MATCH #22: No. 3 TEXAS (18-3, 13-1 Big 12) vs. Kansas (11-14, 4-11 Big 12)
When: Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. CT
Where: Lawrence, Kan. (Horejsi Family Athletics Center; 1,300 capacity)
SERIES INFO
All-Time Series Record: Texas leads Kansas, 22-4 (11-1 home, 3-0 neutral, 8-3 away)
Last Meeting: Oct. 13, 2007 -- Texas won, 3-0 (30-14, 30-22, 30-21)
Last Kansas Victory: Nov. 8, 2003 -- Kansas won, 3-2 (26-30, 28-30, 30-16, 30-21, 15-9) in Austin
Current Streak: Texas has won the last seven meetings.
HEADLINES
· Texas was ranked No. 3 in the CSTV/AVCA poll, released Monday, Nov. 5, holding that position for the second straight week ... The Longhorns ranking is their highest ranking since Sept. 17, 1996 when Texas was ranked No. 3 ... UT has been ranked in the top seven every week this season ... Texas opened the season ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll, equaling its best preseason ranking in program history (1998).
· The Longhorns extended their season-best winning streak to 14 matches with their 3-0 sweep of Florida A&M (Nov. 2) ... Sophomore outside hitter Destinee Hooker led the Horns against FAMU, connecting for 17 kills on .361 hitting, while sophomore opposite hitter Ashley Engle posted 14 kills on .462 hitting and added eight digs and five total blocks.
· The Longhorns are currently riding a 14-match winning streak that dates back to their victory over Missouri on Sept. 15 ... Texas' string of wins is the Longhorns' longest streak since putting together 16 consecutive wins to start the 2004 season (Sept. 3, 2004 - Oct. 13, 2004) ... the Longhorns string of eight straight sweeps ties the longest sweep streak in school history, which was set in the first eight matches of the 2004 campaign.
· The Longhorns have excelled and won 12 straight since sophomore opposite hitter Ashley Engle returned from injury against Texas Tech (Sept. 26) ... the return of Engle allowed junior Lauren Paolini to move back to her natural position in the middle after filling Engle's role on the right side for seven matches ... since Engle rejoined the Horns, Texas has hit .368 and has averaged 18.31 kills per-game ... since moving to the middle, Paolini is hitting .520 with 3.00 kills p/g and 1.51 blocks p/g ... Engle's return has also benefited senior middle blocker Brandy Magee, who has hit .456 with .237 kills p/g and 1.54 blocks p/g with Engle back in the lineup ... Engle is hitting .317 with 2.97 kills p/g, 2.67 digs p/g and 1.07 blocks p/g since coming back from injury.
· Junior middle blocker Lauren Paolini was named the Big 12 Player of the Week (Oct. 29) after hitting .577 and recording 2.17 blocks per-game in Texas' pair of sweeps against then-No. 1 Nebraska and Colorado ... Paolini connected for 2.67 kills per-game, while recording just one attack error on the week ... The award is the sixth weekly honor in the last eight weeks for UT.
· In its 12 Big 12 Conference victories, Texas has dropped just three games, going five games with then-No. 17 Kansas State and dropping one game at Texas Tech ... The Longhorns have recorded 12 sweeps in Big 12 play (including No. 1 Nebraska) and 15 sweeps on the year.
LAST TIME OUT: FLORIDA A&M (11/2/07)
Texas used three double-digit kill performances, including a 14-kill effort by sophomore opposite hitter Ashley Engle to edge Florida A&M, 3-0 at Gregory Gymnasium ... the Longhorns 30-21, 30-20, 30-20 victory moved extended UT's winning streak to 14 matches ... Texas out-hit Florida A&M .366-to.132 on the night and out-blocked the Rattlers 13-to-3 ... Engle led the Texas attack, notching 14 kills on .462 hitting and added eight digs, five total blocks and a service ace ... sophomore outside hitter Destinee Hooker posted a team-high 17 kills on .361 hitting, while junior middle blocker Lauren Paolini totaled 13 kills and recorded just one attack error ... senior setter Michelle Moriarty steadied the Texas attack on the night with 53 assists and 12 digs, marking her seventh assist/dig double-double of the season ... Paolini led the Longhorns offense with a .545 attack mark and paced the defense with a career-best 10 total blocks.
LAST TIME AGAINST: KANSAS (10/13/07)
The Longhorns used a 22-kill outing by freshman outside hitter Juliann Faucette to down Kansas, at Gregory Gymnasium ... Faucette hit .432 on the night and notched 10 digs to pace the Texas attack in its 30-14, 30-22, 30-21 victory ... sophomore opposite hitter Ashley Engle posted her second kill/dig double-double of the season with 11 kills and 13 digs ... senior outside hitter Jen Christian joined them in double figures, posting a season-high 10 kills against the Jayhawks ... senior setter Michelle Moriarty paced the Texas attack on the night with 51 assists and six digs, while senior libero Alyson Jennings highlighted the defense with a match-high 16 digs.
