No. 7 Kansas Ready for Top-10 Showdown at No. 2 Texas

Notes Link Kansas Notes

No. 7 Kansas (19-0, 7-0 Big 12) visits No. 2 Texas on Friday night (8 p.m. CT, LHN) in the first Big 12 Conference top-10 matchup since 2010. The undefeated Jayhawks bring one of the best offenses in the nation — ranking first in hitting percentage and second in kills per set — to Austin while looking to snap a 22-match losing streak in the series against the Longhorns (17-1, 7-0).

QUICK HITS
• TOP-10 BIG 12 MATCHUP: Friday’s contest will mark the first match between two Big 12 Conference teams ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA Coaches Poll since 2010, and the 18th overall. No. 2 Nebraska lost in four sets at No. 10 Texas in the last Big 12 top-10 matchup on Oct. 27, 2010.
• KANSAS-TEXAS SERIES: Texas leads the all-time series with Kansas, 37-4. The Longhorns have won 22 straight in the series. KU’s last win over Texas was in 2003, when the Jayhawks swept the season series with five-set wins in both Austin (Nov. 8, 2003) and Lawrence (Oct. 22, 2003). KU’s four wins in the series came during a five-match stretch against UT from Nov. 17, 2001 to Nov. 8, 2003.
• HIGH-OCTANE OFFENSE: KU leads the Big 12 Conference in in kills per set, hitting percentage, aces per set, and assists per set. Sophomore setter Ainise Havili, the Sport Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 13, ranks second in the nation in assists per set. Three Jayhawks are listed on the Big 12 kills per set and hitting percentage top-10 lists, respectively.
• SET DOMINANCE: TheJayhawks hold a 57-5 (.919) set record this season and have not played a five-set match. Kansas has only lost two sets during Big 12 Conference play (21-2; .913). KU is 17-1 in set one and three, 15-3 in set two, and 5-0 in set four.
• LONE STAR(S): Five Jayhawks will return to their home state for Friday’s match in Austin — Claire Carpenter (Rockwall), Tiana Dockery (Richmond), Ainise Havili (Fort Worth), Kelsie Payne (Austin), and Madison Rigdon (Pflugerville).
• TOP 10: Moving up two spots to No. 7 this week, Kansas has reached a program-high ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll for five consecutive weeks. Entering the season, KU’s highest ranking was No. 17 at the end of 2013 season.
• UNDEFEATED: The Jayhawks (19-0) are one of two remaining undefeated teams at the NCAA Division I level, joining No. 1 USC (20-0).
• UNPRECEDENTED: KU’s 19-match winning streak is the best start to a season in program history and the longest winning streak in program history. Kansas is chasing what would be a program-best fourth consecutive bid to the NCAA tournament.
• ROAD WARRIORS: Kansas is 5-0 in true road contests this season, with wins at Arkansas, Wyoming, TCU, Texas Tech, and Baylor. Three of the five road wins came in straight sets.  
• NEARING 20 WINS: KU is one win away from reaching 20 wins in a season for the 15th time in program history. The fastest KU team to reach 20 wins was the 1991 Jayhawks, who reached the mark in 23 matches.
• WAIT ANCHORS DEFENSE: Junior libero Cassie Wait anchors a KU defense that is holding opponents to a .151 hitting percentage, which leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th nationally. Wait ranks third in the Big 12 in digs per set (4.8) and is steadily climbing KU’s career digs list, currently eighth with 1,093 career digs.