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Kansas Volleyball picked Second in Big 12

Jayhawks have finished second behind Texas for three consecutive seasons.

By mikevilleKS1
KU Volleyball Final Four Omaha 2015 Ray Bechard
Ray Bechard coaches the Jayhawks at the 2015 Final Four in Omaha, NE.
mikeville

The preseason Big 12 volleyball coaches poll is out, and as expected, the Texas Longhorns are runaway favorites to repeat as Big 12 champions.

  1. Texas (8)
  2. Kansas (1)
  3. Iowa State
  4. TCU
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Kansas State
  7. Baylor
  8. Texas Tech
  9. West Virginia

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team, which means Texas coach Jerritt Elliott went with Kansas.

Texas has won the Big 12 each of the past five seasons and eight of the last nine, the only blemish coming in 2010 when they finished second to Nebraska. It should also be noted that Texas and Nebraska shared the title in 2007 and 2008.

KU has finished second to Texas in each of the past three seasons.

Kansas State, of all schools, is the only current member of the Big 12 not named Texas to win the league in women’s volleyball, something they accomplished in 2003. (Obviously, this is only since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996).

If anyone in the Big 12 is going to knock off the Longhorns, this year’s Kansas squad has the best chance to be the team that does it. The Jayhawks feature five returning starters, including the Preseason Player of the Year in junior Kelsie Payne.

It should be a fun season; I expect both squads to be in the Top-10 all season long. The good news is, Kansas shouldn’t be fading anytime soon, either; the Jayhawks only have three seniors on this year’s roster, two of whom are projected starters this fall.

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