Hawks see loss as learning opportunity before a tough matchup

By Josh Bowe

Friday, September 19, 2008

The Jayhawks might wish they had done some things differently in their loss against Colorado on Wednesday night. The Hawks committed 32 errors during the game, a quarter of those occurring in the first set, the most they’ve committed this season.

But for coach Ray Bechard, as long as the first set from that match is not a nightly occurrence, he can breathe a little easier.

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Photo by Jon Goering

Freshman outside hitter Allison Mayfield spikes a ball over the net during a game against UMKC Sept. 9. In preparation for tomorrow's game against Iowa State, the Hawks have been aiming for a more balanced offense.

“We had 8 hitting errors in that game and that’s just so many,” Bechard said of that first set. “It is what it is. When you have the chance to win on the road in this conference you have to take advantage of it.”

After such a close match with that number of errors, the Jayhawks will have plenty to fine-tune before a tough game this weekend. Kansas faces off against Iowa State at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Horejsi Center, and the Jayhawks can expect a competitive match against a Cyclone team that was ranked in the preseason.

“We got a very good team coming in Saturday,” Bechard said. “We got a lot of very tough preparation in front of us.”

Iowa State comes in with an impressive 9-3 record after beating Texas A&M on their home court Wednesday night in three sets.

Senior outside hitter Karina Garlington expects the Jayhawks to be more mindful of their mistakes. She said she thought Kansas beat itself in its last match.

“I think it was definitely in our hands,” Garlington said. “We would get ahead a few points, but we just couldn’t hold on to any momentum. I think it’s all on our side.”

Although it might seem the team is relying on Garlington, whose 24 kills against Colorado were a career high, the team has actually shown some balance offensively. Bechard said he would like to extend that balance.

“We would like to get Natalie a little more involved,” Bechard said of senior outside hitter Natalie Uhart.

Kansas had four players with double digits in kills, but Uhart was not one of them. She has made only six kills in 19 attempts, the fewest attempts of any middle blocker.

Even with the disappointment of the close loss, Garlington said, she knows the team can look at the match and improve.

“We’ll just use it as a learning tool,” Garlington said. “It’ll light some fire under us for Iowa State this weekend.”

The Jayhawks will not have any time to lament this loss. The schedule is brutal for Kansas. After Iowa State, the Jayhawks will play against three consecutive ranked teams, two of which, Nebraska and Texas, are ranked in the top three. The other team, Kansas State, is ranked No. 18.

But Garlington and the rest of the Jayhawks are not going to let that deter them from their goals this season and will continue to play with confidence for the remainder of the year.

“In the Big 12, anybody can beat anybody,” Garlington said. “We are really going to use this to fire us up extra hard for Iowa State. We have a lot to think about so we’re going to try and move on.”

— — Edited by Adam Mowder

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