🏐 No. 19 Jayhawks Sweep Wichita State in Horejsi

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Back on their home court of Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, the No. 19 Kansas volleyball team swept in-state foe Wichita State 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-20) on September 8 in Lawrence, Kansas.

β€œIt was great to be back,” stated head coach Ray Bechard. β€œThe enthusiasm and energy in Horejsi is amazing. The band adds a whole other element, and it was a good crowd. I think they are getting really attached to this team after just one match. We were consistently steady tonight. We had a couple minor hiccups, but we were steady passing and steady serving.”

Set One

Wichita State kicked off the set first, but super-senior Anezka Szabo put the Kansas offense on the board with a kill. Redshirt freshman Bryn McGehe recorded an ace to put the Jayhawks ahead 6-3. Sophomore Caroline Bien took off and tallied three kills before the Jayhawks reached 10.Β  Redshirt freshman Ayah Elnady contributed three kills of her own before a media timeout was called with Kansas leading 15-9. A double block by Szabo and graduate transfer Lauren Dooley advanced the Jayhawks to 22-16 before closing out set one 25-18.

Set Two

Elnady kicked off set two with another kill to take the lead early 1-0. The Shockers took the lead for a bit, but sophomore Camryn Turner tied up the set at two. A challenge by Wichita State reversed a point for Kansas, but an ace by McGehe put the Jayhawks back on top 5-4. Wichita State seemed to have an answer whenever Kansas was ahead. Elnady made sure that there was always some distance between the Jayhawks and Shockers. A kill by the Cairo, Egypt native made sure Kansas was ahead 11-9. Kansas was able to take down the Shockers 25-15 to lead 2-0 heading into the third set.

Set Three

Wichita State found their rhythm in set three. The Shockers took an early lead 4-1 before an error by Wichita State put Kansas back by two. The Jayhawks were down 9-5 before back-to-back blocks by Dooley and Szabo closed the gap to 10-9. Elnady gave Kansas the lead 11-10 after contributing a kill of her own. After being behind most of the set, KU took control and continued. A service error by the Shockers put Kansas ahead 12-11, the Jayhawks never looked back. It was smooth sailing until the end as Kansas topped Wichita State 25-20.

Notables

  • Kansas held the Shockers to a hitting percentage of .094 while hitting .288.
  • Sophomore Caroline Bien earned a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.
  • Redshirt freshman Ayah Elnady led the Jayhawks with 14 kills.
  • Super-senior Rachel Langs tallied eight total blocks with seven block assists.

β€œThis is a good team,” said Bechard.” We have a tough schedule, and we need to be steady for 90 minutes to get a three set victory. UNLV is very athletic, so I think that will be our biggest challenge.”

Kansas’ win streak extends to eight matches in a row as they move to a record of 8-0 (0-0 Big 12) while the Wichita Shockers drop to 3-4 (0-0 American).

Up Next

No. 19 Kansas will take on the UNLV Lady Rebels on September 9 at 6:30 p.m. in Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. The match will conclude the Kansas Invitational and will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.