RCW: Inside Volleyball 3.8

Get a quick look inside your favorite Kansas Jayhawk programs each week with Rock Chalk Weekly’s Inside Sports pages. Notable statistics, quick hits and the top social media posts get every Jayhawk fan up-to-speed and ready for another week of thrilling competition.

Number BY THE NUMBERS
Junior outside hitter Madison Rigdon served six aces during a 13-0 Kansas run to end a 25-8 first-set victory over Texas Tech. Rigdon, the Big 12’s leader in aces, finished with seven aces on Saturday as the Jayhawks swept the Red Raiders (25-8, 25-18, 25-18) and improved to 7-0 at home.
 

UPCOMING HOME MATCHES
Tickets Kansas State (Oct. 12)
Tickets West Virginia (Oct. 20)

FOLLOW
Twitter @KUVolleyball
Facebook /KansasVolleyball
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Notes QUICK HITS

• No. 6 Kansas makes its second appearance on ESPNU this season when hosting the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State on Wednesday night (6 p.m.), followed by a road match at TCU on Saturday.
• Kansas defeated Texas Tech last Saturday, led by 12 kills on a .526 hitting percentage from junior All-American right-side hitter Kelsie Payne and eight kills on 10 swings from junior middle blocker Kayla Cheadle in her first start during Big 12 play. Junior outside hitter Madison Rigdon recorded six aces during a 13-0 Kansas run to end a 25-8 first-set victory. KU ended with 10 aces on the day. The Jayhawk defense held the Red Raiders to 21 kills and a .120 hitting percentage.
• HOME DEFENSE: Kansas enters the week on an 11-match home winning streak and is 28-1 in the last 29 matches inside Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
• DEFENSIVE: Kansas leads the Big 12 in four defensive categories – hitting percentage allowed (.138), kills allowed (11.03), assists allowed (10.35) and aces allowed (0.58). KU’s opponents have recorded a hitting percentage below .200 in 15 of 17 matches this season, including three with a negative hitting percentage (under .000). In the Jayhawks’ only two losses this season, their opponent has hit over .300.
• WINNING: KU’s 45 wins since the start of the 2015 season ranks tied for second in NCAA Division I volleyball during that period. The Jayhawks have the same number of wins as American and Washington since last season; Western Kentucky leads with 49.
• ACES WILD: Kansas leads the Big 12 in aces per set (1.58) and features 10 matches with five or more aces. Individually, junior outside hitter Madison Rigdon leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally with 37 aces. The Jayhawks are 14-0 this season when recording more aces than their opponent.
• TOP-10: Kansas remained at No. 6 in the AVCA Coaches Poll on Monday. The Jayhawks debuted the season with a No. 5 preseason ranking, spent three weeks at No. 4, and two weeks at No. 8. This is the second-straight week KU has been ranked No. 6.
• BIG 12 LEADERS: Senior libero Cassie Wait, a first-year law school student-athlete, leads the Big 12 in digs per set (5.1) and junior outside hitter Madison Rigdon leads the Big 12 in aces per set (0.6). As a team, Kansas leads in hitting percentage allowed (.138) and aces per set (1.6).
• BECHARD RECORDS: Kansas head coach Ray Bechard is 340-231 (.595) in his 19th season at KU. Since 2012, the Jayhawks are 118-29 (.803) under Bechard.