A 2nd chance at a sweet goodbye

Things did not quite go the way they hoped they would when the Kansas volleyball team hosted Senior Night last week.

But thanks to the Jayhawks’ strong season that delivered a No. 3 seed — No. 12 overall — in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, the six KU seniors get a chance for a reprise.

All Big 12 postseason honors...

• Freshman of the Year - Reese Ptacek

• Scholar Athlete of the Year - Caroline Bien

• First-team all-Big 12 - Camryn Turner, Ayah Elnady, Toyosi Onabanjo & Reese Ptacek

• Second-team all-Big 12 - Caroline Bien & London Davis

• All-Rookie team - Reese Ptacek (the only unanimous selection)

Last week, in front of a packed and emotionally charged Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena, the Jayhawks lost to 24th-ranked BYU in four sets, despite fighting like mad to win the third and nearly forcing a fifth.

It was still a special night and the six seniors who are saying goodbye were honored way more for their contributions to the program over the long haul than the singular result last Wednesday night. Still, losing stings. Especially for this bunch. And now they get a chance to make it right.

Barring something crazy happening at the top of the bracket — No. 1 seed Louisville and No. 2 Stanford would both have to lose in the first or second round this weekend — the Jayhawks now know that Friday and/or Saturday night will be it for them in their home gym.

Caroline Bien and Cam Turner, Brynn McGehe, Ayah Elnady, Toyosi Onabanjo and London Davis – two Kansans. One late bloomer. One international standout. One transfer. And one of the most selfless players in the history of the program.

That’s the group that will be saying goodbye to their adoring home crowd, win or lose this weekend, starting with Friday’s first-round match against Colgate, and then, if they get by that one, with a second-round clash with the NC State-Florida winner on Saturday.

Talk about a special group. They’ve done a lot at Horejsi over the years, and been incredibly consistent and successful — both with the lights on and when nobody was watching.

Four straight NCAA Tournament appearances — back to back times hosting — and plenty of postseason success to remember. One of the top two or three most consistently competitive teams in the Big 12 Conference during their time. A whole bunch of wins (24-4 this season and counting), stacking success and creating new standards, and the growth of Kansas volleyball's brand on a national scale, attracting nationally televised games and interest from coast to coast.

“With success, those kinds of things happen," KU coach Ray Bechard told R1S1 of this senior class. "But I don’t think you get the identifiable piece of it unless those athletes are also good people and great human beings, too.”

“You’re doing it with people who will look you in the eye when they see you at HyVee or in the autograph line and thank you for coming. They show the gratitude and the grace that’s important when they communicate with people. And then they’re showing the grit that’s necessary to create a successful, competitive environment. That’s a nice mix.”

Because of that, the chance to say goodbye the right way, with a couple of victories instead of that loss to BYU, is all any of them could ask for and seems incredibly fitting.

Friday's match with Colgate is slated for 6:30 p.m.