Position Breakdown: Outside Hitters
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas enters the 2019 fall campaign with a lot of new faces that will lead the KU attack, including five Jayhawks that have not played in a regular season match for KU.
"We are very young at outside hitter. It is great to have Ashley (Smith) back, but we are welcoming four freshman – Morgan Christon, Riley Foltz, Rachel Hickman and Gracie Van Driel – that have not played for us before. Kailea Carrier is coming off a redshirt season too. When you look at it from that perspective there is concern that this group hasn’t faced this level of competition, but our depth and potential will be a key piece for a quick start this season."
Ray Bechard
RETURNING JAYHAWKS
Kailea Carrier
Carrier redshirted during the 2018 season and graduated Olathe East High School in Olathe, Kansas in 2018. She played club for Mid-America Volleyball (MAVS) in Kansas City.
Camyrn Ennis
Ennis primarily played setter during her freshman campaign for the Jayhawks and will split time between the setter and outsider hitter roles this season. Ennis finished second on the team with 462 assists while adding 44 kills. Finished her senior campaign at Reagan High School with 743 assists, 290 kills and 421 digs over 106 sets.
Ashley Smith
Smith brings the most experience to the outside hitter group and is a redshirt-senior. She was named an All-Big 12 Second Team selection and an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Midwest Region Honorable Mention. In 2018, Smith averaged 2.94 kills per set and finished with a .242 attack percentage.
NEWCOMERS
Morgan Christon
Christon is a freshman from Allen High School in Allen, Texas. She lettered in both track & field and volleyball, and played club for the Texas Advantage 18 Black. Christon was a member of the team that won the 2019 USA Volleyball National Championship in the open division.
Riley Foltz
Foltz is a freshman from Eudora High School in Eudora, Kansas and is one of four members of the 2019 recruiting class that calls the state of Kansas home. She played club volleyball for the Lawrence Landsharks was named to the 2017 and 2018 Lawrence Journal World All-Area Team.
Rachel Hickman
Hickman is a four-year letterwinner at Free State High School in Lawrence, Kansas and joined the Jayhawks prior to the 2019 spring semester. She is the school record holder for kills and is the career kill leader at Free State HS.
Gracie Van Driel
Van Driel is a four-year letterwinner at Rose Hill High School in Rose Hill, Kansas, and was also a three-time letterwinner in track & field. She led the Rose Hill Rockets to 2016 and 2017 Kansas 4A State Championships. Van Driel joined Kansas prior to the 2019 spring semester.
