KU Looks To Stop Skid Wednesday Against Cyclones
Oct. 17, 2005
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas volleyball will wrap up its first half of Big 12 play and look to stop a three-match skid Wednesday night when it hosts Iowa State at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center at 7 p.m. The Jayhawks, 12-6 overall and 4-5 in league play, are currently sixth in the conference standings while the Cyclones (12-8, 5-4) sit just ahead of KU in fifth place.
The first 500 fans through the doors will receive Jayhawk foam noodles. Gametracker, live streaming and post-match results will be available on Kansas Athletics’ official website, kuathletics.com.
KU PREVIEW
The Jayhawks, 12-6 overall and 4-5 in Big 12 action, return nine letterwinners including four starters in 2005. KU is led by senior middle blocker Josi Lima, a three-time All-Big 12 First Team selection who was named Sports Imports/AVCA National and Big 12 Player of the Week on Sept. 19. Postseason award candidates Paula Caten (senior) and Emily Brown (sophomore) are also in the starting six.
Lima averages a team-best 3.59 kills and 0.94 blocks per game. Freshman Savannah Noyes, at 6-3, adds 1.67 kills per game at a team-best .254 hitting efficiency in the other middle blocker spot.
Caten, a 6-3 outside hitter, adds 3.23 kills per game and Brown, a 6-2 right side hitter, chips in 2.81 kills and 2.39 digs per game. Junior Megan Hill has started two matches this season at outside hitter and adds 0.85 kills per game.
Junior libero Jamie Mathewson paces the defense and ranks ninth in the league with 3.30 digs per game.
The Jayhawks are without junior outside hitter Jana Correa, who suffered a season-ending injury against #20 Kansas State on Oct. 5. Before the injury, Correa averaged a team-high 3.60 kills and 2.29 digs per game in 16 starts this season.
Kansas is trying to halt a three-match losing streak to three ranked opponents — #7 Missouri (Oct. 15), #1 Nebraska (Oct. 8) and #20 Kansas State (Oct. 5).
THE KU/IOWA STATE SERIES
Kansas leads the all-times series against Iowa State, 33-32-1. The Jayhawks have won the last 10 meetings, dating back to the 1999 season. The last time the Cyclones won in Lawrence was Oct. 18, 1995 (3-0).
CYCLONE PREVIEW
After finishing just 8-21 overall and 1-19 in the Big 12 last season, the Cyclones’ turnaround under first-year head coach Christy Johnson is already impressive. Iowa State in 12-8 on the season, including 5-4 in league play, and sits in fifth place in the Big 12 standings.
The Cyclones upset #18 Texas on Sept. 17 and are coming off a 3-1 win at Oklahoma on Saturday night. ISU is 4-4 away from home and 2-3 in league play on the road this season. The Cyclones’ 3.14 blocks per game rank second in the conference only to #1 Nebraska while sophomore Erin Boeve is second among all blockers in the Big 12 with 1.72 per game.
Junior outside hitter Katie Jessen leads the ISU hitters with 3.36 kills per game while Boeve chips in 3.10 per game. Three other Cyclones average 2.00 kills per game and junior libero Katie Churm leads the Big 12 with 4.57 digs per game. Senior setter Amanda Craig runs the offense with 11.47 assists per game.
LAST MEETING — KANSAS 3, IOWA STATE 0
Outside hitters Jana Correa and Paula Caten notched double-digit kills as KU swept Iowa State, 30-18, 30-24 and 30-28, on Oct. 27, 2004, in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
Caten led the Jayhawks with 13 kills and added seven digs and four block assists. Correa, in her fifth straight double-digit offensive performance, added 12 kills on a .478 hitting percentage (1 error, 23 attempts). Michaels added eight kills and a match-high six block assists in the win.
KU also saw kills from Emily Brown (six), Andi Rozum (six) and Josi Lima (seven). Rozum also dished a match-high 36 assists and added 10 digs for KU. Senior libero Jill Dorsey led all defensive player with 15 digs. KU hit .246 on the night (52 kills, 19 errors, 134 attempts) and outblocked the Cyclones 10.0 to 6.0.
INJURY UPDATE
Junior outside hitter Jana Correa will be out of the lineup indefinetly due to an injury sustained in game one of the K-State game on Oct. 5. Junior Megan Hill (0.85 kills per game) has replaced Correa in the starting lineup. Sophomore right side hitter Emily Brown was banged up in a collision Saturday at Missouri, but is expected to be cleared to play Wednesday.
VOTE FOR THE BIG 12 10TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM
The Big 12 is celebrating its 10th anniversary of athletic competition during the 2005-06 season. In an effort to recognize this milestone, the conference and its member schools are selecting special 10th anniversary teams for all sports. In certain sports, including volleyball, the Big 12 is asking its fans to vote via the league web site for student-athletes they feel should be honored on anniversary teams as part of the celebration.
