Kansas takes undefeated Big 12 record to Texas Tech

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas volleyball teams heads to Lubbock, Texas, to put their unbeaten conference record to the test against the Red Raiders, Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m., inside United Supermarkets arena.

The Jayhawks (12-4, 5-0 Big 12) have won eight games in a row and enter the weekend’s matchup having won the last 15-straight contests against Texas Tech (15-5, 4-2 Big 12), including the last seven in Lubbock.

Fans can pay to watch the game live on TexasTech.TV, or tune into the audio broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network via KUAthletics.com/Radio with Jackson Schneider calling the action.
 
QUICK HITS

  • Kansas enters the weekend with a 12-4 record overall and 5-0 record during Big 12 play as winners of eight-straight matches.
  • Texas Tech enters with a 15-5 record and 4-2 mark in conference play.
  • The Jayhawks and Red Raiders meet for the 46th time on Saturday. Kansas has won the last 15 contests against Texas Tech with its last loss coming on Oct. 2, 2010 (3-2).
  • KU defeated its second-straight top-25 opponent of the season when it downed No. 4 Texas Wednesday night (3-1). Previously, the Jayhawks defeated then-No. 23 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’ undefeated conference record marks the second time in consecutive years they have started league play 5-0.
  • Kansas holds a record of 5-2 in seven five-set matches played this season already, including a come-from-behind victory over West Virginia (Oct. 3). KU battled back from a 2-0 set deficit to defeat the Mountaineers. Down 23-22 in the third set, the Jayhawks went on to outscore WVU 43-16 down the stretch for the win.
  • Junior middle blocker Zoe Hill turned in a career-high 11-block performance, including 10 in the final three sets of that match against WVU.
  • Hill finished the week with a league-best 17 blocks en route to her second Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honor (Oct. 8) in three weeks – previously won it Sept. 24.
  • KU has held that honor for the last three weeks in a row, as freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs earned it 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.
  • The last time Kansas won Defensive Player of the Week honors three times in one season came in 2016 when Cassie Wait earned it Sept. 5, Sept. 12 and Oct. 17.
  • The Jayhawks rank fifth nationally in blocks per set (2.93), seventh in total blocks (199.0) and 40th in opponent hitting percentage (.167) – all lead the Big 12 Conference.
  • Kansas begins a stretch of Big 12 play where it will play four of its next five matches on the road, including at in-state rival Kansas State in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown (Oct. 17).

PLAYER NOTES

  • Junior middle blocker Zoe Hill ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference and 31st nationally in total blocks, recording 86 stuffs at the net.
  • Hill’s 11-block performance against West Virginia (Oct. 3) is just the second time in her career she reached double figures with her last coming on Oct. 25, 2017 against Oklahoma (10.0).
  • Freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs holds down the third spot in the league in blocks per set (1.43) that also ranks her 18th in the nation.
  • Hill ranks right behind Langs in blocks per set with a 1.32 mark, good enough for fourth in the Big 12 and 30th nationally.
  • Junior outside hitter Jada Burse leads Kansas in total points (243.5), averaging 3.33 kills per set and 0.57 blocks per set this season.
  • Freshman Camryn Ennis has started the last 13 matches as KU’s setter, averaging team bests of 6.54 assists per set and 0.24 aces per set. The San Antonio native has reached nine assist-dig double-doubles in her 14 matches played as a Jayhawk.
  • Junior Allie Nelson and freshman Lacey Angello have split time as KU’s starting libero. Nelson leads KU in digs per set (3.29) with Angello not far behind at 2.76 digs per set.
  • 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 OUT

  • The Jayhawks upset then-No. 4 Texas (Oct. 10) in four sets, marking their second top-25 win on the season and ninth since 2015.
  • Kansas closed the second set winning four of the final five points to gain a 2-0 set advantage in the match.
  • The win marked just the sixth victory ever over the Longhorns and first since 2016.

UP NEXT
KU travels to Manhattan, Kansas to take on in-state rival Kansas State on Wednesday, Oct. 17 in the annual Dillons Sunflower Showdown. This is the first of two matchups between these two teams this season.
 FOLLOW
@KUVolleyball
/KansasVolleyball
@KUVolleyball 

KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
 

Powered by WMT Digital