Confidence the key for London Davis

When the preseason all-Big 12 volleyball honors came out, Kansas senior London Davis saw her name included among the best players in the conference and had one quick thought.

I can do this.

Thursday night, during the 10th-ranked Jayhawks’ convincing victory over No. 6 Purdue at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, Davis did in fact do it, leading the Jayhawks with 22 kills and a .513 hitting percentage in the four-set victory.

Davis was lights out from the beginning and set the tone with her physicality and efficient play on the attack.

After her fifth kill in seven attempts in the first set alone, Davis put two fists in the air and motioned to the bench with Tiger Woods-like intensity after Purdue called timeout.

It’s one thing to be good, which Davis was on Thursday night. But it’s another to be that clutch.

The only player on the floor for either team who had more kills than Davis in the opening set was Purdue’s Eva Hudson. And she needed twice as many swings to get them.

“London, offensively, was awesome,” KU coach Ray Bechard said after the match.

Asked if Davis’ clutch play in a top-10 clash taught him anything about her that he didn’t know, Bechard shrugged it off.

“Nah. Been there, done that,” he said. “But, it’s harder when everybody in the gym knows where the ball’s going and you’re still producing. That was a breakout for London this year, for sure. (She) carried the load tonight.”

It’s funny that Bechard used the phrase “carried the load” following Thursday’s match, because it’s actually a lightening of her load that has led to Davis’ strong start to the season.

A senior majoring in behavioral neuroscience, Davis finally saw her class load lighten up just enough this semester to allow her to devote even more time to volleyball.

“I’ve been in watching lots of film, I’ve been in for extra reps and I think it’s really paying off,” she told R1S1 Sports after Thursday’s victory. “The preseason awards are great, the recognition and all that, but I try not to let that affect my season and just take it one day at a time.”

It’s been that way throughout Davis’ KU career. And she said her clutch gene comes from her connection with setter Cam Turner, who was equally spectacular during Thursday’s win, recording 59 assists and 17 digs.

As far back as freshman year, Davis and Turner often found themselves on the same squad in practice, locking in and finding a way to make each other better. Davis remembers Bechard putting them, as freshmen, in situations in practice where they faced a 23-18 deficit and had to climb out of it.

“Coach B would say, ‘Make it happen,’ and I think those times really created that connection,” Davis said. “She trusts me, I trust her and we work really great together.”

Four times during Thursday's first set — won in extra time by KU, 31-29 — Davis thwarted a set point opportunity for Purdue with a kill on a perfectly placed set from Turner.

After taking the first set, the Jayhawks — and Davis — played with the momentum and aggressor’s mentality for most of the rest of the night.

“It helps me get into a groove for sure,” Davis said of a fast start. “When I get that kind of trust and confidence in myself, that’s when I feel like I can start making more shots and being crafty.”

Davis’ 14th kill of the night smashed into the face of Purdue’s Ryan McAleer, who took it like a champ and stayed in the match. You haven’t really played volleyball if you haven’t been pegged in the face like that, but Davis said the momentum kill still brought even more juice to KU’s side of the net.

“I will say, it’s really exciting,” she said. “And I think, like everything else, it gives me the confidence that I’m swinging high and hard.”

Confidence is never something Davis has lacked. But it’s also never something she’s had quite this much of. She credits a conversation with Bechard in the offseason for that.

“(2023 kills leader) Reagan Cooper was a really big part of our offense last year, and, with her not being here this year, Coach B instilled a lot of trust and confidence in me to handle that job,” Davis told R1S1 Sports. “I think seeing that preseason honor really instilled it again and gave me confidence that I can step into that role and be that person for this team.”

So far, so good. Through eight matches — all victories — Davis has recorded 72 kills (2.67 per set) while hitting with high efficiency to the tune of .372 in 27 sets.

Her steady presence as an opposite side hitter has given the Jayhawks great balance offensively and allowed Turner to run a dynamic offense that can hurt teams from many different points of attack.

All of it has lined up perfectly with the goals she wrote down for herself during the preseason. While the KU coaching staff asks the Jayhawks to project specific numbers as part of their goal-setting exercise, they also ask each player to write down what she wants to be for the team and what she wants to be for herself.

“Our coaches are really good about keeping our mentals in the game,” Davis said. “So for the team, I want to be a motivator, I want to bring the energy and I want to stay consistent and then, for me, I want to stay confident and, again, consistent.”

Next up, the Jayhawks will host 8-2 Tulsa in their second match of this weekend’s Jayhawk Classic. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday night.

KU will take on No. 9 Creighton at 3 p.m. Saturday in the final match of the event.

— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com