RCW: Sport Spotlight 4.9 (Volleyball)
Special pre-match recognition for #KUvball‘s all-time assists leader Ainise Havili! #RockChalk pic.twitter.com/TzybLuxlc5
— Kansas Volleyball (@KUVolleyball) October 21, 2017
A post shared by Kansas Volleyball (@kuvolleyball) on Oct 21, 2017 at 4:21pm PDT
Since arriving in Lawrence in 2014, senior All-American outside hitter Madison Rigdon has been the picture of consistency and improvement for the Jayhawks. A two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week this season, Rigdon has improved in nearly every statistical category since her freshman season.
As a freshman she showed flashes of brilliance as one of three Jayhawks to reach 20 kills in a match while starting in 11 matches. As a sophomore she started every match except Senior Day, helping Kansas reach the Final Four for the first time in program history with a kill on match point to defeat No. 1 USC in the “Elite Eight.” As a junior she earned All-Big 12 First Team and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors as the league leader in aces.
During her senior season in 2017, she continues to raise the bar with career highs in kills per set, hitting percentage, digs per set and blocks per set. The Pflugerville, Texas, native enters week 10 of the regular season leading the Big 12 in points per set during conference play (4.45) this season.
In the last three matches Rigdon is at another level, averaging 4.72 kills per set on a .304 hitting percentage — up from her career-high season averages of 3.72 kills per set on a .230 hitting percentage.
Last Wednesday, Rigdon led Kansas to its program-record fourth win over a top-25 opponent as she recorded 18 kills in a three-set sweep over No. 24 Baylor on the road. Rigdon’s 18 kills against Baylor tied her career high for a three-set match with a performance against Maryland on Sept. 2, 2016.
As fellow senior All-Americans (and roommates) Ainise Havili and Kelsie Payne close in on career records at Kansas — Havili having already reached the assists record and Payne less than 100 kills away from the kills record — Rigdon is close to setting the career records for attacking attempts and aces.
Entering this week, Rigdon stands a distant but realistic 464 attacks away from reaching KU’s all-time record of 3,858 held by Allison Mayfield (2008-11). Her 132 career aces ranks third all-time at KU and is 19 away from Jennifer Kraft’s record of 151 career aces established in from 1999 to 2002.
