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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 2000)
— SOFTBALL - Huskers will start conference play against Tigers on Saturday By Sean Callahan Staffwriter When the Nebraska softball team begins Big 12 play this weekend against Missouri, the Huskers will be on a five-game winning streak. The Comhuskers extended their winning streak to five games earlier this week with a two-game sweep over in-state rival Creighton. The Huskers (18-15) will open conference play with a pair of games against the Tigers (24-10) scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Nebraska Softball Complex. Saturday’s game against UM will give No. 26 Nebraska some national exposure with Fox Sports Net sched uled to cover the game live. Junior pitcher Penny Cope said it is very important for NU to get off to a good start in the conference. “Just because our record isn’t like we want it to be, people aren’t going to take us very seriously,” Cope said. “If we can come out and start strong with a couple of wins, I think we’ll get the respect we deserve.” The kind of respect Cope wants for Nebraska is evident in the schedule the Huskers have played this season. In the 33 games NU has played, 10 have been against top-10 opponents. The Huskers have been able to pull out wins in only two of those games -Oregon State and California. Sophomore Heather Martin said even though NU has not had success against the nation’s elite, the close loss es will help them down the road. “The season is a long road,” Martin said. “We play a lot of tough teams to prepare us better. It is going to be a big advantage for us at the end of the sea son playing the kind of competition we face. ” When Missouri comes into Lincoln it will be on an eight-game winning streak. The Tigers have won 15 of their last 17 games. One impor tant note is that Missouri has played only two ranked teams all season, compared to the 11 NU has faced. Letter prepares to shine in Iowa GYMNASTICS from page 20 expect him to do well. “It’s all about presentation,” Leiter said. “It’s showing the judge you know exactly what you’re going to do. A great gymnast does any skill he wants to. It makes him look better than everyone else. Marshall was a great gymnast like that. So was Jay. That’s what I want to be like.” Leiter knows Hardabura’s hot streak last year helped him finish his title run. He also knows Hardabura is known as last year’s NCAA champi on, not the guy who put together the hot streak. It will be how Leiter performs in the end, not his dynamite senior cam paign, that will be remembered most once his career is history. That’s why his mind has been in Iowa City for so long. “I don’t feel like I’ve reached my peak yet,” Leiter said. “I think that will come after the NCAAs. It’s the only meet that counts.” —VOLLEYBALL— Puerto Rican vacation yields win for Huskers By Mike Callahan Jr. Staff writer Fun, sun, the beach, spring break ... volleyball practice. But what better way for a new coach to kick off his tenure at NU than to take his team to Puerto Rico to begin spring practice. That’s how Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook began at NU last week. It wasn’t all just fun in the sun, of course. From 8 to 11 a.m., the team practiced Monday through Friday. But after 11 a.m., the women were free to relish spring break. Coach Cook was happy with how everything went. “It’s great training on spring break, and the kids’ spirits were high spending it in Puerto Rico,” Cook said. “It was good for the people of Puerto Rico to see what we can do in Nebraska.” One particular player wanted very much to show the strength of NU vol leyball. Greichaly Cepero, a sophomore-to be setter, is from Dorado, Puerto Rico. About 30 of her family members were around throughout the week. It was an especially big deal for her because she took a lot of heat leaving her home country, where she could have played for the national volleyball team, Cook said. Cook said the reason for the trip was part of Cepero’s recruitment. “She was promised to go back on spring break with the team,” Cook said. “It was a very cultural experience, and all of us were very impressed by her family’s hospitality.” NU did play a little competitive vol leyball on the trip. The team battled a national team called, “Cagus.” NU annihilated them, taking three of four games in a best-of five rally series at American University. Senior setter Jill McWilliams also had a great time and is excited about the potential of this team and the competi tion with Cepero for the setter position. “We’ve been practicing the 5-1 set so far, and I think that really will be a good thing,” said McWilliams. “Right now, it’s between Greichaly and I for the setter position, so there’s a lot to be decided before fall.” NU easily defeated what’s consid ered to be the strongest team in Puerto Rico, despite probably spending five or more hours a day on the beach with not much practice under their belts. Coach Cook may be creating a monster. listen up class of 2000! «•§ someone’s gotta win an incredible trip for ten to graduation countdown class of 2000 network graduation announcements online gift registry real world guide careers and it might as well be you! ^and a whole lot more IOl com from your friends at The Daily Nebraskan SWad2000. enter to win a vacation for ten to -w. L, Z ^ ? 'pit ' 4 Wl'-L w ", 1| W -I ffel- Slip Wiry -cWifil Ipl ^:W>. W:; Wri ^888^’ W including hotel, airfare, eurail pass, digital camera and more! iegradkhhliS* The right start in the real world." ©JOBTRAK.COM "The best site for students t grads lookiiig for their first job.” - Forties Magazine Baseball team tries for ranking BASEBALL from page 20 Van Horn said despite Nebraska’s need to start sweeping Big 12 teams, the team is on a good pace. Last year, the team was 17-6 at this point and 5-4 after their first nine Big 12 games but finished the season by winning the Big 12 tour nament. 1 his year s team has a higher ceiling,” he said. “Not everyone who can be a great hitter is hitting well. If we continue to get it together, this team can achieve great things.” Andy Bent, a junior relief pitch er, said the Husker players are feel ing the pressure to start dominating Big 12 teams. “We all know what it takes to get to the top of the conference,” he said. “And we feel like it has to start with a sweep over Tech this week end.” Bent said the team is confident it can make a move to sit atop the Big 12 standings at season’s end, but he said the move must start soon. “We can’t win some and lose some,” he said. “We need to start winning them all, and we need to do it before we dig ourselves too deep of a hole.” me piayers oeneve iney are capable of winning the conference, Bent said. “Both sides of the ball are play ing well,” he said. “Our hitters are on a hot streak, and it’s a lot easier to be a pitcher when your hitters are hot.” After this weekend’s series, the Huskers will have played 16 games in 22 days, but Bent said that has only helped the team. “It’s a lot better playing a bunch of games in a row,” he said. “It’s tough to get up for practices, but playing in so many games keeps hot streaks alive.”