Beck: Seniors provided good chemistry
By Mike Muck
Staff Reporter
The four seniors on this year’s
Nebraska women’s basketball team
know what change is all about
Maurtice Ivy, Stephanie Bolli,
Pam Fiene and Heather Smith closed
out their Big Eight careers when
Nebraska dropped an 87-84 decision
to Kansas Sunday afternoon at the
Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kan.
During their careers at Nebraska,
the seniors have gone from a seventh
place finish in the Big Eight two
years ago to winning the
conference’s regular-season cham
pionship this year.
Nebraska women’s basketball
coach Angela Beck said the Corn
huskers’ recent success has caused
major changes in the senior’s careers.
She said the seniors also went
through a transition v/hen she re
placed Kelly Hill as the Huskcr
women’s coach.
“They have been under two
coaches, which is very difficult in a
four-year span,” Beck said. “They
have had to go through a major
change and they have stuck with it,
and it shows character. With a new
coach coming in, they have had to go
through an adoption process. I have
been very blessed to come to Ne
braska and have them adopt to my
style and mold into a team in just two
years.”
Beck said Bolli went through the
most dramatic changes during her
four-year career. She said Bolli’s
sen ior season was typical of the battle
Husker men capture
ninth swimming, diving
conference crown
KEMPF from Page 8
vidual medley and the 500- and
1,650-freestyle events.
Nebraska women’s coach Ray
Huppcrt said he blames himself for
the loss.
“They just beat us,” a dejected
Huppcrt said. “It’s really difficult
because I hate to lose.”
Kempf, who was selected as the
men’s coach of the year, said he was
proud of his swimmers.
“I couldn’t be more proud right
now,” Kempf said. “The girls kept
pushing and pushing and they did it.
The Big Eight championship belongs
in Kansas and it’s back, hopefully to
slay.”
The Husker women had two Big
Eight champions Saturday night as
sophomore Terry Long beat three
time Big Eight Champion and team
male Erin Hurley in the 200-yard
breaststroke with a time of 2:23.05.
Nebraska also won the 400-yard
freestyle relay by edging out Kansas
with a 3:27.84 clocking.
The Nebraska men, meanwhile,
captured three individual Big Eight
crowns.
Sophomore Jaco Kruger de
feated defending champion Chuck
Jones of Kansas in the 1,650-yard
freestyle by shattering the Big Eight
record with a 15:31.22 clocking.
Tom Slus, a sophomore from Fri
endswood, Texas, then became
Nebraska’s First Big Eight champion
in the 200-yard butterfly and sopho
more Sean Frampton defended his
Big Eight title in the 200-yard
breaststroke by winning in a lime of
2:02.87.
Beck hopeful Huskers
can still get NCAA bid
BECK from Pago 8
to 22-6 on the season, while Kansas
advanced to Monday night's Final
with a 20-9 record.
Beck said despite the loss to
Kansas, she still thinks Nebraska will
be in the NCAA Tournament.
“I have a high feeling that we’ll
still be in the NCAA (Tournament),”
Beck said.
Beck said the loss to Kansas may
even help the Huskers because they
will most likely play in the NCAA
Tournament’s first round on March
16 rather than receiving a bye and
playing on March 18. She said she
would rather have Nebraska get a
game in before the second round of
competition begins.
tne 5-toot-ll center has fought be
cause she suffered a season-ending
knee injury earlier this year against
Colorado.
Bolli said her knee injury was a
big disappointment because it forced
her to go from being a starting player
to being a support player and cheer
leader on the bench.
“It has been tough to go from an
active participant to not being able to
contribute at all,” Bolli said.
Bolli said her career at Nebraska
also was difficult because she had to
adjust to being a small inside player.
She said her short build made her
adjustment to the physical college
game difficult
Smith, a former Huskcr high
jumper, said a knee injury also set
back her career because it forced her
to give up competing in track. She
said basketball boosted her confi
dence because it gave her something
to do during her junior and senior
seasons.
Beck said Smith's age and experi
ence as a national track competitor
added maturity to the squad.
Ficnc said the biggest adjustment
she had to make during her career was
adjusting to being a role player. She
said although it was hard at first to
understand why she wasn’t playing,
she learned to accept her role.
Beck said Ficne is a “spark plug
who gives 110 percent.” She said
Fiene’s determined work ethic helps
set the tempo for Nebraska.
Ivy, who was named the Big Eight
player of the year this season, said she
has been pleased with her accom
phshmcnts at Nebraska. She said it
was extremely satisfying to earn a
Big Eight championship this season
because she suffered through disap
pointing freshman and sophomore
years.
“I had a lot of expectations and
wanted to help the program right
away,” Ivy said. “I had high expecta
tions my freshman and sophomore
year. By my junior year, we had the
team I expected, and everything was
going the way I wanted it to. I have no
complaints with the season, and I just
want to go as far in the NCAA as
possible.”
Beck said the seniors have pro
vided knowledge and experience for
Nebraska. She said all four seniors
provide the Huskers with goodchem
istry because they complement each
other.
“You have to respect this senior
class because they have been able to
mold new ideas,” Beck said. “Going
20-5 from 11-17 two years ago is a
major turnabout. They deserve the
respect because they have worked
hard and struggled to make this team
a national caliber team.”
All four seniors said Beck de
serves thccrcdil for the Huskers turn
around. Beck’s two-year coaching
record at Nebraska is 37-18.
“Obviously we have been more
successful, and that is because of
Coach Beck,” Fiene said. “Coach
Beck brought in a different attitude
and made us used to winning agaii.
where before we were used to los
• _ »»
mg.
Beck said she is trying to build the
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women’s program as Coach Dean
Smith has done at North Carolina.
She said she wants to build the pro
gram into a powerhouse where each
graduating class is replaced by an
abundance of young players.
“We never say we are going to
replace our seniors,” Beck said. “We
try to remold, reorganize and restruc
ture our program. Each class has a
different thing, so we remold and
regroup and build new leaders for the
future. In the long run it betters our
program.”
Beck said this year’s senior group
has had a tremendous impact on the
basketball program and has led the
team by setting the tempo.
“The seniors set the tempo, and
then all the kids took off on it, BecK
said. “They set the tempo early and
set the tempo at practice. The seniors
have been through the rough times of
the program and have been through a
lot.”
Beck said the change in the Ne
braska program happened because
the seniors wanted it to.
Fiene agreed.
“We wanted the change to hap
pen, so we just adjusted to her phi
losophies and attitudes,” Fiene said.
“As you can see, her rules have
helped.”
All four seniors said the changes
under Beck were worth enduring
because they led to a conference
championship this season.
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