KU volleyball team enjoying dream season — and all that comes with it

Kansas' Tiana Dockery, left, Cassie Wait (5) and Tayler Soucie (10) celebrate a kill by Dockery during the Jayhawks' volleyball match against West Virgina Saturday afternoon at the Horejsi Center. The Jayhawks won, 3-0, and improved to 15-0 on the year.

Paula Warren, director of the Douglas County Special Olympics, tries to attend as many Kansas University volleyball games as she can with her athletes. She finds that watching the team play gives Special Olympics participants a great boost.

So far this season, KU’s volleyball team is undefeated, and Warren said she’s noticed a growing crowd at each game.

“I tell everybody that if they want a ticket they better buy one early, and if they want a seat they better get here early,” she said. “I’m hearing a lot more people talk about them — they’re a lot more aware.”

Saturday afternoon, the Jayhawks notched another victory against West Virginia at their home in Horejsi Family Athletics Center, 1550 Allen Fieldhouse Drive, making them 15-0 for the season.

KU grad student Quentin Qin, a self-proclaimed volleyball fan, likes to see the university’s team doing well. He came to watch Saturday’s game and show his support.

With KU’s undefeated record so far this year, Qin said, he’s also noticed a larger number of students at each game showing their support.

“Including me,” he added with a laugh.

KU’s head volleyball coach, Ray Bechard, attributes the team’s success so deep into the season to several different factors.

“We had a large group of underclassmen that matured a year. Seven freshmen became seven sophomores. That’s always a good thing,” he said. “The bulk of our team returned from last year as well.”

In addition, a recent team trip to Europe where they competed in seven matches in 12 days helped bring the student athletes closer together, Bechard said. The team traveled between Italy, Spain and France.

“It was not only an experience to compete but an experience to spend time together,” he said, “to allow the group to get to know each other and allow them to transition into the fall with a bit of momentum.”

Even other KU sports programs are taking notice of the volleyball team’s dream season.

At a recent press conference, head football coach David Beaty noticed Bechard in the auditorium and congratulated him on the winning streak, jokingly asking for a bit of help at Memorial Stadium.

“Great job, man. Awfully proud. Y’all keep it up,” Beaty said. “You guys are doing a great job in volleyball. … I need you to come over and help me a little bit, though, in your spare time.”

While KU’s volleyball team is off to an excellent start, Bechard said, it’s no phenomenon — rather, it’s the product of hard work and dedication through the years.

“We’ve been to the NCAA tournament three years prior to this and went head to head with some of the best,” he said. “Even though we’re off to our best start, the last three years have been good.”

The team has been working hard, and fans and peers have certainly taken notice, Bechard said. Each game the Jayhawks have been playing to huge and energetic crowds, he said.

“The gym’s been full,” he said. “I think over the past few years we’ve been building a loyal fan base who appreciate the atmosphere and how hard we play in such an intimate setting.

“Plus all the student athletes support each other, and we’ve got a nice core group of season ticket holders that have been very loyal,” he added. “It’s been a neat deal to see develop.”