Roster overload

With 19 players on its roster, Kansas’ volleyball team is the biggest ever during coach Ray Bechard’s time as head coach. Included in that number are 10 players who weren’t on the floor last year, one transfer and seven freshmen.

Three-way battle

KU’s setter position is ultra-competitive, with returning starter Nicole Tate battling freshmen Kara Wehrs and Erin McNorton for the job. So talented is the trio that Bechard hinted that he might go to a two-setter offense this season.

More firepower

Kansas soccer coach Mark Francis said he plans to use more players this year in order to mix up the attack and prevent his team from leaning on a small number of players. “Last year, we had a number of injuries and so we were relying on the same kids over and over and over and I think they kind of hit a wall in the middle of the season. We’ll use more players this year to try to avoid that from happening.”

Top soccer scorer sidelined

Last year’s top goal scorer, Emily Cressy, missed the team’s exhibition game against Creighton two weeks ago and, as of Wednesday, still was not ready to play. Cressy has been out for undisclosed reasons, and Francis said he hoped she would be cleared by the end of the week.

Early bird special

Asked how his team handled training for the season during the intense heat of early August, KU track and cross country coach Stanley Redwine said, “It was an opportunity for us to all wake up early and make sure we train early in the morning so that we don’t have any health or heat-related issues.” That didn’t sit well with junior Don Wasinger, who admitted to not being a morning person. “I was pushing coach every few days, being like, ‘So, when are these 6 a.m. practices getting over?’ But it’s one of those things you have to do if you want to be competitive. It’s one of the sacrifices.”