Kansas volleyball coach Ray Bechard would call this weekend’s Jayhawk Classic a homecoming  if he could remember what home was like.

Sure, the fifth-year coach has seen plenty of the Horejsi Center during the Jayhawks’ fall practices, but it’s been 298 days since KU played a competitive match in the gym.

“We’re all excited to run out into the Horejsi Center and compete,” Bechard said. “It’s been quite some time since we played here.”

It was Nov. 17 when the Jayhawks stopped the Texas Longhorns to win their 16th and final match of the 2001 season.

KU will take its first test at Horejsi at noon today against Southeast Missouri State in the second game of the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Classic. Purdue and Marquette will square off in the opener at 10 a.m.

Kansas hasn’t been too shabby away from home this season.

For the fifth straight year the Jayhawks have started undefeated, sporting a 5-0 mark with just a single game loss Tuesday against Wichita State in the first game.

“It’s a good start, but we’ll find out a lot more about our team this weekend because all three teams are going to be very quality,” Bechard said.

“Southeast Missouri, with all six starters returning from last year, feels like they could win their conference, and that would secure an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Marquette’s off to a great start at 5-1 and Purdue at 6-1.”

Much of the Jayhawks’ early success has stemmed from the performance of young players.

Sophomore defensive specialist Jill Dorsey started all but seven of KU’s 31 matches last year and a pair of sophomores, Ashley Michaels and Lindsay Morris, start at middle blocker and outside hitter.

The team’s primary setter has been true freshman Andi Rozum, and freshman middle blocker Josiane Lima was named tournament MVP at the Hofstra Invitational.

Michaels, a Wathena graduate who was also an all-tournament selection last weekend, has been impressive. During Kansas’ season opener at Creighton on Aug. 31, Michaels set a KU record with a .917 hitting percentage. She added 11 kills and no errors in 12 attempts.

Tuesday against the Shockers in Wichita, Michaels had nine kills and zero errors.

“We lost our first game and it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, can we bring ourselves back, can we bring ourselves back,'” Michaels said of the WSU match. “We did good the second game. The third game we were down by eight points and we brought ourselves back from that one, and then won the fourth game, incredibly.

“We have the stamina, the motivation and the determination to do what we have to do.”

This weekend, the Jayhawks add a homecourt advantage. Finally.

“It really doesn’t seem like that long,” Michaels said. “Time flies during the season, so we need to savor every moment.”