Nel^raskan Wednesday, March 2,1988 NU women net top 3 Big Eight awards By Kyle Schurman Staff Reporter A Nebraska added I to its women’s Big i 1 Eight basketball 1 championship by sweeping the con ference’s top three post-season honors' _ Tuesday. Cornhusker coach Angela Beck —mm_ii Beck m_^_ii Ivy Harris was named Big Eight Coach of the Year, junior Kim Harris received the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year award and senior Maurtice Ivy was named the Big Eight’s Most Valuable Player. Four Huskers were also named to all-Big Eight teams. Ivy was selected to the first-team for the third straight year, senior Amy Stephens earned second-team honors and and Harris was an honorable mention selection. Earlier this season, senior Stephanie Bolli had been named to the academic all-Big Eight team. Beck said the entire team, includ-* ing assistant coaches Theresa Becker and Steve High, deserve a lot of the credit for the awards. “I definitely turn my coaching honor over to my staff and players,” Beck said. “It’s nice thata few people arc getting the ink, but it’s a team effort.” Beck said Nebraska’s success had a lot to do with Ivy’s award. “I figured the player of the year award would go to the player who helped her team win a conference championship,” Beck said. “She’s worked hard for it. She has contrib uted a lot to Nebraska’s success.” Ivy, whoaveraged nearly 19points a game this season, said that winning the most valuable player award was a goal of her’s before the season began. “It was one of my goals since I was soclose last year,” Ivy said. “I figured I could win it with a pretty good season. My primary goal was to win 20 games and the Big Eight champi onship because when the team is successful it makes the individual more successful.” Ivy holds Nebraska career records in scoring, field goals made and free throws made. She ranks second in steals, fourth in rebounds and sixth in assists. Ivy said she did not think about the award during the season, which is helping her to enjoy it more now. “1 didn’t wait for it to happen, Tvy said. “When you don’t expect things to happen, you appreciate them more.” Harris, who scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds per game this season, said she was sur prised to win her award. “There was a lot of tough compe tition,” Harris said. “I didn’t expect the noriorablc mention, either, be cause my stats arc comparable to others at my position. It’s an honor to get those two awards. It’s an exciting feeling.” Beck said Harris is very deserving of the awards. “She has really contributed, not only scoring points, but rebounding too,” Beck said. “To her credit, we’ve been giving her the toughest assign ments on defense, so that takes some thing out of her. She’s a tenacious player when she puts her mind to it.” Beck said the awards will not de tract from Nebraska’s preparation for this weekend’s Big Eight tournament. “We’re going to congratulate ev eryone and then move on,” Beck said. Ivy said the team will not be dis tracted by all the awards because the other players arc happy for the people that received them. “The team is real supportive,” Ivy said. “It all came in line and we swept it. You couldn ’ t ask for anything more as a player or coach. All of us are pretty excited and happy about it.” Nebraska’s softball team opens spring season today By Mike Kluck Staff Reporter Rebounding is usually associated with basketball, but Nebraska soft ball coach Ren Wolforth wants to sec how the Comhuskers bounce back after the fall season. Nebraska opens its spring season Wednesday at Las Cruces, N.M., against Baylor. The Huskcrs will then participate in the Roadrunner Classic Tournament Thursday through Saturday in Las Cruces. “The single most important thing is how we respond after the tourna ment,” Wolforth said. “This tourna ment will help us gam mental stabil ity and confidence as we go on.” Wolforth said No. 2-rankcd Ne braska is looking forward to opening its season against Baylor. The Bears will be a good season-opening oppo nent for the H uskers because they are a “middle-of-the-road” Division I team, he said. “They aren’t a terrific or great team,’’ Wolforth said, “but they are a little above average and have some solid pitching.” Wolforth said the Huskers can’t afford to make mistakes if they’re going to defeat the 4-0 Bears. Baylor coach Paula Young said her team is looking forward to play ing Nebraska. She said the Bears know they’ll be facing an uphill struggle against the Huskers. “We feel this is a great opportu nity for us,” Young said. “We have beaten them twice in the past and they have beaten us twice, but we have had some good games. We look at this game as we have nothing to lose and are looking for the upset, but we realize we are the underdog.” Young said the Bears will enter the contest with an advantage be cause they have played four games. She said the warm climate in Waco, Texas, also allows Baylor to practice outside, a luxury Nebraska normally doesn’t enjoy. Wolfonh said if the Huskcrs don’t play well, he’ll stay away from the excuse of not being able to practice outside. “We have had good practices and preparation, and we have been able to hit every day,” he said. Nebraska will face Baylor at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and will play the Bears again in the opening round of the Roadrunncr Classic Thursday morning. Wolforth said the Roadrunncr Classic will provide Nebraska with strong competition because the tournament’s field includes six teams now ranked in the top 20. California Stale-Fullcrton, Ari zona, Arizona State and Fresno State will join Nebraska as the top five ranked teams in the three-day tourna ment. The other teams that will par ticipate are 18th-ranked Nicholls State of Thibodaux, La., 20th-rankcd Hawaii, Oklahoma, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Utah State, Utah, Baylor, Michigan, Fresno State and Oregon. “It is a tough tournament and probably the premier tournament in early March,” Wolforth said. “It is the first tournament that will deal with rankings and w ill help us to find out early where we stand.” Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea agreed that the tournament is one of the best in the country. He said the tournament draws its strength from the good representa tion of teams it gets throughout the country. Candrea said Arizona will also have an advantage entering the tour nament because the Wildcats already have played 20 games this season. “We have won some games al ready and our starters now know what their role is,” Candrea said. “I feel some schools who haven’t played yet are here to sec what they got.” Wolforth said the Huskers have a HERE'S ONE COLLEGE MEMORY WE LL HELP YOU FORGET. If you’re like a lot of people, your longest-lasting memory of college is the student loan you're still paying back. The Anny has a solution, though: qualify, sign up with us, and we’ll sign oft on your loan. Each year you serve as a soldier, the Army will reduce your college debt by 1/3 or $1,500, whichever amount is greater. So after serving just 3 years, your government loan could be completely paid off You’re eligible for this program if you have a National Direct Student Loan, or a Guaranteed Student Loan, or a Federally Insured Student Loan made after October 1, 1975. The loan must nor be in default. Get a clean slate, by erasing your college debt. Take advantage of the Armys Loan Repayment Program. Your local Recnuter can tell you if you qualify. Call 475—8561 or 483-2221 In Lincoln ARMY BEALLYOUCANBE. HORNY j BULL i John Marriot | The Loose Wed.-Sat. [ Wed.-Sat. FAC-25C Draws I Tonight 750 Drinks Friday 4:30-6 p.m. I NO COVER FREE POOL 12-6 P.M. EVERYDAY ! 464 7248"27th & Comhusker'*464-1492 j Last Day at Bo’s and the Bull is April 30th! Make plans to see your favorite bands. Watch for High Heel and the Sneakers, E.T.C., Shades and Danger, The Loose. V / good chance of going 3-0 in the tour nament because they will face New Mexico and Nicholls State after fac ing Baylor Thursday. He said an undefeated record is important be cause Nebraska will play Arizona State and Cal Statc-Fullcrton Friday. Wolforth said he is confident Nebraska will play well against 10-1 Arizona State and 14-1 Cal Statc Fullcrton. “We should be ready to go and should be up in the finals on Satur day,” Wolforth said. “We had belter play up to that billing.” Arizona State softball coach Mary Littlcwood said she likes the tourna ment because it is a good opportunity to face teams that aren’t in the same conference. Littlcwood said the Sun Devils expect a good game against Ne braska. “We know Nebraska is an excel lent team because we have played them at least once the past few years,” Littlcwood said. “We expect them to have another strong team th is year.” at the East Campus Union March 5 at 1:00 PM I March 6 at 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM Admission: UNL Students (ID) — $1 Non-UNL Students 0-13 —$1.25 13 —$2.00 UPC Sights & Sounds r-, COUPON j FREE! i Hot Chocolate Drink ! or Hot Spiced Apple, Fndge or I Caramel Topping with purchase of medium or large j cup or cone of our delicious, j nutritious Frozen Yogurt! j YOGURT! I | Frown Vbgurt Stores J I OPEN: Daily until 11 P.M. 1 70th & Van Dorn, Ph. 489-9116 ' Holmes Lake Plaza, Lincoln I i