Jayhawks return home, face Texas Tech Saturday

LAWRENCE, Kan. – After putting themselves back in the win column with a victory against West Virginia, Kansas volleyball hosts Texas Tech in their annual Salute to Service match Saturday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. inside Horejsi Family Athletics Center.

Despite dropping three-straight, the Jayhawks (14-7, 7-3 Big 12) earned a pivotal victory against the Mountaineers in Morgantown, W.Va., 3-1. KU was led by the trio of Jada Burse, Ashley Smith and Gabby Simpson, each tallied over 10 kills with Simpson earning a double-double performance with 10 kills and 42 assists.

Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ or tune into the audio broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network via KUAthletics.com/Radio with Jackson Schneider calling the action.

*ESPN+ is a streaming service offered by ESPN. The service is $4.99 and offers a range of live content, including Kansas Athletic sporting events.

QUICK HITS

  • Kansas enters Saturday’s match with a 14-7 overall record and a 7-3 mark in Big 12 play, earning a 3-1 victory in its last outing against West Virginia (Oct. 31).
  • Texas Tech enters with a 16-8 record and is fourth in the Big 12 standings with a 5-5 mark in conference play.
  • Saturday’s match will mark the 46th contest between KU and Texas Tech.
  • Despite the overall record between Texas Tech and Kansas, the Big 12 matchup has been a one-sided affair in recent history with KU tallying 16-straight victories.
  • In their 16-match winning streak against the Red Raiders, KU has only allowed Texas Tech four set victories, tallying 48 set victories to Texas Tech’s four.
  • Kansas defeated Texas Tech Oct. 13, 2018, 3-0.
  • The Jayhawks set a new three-set match record posting 16.5 blocks against the Red Raiders.
  • KU earned a nine-match win streak that spanned more than a month from Sept. 14 – Oct. 16.
  • Kansas ranks first in the Big 12 Conference in blocks per set, averaging 2.94 (5th Nationally), while also holding down the top mark in the conference with 249 total.
  • Out of 21 matches played, Kansas has logged double-digit blocks in all but six, which was comprised of a 10-match streak.
  • The .178 hitting percentage Kansas has held its opponents to is also tops the conference, with the next closest being Texas Tech at .183.
  • Kansas earned its first three-set conference sweep since Oct. 21, 2017, when it defeated Texas Tech, 3-0, Saturday (Oct. 13).
  • That sweep also marked the first sweep in a true road contest since Oct. 18, 2017, when the Jayhawks took three-straight at then-No. 23 Baylor.
  • KU defeated its second-straight top-25 opponent of the season when it downed No. 4 Texas (Oct. 10) (3-1). Previously, the Jayhawks defeated then-No. 24 Baylor (Oct. 6) in four sets, 3-1.
  • That win marked the first time in school history KU had defeated a top-five Texas team and was just the sixth victory over the Longhorns in 48 meetings.
  • The Jayhawks’ 6-0 start to conference play marked the second time since 2015 that Kansas started league play 6-0. KU began 2015 Big 12 play 7-0.

 
TEXAS STATE OF MIND

  • Against teams from the state of Texas, Kansas holds a 4-1 record in 2018. Their only loss came to Baylor on Oct. 27.

PLAYER NOTES

  • KU’s Ashley Smith recorded the highest hitting percentage (.533) by an individual against the Longhorns (Oct. 10) with a minimum of 15 kills.
  • Jada Burse tallied the second-most kills (22) allowed by the Longhorns this season.
  • The Jayhawks had four-consecutive Big 12 weekly honors spanning Sept. 24-Oct. 15 – Zoe Hill twice and Rachel Langs twice.
  • Following her eight-block performance at WVU, Langs holds the top spot in the Big 12 in blocks per set (1.48) with a total of 95 on the season.
  • Also appearing on the Big 12’s top 10 list is Hill, who averages 1.27 blocks per set for fifth, while holding the third spot for total blocks with 104.
  • Hill’s 11-block performance against West Virginia (Oct. 3) was just the second time in her career she reached double figures with her last coming on Oct. 25, 2017 against Oklahoma (10.0).
  • Junior outside hitter Jada Burse leads Kansas in total points (316.5), averaging 3.43 kills per set.
  • Freshman Camryn Ennis started 16 matches as KU’s setter, averaging team bests of 6.33 assists per set and 0.22 aces per set. The San Antonio native has reached 10 assist-dig double-doubles in her 17 matches played as a Jayhawk.
  • Junior Allie Nelson leads KU in digs per set (3.59) which is good for seventh in the Big 12.
  • Freshman Lacey Angello holds down the second-best average for digs per set with 2.61, while Ennis is close behind with 2.41.
  • Junior outside hitter Patricia Montero underwent season-ending surgery to mend an injury incurred on Aug. 31 against Dayton. Montero, a six-rotation player, led the Jayhawks in kills per set (3.62) and points per set (4.04) at the time of her injury.

 
LAST TIME VS. TEXAS TECH

  • In the last matchup between KU and Texas Tech, Kansas earned the 3-0 victory over the Red Raiders behind a total team performance. No Jayhawk tallied more than 10 kills with Smith earning a team-high nine kills, while Burse, Simpson and Hill all notched seven each.

 
LAST TIME OUT

  • The Jayhawks snapped their three-game losing streak with a victory over West Virginia in Morgantown, 3-1, Oct. 31, 2018. Burse paced KU with 21 kills, while Smith was a close second with 17.

 
UP NEXT

  • Kansas returns to the road, traveling to Austin to face Texas Nov. 10 in a pivotal matchup of the top-two teams in the Big 12.

 
-30-

  • Against West Virginia Oct. 31, KU tallied 30 points in their third-set victory, the most points in a set this season.

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