🏐 Kansas Drops Dillons Sunflower Showdown Finale To No. 11 Kansas State
LAWRENCE, Kan. – In the second match of the 2020 Dillons Sunflower Showdown, the Kansas Jayhawks (2-8) dropped a five-set battle to No. 11 Kansas State (6-4) in the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.
Jenny Mosser led the Kansas attack with 21 kills and logged a double-double with 10 digs. Mosser also finished with six aces, setting a five-set Kansas match record and breaking the five-ace, five-set mark set by Melissa Grieb (Oct. 1, 2008) vs. Kansas State and Jennifer Kraft (Oct. 26, 2002) at Oklahoma.
Elise McGhie finished with a career-high 47 assists, while Kennedy Farris recorded a season-high 18 digs, splitting time with Molly Schultz in the libero role.
The Jayhawks started fast in the first set against the Wildcats, jumping out to a 12-6 edge after a Kansas State attack error. KSU battled back within two, but the Jayhawks won the set 25-22 after back-to-back aces by Caroline Crawford.
The second set was the reverse for the Jayhawks, who were behind 19-13 before closing the gap to 23-20 following another Kansas State error. The Wildcats held on to claim the set, and carried the momentum into the third for their second set victory of the night.
In the fourth set Kansas came out firing, creating a ten-point edge after back-to-back aces by Mosser pushed the score to 10-2. Kansas State would not back down and closed the gap to six points at 21-15. KU continued to push back the Wildcat attack and capped the set with a kill by Mosser.
The fifth set did not start in KU’s favor. The Wildcats started the set on a 6-0 run, but Kansas fought back to tie the set at seven. After wild plays and challenges by both coaches, Kansas State earned the set victory, 15-10.
NOTES
- Jenny Mosser’s six aces were the most aces in a five-set match in program history, breaking the five set mark set by Melissa Grieb (Oct. 1, 2008) vs. Kansas State and Jennifer Kraft (Oct. 26, 2002) at Oklahoma.
- Caroline Crawford recorded a career-high five aces and is tied for second most in program history for a five-set match.
- Crawford tied a season-high 13 kills, which she set vs. West Virginia (Oct. 10, 2020).
- Kansas’ 11 service aces are third most in a five-set match in program history.
- Rachel Langs recorded a season-high 10 kills and tied a season-high six blocks.
- Elise McGhie recorded a career-high 47 assist, eclipsing the 40-or-more assist mark for the first time this season.
BECHARD QUOTES
On Mosser’s performances and how the team played tonight …
Mosser had 21 kills, 10 digs and six service aces, that is a big time stat line. It was impressive, and it was good volleyball back-and-forth in the fourth set. We didn’t play clean enough in the fifth set and had five hitting errors. We can’t dig ourselves into a five-point hole and even though we dug ourselves out of it, K-State stepped up the pace. The key difference was their 73 digs to our 57. We out blocked them and had more services aces. They got better behind the block with their digging and that was impressive.
On the series against Kansas State …
There is always disappointment when you lose the second one. We are optimistic because there are so many things that are fixable. The inexperience and youth in key times. That stuff is fixable. We had a play to win the first point in the fifth set and it would have made it 1-0 us instead of 6-0 them. Since the two weeks we last played, we have made some really good steps and we think we can do that again before we play Iowa State.
UP NEXT
Kansas travels to Ames, Iowa, to play Iowa State Nov. 13-14 in Hilton Coliseum. Both matches will be streamed on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
