No. 10 Kansas Dominates Baylor, 3-0

Stats Box Score

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas volleyball continued its winning ways with a three-set victory (25-15, 25-9, 25-16) over Baylor on Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd at Horejsi Family Athletic Center.

Kansas (21-1, 9-1 Big 12) completed the season sweep over Baylor with standout performances by sophomores Kelsie Payne and Madison Rigdon. Payne logged 11 kills and one block-assist while Rigdon claimed 10 kills, an ace, six digs and one block.

“From start to finish that was a pretty solid match for the Jayhawks,” head coach Ray Bechard said. “We won the majority of the longer rallies, which was great for keeping the momentum. We out-dug them by 17, served tough, and defensively played really well.”

The Jayhawk did not trail for the entire match while holding Baylor (14-9, 2-7 Big 12) to a .133 attacking percentage and forced 11 errors on the day.

Two 3-point runs got the Jayhawks out to an early 9-4 lead in the first set. Swarming defense kept the Bears from climbing back into the game. With the score 14-8, senior Anna Church converted back-to-back digs to keep the point alive. Her teammates matched the effort with two blocks that eventually set up a kill by Rigdon. Sophomore Ainise Havili tallied 16 assists while junior Janae Hall and Rigdon combined for 10 of KU’s 20 kills in the 25-15 opening set.

The Jayhawks carried the intensity into the following set and resumed play with six unanswered points. Once again, KU did not look back.

Payne and junior Taylor Soucie led the way with four kills each. Leading 17-7, Payne and senior Ashlyn Driskill combined for four kills in a row. Three consecutive Baylor errors extended the Kansas run to seven straight points. The Bears earned one more point to extend the set to 24-8 before a service error awarded the second set of the afternoon to Kansas.

Baylor kept things close in the opening moments of the final set, but the Jayhawks did not back down. Eight consecutive points from errors on both sides pushed the score to 14-10 in favor of the Jayhawks. After a long rally extended by impressive digs from senior Tiana Dockery and junior Cassie Wait, Payne slammed home a booming kill to give KU a five-point lead, forcing a Baylor timeout.

NEXT UP
Next Saturday, the Jayhawks will travel to Norman, Oklahoma, for a road test against the Sooners (12 p.m., Jayhawk Radio Network).

NOTES
• KANSAS-BAYLOR SERIES: The Jayhawks have won eight of the last nine meetings with Baylor, including six consecutive. With the win on Saturday, Kansas cut Baylor’s lead in the all-time series to one match, 22-21. KU is 14-7 against Baylor at home, including five straight wins at Horejsi Family Athletics Center. 
• SET DOMINANCE: KU’s set record improves to 63-9 (.900) after its 15th three-set sweep of the season. After 22 matches this season, the Jayhawks have yet to play a five-set match.
• 100% SIDE-OUT: KU posted a perfect 15 of 15 side-out rate in the first set – not allowing Baylor to score consecutive points. It is the second 100-percent side-out clip in a set during head coach Ray Bechard’s 18-year tenure at Kansas. The first came earlier this month with a 14 of 14 side-out rate at Texas Tech (Oct. 7).
• SOLD OUT: Saturday’s attendance was 1,443. It is the seventh consecutive sell-out crowd at Horejsi Family Athletics Center. Tickets to the Baylor match were sold out prior to Saturday, marking the fourth time this season tickets have sold out before the date of competition. KU’s previous advance home sell-out crowds were against K-State (9/23), Iowa State (10/10), and Oklahoma (10/21). All of KU’s night or weekend home matches have been played in front of a capacity crowd (1,300 or more fans).
• 20 KILLS IN A SET: Kansas recorded 20 kills in the first set on a .432 hitting percentage. It marks just the fourth time this season, and first during Big 12 play, that the Jayhawks have reached 20 kills in a single set. All four matches resulted in straight set victories.

KU’s 20-KILL SETS
Sept 4 vs. Duke – 20 (2nd)           
Sept 12 vs. Marquette – 20 (1st)
Sept 18 vs. SD State – 20 (3rd)
Oct 31 vs Baylor – 20 (1st)

• DOUBLING UP: Sophomore setter Ainise Havili reached her second consecutive double-double with 27 assists and 10 digs after the second set. Havili finished with 39 assists, 13 digs, and three kills. The Fort Worth, Texas, native posted 46 assists and a career-high 20 digs at Iowa State on Wednesday.
• DRISKILL KILLS AGAIN: For the first time since September, senior transfer Ashlyn Driskill recorded a kill, finishing with a perfect four kills on four swings. The Valley Center, Kansas, native missed 14 matches this season due to injury.  
• PAYNE TRAIN: Sophomore right-side hitter Kelsie Payne led the Jayhawks in kills for the 15th time in 22 matches this season, finishing with 11 kills on a .280 hitting percentage.
• RIGDON ACCURATE: Sophomore outside hitter Madison Rigdon posted 10 kills on a .450 hitting percentage. It is the third time this season Rigdon has recorded a hitting percentage greater than .400 (.733 vs West Virginia, .560 vs South Dakota State).  
• WAIT FOR IT: Junior libero Cassie Wait led KU with 15 digs. The Gardner, Kansas, native now has 1,130 career digs to remain in seventh-place on KU’s career digs list. Jodi Oelschlager (1986-89; 1,153) ranks sixth.

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