Friday, December 7, 1834
Pago 8
Daily Ncbraskan
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Broncos out to quiet Huskers
By Hike George
Note: This In the list cf a three part
eeriea on Nebraska's volleyball oppo
nents la tho Uliscst EegtonsL
Western Michigan volleyball coach Rod
Buck knows a dangerous situation when
he sees It.
The Broncos 28-7, ere hosting the
Mideast Regional in Kalamazoo, Mich.,
this weekend, and that's En advantage.
Not only does the favorite, Pacific, have to
travel across the country to get there, the
Broncos can count on at least 4,000 peo
ple to show up and cheer them on.
But then there's the bad news. Pacific
murdered the California competition that
defeated the Broncos this season. Another
team, Penn State, whipped the Broncos
in three straight at friendly Read Field
house. Then the third team, Nebraska,
the Broncos' Saturday opponent, are big
ger and stronger and looking for revenge.
Western Michigan drew an NCAA record
crowd of over 8,000 to its 1933 NCAA
first-round victory over the Huskers. Ne
braska didn't have a full week to prepare
for that match like they did this year.
They also didn't know exactly what to
expect from their opponents. They do
now. Plus, Buck's team is younger than
last year and the seniors who hurt Ne
braska so much last season are gone.
"We are young and still learning, but we
won't have time to grow up before Satur-
day," Buck said. "But we'd better be ready
to play because I know Nebraska will
This will be a dog fight until the end."
Buck's team didn't rest on its 1033 lau
rels. Buck toughened a previously all
Eastern schedule with a trip to the West
Coast, an adventure that gave the Bron
cos three of their seven losses. It did help
hto nine-member squad mature.
"It's been a different season than last
year," he said. 'This year we have a very
young team. It's almost like a whole new
generation. We dont have a lot of matur
ity on this team, but we're developing it."
All-American JacSd Backus, the first
national-caliber player at the school cf
19,000, graduated. But Sarah Powers, a
6-1 middle blocker and Heather Sawyer, a
5-9 setter, both returned to anchor the
Western Michigan squad.
Powers leads the team in hitting with a
.341 percentage, while Sawyer has more
than 1,100 assists.
"We're a fairly good team offensively,"
Buck said. "We're really strong at attack
ing, but we've had some problems with
our serving. It's basically just a confi
dence problem."
The large crowds at Western Michigan
tend to help that confidence, Buck said.
That may be a factor in Saturday's match.
More than 1,500 $5 tickets were sold
the first day tickets were available in
Kalamazoo.
If the crowd is taken out of the match,
then Western will have to depend only on
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Wes&m iL.ichlcxn Sporta In! amtstion
Western Michigan's Heather
Sawyer.
its ball handling and speed to win, Buck
said. "Nebraska is bigger than us overall,"
he said.
The match will begin at 5 p.m. central
time. The winner will meet the winner of
the Penn State-Pacific match at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday.
O
Comparing NU and WMU:
Nebraska and Western Michigan had
six common opponents this season,
Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Pur
due, Northwestern, Ohio State and
Missouri.
Opponents Nebraska V7. tllch.
Loyola Mary- W-sweep Lrswept
mount
Pepperdine W-32
Purdue W-sweep
L-swept
W-32 &
L-23
W-31
W-sweep
W-sweep
Northwestern W-sweep
Ohio State W-sweep
Missouri W-31,
31 &
sweep
Record vs. NCAA Tourney Teams
7-3 4-5
Comparing the statistics on this
season (per game averages):
NU(1C3- WlIU (1C3-
Oppcneaia cznes) -gasaes)
Killsgame 14.74 14.21
Hitting Effic. .320 .291
Service aces 2.45 2.04
game
Solo Blocks 1.17 0.81
game
Blocking Asts. 3.93 3.45
game
Total Blocks 5.10 - 4.26
game
Digsgame 11.92 15.17
'Goliaths,' Moores
to settle area feud
By Kevin Wcracke
Doily Nebraskta Snbr Editor
Creighton University Assistant coach George Morrow
figures it's time. He says his players feel the same.
Nebraska coach Moe Iba isn't so sure.
Creighton's men's basketball team has not beaten the
Huskers since 19S0. Morrow said it's time for a"win.
In Creighton's 1980 victory over the Huskers, Morrow
was a member of the Bluejay squad.
"I'm the last to taste victory," he said.
Now, he said, he wants his players to be part of a
Creighton victory over Nebraska Saturday in Omaha.
Practices have been going well, he said, and the play
ers seem to want a victory.
"Vernon Moore (Creighton' guard) is a senior," he said,
"and he wants to win."
But Iba said he isn't about to get caught up in the law
of averages.
"If we're the better team, well win," he said.
The contest has been touted as a rematch between the
big men: Nebraska's Dave Hoppen and Creighton's
Benoit Benjamin. Both coaches said the game could be
won by other factors.
In the battle of the "seven-foot Goliaths," Morrow said,
"it's a great possibility" that they will neutralize each
other. But one could get fired up and dominate the other."
Hoppen and Benjamin carry the bulk of their teams
scoring load. Both average more than 20 points a game.
In their three matchups, Hoppen has outscored his rival
61-44, including a 27-10 thrashing in Lincoln last year.
Benjamin experienced early foul trouble in that game.
Both teams have a sidekick to their high-scoring cen
ters. Creighton's Vernon Moore currently is matching
Benjamin's scoring average, while Nebraska's Curti3
Moore is tallying 17 points a game.
Morrow said he isnt sure who will guard Curtis Moore,
but if he gets hot, Creighton could be in trouble.
Iba said guard Brian Carr will guard Vernon Moore
first, but all Nebraska guards will get their turn.
Both coaches echoed the importance of a victory,
which earns bragging rights for basketball supremacy in
Nebraska.
"It's a very important game," Iba said
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' Nebraslut Ccach Kel Hill makes a pclnt.
Women 's records
may deceive fans
By Jka Essncsscn
Dsily Ncbrasita Sesokr Ecpoiter
The Creighton women's basketball team has won six
of seven games heading into Saturday's matchup with
Nebraska, while the Cornhuskers have won only one of
four.
Records would seem to indicate Creighton should
win, but the opposing coaches say records may be
deceiving in this case.
"We're not as good as our record indicates," said Lady
Jay Coach Bruce Rasmussen, "WeVe played well when
we needed to, and weVe gotten away with playing poorly
at times."
Rasmussen said Nebraska's tough schedule has a lot
to do with the Huskers' 1-4 mark. Nebraska went 0-2 at
the Dial Classic in Minneapolis last weekend, losing to
Minnesota and nationally-ranked Tennessee.
"Actually, we match up pretty well with Creighton,
Husker Coach Kelly Hill said. "They dont have a dom
inating center, and neither do we. I think we have more
quickness and speed with our perimeter players."
Nebraska will try to take advantage of its speed, Hill
said, applying lots of pressure on defense and running
with the ball on offense.
Hill said Nebraska will have to stop Creighton star
Connie Yori to be successfuL
"She's a tremendous player," Hill said. "We're going to
have to keep her under 20 points or we could be in for a
long night."
Yori is averaging 18.6 points per game, but has been
bothered by a foot injury. The 5-10 junior may see
limited action against Nebraska Rasmussen said, depend
ing on how the foot holds up.
"It's bothering her quite a bit," he said. "One day she
can go on it, and the next day she cant We're planning
on playing her, but you just dont know."
Nebraska is having injury problems of its own.
Freshman guard Maurtice Ivy will likely miss the game
with a pulled thigh muscle. Starting guard Stacy Imming
will play, but may not be at full speed. Imming is
suaering from a pairuul wisdom tooth that has prevented
her from eating solid food this wek.
"She's been drinking a lot of shakes," Hill said.
Despite the injuries, both coaches said they expect an
intense basketball game.
Every game is important to us because we dont have a
g-eat tradition in women's basketball," Rasmussen said"
But because Nebraska is the ether big in-state school,
and we recruit the same area and get publicity in the
same area, this is definitely a big game for us."
Rasmussen said he's been pleased with his team's
KEi k S8on' 1Je LyJays won their firsc six games
nht m3 Kansas' 63-67' t Lawrence Tuesday
Ccnlincacl cn F&3 10