Wednesday, October 3
Lawrence, Kan.
7:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
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Kansas
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
West Virginia Heads to Kansas
October 02, 2018 05:14 PM | Volleyball
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The West Virginia University volleyball team travels to Lawrence, Kansas, for a match against the Jayhawks on Wednesday, Oct. 3. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. ET inside the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
Wednesday's contest vs. Kansas will be broadcasted live on ESPN+, with live video and stat links available on WVUsports.com.
WVU (8-8, 1-3) and KU (9-4, 2-0) meet for the 15th time since 1999 on Wednesday, with the Jayhawks holding a 13-1 advantage in the all-time series. Despite KU's edge, West Virginia upset No. 14 Kansas in its regular-season finale last season for its first-ever win over a top-25 team. The Mountaineers took the match from the Jayhawks in set scores of 20-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22 and 15-12.
"Anyone can beat anyone, but it's a new season, and we have a different lineup this season," fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "We need to take care of our side. We can't worry so much about the other side right now. We need to get better on our side. We are taking it one game at a time, but I'm excited to go back and play in Lawrence."
The Mountaineers claimed their first Big 12 Conference win of the season last week, going 1-1 in league action. West Virginia earned its fourth sweep of the year, defeating Kansas State in three sets on Sept. 26, at the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown. However, West Virginia could not carry its momentum into Saturday's matchup, dropping a 3-0 contest to No. 4 Texas at the WVU Coliseum.
Kansas is currently on a five-match winning streak, most recently topping Oklahoma in five sets on the road last Wednesday.
Sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo has developed into one of the league's premier blockers. She currently ranks second in the Big 12, with 1.52 blocks per set, totaling 76 on the season. The Troy, Ohio, native also ranks 11th among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set. DeMeo is on pace to etch her name in the WVU single-season record book. Her average of 1.52 blocks per set would rank No. 1 all-time by a Mountaineer sophomore and third overall in a single season in program history. Additionally, she boasts 76 total blocks on the year, 33 shy of moving into the top-five all-time by a sophomore.
The Mountaineers rank fifth in the Big 12, averaging 2.60 blocks per set, and are 32nd in the nation. WVU is outblocking its opponents, 151.0-115.5.
Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans has played in all but one set for the Mountaineers this season. She leads the team with 175 kills, averaging 3.07 per set to rank ninth in the Big 12. The Palmdale, California, native has recorded double-digit kills in 10 matches, including six of the last seven.
The Jayhawks feature one of the best defenses in the conference, leading the Big 12 in blocks per set (2.95) and ranking second in opponent hitting percentage (.167). Reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Rachel Langs leads KU's presence at the net with 1.44 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big 12. Offensively, Langs averages 1.21 kills per set on a .280 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Jada Burse leads Kansas in total points (182.0), averaging 3.06 kills per set and 0.57 blocks per set this season. Burse has reached double-figure kills in 10 of the last 11 matches.
Of note, West Virginia has played a trio of teams ranked inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll in 2018, with five of its eight losses coming from teams which made the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Mountaineers are four wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 696-731 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Looking ahead, West Virginia takes a break from conference play this weekend, returning to the court on Tuesday, Oct. 9, for a nonconference matchup with George Washington. First serve is set for 6 p.m. ET, at the Charles E. Smith Center, in Washington, D.C. The Colonials hold a 22-7 edge in the all-time series, sweeping the Mountaineers in their most recent meeting held in 2015.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Wednesday's contest vs. Kansas will be broadcasted live on ESPN+, with live video and stat links available on WVUsports.com.
WVU (8-8, 1-3) and KU (9-4, 2-0) meet for the 15th time since 1999 on Wednesday, with the Jayhawks holding a 13-1 advantage in the all-time series. Despite KU's edge, West Virginia upset No. 14 Kansas in its regular-season finale last season for its first-ever win over a top-25 team. The Mountaineers took the match from the Jayhawks in set scores of 20-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22 and 15-12.
"Anyone can beat anyone, but it's a new season, and we have a different lineup this season," fourth-year coach Reed Sunahara said. "We need to take care of our side. We can't worry so much about the other side right now. We need to get better on our side. We are taking it one game at a time, but I'm excited to go back and play in Lawrence."
The Mountaineers claimed their first Big 12 Conference win of the season last week, going 1-1 in league action. West Virginia earned its fourth sweep of the year, defeating Kansas State in three sets on Sept. 26, at the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown. However, West Virginia could not carry its momentum into Saturday's matchup, dropping a 3-0 contest to No. 4 Texas at the WVU Coliseum.
Kansas is currently on a five-match winning streak, most recently topping Oklahoma in five sets on the road last Wednesday.
Sophomore middle blocker Katie DeMeo has developed into one of the league's premier blockers. She currently ranks second in the Big 12, with 1.52 blocks per set, totaling 76 on the season. The Troy, Ohio, native also ranks 11th among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per set. DeMeo is on pace to etch her name in the WVU single-season record book. Her average of 1.52 blocks per set would rank No. 1 all-time by a Mountaineer sophomore and third overall in a single season in program history. Additionally, she boasts 76 total blocks on the year, 33 shy of moving into the top-five all-time by a sophomore.
The Mountaineers rank fifth in the Big 12, averaging 2.60 blocks per set, and are 32nd in the nation. WVU is outblocking its opponents, 151.0-115.5.
Junior outside hitter Katelyn Evans has played in all but one set for the Mountaineers this season. She leads the team with 175 kills, averaging 3.07 per set to rank ninth in the Big 12. The Palmdale, California, native has recorded double-digit kills in 10 matches, including six of the last seven.
The Jayhawks feature one of the best defenses in the conference, leading the Big 12 in blocks per set (2.95) and ranking second in opponent hitting percentage (.167). Reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Rachel Langs leads KU's presence at the net with 1.44 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big 12. Offensively, Langs averages 1.21 kills per set on a .280 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Jada Burse leads Kansas in total points (182.0), averaging 3.06 kills per set and 0.57 blocks per set this season. Burse has reached double-figure kills in 10 of the last 11 matches.
Of note, West Virginia has played a trio of teams ranked inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll in 2018, with five of its eight losses coming from teams which made the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Mountaineers are four wins away from collecting their 700th win in program history. West Virginia currently holds a 696-731 all-time record since its inaugural season in 1974.
Looking ahead, West Virginia takes a break from conference play this weekend, returning to the court on Tuesday, Oct. 9, for a nonconference matchup with George Washington. First serve is set for 6 p.m. ET, at the Charles E. Smith Center, in Washington, D.C. The Colonials hold a 22-7 edge in the all-time series, sweeping the Mountaineers in their most recent meeting held in 2015.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUVolleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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