Kansas middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo celebrates after scoring a point during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
The Jayhawks return five of their six regulars from a 2023 team that made the second round of the NCAA Tournament and are ready to compete for a top spot in a Big 12 Conference that is now without Texas — which has won the conference outright the past four years. In the first look at this season’s players, Kansas beat Drake in all four sets of an exhibition match on Saturday (25-15, 25-13, 25-10, 25-22), and some new faces took the court for the first time at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.
After offensive powerhouse Reagan Cooper left his position during the offseason, the Jayhawks recruited many players and created enough depth overall to continue their winning streak.
“All the outside players are doing a great job,” senior Toyosi Onabanjo said. “I think we can put any of them in and they’ll do their job and get it done.”
In the preseason friendly, wingers Grace Nelson and Kenzie Dean got a fair amount of playing time and looked good in their first varsity practice game. Returning players Rhian Swanson and Caroline Bien also performed well in the front row, with Bien looking to take on more responsibility in the forward defense after playing primarily in the DS role last year.
“It was really nice to play against someone else because we’re used to playing against ourselves, so it was a challenge for us to see how we play against other opponents,” Onabanjo said after a preseason full of intra-team practice games. “But I think … no matter who was on the court, we all played as a cohesive, collective unit. And I think that just showed how much we worked over the summer in the preseason to make sure we all worked together.”
After about a set and a half of mostly regulars on the court, coach Ray Bechard sent some of the new players out onto the court and gave returning supporting cast members a chance to prove themselves as well. Molly McCarthy, Bryn McGehe and newcomer Heidi Devers all showed off their skills in the back row while getting a first look at this year’s new NCAA rule that allows two liberos to be named for a single game. Sophomore Aisha Aiono, who didn’t see much court time last year, took over Mykayla Myers’ starting spot at middle blocker before Onabanjo came in after a rotation. In addition to some new additions to the back row and at the pins, 2024 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year Zoey Burgess also took her first shots of the game and showed off a tricky serve.
Kansas middle blocker Zoey Burgess pushes the ball during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
With 13 returning players and six new additions, the Jayhawks made a point of welcoming their new freshmen to the program during the offseason and building cohesion as a team, including during their overseas trip in June where they had the chance to play against some national teams.
“It was great to have them together for the overseas trip and I know they’ve worked hard this summer as well,” Bechard said. “We have good depth, we have a lot of options and obviously there are a number of things we need to improve, but I think it was a good start.”
“We’ve built a lot of team spirit,” Onabanjo added. “Rhian (Swanson) has a house on the lake, so we’ve all been going there a couple weekends to just hang out. But it’s just the little things … making sure we’re all comfortable with each other as we start this season.”
This confidence was even evident when the rotations in the exhibition match were constantly changing and Bechard sent all of his players onto the field. Among others, he used Katie Dalton and freshman Ellie Moore to replace Camryn Turner, who held her well-secured place as the team’s starting setter.
“I think we appreciated a good Drake team, but it also made us realize that all the work we’ve done to this point … at the level we need to play at to be successful against each other should help us as we move through the preconference (schedule),” Bechard said.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas head coach Ray Bechard instructs the team during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, August 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Kansas begins its regular season next week with a tough Duke tournament against South Carolina, Duke and Colgate.
“We know there are going to be three really good teams in the Duke tournament, so we need to be consistently good over a long period of time, and that’s what we need once we get into the conference,” he said. “So this is a good opportunity for us to prove that.”
“I’m so excited,” Onabanjo added. “It’s going to be a really good competition. I think last year we took it easy before the conference, but this is definitely going to be a challenge for us. I think (a tougher schedule) just shows how much Coach B trusts us and he believes we can definitely do great things against tough competition,” she said.
The Jayhawks were projected to finish first in the Big 12 Conference preseason rankings and will look to build on their tournament appearance from last year.
“It’s a good time (to start volleyball),” Bechard said, encouraging students to enjoy the season in Horejsi. “It’s really a great time, it’s a familiar atmosphere, a fast-paced, action-packed sport, and the Jayhawks play hard, they play together and they’re fun to watch.”
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo laughs with setter Camryn Turner during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, August 24, 2024 in Lawrence, Kansas.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas setter Camryn Turner sets the ball during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo hits the ball for a kill during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas libero Raegan Burns makes a dig during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Kansas opposing hitter London Davis scores a kill during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, August 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas outside attacker Caroline Bien celebrates with her teammates during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, August 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas setter Ellie Moore passes the ball to a teammate during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, August 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas libero Raegan Burns hits the ball during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
Photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
Kansas setter Camryn Turner dives for a dig during an exhibition match against Drake at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Lawrence, Kansas.
