Volleyball Preview: Kansas
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MATCH #11
No. 22 Texas (10-0, 3-0 Big 12)
at No. 21 Kansas (10-1, 1-1 Big 12)
When: Saturday, September 25, 2004 at 7 p.m.
Where: Lawrence, Kansas (Horejsi Family Athletics Center, 1,300 capacity)
All-Time Series Record: Texas leads, 15-4 (7-1 home, 5-3 away, 3-0 neutral)
Series Streaks: Kansas has won the last three meetings, including both 2003 five-game contests
Last Meeting: Nov. 8, 2003 in Lawrence: KU won, 3-2 (26-30, 28-30, 30-16, 30-21, 15-9)
Last UT victory: Oct. 5, 2002 in Austin: UT def. KU, 3-0 (34-32, 33-31, 30-28)
Last KU victory: See last meeting
Elliott vs. Kansas: 2-4
QUICK SETS
Texas jumped into the national rankings this week when the Horns entered the USA Today/CSTV Top 25 Coaches Poll at No. 22 in the Sept. 20 poll. It's the team's first ranking since the first poll of 2003.
Texas is one of eight remaining undefeated teams in the nation, joining Toledo, Washington, Ohio State, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State, Hawaii and Penn State.
The Longhorns are 10-0 to open a season for the first time since 1990 when the Horns opened 26-0.
UT will look to go 4-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since 1999
when the team opened league play 5-0.
Senior Mira Topic has now recorded a double-double in each of the team's last three matches and has a total of seven on the season. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday after collecting 44 kills (5.50/game) and 31 digs (3.88/game) in a 2-0 week for the Horns.
Topic became the career leader in aces at Texas on Wednesday night and now has 166 on her career. She is tied with Lisa Denker at the top of the Horns' all-time list.
UT has limited it opponents to a hitting percentage under .250 in each of its 10 matches, including four matches where the team has held its opponents below .100.
Texas has hit for an attack percentage of .350 or higher in seven of 10 matches this season, including four matches of .420 or higher.
Senior Bethany Howden is three kills away from recording her 1,500th career kill.
Topic entered the Texas career digs top 10 in the team's last match and now sits in 10th place, one dig shy of ninth place (1,028 - Dawn Davenport).
UT will play its first two ranked opponents of the season in its next two matches, facing No. 21 Kansas in Lawrence before traveling to Gainesville, Fla., to face No. 5 Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 29.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
No. 21 Kansas is 10-1 on the season, with the team's only loss coming to then No. 12 Texas A&M, 3-1, in the teams' conference opener ... junior outside hitter Josi Lima leads the team in kills with 142 (3.84/game), while junior setter Andi Rozum leads the team in hitting percetage (.387) ... senior libero Jill Dorsey has a Big 12-best 4.62 digs/game, while senior middle blocker Ashley Michaels is second in the nation in blocking, averaging 1.97 blocks/game.
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KANSAS QUICK FACTS Location: Lawrence, Kan. Nickname: Jayhawks Colors: Crimson and blue Head Coach: Ray Bechard (Fort Hays State '80) 2003 Record: 22-11 2003 Big 12 Record (Finish): 13-7 (tied for third) NCAA Postseason: NCAA Second Round |
