Volleyball Takes On KSU In Sunflower Showdown Wednesday
Nov. 12, 2007
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
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Coming off its second victory in three matches, the <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas volleyball team (12-15, 5-12 Big 12) heads across town to take on in-state rival KansasState (20-7, 12-5 Big 12) Wednesday night in a 7 p.m. match. It is one of just two road matches remaining for the 2007 season.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Jayhawks At A Glance
After falling in three games to No. 3 Texas last Wednesday, KU ended the week on a high note coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Colorado 3-2 Saturday night in Boulder, Colo. Senior Emily Brown paced the team with 3.25 kills per game last week and hit a team best .340 clip. The hitter/setter also notched a double-double in both contests and recorded a career-high 41 assists at Colorado. For the season, junior Natalie Uhart is hitting at a team best .278 clip, while freshman Jenna Kaiser paces the Jayhawks with 2.80 kills per game. Defensively, the team averages 2.36 blocks per game and Uhart provides 1.14 of them. Freshman libero Melissa Manda is digging up 3.93 balls per game. Sophomore Katie Martincich and Brown add 2.64 and 2.31 digs per game, respectively.
Scouting KansasState
Kansas State enters Wednesday’s contest riding a two match winnning streak and have won five of their last six matches. The Wildcats hung on to defeat Texas A&M and Baylor last week in a pair of five-game matches. Of K-State’s five Big 12 losses, four have come at the hands of top-25 teams. KansasState ranks in the top-five of every major statistical category except digs during Big 12 play including number one in service aces per game with 1.77. Despite a seventh-best 15.29 digs per game as a team, K-State boasts the league’s dig leader in Angie Lastra, Big 12 defensive player of the week for the second consecutive time, who averages 5.21 dpg. On offense, Natalya Korobkova paces the team with 4.46 kills per game, sixth-best in Big 12 competition and Megan Farr hits a team best .377 accuracy. Stacey Spiegelberg is third in the conference with 13.56 assists per game.
The Series
Kansas State leads the all-time series 54-34 and has claimed the last two meetings with the Jayhawks. KU has not won in Manhattan since Nov. 5, 2005 in KU head coach Ray Bechard’s first-ever win over the Wildcats.
Last Meeting With the Wildcats
Kansas and KansasState last met up on Sept. 12 in the 2007 conference opener for both teams. The Jayhawks fell 3-0 to then-No. 19 Kansas State by scores of 20-30, 21-30 and 25-30. Junior Savannah Noyes hit a team-high 11 kills on a .400 clip, including an .833 clip (5-of-6) in game two. Junior Brittany Williams also had an above .400 night with a .462 hitting percentage on six kills. The pair also had two block assists. Senior Emily Brown and sophomore Katie Martincich ran the offense with 22 and 10 set assists, respectively. Freshman Melissa Manda led the KU defense digging up 22 balls.
*Senior Night Time Change*
Kansas volleyball’s last home match scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 17 versus IowaState has been bumped up to an 11 a.m. start time.
The match is also senior day as seniors Emily Brown and Caitlin Mahoney will be honored in a ceremony following the match.
1,000 Dig Milestone
Emily Brown recorded her 1,000th career dig on Nov. 10 at Colorado becoming just the third player in KU volleyball history to reach the 1,000 plateau in both digs and kills, and the first since Sarah Rome who played for Kansas from 2000-03. The other player who reached 1,000 digs and kills was Cyndee Kanabel (1990-93). Brown tallied her 1,000th career kill earlier this season against Texas Tech on Sept. 22.
Family Ties
Kansas freshman Melissa Townsend will see a familiar face on the other side of the net Wednesday as older sister Leslie, a junior, plays for KansasState. Both sisters are listed as defensive specialists.
Follow the Jayhawks
Can’t watch the game? Fans can listen to a live broadcast of the game at
www.1350kman.com.
Up Next
Kansas will play its final home match of the season Saturday, Nov. 17 versus IowaState at 11 a.m. Seniors Emily Brown and Caitlin Mahoney will be honored in a ceremony following the match.
