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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 1987)
Snorts Centennial volleyball win setsupNU's By Mark Derowitsch and Tim Hartmann Senior Reporters Centennial High School volleyball fans had two reasons to celebrate Saturday: a hometown victory in the state volleyball tournament and a Nebraska victory over Missouri. And Nebraska middle blocker Vir ginia Stahr said she played especially well against Missouri because she was “psyched up" from watching the Centennial victory. Centennial High School won the class C-l volleyball championship Saturday by winning matches in the morning and evening. Meanwhile, , Stahr led Nebraska to a 15-7,15-5,15 7 victory Saturday afternoon over Missouri at the NU Coliseum before 875 fans — including a large contin gent from Centennial. Stahr, a sophomore from Waco, finished with a game-high 14 kills, seven blocks and two ace serves. Stahr said Centennial's success in the state high-school playoffs pre pared her for the match. “The way they affected me was that I went to the game before and it got me psyched up,” she said. Missouri began the match with a service error. Stahr then served an ace to open Nebraska’s scoring. The match was the 14th consecu tive one in which Stahr has served an ace. tying Lori Endicott’s season high. Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit said that although Stahr “played well,” he was more pleased with the team's performance, especially in blocking. “We spend all the last two days working on our blocks,” Pettit said. “Blocking and sealing arc the two things we did better.” Missouri came back to 3-3 in the first match, but the Huskers took the next five points. Stahr had three block ing assists and a kill in the streak. Missouri got within three points at 10-7, but Nebraska scored the last five points to win. “1 thought Missouri competed pretty hard.” Pettit said. “It took us awhile to get in our rhythm, but 1 thought our blocking was stronger today. ... I thought on the whole we played stronger than we did against Kansas (Wednesday night).” Nebraska jumped to an 8-2 lead in the second match, then rolled off another five-point streak that included two ace serves by f reshman Val No vak. Novak led Nebraska in service aces with five in the match. Missouri scored three points to make the score 13-5, but kills by Kathi DeBoer and Carla Baker gave Ne braska the match. Missouri scored the first four points in the third match, but Nebraska came back to 6-6. T he Huskers then oulscored Missouri 9-1 for the f inal victory. Nebraska is 26-3 overall and 12-0 in the Big Eight. The win marked the Huskers’ 60th consecutive victory over a Big Eight school. Missouri's record fell to 8-21 over hhhhhkzshhhhhi___jmtitm»i , Butch Ireland/Daily Nebraskan Nebraska’s Virginia Stahr and Kathi DeBoer attempt a block during the Cornhuskers’ 15-7,15 5, 15-7 victory over Missouri Saturday at the NU Coliseum. nil and 1-11 in the Big Eight. Missouri coach Craig Sherman said the Id87 Nebraska team i< com parable to the Huskcr team that fin ished second in the country last year. they rc not quite as consistent, lie said. “But I think they’re a little bit quicker than last year and have a little bit more hustle.” Slahr said Nebraska isbe^inning to peak. “We played much better today," Stahr said. “Things arc picking up. We’re on our way.” Road to Sooners’ victories full of potholes By ih*. Associated Press NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma foolhall coach Barry Swit/cr, who wav hurling as much as his offense, wasn't happy with the top-ranked Sooners despite a 17-11 victory over Missouri. ‘‘1 think we’re a good team that’s not playing very good,” Sw it/cr said while rubbing the left knee he sprained in a sideline collision Satur day. The Sooners, who have been ranked No. 1 since the start of the season, arc 10-0for the first lime since 1‘I74 and 6-0 in the Big Eight. But it hasn’t been a smooth road. Against Missouri — a team Okla homa beat 77-0 last year — the Soon ers scored only two touchdow ns while losing four of six fumbles. Their 17 points and 283 rushing yards were season lows. Oklahoma led 17-3 late in the third quarter before a fumble at the Soon ers’ 20-yard line led to a touchdown that made it 17-10. A field goal mid way through the fourth quarter brought Missouri within four points, and it look an intercepted pass with four minutes remaining to hold off the Tigers. A week earlier against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma had to return two fourth-quarter interceptions for touchdowns to seal a 29-10 victory. The Sooners fumbled six times in that game, losing three. Oklahoma has fumbled 50 times this season and lost 19. The Sooners have been talented enough to win every game, but this week the oppo nent is unbeaten, second-ranked Ne braska. “We can't expect to mess up for two games and think we'll be perfect against a team like Nebraska," Okla homa safely David Vickers said. “The main problem is they’re not holding onto the ball when they take a good hit.” Fullback Rotnei Anderson, who rushed for 118 yards in place of in jured starter Lydcll Carr, fumbled on Oklahoma’s first play from scrim mage. He fumbled again in the second quarter after the Sooners had moved from their 10-yard line to Missouri’s 22. Quarterback Charles Thompson, who started in place of the injured Jamcllc Holieway, rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown, and completed five of nine passes for 104 yards. But he lost two of three tumbles, including one at Oklahoma’s 20-yard line that Missouri converted for its only touch down. “You expect to go out and play good each week and play to your ability and not make mistakes,” said Thompson, a redshirt freshman. “But it doesn’t always come out to be the way you want it to be. and today was that case.” Oklahoma gave up only five first dow ns through three quarters, includ ing one that halfback Michael Jones picked up on his touchdown run. Missouri sustained only live drives longer than five plays. In the fourth quarter, w ith the score 17-10, Missouri had a second-and four situation at the Oklahoma 20 yard line. Sooner linebacker Dante Jones sacked Missouri quarterback John Stollcnwerck lor an 8-yard loss, and the Tigers settled for a 45-yard field goal by Tom Whelihan. Missouri, 4-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big Eight, got the ball at its own 38 yard line on its next drive, but the Oklahoma defense responded when corncrback Scott CJarl intercepted a Stollcnwerck pass. “I thought it was going to be a blowout and hoped to be* out of the game by the first quarter,” Oklahoma defensive end Darrell Reed said, Injuries and redshirting hurt freshman football team By Steve Sipple Slaft Reporter Nebraska freshman fcxtlball coach Shane Thorcll said that during the past season he often felt like a kid wishing for a Christmas present he knew he couldn’t have. That’s because the Cornhuskcrs played the entire season without blue chip redshirts Mickey Joseph, Lcodis Flowers and Nate Tumcr as well as varsity players Reggie Cooper, Mike Croel and Tahaun Lewis — players who Thorcll said would have made a difference. “It’s like a little boy looking at a bike in the window, and it’s about Christmas lime and he’s hoping he can have it,” Thorcll said. “That’s the way 1 looked at a lot of these freshmen walking around the halls. It's hard not to think like that when you sec Mike Croel and guys like that.” Without the blue-chippcrs, the Huskcrs finished the season with a 2 3 record which included a season ending 42-35 loss to Iowa's Waldorf Junior College. This was the first season the Muskcr freshmen have lost three games in one year. It was also the Cornhuskcrs’ first losing season since l(^7. Thorcll said not having the fresh man redshirts and varsity players might have been the difference be tween a 2-3 and a 4-1 season. Ne braska used only eight of 20 freshman scholarship players against Waldorf, he said. Scholarship athletes Tim Herman and Will Thomas also weren’t al lowed to play this season because they failed to meet the academic requirements set by Proposition 48, Thorell said. “I was out helping the varsity and I noticed a lot of talent out there we could have used, and I think it would have made a difference in two of the games,” he said. “In the Coffcyvillc game, it would have made it a lot better game. If we had all of our guys, it still would have been a good game.” The Red Ravens defeated Ne braska 49-14 at Coffey villc, Kan., on Oct. 29. Thorell said the Huskers also were plagued by injuries suffered by schol arship players. Fullback Randy Williams was out lor the season after breaking his foot in the Husker’s 21-19 loss to the Air Force junior varsity on Oct. 9. Wil liams was the Huskers' second-lead ing rusher entering the Air For<^ game with 148 yards, including W yards and three touchdowns in Nebraska’s season-openmg 62-0 vie lory over the St. Thomas (Minn.) junior varsity. Tight ends Dan Lohmeicr and Chris Garret also were injured. Lo hmcier missed most of the season with a lorn ligament in his knee. Garret injured his ankle against Be thany (Kan.) College on Sept. 28 and sat out the rest of the season. Quarterback Kcithen McCant^lso missed Nebraska’s final game against Waldorf with a shoulder injury. “At the beginning of the season I really thought we had a great group of talent,” Thorell said. “And you know, with injuries and redshirlingand guys playing with the varsity we lost a lot of talent. “But I still thought we had a good freshman team. We had some guys who really worked hard and did eve rything we asked of them,” he said. Thorell said the fact that the Husk ers’ schedule “was probably the toughest Nebraska has ever played” didn’t make things any easier. Cof leyville and Waldorf were loaded with speed and experience, and Air Force played a lot of upperclassmen in a game where experience was needed, he said. “The Air Force game was the first big game, first close game for the freshman team," Thorell said. “And it’s a different situation. Guys who are older with more experience know how to handle that sometimes.” Thorcll, who has coached the Husker freshman defensive backs for the last three years, said he can’t remember Nebraska redshirting play ers to keep them from getting injured. He said that despite the decision, he doesn't feel shortchanged. “I think he (varsity coach Tom Osborne) is doing that because he feels we’ve recruited guys who can play varsity for four years,” Thorell said,‘‘and a lot of limes it takes aw hile to get used to everything. “So we’d rather redshirt them than have them play freshman ball. The mam thing is that the varsity wins,” he said. Thorcll said the freshmen accom plished a lot this season. “Our freshman philosophy is to prepare guys for the varsity and teach them the things they need to know for the varsity,” Thorell said. “We’ve been very successful in w inning in the past, but 1 still feel we met the goals and philosophies that we set out at the beginning of the season,” he said Thorell said .ic plans to return as freshman coach next season. “I’m planning on it, unless some one else has something planned for me,” he said. Thorcll listed several freshmen who could have an impact on the varsity next season. They include: Quarterbacks: He said Joseph, who was named All-America by Pa rade Magazine and USA Today, will “obviously “ have a chance. Joseph has spent this season playing on the scout team. Running backs: Thorcll said Flowers has a good chance. He also said George Achola could play next year "but needs to work a little on his flexibility." Achola led the Husker freshmen with 506 yards rushing. He also said Williams and Tim Johnk, a walk-on from Schuyler, could battle for varsity spots next year. He said Johnk, who rushed for 94 yards this season, “will become a really good fullback” in time. Wingbacks: Thorcll said Turner “is a really good athlete. He’s proba bly ready physically to play right now.” Split ends: Thorcll said Paul Baumcrt and Dan Pleasant have good instincts and catch the football well, but need “work in the weight room. He said Mark Dowse, the fastest ol the freshman split ends, played well m his backup role. See EVALUATE on 7