Kansas Jayhawks
Kelsie Payne - Volleyball - Kansas Jayhawks
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Kelsie Payne

Position Right Side Hitter
Height 6'3''
Class Senior
Hometown Austin, Texas
High School John B. Connally HS

Career Stats (PDF)

OVERVIEW

One of the top players in the nation entering her senior season … Reigning Big 12 Player of the Year and back-to-back AVCA first-team All-American … Holds KU records for career hitting percentage and single-season kills and is within reach of owning KU’s career kills record.

AWARDS & HONORS

  • Big 12 Player of the Year [2016]
  • Two-time AVCA All-America First Team [2015, 2016]
  • Three-time AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team [2015, 2016, 2017]
  • Three-time All-Big 12 First Team [2015, 2016, 2017]
  • NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team [2015]
  • NCAA Championship San Diego Regional All-Tournament Team [2015]
  • Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week [11/1/2016]
  • Six-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week [9/7/2015, 11/2/2015, 11/9/2015, 11/16/2015, 10/17/2016, 9/4/2017]
  • Two-time Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year [2016, 2017]
  • Two-time Preseason All-Big 12 Team [2015, 2016]
  • Kansas Invitational MVP [2016]
  • Wolverine Invitational MVP [2017]
  • Santa Clara/San José State Invitational All-Tournament Team [2017]
  • Wolfpack Invitational All-Tournament Team [2017]
  • Bulldog Invitational All-Tournament Team [2016]
  • Jayhawk Classic All-Tournament Team [2015]
  • Kansas Invitational All-Tournament Team [2015]
  • Arkansas Invitational All-Tournament Team [2015]
  • PrepVolleyball.com All-America First Team [2015]

2017 (SENIOR)

• Has started in all 13 matches … Features four 20-kill performances and a double-double entering Big 12 play … Leads the Big 12 in kills per set (4.53) and points per set (4.96).
• Ranks top-five in career kills at KU … One of three all-time Jayhawks with at least 1,300 career kills and 300 career blocks — Payne, Josi Lima (1,483/418) and Caroline Jarmoc (1,333/555).
• Began the season with 16 kills and eight digs in four sets at NC State (Aug. 25).
• Posted season highs of 23 digs, 15 digs and five blocks in a four-set victory over Missouri State (Aug. 26).
• Recorded second-straight 20-kill performance with 20 kills, six digs and four blocks in five sets at NC State (Aug. 26).
• Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and MVP of the Wolverine Invitational and after averaging 4.80 kills per set on a .389 hitting percentage during week two of the season.
• Started the Wolverine Invitational with 18 kills on a .516 hitting percentage in just three sets against Utah Valley (Aug. 31).
• Notched her third 20-kill performance of the season with 20 kills against Long Beach State (Sept. 1), adding eight digs and three blocks.
• Contributed 10 kills, six digs and two blocks in KU’s three-set sweep of Montana (Sept. 2).
• Recorded 14 kills on a .462 hitting percentage to lead Kansas to a three-set victory over No. 13 Kentucky (Sept. 4).
• Posted 15 kills in just three sets against Belmont (Sept. 8).
• Registered 19 kills, eight digs and four blocks as Kansas defeated No. 17 Purdue in four sets (Sept. 8).
• Passed the 300 career blocks threshold with four against San Jose State (Sept. 15) … Added 17 kills and nine digs in four sets against the Spartans … Became the fourth all-time Jayhawk to reach at least 1,200 career kills and 300 career blocks — Payne, Josi Lima (1,483/418), Caroline Jarmoc (1,333/555) and Amanda Reves (1,264/514).
• Notched her fourth 20-kill effort of the season with 22 in five sets at Santa Clara (Sept. 15).
• Concluded nonconference play with 18 kills and three blocks in four sets against Idaho (Sept. 16) … With her 18th and final kill against the Vandals, Payne reached exactly 1,300 career kills.

2016 (JUNIOR)

• Earned AVCA All-America First Team honors for the second-straight season … First Jayhawk to be named Big 12 Player of the Year … Became the 15th Jayhawk to surpass 1,000 career kills.
• Started all 29 matches she played in … Led Kansas and ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 3.98 kills per set … Averaged 1.99 digs per set, 0.98 blocks per set and 4.63 points per set … Finished with a team-best .320 hitting percentage … Reached 100 total blocks for the first time in her career (103).
• Notched eight kill-dig double-doubles … Reached double-figure kills in 22 of 29 matches, including six 20-kill performances … Recorded at least 10 digs in nine matches … Featured five or more blocks in eight matches … Served up an ace multiple times in three matches.
• Transitioned into a six-rotation player for the Jayhawks, totaling 209 digs and 15 service aces on the season … Her 2016 season output for digs and aces more than doubled her sum of 84 digs and six aces from her freshman and sophomore campaigns combined.
• Recorded her first career double-double with 11 kills and 12 digs in a season-opening sweep over Mississippi State (Aug. 26) … Added 10 kills on a .400 hitting percentage against Lamar (Aug. 27) to earn Bulldog Classic All-Tournament honors.
• Recorded 14 digs in a three-set sweep of Maryland (Sept. 2) … Added nine kills against the Terps.
• Poured in 25 kills on a .353 hitting clip with 13 digs for her second career double-double against Arkansas (Sept. 3).
• Came close to a triple-double with 11 kills, six digs and co-season-high eight blocks during a five-set win at Creighton (Sept. 8).
• Recorded an astounding 25 kills on a .487 hitting percentage in a three-set victory over Northern Iowa (Sept. 10)
• Posted 18 kills on a .444 hitting percentage at No. 5 Texas (Sept. 24).
• In perhaps her most well-rounded match of the season, Payne recorded 18 kills on a .318 hitting percentage, with a season-high 16 digs and a co-season-high eight blocks in a four-set win at Iowa State (Oct. 5).
• Was nearly unstoppable at TCU (Oct. 15), recording 16 kills, 10 digs and seven blocks in a three-set victory for the Jayhawks.
• Recorded a double-double of 16 kills and 10 digs at Texas Tech (Oct. 26) … Her 16 kills came on 28 attacking attempts with no attacking errors for a season-best .571 hitting percentage.
• Posted 21 kills with eight digs and six blocks to help Kansas defeat No. 2 Texas (Oct. 29) for the first time since 2003.
• Named the AVCA/Sport Imports National Player of the Week on Nov. 1 for her efforts at Texas Tech and against Texas.
• Contributed 23 kills, 11 digs and five blocks in five sets at K-State (Nov. 2), giving the Jayhawks their fifth-straight Sunflower Showdown victory.
• Recorded 21 kills in four sets, adding seven digs and six blocks, at Oklahoma (Nov. 5).
• Suffered a minor injury in the second set at West Virginia (Nov. 16).
• Lone match she missed due to injury was against Iowa State (Nov. 19), when Kansas clinched at least a share of the Big 12 Conference title with a five-set victory.
• Returned to the lineup to record a double-double of 19 kills and 10 digs with five blocks at Baylor (Nov. 26) … The win gave Kansas sole possession of the Big 12 title.
• Recorded a season-high 26 kills with seven digs and four blocks in five sets against Creighton (Dec. 2) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

2015 (SOPHOMORE)

• One of the keystones to an unprecedented season, helping guide Kansas to a 30-3 record, No. 4 ranking and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship semifinals.
• Member of the AVCA All-American First Team, All-Big 12 First Team, AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team, NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team, and named a four-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
• Led the Big 12 in kills per set (4.4) and total kills (496).
• Set a KU record with 496 total kills.
• Only player in the nation to rank top-35 in hitting percentage (34th; .386) and kills per set (19th; 4.4).
• Featured eight 20-kill performances … Four of her 20-kill performances were accompanied by a hitting percentage of .400 or better … Recorded at least nine kills in 31 of 33 matches.
• Switched positions from middle blocker as a freshman to right-side hitter as a sophomore.
• Named to the All-Tournament teams in 3-of-4 of KU’s nonconference tournaments (Arkansas Invitational, Jayhawk Classic, Kansas Invitational).
• Season-opener against Army (Aug. 28) proved to be her season high in digs (eight), adding 11 kills and three blocks.
• Poured in 19 kills on a .471 (19-3-34) hitting percentage in a four-set victory at Arkansas (Aug. 29) to help clinch the Arkansas Invitational title.
• Recorded one of her most accurate attacking performances of the season with 14 kills on a .632 (14-2-19) hitting percentage in KU’s home opener against Western Illinois (Sept. 4).
• Named Big 12 Player of the Week (Sept. 7) after recording 37 kills in three three-set wins during the Kansas Invitational … In KU’s three victories, she posted a combined .464 attack percentage, including a match with 13 kills and no attacking errors against UMKC (Sept. 5).
• Reached 20 kills with five blocks in a four-set victory over Kansas State (Sept. 23) to open Big 12 play.
• Did not commit an attacking error while registering nine kills against West Virginia (Oct. 3).
• Posted 17 kills on a .483 hitting percentage in just three sets at Texas Tech (Oct. 7).
• Season high of 26 kills came on national television (ESPNU), a four-set victory at Iowa State (Oct. 28) which gave KU its 20th win of the season after only 21 matches … The performance led to her second Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week nod on Nov. 2.
• Reached 20 kills in three-straight matches in early November with 22 kills at Oklahoma (Nov. 7), 23 kills against Texas (Nov. 11), and 21 kills in three sets against TCU (Nov. 14).
• Produced 23 kills and six blocks on the road at Kansas State (Nov. 25).
• Registered 15 kills with no attacking errors in the regular-season finale against Texas Tech (Nov. 28).
• Averaged 4.74 kills per set on a .362 hitting percentage during five NCAA Championship matches.
• Paced Kansas with 18 kills to upset No. 1 overall seed USC (Dec. 12) in the NCAA Championship San Diego regional final.
• Poured in 22 kills on a .576 attack efficiency in the NCAA Championship semifinals against Nebraska (Dec. 17) … Became the lone player listed on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team who did not play in the title match.

2014 (FRESHMAN)

• Appeared in 27 matches and started in 15 … Sidelined with a foot injury for four matches during conference play.
• Swung for an efficient .341 average, which ranked second in the Big 12 … Match leader in blocks a total of seven matches … Rejected 85 shots on the season, for a 1.06 blocking average, good enough for ninth in the Big 12.
• Had eight kills on 14 swings to go with six blocks during her first collegiate start against Cleveland State (Sept. 19) … Followed that performance with 12 kills and a season-best seven blocks during the Jayhawks’ four-set win over Arkansas (Sept. 20)
• Opened conference play with a solid .647 hitting percentage and scored her first ace despite falling to Oklahoma (Sept. 27) in five sets.
• Registered 13 kills in a five-set road loss to Iowa State (Oct. 22).
• Connected for 10 kills on 13 swings while posting a season-best .692 attack percentage in a sweep of West Virginia (Nov. 26).
• Generated season highs in kills (15) and blocks (8) in a five-set defeat to Little Rock (Dec. 5) in the first round of the NCAA Championship.

USA VOLLEYBALL

2016 Pan American Cup
• One of 12 athletes selected among 19 invited by the U.S. Women’s National Team to train and compete for a Pan American Cup roster spot in Anaheim, California (June 2016).
• Competed with the team at the 2016 Pan American Cup, July 2-10, 2016 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
• Advanced out of Pool B with a 5-0 record … Lost to Puerto Rico in four sets in the semifinals on July 9 … Won the bronze medal match over Cuba on July 10.

2017 European Global Challenge
• Member of the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Europe that captured the gold medal at the 13th European Global Challenge by sweeping an all-star team from the Mountain West Conference. CNT-Europe ended the tournament with a 6-0 record. The European Global Challenge featured a 12-team bracket – six teams from Europe and six teams from the United States.

HIGH SCHOOL

• Four-year letterwinner at John B. Connally High School under head coach Megan Nichols.
• Earned the University Interscholastic League (UIL) All-District 17-4A MVP for the 2013-14 season.
• Named to the Austin Junior Volleyball National High Performance Team in 2013.
• Holds several of her school’s volleyball records, including most blocks in a match (10), most blocks in a season (136), most career blocks (277) and best single-season hitting percentage (.361)… Racked up 481 kills (3.90 per set), 136 total blocks (1.10 per set) and 195 digs (1.60 per set) as a senior… Cranked out more than 20 kills four different times and five or more blocks 13 times.
• Named the District MVP as a junior and has twice been named to the All-District and Academic All-District Teams.

CLUB

• Played for the Austin Junior Volleyball Club.

ACADEMICS

• Majoring in communication studies in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at The University of Kansas.

PERSONAL

• Daughter of David and Kandi Payne.