Jayhawk volleyball faces surging Buffaloes

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Kansas has played plenty of goliaths this season. Three nationally-ranked teams reside in the Big 12 Conference. But tonight the Jayhawks will be pitted against a David who is fresh off slaying Goliath.

Colorado ventures to Lawrence to face Kansas at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center at 7 tonight. The Buffaloes completed what has been the biggest upset of the season in knocking off previously undefeated then-No. 2 Nebraska in Boulder a week ago.

Colorado rocked college volleyball’s foundation, and it did so in impressive fashion, winning in four sets.

“They’re coming off a lot of momentum from beating Nebraska,” sophomore outside hitter Karina Garlington said. “We’re struggling a little, but I think it should be a good momentum-changer for us.”

The Buffaloes could not be any higher at this point in the season, but the same cannot be said for the Jayhawks.

A poor finish against Kansas State on Saturday denied Kansas its first conference winning streak of the season. A number of inconsistencies on both sides of the net have resulted in a 4-9 conference record.

Meanwhile, Colorado has surged into fifth place in the Big 12 standings and has evened its conference record at 6-6.

The last time these two teams met was seven weeks ago in the Big 12 opener for both teams. Kansas lost in a five-set heartbreaker, but a lot has changed since then. Coach Ray Bechard agreed.

“Teams grow in different ways, and obviously they are capable of putting together a great match,” Bechard said. “We’ll have to go back and look at some tape, and we’ll come up with a plan.”

In practice this week, Bechard had his team work on a system of plays. He wanted to make sure his team was prepared for the unexpected.

Though beating Colorado wouldn’t be the same as beating Nebraska, Garlington said the Jayhawks were using whatever they could for motivation. Taking down the team that just upset the No. 2 team in the country could be a springboard to success for the home stretch this season.

Garlington said she knew what Kansas needed to continue to improve for that to happen: “A lot of defense and a lot of swinging high and hard, and just having a relentless attitude.”

— — Edited by Mary Sorrick

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