Kansas volleyball upends WVU

? Fifth-year Kansas University senior Catherine Carmichael had 18 kills, including crucial back-to-back kills in a second-set comeback, to spark KU to a four-set Big 12 volleyball victory over West Virginia on Saturday at the WVU Coliseum.

KU won, 26-28, 26-24, 25-17, 25-22 to improve to 16-4 overall, 6-1 Big 12. WVU, winless in the league a year ago, fell to 16-5, 2-4.

“It would’ve been a different match if we went down 0-2,” KU coach Ray Bechard said. “We fought back. We’re relying on that comeback ability a little too much, but we responded well in the third set, and that fourth set was back and forth again. We made enough plays to get out of here with a win against a really, really much improved West Virginia volleyball team.”

Carmichael’s 18 kills were one shy of her career high. Junior Sara McClinton added 12 kills for KU, and senior setter Erin McNorton had 50 assists. McNorton has 2,508 assists for her career.

Senior Brianne Riley had 23 digs, and Chelsea Albers had six blocks and 10 digs.

Kansas will host Iowa State at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Horejsi Center.