KU falls to No. 5 Texas, 3-1

AUSTIN, Texas – After upsetting then-No. 4 Texas earlier this season, Kansas volleyball (15-8, 8-4 Big 12) was not able to duplicate the feat when it faced the No. 5 Longhorns (17-4, 12-1) Saturday, Nov. 10 in Gregory Gymnasium, falling to UT, 3-1.
 
Texas earned the opening set victory, but behind Jada Burse’s four-kill performance the Jayhawks had momentum going into the second set.
 
KU rallied behind a strong and efficient performance by Burse, who had seven kills on nine attempts in the second set. The Jayhawks finished off a tough and never-stopping Texas squad, 25-23.
 
The final two sets between the top-two teams in the Big 12 was controlled by Texas and its crowd of 3,985 that packed Gregory Gym. KU finished set three and four with an attack percentage of .179 and .235, respectively. The Longhorns were able to capitalize, earning victories in the final two sets by a score of 25-18.
 
Burse led the Jayhawks with 19 kills, while Zoe Hill (14) and Ashley Smith (13) also finished in double-figures. Hill had the most efficient day for KU, holding a .444 hitting percentage.
 
The Jayhawks return to action against Kansas State Wednesday, Nov. 14 when it hosts Kansas State in the Dillions Sunflower Showdown.
 
NOTES:

  • Starters for Kansas: Ennis, Simpson, Langs, Nwoke, Burse, Angello, Nelson
  • Jada Burse (19), Zoe Hill (14) and Ashley Smith (13) each tallied double-figure kills against the Longhorns with Hill leading KU in attack percentage (.444).
  • Gabby Simpson led KU with 45 assists, her fifth-consecutive match for the Jayhawks.
  • In the two meetings between KU and Texas, Burse averaged (20.5) kills per match.
  • Burse tallied her 18th match of the season with double-digit kills, which is the most of any Jayhawk this season.
  • With a late block in the fourth set, KU earned its 10th block of the match and over the 23 matches this season, KU has registered 10 or more blocks in all but six matches.  

QUOTES:
Head coach Ray Bechard on the outcome…
“Effort was there, but time execution wasn’t. We had 20 unforced errors and they (Texas) had three. We had four more kills, five more blocks and five more digs, but a few to many hitting errors.”
 
SET SCORES:
First Set: KU 20, UT 25
Second Set: KU 25, UT 23
Third Set: KU 18, UT 25
Fourth Set: KU 18, UT 25
Final Score: KU 1, UT 3 

UP NEXT:
Kansas is slated to face in-state foe Kansas State on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center in the Dillions Sunflower Showdown.