Hampshire's Wehrs sisters set to call Kansas home
Rock, chalk, double Jayhawk.
Hampshire junior girls volleyball standouts Kara and Amy Wehrs, twin 16-year-old sisters who helped lead the Whip-Purs to a runner-up finish in Class 2A last season, verbally committed to play for the University of Kansas on Sunday morning during their second official visit.
The girls were initially offered scholarships by Kansas during a visit in late July, but also seriously considered an offer from the University of Iowa.
After spending last weekend at the Kansas campus, the Wehrs sisters gave their commitments to the Jayhawks staff.
"This is a dream come true," Kara said. "I've been searching for a while for a school where I could fit in, and KU does that for me. It feels like a weight is lifted. I now know my home for four years after high school, and it feels great."
Said Amy: "We got to spend time with the team, see what the players' lifestyle is like every day. What they did was so much fun, and we had so much fun down there with the team. It was comforting. It's like a family down there, and the campus is beautiful."
Kara Wehrs set a school record for single-season assists last year with 812. An all-around player, she also recorded 202 digs, 55 aces, 97 block kills and 92 kills in 2007.
Amy Wehrs is one of the area's most fearsome high school hitters. Last season she totaled team highs with 346 kills and 62 aces.
Both hold grade-point averages of 4.0 at Hampshire, both are two-time all-Big Northern Conference selections, both were named to the Daily Herald All-Area team last year, both were selected Class 2A all-state honorable mention in 2007 and both were key members of Club Fusion's 16-black team, which won the open national championship last summer.
Now both are Jayhawks.
"I think it's great for both of them, playing at this level and going together," Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse said. "I think Kansas is a very lucky school to have both of them."
As their college recruitment heated up, the Wehrs sisters realized they wanted to attend college together, which hadn't been a priority early in the process. That decision narrowed the field to Kansas and Iowa.
Kara (5-foot-11) will set at Kansas, whereas 5-foot-9 Amy may or may not undergo a position switch. Amy said the Kansas staff will give her a shot to play the second outside hitter position, or L2, if she proves she can be a shotmaker at her height. But she'll see playing time either way.
"They said I would definitely have a chance of playing in the back three rotations as a defensive specialist," Amy said.
Kara plans to major in Kinesiology. Amy plans to study in exercise science with an eye toward a career in physical therapy.