Jayhawks soar into postseason

KU athletics achieved arguably the best fall sports season in history: football, volleyball and soccer teams enjoyed outstanding regular seasons and earned trips to postseason play.

Football
The Jayhawks are making their first postseason appearance since 1995. KU will face ACC foe N.C. State Dec. 22 in the Mazda Tangerine Bowl. The game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and in Orlando's Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

Head coach Mark Mangino became the first KU football coach since 1975 to lead his team to a bowl appearance in only his second season on campus. Only three other KU coaches-George Sauer (1948 Orange Bowl), Pepper Rodgers (1969 Orange Bowl) and Bud Moore (1975 Sun Bowl) guided their teams to bowl games in either their first or second seasons in Lawrence. Mangino is looking to become the first coach in the group to win his inaugural bowl appearance.

Athletics Director Lew Perkins (right) congratulates KU football coach Mark Mangino during a press conference to announce that the Jayhawks will be playing in the Tangerine Bowl. Jeff Jacobsen/KUAC

"We appreciate the invitation, and on behalf of all the players, coaches, support staff, administrators and the great fans at the University of Kansas, we accept the invitation and will be there to compete in the Tangerine Bowl," said Mangino. "We are all looking forward to getting down there and having fun and playing a very good game."

Travel packages and ticketing information are available at:
http://www.kuathletics.com/football/tangerine/index.html

Volleyball

Click on photo to view video of NCAA tournament selection announcement

For the first time in the program's 28-year history, the University of Kansas volleyball team made an appearance in the NCAA National Volleyball Tournament. Kansas, one of six Big 12 conference teams invited to the 64-team tournament, beat Long Beach State on Dec. 4 in Malibu, Calif., in the first round. The Jayhawks then fell to Pepperdine in the second round.

"The pain of the loss is already gone. We've accomplished so much this season and it will benefit this team in the years to come," said senior Sarah Rome after the Pepperdine game. "But we understood that we deserved to be on that floor tonight."

Senior Sarah Rome pumped her fists as she fired up the KU volleyball team before the fourth game of Friday's match against Pepperdine. Pepperdine eliminated the Jayhawks from the NCAA Tournament in four games. Jeff Jacobsen/ KUAC

Kansas finishes its 2003 season 22-11 overall, 13-7 in the Big 12 and 1-1 in NCAA Tournament play -- its best season ever. KU defeated three ranked opponents during the year and recorded the most conference victories in school history. The Jayhawks received votes in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches' Poll for four weeks during the regular season, including three times in November, when KU went 7-1.

"I am extremely proud of this team," KU coach Ray Bechard said. "We played at a very high level and it was hard to maintain. We have a great future ahead of us but it will be hard to match the chemistry the team has had these last six to eight weeks.

Soccer

Caroline Smith

The Kansas soccer team recorded its best season in school history. After qualifying for the national tournament, the Jayhawks advanced to the Sweet 16.

KU finished its season ranked 16th in the country with a final record of 18-6-1. The Jayhawks were led by Caroline Smith. As a sophomore, Smith has been selected as one of 15 semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Award, the highest individual honor in women's collegiate soccer, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She has also been named one of 12 finalists for Soccer Buzz Magazine's 2003 Women's Soccer Player of the Year.

Success was not limited to the playing field for this year's team, which also received the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the 2003 season.

A total of 336 intercollegiate soccer programs (71 men, 265 women) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, thus qualifying for the honor.

The awards will be presented at the College Coaches Luncheon Jan. 15 at the 57th Annual NSCAA Convention in Charlotte, N.C.