KU
L AWRENCE J OURNAL -W ORLD
Sunday, November 13, 2011
KU soccer opens NCAAs today By Benton Smith basmith@ljworld.com
The majority of Kansas University women’s soccer players are about to embark on some uncharted territory: the NCAA Tournament. At noon today at Jayhawk Soccer Complex, an underclassman-heavy KU team will play host to Georgia in the first round. For everyone on the team but the seniors, it will be a new experience. The Jayhawks haven’t played in the postseason tourney since 2008, when this year’s seniors were just freshmen. However, KU only played two seniors — forward Kortney Clifton and midfielder Jordyn Perdue — in their last game. And they came off the bench. So the Jayhawks aren’t exactly loaded with tournament know-how. Bad news? Not according to coach Mark Francis. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” the coach said. “You’re not really gonna do anything different than you did during the year, to be honest.” Kansas is 11-8-1 entering its tournament home game with Georgia (12-6-2), and the Jayhawks are ready to begin the postseason in front of the home fans. Sophomore defender Madi Hillis said she and her teammates are excited. “This is one of the goals we made at the beginning of the year,” she said of playing in the tournament. The funny thing about KU playing at home, though, is that the Jayhawks are just 4-5 this season on campus. In road and neutral games, they are 7-3-1. Said junior midfielder Whitney Berry: “For whatever reason, we were better on the road.” Francis had a pretty solid theory as to why that happened. “A big part of that is we’ve had some really, really tough games at home,” the coach said, giving examples of Flor-
John Young/Journal-World File Photo
INGRID VIDAL, SHOWN AGAINST ORAL ROBERTS in this file photo from Sept. 25, leads the Jayhawks in goals heading into today’s NCAA Tournament opener against Georgia. ida, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Texas, games in which Kansas went 1-3. Berry, who leads the team with 13 assists, said the Jayhawks need to bring their road-game mentality at home against the Bulldogs. “As long as we come out hard, right away in the first half, we should be just as well off as we are in away games,” she said. Francis didn’t think the team’s home record would have any bearing on the outcome of its first-round game.
“I think the kids are pumped about being in the tournament,” Francis said, “but especially about being at home.” According to the coach, in his 13th season leading KU, Georgia is athletic up front and dangerous in the midfield. He compared the Bulldogs to Big 12 foes Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, which finished the regular season first and second in the conference standings. Berry said the Bulldogs won’t show KU anything it hasn’t seen this year.
“As long as we’re keeping up and defending,” she said, “we should be pretty good.” Freshman forward Ingrid Vidal leads Kansas this year with 11 goals. Sophomore midfielder Alexa Newfield leads Georgia with 15 goals and eight assists. This is the fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Jayhawks, who are 4-4 in the postseason under Francis. In 2008, KU lost in the second round to Stanford.
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BRIEFLY KU volleyball gets second league win
“I think we’re better than what we showed today,” KU assistant coach Michael LUBBOCK, TEXAS — Senior Whittlesey said. “It’s great to outside hitter Allison Maysee the senior Kara (Windisch) field tied a career-high with go out on probably her best 22 kills as Kansas University collegiate race and end things rebounded from a first-set loss on a high note. It’s tough to beat Texas Tech, 20-25, though, to know there’s still another cross country race this 25-19, 25-21, 25-16 in Big 12 season that we won’t be at.” volleyball on Saturday. Stowe, who hails from KU improved to 14-12 overall, 2-11 Big 12. Its other league Olathe, finished 20th overall (21:38.86) giving the senior her victory also was a four-setter against the Red Raiders (15-13, second-consecutive top-20 finish at the Midwest Regional 1-12). meet. Fellow senior Windisch Senior setter Nicole Tate was not far behind, finishing had 15 digs to match her 45 21st (21:39.61). For finishing assists — her fourth doublein the top 25, the duo earned double of the year. All-Region honors. Kansas will host No. 25 Bussing, a senior out of Oklahoma on Wednesday. Match time is 6 p.m., and it will Houston, concluded his KU cross country career with a be televised by Metro Sports. 32nd-place finish (32:07.40) to lead the KU men. The finish Kansas men 9th, marked the third-consecutive race Bussing has led his team women 8th in CC this year and a nearly 50-place improvement from his finish DEKALB, ILL. — Led by at last year’s Regional race. top-35 performances from Zarda (32:12.17) was KU’s Rebeka Stowe, Kara WinNo. 2 men’s finisher, coming in disch, Austin Bussing and at 34th. Zach Zarda, Kansas UniverThe regional meet concludes sity’s men placed eighth and the women ninth at the NCAA the Jayhawks’ season. Midwest Regional on Saturday ! Results on page 11B at the NIU North Course.
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