photo by: Chance Parker/Journal-World photo

Kansas junior Camryn Turner is jubilant during the match against Marquette on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

The first-place ranking that the Kansas volleyball team received in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll has a lot to do with what the team accomplished last year, as head coach Ray Bechard acknowledged at a recent press conference.

KU went 14-4 in the league last season and brought back many of its most prominent players, including preseason all-conference picks London Davis, Ayah Elnady and Camryn Turner.

“We got some kids returning who played pretty good volleyball last year,” Bechard said, “and let’s be real honest, Texas isn’t in our league anymore.”

Indeed, the Longhorns, who won at least a share of the Big 12 title in 15 of the last 17 seasons, are on to the SEC, leaving a void for the Jayhawks to fill. But they won’t feel like they’re the class of the league until they actually take steps to put themselves there. As middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo said, they can’t bring their wins from last year into this season.

“I think it’s really cool to be recognized and people are like, ‘I see you,’ and that’s really cool,” Turner said, “but honestly it’s like, OK, yeah, let’s prove it.”

Added freshman middle blocker Zoey Burgess: “I feel like it doesn’t really put a lot of pressure on me. Now I just want to prove it to everybody that they were right.”

Of note, while the Jayhawks may have earned the nominal edge in the poll, five teams earned at least one first-place vote.

​​”And as I was doing my poll,” Bechard said, “I was putting people in at seven, eight and nine and thought, ‘Holy crap, these guys could win the league.'”

New arrival Arizona State, which made the Sweet 16 last year, and second-year Big 12 school BYU were not far behind KU in the final results.

Veteran outside hitter Caroline Bien suggested that the rankings don’t matter all that much to players within the program. But they might highlight KU as a team others want to take down.

“A lot of people, they’re already playing us and we have a huge target on our backs just with the success that we’ve had so far,” Bien said. “So it’s definitely going to be a challenge going into the season with a lot of people wanting to beat us. But that’s just kind of making us work harder and giving us higher expectation for the season.”

Those expectations have been reflected in fan demand. KU announced it had sold out season tickets on July 29 and is beginning to sell out individual matches.

“That gets me really excited.” Bien said. “I love to see a sold-out Horejsi. The energy in there is just the best.”

The Jayhawks will be back in action for the first time on Saturday, when they host Drake for an exhibition at 1 p.m.