Jayhawks return home to host West Virginia
The Kansas volleyball team takes a five-match winning streak into a home contest against West Virginia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, inside the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
The Jayhawks (9-4, 2-0 Big 12) hold a perfect mark in league play, while the Mountaineers (8-8, 1-3 Big 12) have lost three of their last four contests.
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ with Leif Lisec and Jill Dorsey-Hall on the call, or tune into a live audio broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network with Jackson Schneider calling the action.
QUICK HITS
- Kansas enters the week with a 9-4 record overall and 2-0 record during Big 12 play as winners of five-straight matches.
- West Virginia has a 8-8 record overall and a 1-3 record during Big 12 play under Reed Sunahara, in his fourth year as head coach.
- Kansas and West Virginia meet for the 14th time on Wednesday night in Lawrence. The Jayhawks split the series 1-1 last season with the Mountaineers. KU is 13-1 against West Virginia all-time, and 11-1 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks were 13-0 against the Mountaineers until the streak was broken in a loss in their second meeting last season. The series dates back to 1999.
- Freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors on Monday (Oct. 1) after finishing one block shy of the Big 12 record of 15 total blocks in a five-set match against Oklahoma (Sept. 26).
- Langs added 10 kills in that match for the rare kill-block double-double that has only happened 16 times in Kansas history.
- Langs‘ honor is the second in as many weeks for the Jayhawks as junior Zoe Hill earned the same distinction a week ago (Sept. 24).
- Kansas is in the midst of an 11-match stretch in its schedule that features 10 home contests. Wednesday will be KU’s first of four home matches during the month of October.
- The Jayhawks posted a 5-2 mark in those first seven matches to start that span with their last home victory coming on Sept. 22 against TCU to open up conference play.
- KU features one of the best defenses in the conference, leading the Big 12 in blocks per set (2.95) and ranking second in opponent hitting percentage (.167).
- The Jayhawks have used 10 different starting lineups through 12 matches this season.
- Kansas has played six five-set matches with a 4-2 record this season.
MEET THE JAYHAWKS
- Junior outside hitter Jada Burse leads Kansas in total points (182.0), averaging 3.06 kills per set and 0.57 blocks per set this season. Coming off a 20-kill game against Oklahoma last Wednesday, Burse has reached double-figure kills in 10 of the last 11 matches.
- Junior outside hitter Ashley Smith has nearly-identical numbers as Burse, averaging career-bests of 2.75 kills per set and 0.47 blocks per set this season.
- Freshman Camryn Ennis has started the last 10 matches as KU’s setter, averaging team bests of 6.72 assists per set and 0.20 aces per set. The San Antonio native has reached eight assist-dig double-doubles in her 11 matches played as a Jayhawk.
- Reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Rachel Langs leads KU’s presence at the net with 1.44 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big 12 and 20th nationally. Offensively, Langs averages 1.21 kills per set on a .280 hitting percentage.
- Junior Allie Nelson and freshman Lacey Angello have split time as KU’s starting libero. Nelson leads KU in digs per set (3.02) with Angello not far behind at 2.98 digs per set.
- Freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs has started the last five matches and is coming off a double-double and a career-high game against Oklahoma last Wednesday, recording a career-high 10 kills on a .350 hitting percentage and a career-high 14 blocks.
- Junior outside hitter Patricia Montero will undergo 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 OUT
- Freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs recorded 14 blocks, an all-time KU record for blocks in a match.
- The Jayhawks extended their winning streak to five matches after defeating Oklahoma on the road in five sets (22-15, 25-16, 28-25, 25-20, 15-10).
UP NEXT
KU continues its three-game Big 12 home stand with Baylor on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m., at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
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