Alumni, international students honored by KU volleyball in West Virginia

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

Kansas senior Ayah Elnady attacks the West Virginia block on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

On a day of ceremonies in which Kansas volleyball retired the jersey of all-time leader Josi Lima and honored Ayah Elnady and other international student-athletes, the victory over West Virginia (25-18, 25-13, 25-18) was the only conference victory icing on the cake.

“It’s great to have all these guys back. We were trying to find our way the first couple of years here… and these guys kind of jump-started the program years ago and are still making a lasting impact,” said head coach Ray Bechard. “To see them all lined up here with their family… it’s kind of like a dad or daddy proud moment.”

Elnady, a native of Cairo, Egypt and the only international student on the current Jayhawk team, led Team Kansas to a handy victory on Saturday with 14 kills, increasing her offensive contributions in a quieter year for her offensively.

“In warmups, you always know when that spark comes in Ayah, and that’s when you say, ‘OK, it’s game time and she’s ready,’” setter Camryn Turner said. “I just love her because she always brings so much fire and spark to our team. I love playing with her.”

International Students Day was the perfect moment for Elnada to end the match, where she received recognition along with other international athletes between the second and third sets.

“She’s so humble and never really takes credit for anything. So I feel like it’s just a little bit of time to make her feel special,” Turner said. “And her sister is here today too, so it was a really good day for Ayah.”

The Jayhawks and Mountaineers started the first set by trading points until a six-point run by Kansas made it 10-4. The team’s offense kept their foot on the gas pedal, hitting .343 with just two hitting errors, but West Virginia was successful in setting up Kansas’ tenacious block for several multi-point runs that brought the rivals within a tie.

Kansas led 23-13 at halftime before the Mountaineers went on a 4-1 run after several bounces off the block that gave the Jayhawks a six-point game and a delayed set goal. Elnada’s fifth kill of the match gave Kansas a point score, and her sixth kill of the set at midcourt won the first set for the Jayhawks 25-18.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Kansas taking a 5-1 lead and the Mountaineers going up 9-6. From that point on, the Jayhawks regained control, took a 14-7 lead after a four-point run and didn’t give up. While several West Virginia scoring runs kept the score steady in the first set, Kansas went on a 10-3 run to finish the set decisively with a 25-13 victory.

Toyosi Onabanjo was Kansas’ mainstay at the net as Elnady cooled off a bit, but he contributed some huge kills in key moments. London Davis sprained her ankle early in the set and was replaced on the opposite court by sophomore middle blocker Ellie Schneider. Schneider scored three kills in the set to loud cheers from her teammates, who gave her important attacking help.

“It’s great fun to have that support system that makes me feel confident that they’re going to be rooting for me,” Schneider said. “I definitely had to shake off the nerves, but honestly, once I started getting support from my team and knowing that Coach B would call me, it was really comforting.”

The Mountaineers stepped up their offensive game in the third quarter, creating an effective offense against the Kansas block and hitting .250 in the set. That gave them an early lead of 12-10 before a five-point Jayhawk run woke up the offense and forced a timeout. Schneider and Elnady remained at the forefront of the attack, combining for eight kills in the set, including Kansas’ final four points of the match.

“We have such a competitive gym that almost anyone can play at any time. So knowing that others have had to do it, everyone is always ready,” Schneider said. “And I really think our team that plays against (the starters) is always ready because we play against the No. 8 team in the country every day.”

Elnady’s 14th kill of the match resulted in a 25-18 victory and gave the Mountaineers the advantage. Elnady also led the way with 13 digs on a quiet day for the Jayhawk defense, while Turner dished out 37 assists as her team hit an overall mark of .350.

“Fourteen kills and 13 digs again – that led us to the dig. I never thought I’d say this: ‘Ayah Elnady led us to the dig,’ and I’ll be telling her that,” Bechard said. “But she’s been working on that part of her game, and I think she wants to make this last stretch special and be all-in the whole time.”

The Jayhawks once again relied on someone stepping into their shoes to keep the momentum going and lead the team to victory, a trend seen among Kansas’ younger players this year.

“They are on call,” Bechard said. “In practice, there are situations when someone walking in cannot tell which side will be side A and which side B. That’s the competition. And that is what creates opportunities like today.”

Kansas’ next-man mentality was born from a perfect balance of seasoned veterans and a six-man freshman class eager for guidance and experience. This combination has worked well through the Jayhawks’ first 21 games, and with a month left in the season, the team will face its biggest challenge as four of its next six games will come against ranked conference opponents. This episode begins on Wednesday with Kansas traveling to Tempe, Arizona to take on No. 13 Arizona State.

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

Kansas senior Ayah Elnady drives the ball in a game against West Virginia’s Maddy McGath on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

Kansas senior Camryn Turner records an assist in a game against West Virginia on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. Turner finished the game with 37 assists.

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

Kansas senior Toyosi Onabanjo hits the ball over a pair of West Virginia defenders on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

From left, junior Rhian Swanson of Kansas, sophomore Raegan Burns, senior Camryn Turner and senior Ayah Elnady celebrate scoring a point against West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

Kansas senior Caroline Bien tries to attack against West Virginia on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

Kansas senior Toyosi Onabanjo hits the ball over a pair of West Virginia defenders on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

photo: Landon Cory/Special to Journal World

Kansas senior London Davis tries to attack against West Virginia on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.