November 06, 2008

Volleyball Welcomes Texas Tech Saturday

Nov. 6, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Game Notes

After notching its third straight home victory and first 3-0 sweep in conference play, Kansas volleyball will look to extend its home win streak when it welcomes Texas Tech Saturday, Nov. 8, to the Horejsi Family Athletics Center for a 7 p.m. match up.

Saturday’s contest is Camper Reunion night. Kids who participated in one of the Jayhawks’ summer volleyball camps can get into the match for just $3. Kansas volleyball will also be holding a food drive. Admission is only $3 for anyone who donates a non-perishable food item.

Free live stats for the contest are available on the Kansas Athletics website at www.kuathletics.com. In addition, fans can access live video streaming on the website for a subscription fee.

About Kansas

Fresh off its first 3-0 sweep in conference action, Kansas volleyball takes a 11-12 overall, 5-9 Big 12 record and three-match home court win streak into its contest Saturday. A trio of Jayhawks contribute over two kills per set in league play, led by sophomore Karina Garlington, who is fifth in the Big 12 with 3.64 kps. Jenna Kaiser, also a sophomore, follows with 2.31 kps. Senior Savannah Noyes is also fifth in the league hitting a team-best .332 attack percentage against Big 12 opponents, while adding just over two kps. Freshman setter Nicole Tate is running the KU offense with 9.95 apg, fifth in conference matches. Defensively, sophomore Melissa Manda and Melissa Grieb pace the team with 3.19 and 2.47 dps, respectively.

Head coach Ray Bechard is in his 11th season as head coach of the Jayhawks with a 172-156 overall record.

Scouting Texas Tech

At 0-14 in the Big 12, Texas Tech is still in search of its first conference victory of the 2008 season having lost its last 12 matches dating back to Sept. 20. Freshman Amanda Dowdy is tops on offense averaging 2.69 kps and is just one of three Red Raiders to play all 51 matches so far this year. Senior Brandi Hood contributes 2.20 kps and leads the team with 0.87 bps. In the back row, Jenn Harrell, a junior, is digging up a team-high 3.39 dps, ninth in the conference. Also ninth in the Big 12 rankings is junior Caroline Witte with 0.28 service aces per set.

Texas Tech is coached by Nancy Todd, who is 56-120 in her sixth year as head coach of the Red Raiders.

Series History

Kansas trails the all-time series with Texas Tech, 15-11, while the series in Lawrence is knotted at 6-6. The Jayhawks won the teams’ meeting earlier this season to extend a three-match win streak against TTU. Kansas has won eight of the last 11 outings against Texas Tech. Included in those eight wins are six sweeps.

Garlington Earns Academic All-District

Kansas volleyball sophomore Karina Garlington was named ESPN The Magazine Third Team Academic All-District.

A Denver, Colo., native, Garlington has earned a 3.61 cumulative grade point average working toward a degree in sports management. The 6-0 outside hitter was one of the nation’s top 50 offensive threats through the first half of the season and has been KU’s most consistent threat at the net this year as she paces the team with 3.79 kills per set, which ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference. Garlington also leads the team with 0.30 services aces per set.

Nebraska Match Time Set

The Kansas vs. Nebraska volleyball match set for Saturday, Nov. 15, has been scheduled for a 7 p.m. start time. The Kansas football team plays at home at 11:30 a.m. earlier that day against nationally-ranked Texas.

Clean Sweep

Kansas’ three-set win over Colorado last Wednesday was its first 3-0 sweep in Big 12 play and its first three-set contest at home in conference play this year. The Jayhawks have played just eight three-set matches so far this season. The program record for fewest three-set contests during the Big 12 era is 15 in both 2005 and 2007.

A Winning Attack

Kansas has recorded a .205 attack percentage or better in all 11 of its wins this season. Of the Jayhawks’ 12 losses, only three contests had a KU hitting percentage over .200. Overall, KU has hit .245 in its victories and just .150 over its losses.

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

Kansas will hit the road for the first time in a week when it travels to Oklahoma on Wednesday, Nov. 8 for a 7 p.m. match.

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