Kansas Falls 3-1 at No. 11 Texas
Nov. 17, 2004
AUSTIN, Texas – Josi Lima and Jana Correa notched double-digit kills as the University of Kansas volleyball team fell to No. 11 Texas 3-1 Wednesday night at the Gregory Gym. The Jayhawks (15-11, 6-11 Big 12) took game one 30-23 but the Longhorns (22-3, 14-3) won the next three, 30-16, 30-11 and 30-25.
Lima led KU with 12 digs and added seven digs and five block assists. Correa had 10 kills, five digs and two block assists in the loss. Emily Brown and Paula Caten also contributed eight kills apiece while Ashley Michaels rounded of the offense with six kills.
Dani Wittman led the Jayhawk defense with a career-best nine digs while Jamie Mathewson added four digs. Jill Dorsey, who was injured at Nebraska on Nov. 12, did not play; however, senior Lindsey Morris saw limited back-row action for the first time since her Sept. 17 injury. Andi Rozum dished out 34 assists to go with her six digs and two block assists.
KU dominated game one, hitting at an impressive .457 clip while holding UT to just .178. Lima tallied six kills on seven attempts (no errors) for a sizzling .857 attack percentage.
UT picked up its blocking and stifled the KU offense, posting seven total blocks and hitting better than .433 in games two and three. The Jayhawks fought back in game four but UT senior Mira Topic single-handedly had eight kills to the Jayhawks’ 11 total in the final stanza to give the Longhorns the win.
The Jayhawks were out-hit .328 to .132 and out-blocked 12.0 to 7.0. Topic had a match-high 23 kills and in the process broke the Longhorns’ all-time career kills record (2,026).
“I was really pleased with the way we came out in game one,” KU head coach Ray Bechard said. “We were very efficient and our blocking was aggressive. Texas then turned the tables on us halfway through game two and took control. They [Texas] were very efficient in their hitting and in keeping good pace throughout the game.”
Kansas will return to the friendly confines of the Horejsi Family Athletics Center Saturday as it hosts No. 13 Texas A&M at 7 p.m.
