Kansas to Host Kansas State in Volleyball Sunflower Showdown Wednesday
Nov. 9, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Kansas vs. Kansas State Game Notes 
After suffering a setback at Oklahoma Saturday, the University of Kansas volleyball team will look to bounce back in its first match at home in a week on Wednesday, Nov. 11 versus in-state rival Kansas State. The Lawrence edition of the Sunflower Showdown is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
Free live stats as well as video feed (for a fee) will be available on the KU Athletics website at www.KUAthletics.com.
About Kansas
The Jayhawk volleyball team lost in three at Oklahoma on Saturday to snap a three-match win streak on the road and drop KU to 13-11 overall and 5-9 in the conference. Sophomore Allison Mayfield paces Kansas with 3.59 kps and is even better in Big 12 action averaging 3.85 kps. Senior Brittany Williams has also been productive for the KU offense in league matches hitting a team-best .277. Her conference average of 1.97 kps is third behind junior Karina Garlington’s 3.16 kps. Sophomore Nicole Tate continues to drive the offense as her 10.99 aps rank third in the Big 12. In the back court, junior Melissa Manda is tops on the team with 4.01 dps. In the last four outings, Manda has received defensive support from senior Melissa Grieb. Grieb leads the Jayhawks averaging 5.31 dps over the last four matches.
Scouting Kansas State
Kansas State has won its last two matches, including an upset versus No. 23 Texas A&M, to improve to 10-14 overall and 4-10 in the Big 12. The Wildcats have won one league match on the road this season- at Colorado on Oct. 21- and fall just below Kansas in the Big 12 standings coming in at No. 9. Four players average over two kills per set for the Wildcats led by junior JuliAnne Chilholm’s 3.13 kps and 2.71 kps in conference play. Senior Kelsey Chipman is collecting 2.72 kps with a Big 12-best .370 attack percentage. She is also seventh among conference players averaging 1.06 bps. Junior Lauren Mathewson is third in the Big 12 with 4.67 dps.
Susie Fritz is 189-85 in her ninth season as Kansas State’s head coach.
Series Information
Kansas State has the advantage over KU leading 57-35 in the series history. At home the Jayhawks are 15-26 against the Wildcats and have defeated KSU in Lawrence just once- 2006- since the inception of the Big 12. The Jayhawks notched a 3-0 win versus K-State earlier this season and a win on Wednesday would give KU its first series sweep over the Wildcats since 1993.
Academic All-District Honorees
For the fifth-straight year, Kansas volleyball has placed at least one player on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team. Senior Paige Mazour was named to the District 7 first team, while senior Katie Martincich earned second team honors.
Mazour has maintained a 3.94 cumulative GPA as a human biology major and earns academic all-district honors for the first time in her career. After serving in a reserve role for the Jayhawk volleyball team the past three seasons, Mazour is one of two Jayhawks to start all 24 matches in 2009 and ranks 10th in the Big 12 Conference with a .307 attack percentage. As a first team all-district honoree, Mazour is now in the running for Academic All-America. The All-America team will be announced on Nov. 23.
Martincich earns her second academic all-district honor having been named to the third team as a sophomore in 2007. A sport management and business marketing double major, Martincich has recorded a 3.98 GPA throughout her college career. Martincich ranks in the top 10 of KU’s career assists list and is on pace to break into the KU career digs list as well.
KU-Baylor Match Time
Kansas’ match scheduled versus Baylor on Saturday, Nov. 14 has been given an 11 a.m. start time.
Jayhawks Out-Digging Opponents
Kansas is out-digging the opposition by more than a dig per set this season averaging 15.37 dps compared to its opponents’ 14.10 dps. The Jayhawks’ defense has held 12 opponents to under .200 hitting and teams average just a .204 attack percentage versus KU this year, which ranks sixth-best in the Big 12.
Up Next
The Jayhawks will play their first of three-straight nationally-ranked opponents on Saturday, Nov. 11 when they host No. 21 Baylor. That match has been scheduled for 11 a.m. From there, KU will travel to No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 18 and host No. 9 Nebraska on Nov. 21.
