No. 15 Kansas Sweeps TCU, 3-0
FORT WORTH, Texas – Madison Rigdon recorded a double-double in just three sets to help guide No. 15 Kansas Volleyball to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 26-24) win over TCU on Saturday afternoon at the TCU University Recreation Center. The Jayhawks remain unbeaten at 14-0 and 2-0 in Big 12 play to continue the best start in program history.
KU’s nation-leading offense in kills per set didn’t skip a beat on Saturday, recoding 17 kills in all three sets, while its defense held TCU to a .106 hitting percentage with 8.5 blocks.
Rigdon, a sophomore outside hitter, posted 10 kills and 11 digs for her third double-double of the season and her first during a three-set match. Sophomore right-side hitter Kelsie Payne recorded a team-high 13 kills, adding three blocks. Sophomore setter Ainise Havili finished with a balanced 42 assists, seven digs and two blocks while playing in front of a hometown crowd.
“It was an ebb-and-flow match,” KU head coach Ray Bechard said. “Offensively we didn’t play very well in the first set, but played great defense. Then we got the offense going in the second set and started the third set well. But there were just too many unforced errors in the third set to let a good team back in it. We were fortunate to close out the match in three sets.”
TCU (10-4, 0-2 Big 12) was led by Sarita Mikals’ six kills. The Horned Frogs entered the match lead the Big 12 in blocks and narrowly out-blocked Kansas, 8.5-to-7.0.
Kansas opened the match with a 25-21 first-set win behind four kills each from Janae Hall, Dockery and Payne. KU took early leads of 4-1 and 9-4 on two aces from Havili and Rigdon, and no attacking errors on the first nine swings. TCU rebounded to take a 6-0 run to take a 10-9 lead. With KU leading by one, 16-15, Payne and Tayler Soucie contributed two block-assists during a 4-0 KU run which gave Kansas a manageable lead and enough momentum to finish the set with a victory.
In the second set, the Jayhawks’ offense and defense were firing on all cylinders — hitting .317 with 17 kills while holding TCU to a .061 attack percentage and just seven kills – but seven KU service errors stunted any long KU scoring runs. Payne registered six of her 13 total kills in the second set alone to help Kansas to a 25-18 win and go into intermission up two sets.
With a 7-7 tie in the third set, Havili slammed a TCU overpass for a kill that sparked an 8-2 KU run to seemly put the match away for KU, 15-9. But TCU hung on to force extra points in the deciding set, aided by six more KU service errors. Anna Church subbed in to serve match point for the Jayhawks and didn’t disappoint, registering an ace to clinch the set, 26-24, and the match, 3-0. Rigdon registered six of her 10 kills in the third set alone.
UP NEXT
Kansas will host West Virginia on Saturday, Oct. 3 in Lawrence. First serve against the Mountaineers has been moved from its originally-announced time to 4 p.m. CT.
NOTES
• At 14-0, KU continues the best start in program history. The Jayhawks finished the month of September undefeated (11-0).
• Kansas now leads the series with TCU, 6-2.
• The Jayhawks improve to 6-14 in Big 12 road openers, including a 3-1 mark since 2012.
• Kansas is 3-0 in true road matches this season.
• Playing in front of a hometown crowd, setter Ainise Havili posted 42 assists, three kills, seven digs, and two blocks.
• Kelsie Payne led Kansas with 13 kills. It is the eighth match this season that Payne has led KU in kills.
• Janae Hall recorded nine kills on a .438 hitting percentage, adding three blocks on the defensive end. In the last six matches, Hall is hitting .466 (39-4-75).
• Kansas held TCU to a .106 hitting percentage. The Jayhawks have held 13 of 14 opponents to under .200 attacking.
• Kansas had 17 kills in all three sets.
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