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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 1985)
Thursday, December 12. 1985 Daily Nebraskan Page 13 ? i Face Purdue Friday Top volleyball action.here this weekend By Jim Ballard Staff Reporter For those interested in seeing some of the best college volleyball action in the nation, they need go no farther than the Bob Devaney Sports Center this weekend. The Mid-East Regionals of the NCAA volleyball tournament will be taking place there. The competing teams are Southern California, the No. 4-ranked team in the nation, No. 6-ranked Nebraska, No. 10 ranked Purdue and No. 11-ranked Illi nois. The tournament will begin on Friday with Illinois, 39-2, against USC 23-8 at 6 p.m. At 8 p.m., host team Nebraska, 27-2 will play Purdue, 34-3. The winners of these games will meet Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for the right to advance to the Final Four in Kalamazoo, Mich. "I feel we have one of the strongest of the four regions," Nebraska volley ball coach Terry Pettit said. "Both Consistency most important goal of basketball's Bolli By Chuck Green Staff Reporter Consistency is important to Stephanie Bolli, both on and off the basketball court. Bolli, a 5-10 sophomore forward from Burwell, has been consistent enough to start for the Cornhuskers three of the first four games this season. She also has been consistent enough in the classroom to earn a spot on the Big Eight Conference Honor Role as a freshman. "My main goal is to play with consis tency," Bolli said, "and to become an academic ail-American." 'Her confidence is much higher this year. Right now, she's pro bably the most steady player on the team.' - Kelly Hill, UNL women's basketball head coach Coach Kelly Hill said she sees Bolli's consistency as one of the most impor tant aspects of this year's team. "Stephanie's played above and beyond what I expected of her," Hill said. "She's come on and played with more consistency than last year, and we couldn't be more pleased. We knew all along that she was a good athlete it was just a matter of time for her to mature." In the three games she's started this season, Bolli has shot 56 percent from the floor, scoring on 15 of 27 field goal attempts and 86 percent from the free throw line, sinking 12 of 14 attempts. She is fifth on the team in scoring and her 25 rebounds are the team's third best. "I guess I've done more than I Jowdy swimming faster in second season By Jim Ballard Staff Reporter As a freshman last year, Ed Jowdy was a key - contributor to the men's swimming team. This year he's been even more impressive. "He's swimming faster now than last year - when he was unshaved," Nebraska men's swim ming coach Cal Bentz said. "Right now, my times are a lot better than last year at this time," Jowdy said. he keeps improving, Bentz said, that could matches on Friday, and the one on Sat urday, will be excellent matches." Huskers playing well Pettit said he thinks the Huskers will likely be playing their best volley ball of the season this weekend. "We've trained hard all season long, and traditionally we always play our best volleyball during the NCAA tour nament," Pettit said. "Purdue is a very good team, and we can't afford to be out of control when we play them. In order to win, we need to have consistent play, to be organ ized, we'll have to be in position to make strong blocks, and we're going to have to serve and pass well." Pettit also said that playing in the Sports Center is what the players have wanted to do all season. "The ladies are real excited about playing there, because it's the class facility on campus. I think because we're playing there, we should also expected to this year," Bolli said. "I didn't expect to start." Monday against Grand View College, Bolli shot 60 percent from the field and made one free throw for a total of 13 points. She also pulled down eight rebounds. "I didn't play as well (against Grand View) as I have been playing," Bolli said. As a senior at Burwell High School, Bolli said she was recruited "more than average" by in-state colleges, as well as a few larger schools like Missouri and Kansas State. Bolli saw limited action last season as a freshman, playing in only nine games. She averaged 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last season. Bolli's season high game of six points came against Arizona. She recorded three rebounds against Kansas, Northeast ern Illinois and Washington. "Her confidence is much higher this year," Hill said. "Right now, she's probably the most steady player on the team." Bolli said she's anxious to play in the four-team Illinois Tournament this week in Champaign, 111. She said she thinks the competition in the tournament, which includes Illinois, Miami, Fla. and Brigham Young, will give the Huskers an idea of where they're at as a team at this point of the season. "There will be good competition at Illinois," she said. "It'll take a team effort for us to do well, and it should let us know how well we're doing as a team." Hill said Bolli will be a "definite advantage" for the Huskers in the sea sons to come. "Her consistency is very important to us right now," Hill said. "Stephanie will sacrifice anything she needs to do to improve. There's not really any one thing she needs to improve on right now. We just want her to continue what she's doing now and keep up her consistency." mean even better finishes at pionships this spring. , "Last year I qualified for the NCAA's in the 200 and 100 back, after I won both in the Big Eight," Jowdy said. "I came in 18th place in the 200 and about 21st on the 100." Jowdy came to Nebraska last season from Glastonbury, Conn., where, as a senior in high school, he was ranked third in the country in the 100-yard backstroke. "I was looking at Florida State, Florida, Ten nessee and some of the other eastern schools have a significantly larger crowd." Purdue coach Carol Dewey said play ing Nebraska is going to be a challenge for her Boilermakers. "They've (Nebraska) been the high est ranked team in the Mid-East all year long, and it's one of their best teams ever," she said. "In order to win, we'll have to play better than we've played all year, but that's the way it will be for all the teams, they'll all have to play great, two matches in a row." Purdue will be playing the Huskers on Nebraska's home turf, but Dewey doesn't think that will be a factor. "It doesn't matter where we play, since we've played under different cir cumstances all year. I don't think play ing Nebraska in Nebraska is going to be a factor," she said. Fighting lllini coach Mike Hebert said that the USC Trojans, the top seed, will have to be at the top of its game, in order to win. "We'll be an underdog in every " ft y" V ,'. I ' - yyy v the NCAA Cham back home." he coach who isn't here anymore, called me at least once a week. They were really friendly and they were interested in me as a person, not just as a swimmer, as compared to other schools. Also, they stressed that academics came first." "It wasn't that tough a decision. I went to high school with Todd Profitt, (a Nebraska football player), and he told me a lot about Nebraska. I know! made the right decision," he said. . Bentz said that Jowdy should score some points for Nebraska in the NCAA Champion aspect, but we're looking forward to playing USC and we're not going to lay down for them," Hebert said. "We're consistent both on offense and defense, and if we're at the top of our game, the teams in the tournament are going to have to play us tough to beat us," he added. Hasn't seen lllini Southern Cal coach Chuck Erbe said he doesn't know much about Illinois and hasn't seen them play. "I do know the coach, and I know their system, and when you have a record of 39-2, you have to be doing something very well, " he said. Defense will be the key if the Trojans are to win in Lincoln, Erbe said. "We've had an excellent defense all year, and if we can play better defense than our opponents, then we'll get our transition game going and get it to our attackers," he said. "Our attacking is strong, so if we can then execute our . ,y v, h ."V . r 9 0- Bolli said. "But Cal and an assistant offense, we'll put the pressure on our opponents." Erbe said coming all the way from California to Nebraska was going to be different. "The weather is going to be a big adjustment for most of our players," he said. "But we won't be fighting the elements in the gym." "If I had the preference, I wanted to be in the Mid-East region. There will be quality competition there and it will be easier for us to get motivated by play ing some teams that we haven't already faced this year. I feel they're the three class teams of the Mid-East, and I respect all three of them and their coaches," he said. Advance tickets are on sale now. Tickets are for the entire three game tournament, and are $8 for adults and $6 for students. Tickets can also be purchased at the door each day for $4 for adults and $3 for students. The doors will be open at 4:30 p.m. on Fri day and 6 p.m. on Saturday. .'- y : ' v J David CreamerDally Nebraskan ships. That is also one of Jcwdy's goals this season. "I'd be really happy if I could place in the top 12 individually at the NCAA's," he said. But more importantly, Jowfy said, the team as a whole has a lot of potential. "I can see us placing high at the champion ships next year," he said. "We have the potential and the depth, all we have to do is to get it together and do it. Everybody is looking good so far, and hopefully by the end of the season you'll see us in the top 20."