Kansas Athletics announces Hall of Fame class for 2023 that celebrates Title IX
LAWRENCE — Kansas Athletics announced its 2023 Hall of Fame class in June, honoring seven individuals and four teams in a celebration of Title IX.
Here’s a look at who was recognized, and why:
Ainise Havili (volleyball)
Ainise Havili helped Kansas volleyball win a Big 12 Conference championship in 2016, during a career that spanned 2014-17. While competing for the Jayhawks, Havili earned the 2017 AVCA Midwest Region Player of the Year honor and became the first in Big 12 history to win the conference’s setter of the year award three times. A four-time All-American who set the program’s all-time record for career assists, she also reached the NCAA tournament all four years and was a part of a Final Four run in 2015.
Nina Khmelnitckaia (tennis)
Nina Khmelnitckaia enjoyed success in singles and doubles during her Kansas tennis career, which spanned from 2015-19 and included four NCAA tournament appearances — including a Sweet 16 run in 2019. Alongside her doubles teammate, Janet Koch, Khmelnitckaia was a part of one of the most formidable doubles teams that final year and spent time ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Jayhawks also won the Big 12 tournament in 2019.
Janet Koch (tennis)
Janet Koch’s career with Kansas tennis spanned 2015-19, so she was a part of those four NCAA tournament appearances and the Sweet 16 run in 2019. That final year, when they finished ranked No. 5 in the nation, her doubles team with Nina Khmelnitckaia went 26-6 and had a 17-4 record against ranked foes. Koch, also formidable in singles, also contributed to the Big 12 tournament championship in 2019.
Kelsie Payne (volleyball)
Kelsie Payne’s Kansas volleyball career spanned 2014-17, which means she was on those four NCAA tournament teams — including the one that made the Final Four in 2015. When the Jayhawks won the Big 12 title in 2016, she was the conference’s player of the year. A three-time All-American, she wrapped up her career as the program’s all-time leader in career kills, kills per set and hitting percentage.
Anastasia Rychagova (tennis)
Anastasia Rychagova’s career with Kansas tennis spanned 2015-19, so she also has four NCAA tournament appearances and Sweet 16 experience in 2019. A talented singles and doubles player, as a junior she spent the entire season ranked in the top 10 for singles and some of it at No. 1. As a senior, she was the ITA Central Player of the Year and a first team All-American.
Liana Salazar (soccer)
Liana Salazar’s Kansas soccer career spanned 2011-15, which saw the midfielder play on two NCAA tournament teams and earn three All-Big 12 first team selections. Salazar, whose all-conference honors go further than that, was also named a third team All-American talent in 2015 by the United Soccer Coaches. She is still one of the most prolific goal scorers in program history, and internationally has reached the FIFA Women’s World Cup (2011, 2015) and Summer Olympics (2012, 2016) with Colombia’s national team.
Lindsay Vollmer (track and field)
Lindsay Vollmer’s career competing in track and field at Kansas spanned 2011-15, and her be a part of the Jayhawks’ outdoor national championship in 2013. Vollmer, who also won an individual national championship in the heptathlon in 2013 at the outdoor national championships, was an All-American three times. And she has four Big 12 titles as well, with two victories in the pentathlon and two in the heptathlon.
2011-12 women’s track and field
This Kansas women’s track and field team included two indoor national champions and a number of All-Americans in indoor and outdoor, not to mention a 1,600-meter relay team that captured All-America honors for indoor and outdoor. Those indoor national champions were Diamond Dixon in the 400-meter dash and Andrea Geubelle in the triple jump. As a team, the Jayhawks finished as the runner-up at both the NCAA’s indoor national championships and Big 12’s outdoor championships.
2012-13 women’s track and field
This Kansas women’s track and field team was the runner-up at the indoor nationals, but did capture the 2013 outdoor national championship. That came as the Jayhawks won the Big 12’s indoor and outdoor championships and boasted numerous All-Americans. And there were four individual national titles as well, between Natalia Bartnovskaya (pole vault, indoor nationals), Andrea Geubelle (long jump and triple jump, indoor nationals) and Lindsay Vollmer (heptathlon, outdoor nationals).
2015 volleyball
This Kansas volleyball team finished second in the Big 12 and was the No. 9 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. It topped Furman, Missouri, Loyola Marymount and USC to reach the Final Four and finished the season with a program record for winning percentage behind its 30-3 (.909) record. Ainise Havili and Kelsie Payne were both All-Americans for the Jayhawks on this squad.
2019 tennis
This Kansas tennis team won the Big 12 tournament as it reached its fourth NCAA tournament in a row. The Jayhawks finished with a 21-5 record, including a 16-0 mark at home, and reached the Sweet 16. Nina Khmelnitckaia, Janet Koch and Anastasia Rychagova were all first team All-Americans on a squad that finished the season ranked No. 8 by the USTA and No. 13 by the ITA.
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Title IX celebrated in Kansas Athletics' 2023 Hall of Fame class
