🏐 Kansas Volleyball to Retire Two Jerseys in September

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Volleyball head coach Ray Bechard has announced that Kansas will retire the jerseys of Ainise Havili and Kelsie Payne during the upcoming 2022 season.

Havili (2014-2017) was a three-time All-American and back-to-back Big 12 Setter of the Year. She was a member of the 2015 Final Four Team and 2016 Big 12 Championship team.

During Havili’s time at Kansas, the Fort Worth, Texas native posted 5,255 assists, placing her first in assists for career records for the Jayhawks. She also averaged 11.35 assists per set, which is second in Jayhawk history and she holds the top spot in double-doubles in a career with 63.

Havili played 463 sets and 124 matches during her four years as a Jayhawk. Havili recorded a career-high of 67 assists against Texas and nine kills at Santa Clara. She claimed 22 digs against USC on December 12, 2015 and at NC State on August 25, 2017.

During her freshman campaign, Havili started in each match and appeared in every set. She shattered the Kansas all-time freshman assist record by racking up 1,332 on the season. Havili had 14 double-doubles during the 2014 season with 40 assists 19 times and 50 assists nine times.

Havili was recently named a volunteer assistant coach for women’s volleyball with the Purdue Boilermakers.

Payne played for the Jayhawks from 2014-17 and was a two-time AVCA First Team All-American and the 2016 Big 12 Player of the Year. She holds KU records for career hitting percentage (.334), career kills (1,510 kills) and kills per set (3.63). She was also a member of the 2015 Final Four team and 2016 Big 12 Championship team alongside Havili.

While at Kansas, Payne was a six-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the week and was the Sport Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week on November 1, 2016. Twice she had 26 kills in a match, at Iowa State (10/28/2015) and Creighton (12/2/2016). Payne posted eight blocks four times during her career as a Jayhawks.

During the 2015 season, Payne had 496 kills and .386 attack percentage, putting her first in the Kansas record books for individual season records.

Payne (2014-2017) currently plays for SigortaShop Kadin Voleybol Kulübü in Ankara, Turkey and in 2017, she was one of the top players in the nation going into her senior year.

Both Havili and Payne will be recognized at the conclusion of the Jayhawk Classic after the Kansas vs. Omaha matchup at 2:30 p.m. CT on September 17 at the Horesji Family Volleyball Arena.