🏐 Kansas Drops Spring Opener to Xavier

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Despite overtaking Xavier (4-4, 1-1 Big East) in the third set, setting up momentum for the remainder of the match, Kansas fell in four sets to the Musketeers (27-29, 22-25, 25-20, 22-25) Friday night in the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

Jenny Mosser led the Kansas offense with 16 kills and finished with a double-double after recording 10 digs. Ayah Elnady netted a double-double of her own with 14 kills and 11 digs. Kennedy Farris led the Kansas defense with 26 digs, while Caroline Crawford record 4.5 blocks to lead the Jayhawks

Kansas and Xavier battled in the first set with Kansas taking a two-point advantage at 13-11 after a kill by Mosser. After Xavier battled back to take the lead, Elnady provided the spark the Jayhawks needed, punctuating a 3-point run to narrow the XU lead to 19-18.

At 23-21, Mosser stunned the Musketeers with a rocket to grab back momentum. Xavier was forced to call a timeout, and responded out of the break to capture the first set.

Set two was very similar to the first. Kansas pushed out to an early lead, but Xavier continued to battle back.

The Jayhawks pushed their lead to 16-13 after Elnady rattled off three kills, but the Musketeers tied it at 19-all. A kill by Anezka Szabo gave the Jayhawks the lead back, but Xavier tallied back-to-back points. A solo block by Crawford seemed to give Kansas the momentum it needed to mount a comeback at 24-22, but Xavier’s Kelly Franxman ended the set on the next play.

The third set proved to be much like the first two. Kansas and Xavier continued their back-and-forth battle and were tied at 14-all before a service error by Franxman gave KU the edge.

Kansas pushed its lead to two after a kill by Elnady and had a four-point advantage after a kill by Mosser at 19-15. KU continued to hold the lead the remainder of the set and were threatened at 21-20. A timeout by the Jayhawks stopped the Musketeer momentum, allowing KU to rattle off the next four points, which was capped on a kill by Mosser.

In the fourth set, Kansas again found itself in a battle with Xavier. After the Musketeers claimed a three-point edge at 8-5, the Jayhawks called timeout. The back-and-forth battle ensued through the remainder of the set with Kansas narrowing the Xavier lead to two late following a kill by Mosser at 24-22. The Musketeers claimed the final point and the match.

UP NEXT
Kansas continues its spring slate with Texas State Friday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m., in the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.