Colorado Comes To Horejsi Wednesday Night
Oct. 9, 2007
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
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Looking to stop a three-match skid, the University of Kansas volleyball team will take on Colorado Wednesday night at the Horejsi Family Athlectics Center at 7 p.m.
The Jayhawks (9-8, 2-5 Big 12) lost to Texas A&M (30-26, 30-25, 30-19) last Saturday in their third consecutive 3-0 sweep and second straight loss at home.
Colorado (5-10, 0-7 Big 12) lost its seventh straight Big 12 match to Nebraska Saturday falling 30-25, 30-18 and 30-20 to the Cornhuskers. Colorado has not recorded a victory since its last non-conference match on Sept. 8 in a 3-0 win over Miami. However, four of the Buff’s last five losses have come at the hands of top-25 teams.
Kansas is currently tied with Baylor for eighth in the conference standings and just a half game behind seventh place Texas A&M. The Buffaloes are ranked 11th in the Big 12.
A Glance At the Jayhawks
Freshman Jenna Kaiser paces the Jayhawks with 2.60 kills per game and an even better 2.79 average in Big 12 matches. Despite sitting out nearly a month for treatment of a heart condition, junior middle blocker Natalie Uhart follows close behind with 2.21 kpg for the season. Fellow junior Savannah Noyes remains the team’s most efficient hitter with a .252 hitting percentage and a .295 efficiency in conference play.
Senior Emily Brown and sophomore Katie Martincich continue to run the offense averaging 6.74 and 4.64 assists per game, respectively, in KU’s two-setter system.
Freshman libero Melissa Manda holds down the defense digging up 3.62 balls per game so far this season. Senior Caitlin Mahoney has stepped up as a major presence at the net averaging nearly a block per game followed by Uhart, who goes up for 0.92 blocks per game.
Scouting Colorado
Colorado is led by two players averaging over three kills per game. Sophomore Mallori Gibson paces the squad with 3.61 kills and junior Alex Buth adds 3.22 kills per game. Buth averages an even better 3.42 kills per game in Big 12 matches to lead the Buffaloes in league play.
Setting up the offense is sophomore Kaitlyn Burkett who sets 11.86 assists per game and ranks seventh among conference players with 11.19 assists per game in Big 12 contests.
Junior Callie Webster, this week’s Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, leads the team for the season and in Big 12 matches with 4.59 digs and 5.06 digs per game, respectively. Webster paced the league in digs last week with 6.38 per game in matches versus Missouri and Nebraska.
The Series
Colorado leads the all-time series against the Jayhawks 33-9 including the last three meetings.
Miscellaneous Series Notables:
– KU has not defeated CU in Horejsi since Nov. 27, 2004.
– Kansas head coach Ray Bechard is 7-11 overall against the Buffaloes and 5-4 at home.
– Since 2002, Kansas and Colorado have played to extra points in at least one of their two meetings each season.
Last Meeting With the Buffaloes
Kansas and Colorado last met up on Nov. 8, 2006 in Lawrence. The Buffaloes swept KU in a close match with scores of 30-25, 30-28 and 32-30.
Crimson & Blue Quick Hits
– Freshman Karina Garlington will be going up against her home state Wednesday night. The 6-0 outside hitter is a Colorado native from Denver.
– KU has already tallied its total number of home wins from last year with five. The team still has ample opportunities to top that number with six remaining contests scheduled at Horejsi in 2007.
– Emily Brown notched her sixth double-double of the season against Texas A&M on Oct. 6 with 20 assists and 11 digs.
– Freshman Jenna Kaiser has led the team in kills a team-high six times so far this season including a 16 kill performance versus Texas A&M on Oct. 6. Kaiser recorded a .294 hitting efficiency in the match, her best hitting percentage in nine outings.
– Kaiser’s recent 16 kill performace is also a career-tying mark and a new individual three-game high.
Follow the Jayhawks
Can’t watch the game? Fans can follow live stats for all matches at KUathletics.com. Live video is also available during home matches throught Kansas’ All-Access subscription service. Fans can sign up for the service on KUathletics.com.
Up Next
The Jayhawks hit the road this weekend traveling to Austin, Texas to take on its third ranked team this season. The team faces the No. 7 Longhorns Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CST.
