Volleyball scrimmage previews upcoming season, honors alumni

The Blue team beat the Crimson team three sets to one in the Kansas Jayhawks’ intra-squad scrimmage Saturday at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center, which was open to fans and reunited volleyball alumni.

Some players rotated teams between sets, which coach Ray Bechard said was done to give hitters the chance to play with each setter. Every team member played, and teams were not divided up in any particular order.

“A lot of good rallies, so that’s a sign of good effort,” Bechard said. “The execution part of it will come if the effort and the enthusiasm is there each and every time out, and I thought that was very, very solid today.”

Throughout the four-set match, both teams sustained rallies, and the team that jumped out to the lead usually kept it. The score was tied 20 times during the four sets, but the lead changed sides only seven times.

The Jayhawks  were excited to play a match in front of fans after doing two-a-day practices for almost two weeks. Before the beginning of the fourth set, some players on the floor playfully sang and swayed to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”

Redshirt junior outside hitter Catherine Carmichael had 16 kills and six digs for the Crimson team, along with a kill and a block during a brief appearance for the Blue team.

“We were all very excited to get in here and actually play and compete today,” Carmichael said. “I think the last two weeks has been rough, and it’s been stressful, but I think it’s been extremely helpful for us as well.”

Before the third set, almost 20 former Jayhawk volleyball players and coaches were recognized, including former outside hitter Allison Mayfield, a 2012 graduate who will soon begin playing volleyball professionally in Paris.

Junior setter Erin McNorton had one of the more impressive afternoons, recording 11 assists and six digs for the Crimson team and 33 assists and 10 digs for the Blue team. Offensively, redshirt junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc’s 11 kills and sophomore outside hitter Sara McClinton’s 13 kills complemented Carmichael’s team high 16 kills.

“For myself, I need to work on out of system balls and being sure that I hit out of system and make sure I know where I’m at because we’re going to have a lot of people playing right side and outside,” Carmichael said.

Four Jayhawks got their first experience in a Kansas uniform. Freshmen outside hitter Tiana Dockery, middle blocker Janae Hall and setter Maggie Anderson combined for 12 kills, nine digs and 11 assists.

Bechard said the freshmen played fairly well while also showing some freshmen nerves, but that he’s seen them display more confidence in practice. Dockery said she noticed how much faster the college game is than high school.

“I was a little nervous at the beginning, but all the girls made me feel a lot better, made it feel like home pretty much,” Dockery said.

The fourth new Jayhawk, graduate student outside hitter Sylvia Bullock, a transfer from the University of Miami who played basketball for four years for the Hurricanes, recorded seven kills. Although this was her first organized match since high school, Bullock showcased her impressive athletic ability that helped convince the Kansas coaching staff she could help the Jayhawks. Bechard said most of her five attack errors  came from four years away from the game.

The Jayhawks’ season opener is Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Northwestern State in the Arkansas Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark.

—Edited by Christy Khamphilay

• Updated Aug. 20, 2012 at 12:39 am