Kansas University libero Cassie Wait makes a dig in front of teammate Tayler Soucie (10) during their volleyball match against Western Illinois in the Jayhawk Invitational Tournament on Sept. 4 at the Horejsi Center. Juniors Wait, from Gardner, and Soucie, from Osawatomie, give the Jayhawks’ rotation a Kansas flavor.

Tied for first in the Big 12, the Kansas volleyball team visits Kansas State today (7 p.m.) in a rematch of an Oct. 12 match Kansas won, 25-15, 25-20, 25-23.

Kansas (20-2 overall, 9-1 in the Big 12) is ranked No. 4 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll and Kansas State (17-6, 6-4) is not ranked, but the computers like the Wildcats (No. 14 in the RPI rankings) better than the Jayhawks (No. 16).

That says more about the flaws in computer rankings than about the relative strengths of the teams, but the Wildcats bring offensive firepower (first in Big 12 play with 14.05 kills per set) and a 10-2 record at Ahern Fieldhouse.

Kansas boasts the best defense in the Big 12, ranking first in conference matches with a .164 opponents’ hitting percentage and 2.71 blocks per set.

A pair of seniors who competed for Kansas high schools, both recruited by Kansas State, have a lot to do with those numbers. Cassie Wait, a libero, leads the Big 12 with 5.09 digs per set and middle blocker Tayler Soucie is second with 1.37 blocks per set.

Kansas coach Ray Bechard always thinks defense first, which is one reason he has such a great appreciation for the efforts of both Wait, from Gardner Edgerton High, and Soucie, from Osawatomie High.

“She’s very competitive, No. 1,” Bechard said of Wait. “No. 2, she’s athletic. She’s got range, so she can push off and her reaction time to increase her range is as good as any we’ve ever seen. … Cassie can just make plays out of pretty pure athleticism. Then her technical skill has caught up with her athletic ability, and as those two have come together, we’ve seen a pretty special competitor and defensive player.”

Bechard explained how Soucie’s play at the net makes it easier on the rest of the defense.

“She takes away area,” Bechard said. “So you can go up and block, but if you don’t take away area, you make it a little harder on the people behind you. So she goes up, she’s disciplined every time and she takes away area.

Reaching over the block by three inches equates to taking away 9 square feet of area behind you, or something like that. She is so good at that. Of course her motor, too. Regardless of the outcome of the play before, she’s going to give you her very best effort on the next play.”