with 4.17 kps, good enough for second in the Big 12, while Jen Malcolm is hitting .415, one of just three players in the league hitting over .400. Malcolm is also second in the Big 12 going up for 1.39 bps. Ashley Mass is tops on the team digging up 5.02 dps.
Christy Johnson is in her fourth season at the helm of the Cyclone program and is 65-43 overall.
Series History
Kansas trails the all-time series with Iowa State 39-32-1 dating back to 1975 but owns a 15-12-1 advantage in Lawrence. The Jayhawks have dropped the last six meetings with the Cyclones including a close five-set match in their last contest on Nov. 17, 2007, in Lawrence. KU is 15-8 against ISU since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996. From 1996-2004, Kansas was 16-2 versus the Cyclones.
Player Notables
» Sophomore Karina Garlington has tallied 18 or more kills in four of her last five outings.
» Garlington set a career-high 24 kills at Colorado on Wednesday. Last season at CU, Garlington hit a then-career best 14 kills.
» Freshman Allison Mayfield has been a huge contributor for the Jayhawks averaging a team second-best 2.44 kps. She has recorded double figure kills five times so far this year.
» Junior Brittany Williams recorded season highs in kills, assists, digs and blocks at Colorado.
» Senior Savannah Noyes is just three solo blocks shy of cracking the KU career record list.
» Freshman setter Nicole Tate’s 64 assists against Wyoming on Sept. 12 were the most by a Jayhawk since Katie Martincich tallied 68 on Oct. 28, 2006. They were also the most by a Big 12 player so far this season.
» Junior Melissa Grieb failed to record a service ace Wednesday at Colorado, breaking a string of five-straight matches with at least one ace.
Garlington Seeing 20/20…20
On Sept. 17, Karina Garlington tallied a career-high 24 kills at Colorado, her third 20-kill outing so far this year. It marked the most kills by a KU player since Jana Correa and Emily Brown each had 24 on Sept. 20, 2006.
Game Tickets
Fans can purchase season and single-game tickets to KU home matches by phone at 800-34-HAWKS, online at KUAthletics.com or at the doors of the Horejsi Center prior to match time.
Up Next
The next couple of weeks do not get any easier for the Jayhawks as they hit the road again Wednesday, Sept. 24 when they head to #2 Nebraska for a 7 p.m. match. Kansas then returns to the Horejsi Family Athletic Center that Saturday to host #3 Texas. That contest is also scheduled for 7 p.m. Live stats for both matches will be available on the Kansas Athletics official website at www.kuathletics.com.
Upcoming Promotions
Saturday, Sept. 27 is “Youth Organization Day” at the Kansas-Texas volleyball match. Any youth organziation group that comes to the contest can get in for $3 a person. Fans will also receive a complimentary Jayhawk memo board while supplies last. In addition, Kansas volleyball players will be available after the match to sign autographs.
