Monday, October 22, 2007
If playing the defending NCAA national champions and current No. 1 team in the nation on the road wasn’t enough, Kansas had one more obstacle to deal with: 4,030 red-clad fans packed the Nebraska Coliseum to watch the Cornhuskers defeat the Jayhawks 3-0 (30-16, 30-25, 30-26) in Nebraska’s 100th straight volleyball sellout.
Kansas’ record fell to 10-11 and 3-8 in the Big 12 after its sixth loss in seven matches, while Nebraska stayed perfect, improving to 18-0 and 11-0 in the Big 12.
Still, coach Ray Bechard found a few positives in his team’s defeat.
“We’re not into moral victories,” Bechard said. “But we felt the team took a pretty good step forward in a lot of areas tonight, competing in an extremely enthusiastic environment against the top team in the country.”
pullquote
We didn’t respond well at all in game one. But then we we’re first to twenty points in games two and three, and that’s really all we could have hoped for.
-coach Ray Bechard
Challenging the best
Kansas fell quickly in game one, losing 30-16. But the Jayhawks gave the Cornhuskers all they could handle in games two and three. Kansas had leads late in each game, but fell 30-25 in game two and 30-26 in game three.
“We didn’t respond well at all in game one,” Bechard said. “But then we we’re first to twenty points in games two and three, and that’s really all we could have hoped for.”
Bechard said he didn’t think a team had played that well on Nebraska’s home floor all year. But he said his team needed to play better in end-game situations.
“I told the girls afterward that we just needed to be a little cleaner, a little crisper and a little more technically sound,” Bechard said.
The loss spoiled solid performances from three Kansas newcomers and one veteran. Freshman outside hitter Jenna Kaiser had 10 kills, and freshman outside hitter Karina Garlington and sophomore transfer Flavia Lino had eight kills each. Senior right side hitter Emily Brown showed off her versatility with nine kills, 19 assists and nine digs.
“We exchanged with them, and we didn’t back up when the rallies got tough,” Bechard said. “I thought we showed some courage.”
But Nebraska showed off its dominance on offense by finishing with 51 kills to Kansas’ 41. Nebraska senior right side hitter Sarah Pavan, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Year, led Nebraska with 17 kills and became the school’s all-time leader in kills with 1,780 kills.
Kansas has lost 79 straight matches to Nebraska, a streak that dates back to 1975.
— Edited by Tara Smith
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