Kansas defeated its alumni counterpart 3-0 Saturday, before winning a fourth match for fun. The match featured high action and competition despite its fun nature. The Jayhawks hustled their way to a 30-25 victory in game one, with senior outside hitter Paula Caten even losing a shoe.

The quick pace continued in game two, which Kansas won 30-24. Caten had seven kills, and junior defensive specialist/libero Jamie Mathewson had six digs in the game.

Game three featured the most spectacular point of the night. Leading 11-10, the current Jayhawks made three diving plays to return the ball to the alumni side of the net, eventually winning the point en route to a 30-26 win. Game four was the least competitive of the night, with Kansas winning 30-22.

The alumni squad, which featured recent grads such as Lindsey Morris, 2004, and Abbie Jacobson, 2003, provided an early test for Kansas. The alumni have quite a bit of athleticism, which Kansas coach Ray Bechard believed was important for the current Jayhawks to face.

“We wanted to make it as competitive as possible,” Bechard said. “I think we got a pretty good group together to do that.”

Junior outside hitter Jana Correa led the current Jayhawks with 13 kills. In total, Kansas had three players with double figures in kills. Mathewson and junior defensive specialist/libero Dani Wittman had 10 digs each. As a team, the Jayhawks had 10 blocks.

The 2005 team also racked up 18 aces against the alumni team. Senior middle blocker Josi Lima set the pace individually with four.

Despite their win, the Jayhawks showed room for improvement. They countered the aces with 21 service errors. Bechard said the errors were something the team needs to correct before next weekend’s season opener against Alabama.

“That is something that jumps out at you,” Bechard said. “That’s just unacceptable.”

Bechard said Kansas should not get used to having so many aces during the regular season.

“When we play a team that is more organized, they’re not going to give up that many,” he said.

Bechard was not all gloom after the match though. The game presented opportunities for players who did not see significant action but made the most of their time. Freshman Kristin Buehler, who took a redshirt, had seven kills in just one game, and Megan Hill was impressive in her court time.

Freshman middle blocker Savannah Noyes, who is fighting for a starting spot, had a very efficient night. She tallied 11 kills at a .562 clip, which led the team.

Senior and fellow middle blocker Josi Lima said Noyes was ready to step in and contribute right away.

“Savannah is going to be great,” Lima said. “She is going to help us a lot. She’s a very good player.”

Lima said the Jayhawks needed to fine-tune some things before the season started. She said the communication on the court was lacking, but it was something that could be fixed.

“We are getting there,” Lima said. “It’s just the little things that we have to work on in practice.”