MALIBU, CALIF. ? Kansas University senior Sarah Rome is known for keeping her emotions in check.

But Friday night, even the Eagan, Minn., native cried because her stellar career — and the Jayhawk volleyball team’s best season ever — ended with a 3-1 loss to Pepperdine University at Firestone Fieldhouse in the second round of KU’s first-ever NCAA Tournament.

Yet, despite the devastating loss to the top-seeded Waves, Rome said this year’s Jayhawks had nothing of which to be ashamed.

“We’re not hanging our heads at all, ’cause we came out and we didn’t let up at all,” Rome said. “We were fighting the entire game. Pepperdine had to play to beat us, and they did.”

That the Waves definitely did, bouncing back from a first-game setback to beat the Jayhawks convincingly in the next two games, and then pulling out a close Game 4 victory to advance to next weekend’s Sweet Sixteen.

“We did everything we could,” said sophomore Josi Lima, who led Kansas with 15 kills.

Rome added 14.

Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the talent of Pepperdine took over.

Senior outside hitter Katie Wilkins, a two-time, second-team All-American, struggled during KU’s 30-23 win in the first game, connecting on just one of her nine kills attempts. She also committed three attack errors and had an mind-boggling minus-.222 attack percentage.

Kansas University's Josi Lima (10) blocks the shot of Pepperdine's Lindsey Hache during their NCAA Tournament second-round match. The Jayhawks were eliminated by the Waves, 3-1, Friday night at Malibu, Calif.

While Wilkins struggled, Kansas didn’t.

The Jayhawks proved they weren’t intimidated by a Pepperdine team that had won 24 straight heading into Friday’s match.

“I was kind of hoping that they would call the match after Game 1, but they said we had to play on,” joked KU coach Ray Bechard, whose team ended the season with a 22-11 record.

Kansas couldn’t keep the hot streak going, though, and Wilkins roared back with 11 kills in Game 2 to pace Pepperdine’s 30-20 victory.

An out-of-sync Jayhawk squad couldn’t get things straight in Game 3 either. The Waves opened with a 5-0 run, and cruised to victory when Kansas connected on only .033 of its attacks and suffered its most lopsided loss of the year, 30-14.

Facing elimination in the final game the Jayhawks, as they have done all season, looked like they would be playing in their 13th five-game match.

Up 20-17, Kansas allowed Pepperdine to go on a 10-2 run that all but sealed the Jayhawks’ fate.

“Pepperdine was very, very good today,” Bechard said. “I’m extremely proud of our team. I thought we played at a very high level in Game 1, but it was hard to maintain that.

“I was a little disappointed in Game 4, we had an opportunity to extend the match, but they made the plays they need to and that’s why they’re the top seed out here. That’s why I think they have a great chance to advance a long way.”

Pepperdine coach Nina Matthies said the Jayhawks certainly were not a pushover.

“I knew after watching them last night, watching tape on them and watching Kansas all year, that they were a very good team,” Matthies said. “I knew they were going to come out on fire tonight, but we kind of did what we’ve been doing all year which is what I call, ‘Keep on keeping on.'”

While Kansas won’t be able to do that next week, Bechard said the accomplishments his team made this season will continue to pay dividends in the future.

“To put in perspective for the Jayhawks to be in their first opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and to advance to the second round, to beat Long Beach State … I told the team afterwards I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Bechard said.

“I only wanted tears of the fact that they can’t compete together any more,” Bechard continued with a smile. “No tears of we should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.”