Jayhawk Volleyball To Receive Extensive TV Time

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas volleyball will be among the first to immediately benefit from the agreement recently announced between Kansas Athletics and Time Warner Cable Metro Sports, as the network will televise nine home matches during the 2013 season.
 
The Jayhawks have seen a steady increase of television coverage, with four home TV matches by TWC Metro Sports in 2011 and five in 2012. The newly declared partnership, however, will give fans across the state – and the country, thanks to an additional agreement with ESPN3 – the ability to watch the majority of KU’s home matches as the Jayhawks embark on what they hope to be another NCAA Tournament run.
 
“It’s exciting that we can reach out and be in so many homes,” head coach Ray Bechard said. “Obviously, we encourage Horejsi (Family Athletics Center) to be full of fans because there’s nothing like seeing it live. But, the opportunity to spread Jayhawk Nation to a lot of different areas and give people the chance to see us play is a huge commitment from Kansas Athletics and a great opportunity for our program.”
 
TWC Metro Sports is a 24/7 sports network based in Kansas City. The network’s Kansas Athletics non-game programming will also be available to millions of Time Warner Cable customers via video on demand. Along with volleyball, TWC Metro Sports’ live events will include football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and track and field events.
 
The extended coverage is not limited to regional fans. In June, Kansas Athletics added to the TWC Metro Sports deal by agreeing to a seven-year pact with ESPN, beginning with the 2013-14 academic year, under which ESPN3 annually will carry a minimum of 70 live events distributed nationally. The ESPN3 only dates for volleyball broadcasts will be announced at a later date.
 
Aside from seven Big 12 Conference matches, Metro Sports will also broadcast the Notre Dame (Sept. 22, 1 p.m.) and Denver (Nov. 26, 6:30 p.m.) matches. A familiar foe, the Fighting Irish hosted KU at the Golden Dome Invitational last fall and went on to finish 20-10 with an NCAA Tournament berth. Meanwhile, the meeting with Denver will be KU’s first since 2004.
 
In the conference lineup, fans can tune in for TCU (Sept. 28, 1 p.m.) and Oklahoma (Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.). The Sooners were also an NCAA Tournament team in 2012. Destined for DVR, Kansas will face defending national champion Texas (Oct. 12, 6:30) followed by perennial top-25 Iowa State (Oct. 23).
 
Rolling into November, Metro Sports will air West Virginia (Nov. 6) before the highly-anticipated rivalry match against Kansas State (Nov. 16, TBA). Senior day against Texas Tech (1 p.m.) will also be televised.
 
KUAthletics.com will continue to provide online audio streaming for all home and away matches.
 
Metro Sports Volleyball Television Schedule
Sun., Sept. 22 vs. Notre Dame – 1 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 28 vs. TCU – 1 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 9 vs. Oklahoma – 6:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 12 vs. Texas – 6:30 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 23 vs. Iowa State – 6:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 6 vs. West Virginia – 6:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 16 vs. Kansas State – TBA
Sat., Nov. 23 vs. Texas Tech – 1 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 26 vs. Denver – 6:30 p.m.
 
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