Osborne: Nebraska playing good defense
By Mark Derowitsch
Senior Reporter
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said
Tuesday the Comhuskers’ defense is
not getting the recognition it de
serves.
Osborne, speaking at his weekly
press luncheon at South Stadium, said
Nebraska has been playing good de
fense.
“There’s been quite a concern
about our-defense,” Osborne said. “I
know statistics are for losers, but
we’re currently first in the Big Eight
in total defense and pass defense.
We’re not too far down in scoring so
hopefully that might alleviate some
of the anxieties of our faithful fans
don’t think we can play a lick of
defense.”
Osborne said that besides the first
quarter of the Huskers’ 41-28 loss to
UCLA on Oct. 10, the defense has
played well.
“Admittedly, we’ve had some
games where we’ve had some points
scored (against Nebraska),” he said.
“I can understand the points to some
degree we gave up to Oklahoma
State. It’s a little hard to keep playing
the type of defense you need to play.
The Comhuskers, 7-1 overall and
3-0 in the Big Eight, defeated Okla
homa State 63-42 in Lincoln. The
Huskers led 35-0 after the first quar
ter.
Osborne said the defense, which
held Kansas State to 44 yards rushing
last Saturday, is improving behind the
play of the offensive line.
He said the improved play of line
men Kent Wells, Willie Griffin, Paul
Brungardt and Joe Sims give the
Huskers an added luxury on defense.
Rather than being concerned about
the defense, Osborne said he is more
worried about the offense, particu
larly the health of some key players.
I-back Ken Clark missed practice
Monday and Tuesday because of a
foot injury. He should be able to play
against Missouri Saturday, Osborne
said. Nebraska will play the Tigers in
a 1:30p.m. game at Lincoln’s Memo
rial Stadium.
Tyreese Knox, Clark’s back-up,
also missed the first two days of prac
tice this week because of the flu.
Fullback Bryan Carpenter’s
bruised leg has kept him out of prac
tices so far this week.
Sports Illustrated about a Soudi Caro
lina football player on steroids was
probably blown out of proportion.
But, he said, “I’m gonna be the last
guy in the world to say that we’re not
a normal football team.’’
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• Osborne said a recent article in
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Nebraska’s Linda Barsness (right) and Carla Baker go up for a block during Nebraska’s victory
over Iowa State Tuesday night.
Mealer says Nebraska’s the best
after Huskers whip Iowa State
By Jeff Apel
Senior Reporter
It didn ’t take Iowa State volleyball
coach Vicki Mealer long to determine
who the best team in the Big Eight was
after the Cyclones dropped a 15-2,15
12,15-6 decision to Nebraska Tues
day night at the NU Coliseum.
Mealer said Nebraska, which leads
the Big Eight with an 18-3 record
overall and 7-1 mark in the Big Eight,
is the conference's best team. The
Comhuskers own a one and one-half
game lead over second-place Okla
homa, which possesses a 16-7 record
overall and a 5-2 conference mark.
Nebraska split its two matches
against the Sooners this season. The
Huskers dropped an 8-15,15-7,. 15-4,
10-15, 15-5 decision to Oklahoma
earlier this season in Norman, Okla.,
but beat the Sooners 15-9,14-16,15
4,11-15,15-13 in Lincoln.
"It surprises me that Oklahoma
plays (Nebraska) that tough," Mealer
said. "I think Nebraska is definitely
better. They’ve got a much faster
team. I give every single advantage to
Nebraska.”
Mealer said Iowa State was intimi
dated by Nebraska, which is ranked
sixth in the latest NCAA and Ameri
can Volleyball Coaches Association
polls. She said she had to take the loss
in stride even though the Cyclones
helped Nebraska’s bid to capture its
12th-straight.Big Eight title by de
feating Oklahoma 10-15, 15-12, 15
13,15-11 Saturday night in Norman.
“I think we just had too many
unforced errors,” Mealer said. ‘‘It’s
not frustrating. You have to take it in
stride.”
Nebraska volleyball coach Terry
Pettit said he was pleased with victory
because the Huskers played as good
as they have all year during the first
game. Nebraska jumped out to a 9-0
lead in the first game, then outscored
the Cyclones 6-2 to post the 15-2
victory. ,
Pettit said he would like to see
Nebraska play like it did in the first
game all season long.
‘‘Our goal would be to sustain it,”
he said, “but you can ’ t al ways do what
you want.”
After crushing Iowa State in the
first game, Nebraska rallied from a 7
5 deficit in the second by using a kill
by middle blocker Virginia Stahr to
tie the score 7-7. The Huskers then
used two kills by Stahr and a kill by
middle blocker Linda Barsness to
post the 15-12 victory.
Nebraska took a 9-0 lead in the
third game, then used two Iowa State
errors and a kill by Barsness to take a
12-6 lead. The Huskers sealed the
victory with a block by freshman
Janet Kruse, an Iowa State error and a
stuff by All-America setter Lori
EndicoU.
Pettit couldn't complain about the
victory.
“I just think we played real well,”
he said. “We7re getting better at the
right time.”
Nebraska's next match is on Fri
day, when the Huskers travel to South
Bend, Ind., to face Notre Dame.
Nebraska will face Western Michi
gan Saturday night in Kalamazoo,
Mich.
I_
Benjamin makes US. team
By Steve Sipple
Senior Editor
Besides a trip to Hawaii, Nebraska
sophomore outfielder Bobby Ben
jamin has never taken a trip overseas.
But Benjamin will be headed to
Taiwan in about a month to play in the
1988 International Harbor Baseball
Tournament, thanks to an outstanding
freshman year that led to Benjamin
being named to Baseball America
magazine’s freshman All-America
team.
Benjamin, a 6-foot 205-pound
player, was selected earlier this
month to be a member of a team of 20
U.S. collegiate players who will play
in the tournament from Nov. 24 to
Dec. 3.
Benjamin said Tuesday that he
was surprised when Comhusker
pitching coach Tom Pratt told him he
made the team two weeks ago.
“I really didn’t know anything
about the team,” Benjamin said.
“Maring this team and being named
freshman All-America are the two
best honors I’ve ever had.”
The U.S. team, which will be'
coached by Charlie Green of Miami
Dade (Fla.) junior college, will play
seven games during the tournament
against teams from Japan, Mexico,
Holland, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico,
Taiwan and the Dominican Republic.
Last season, Benjamin started
every game for Nebraska in left field
and compiled a .288 baiting average
and a .656 slugging percentage. He
led the nation with 91 walks and broke
the Huskers’ season record with 21
home runs.
In addition, Benjamin batted in 78
runs, which led the team, stole 18
bases and hit 12 doubles and two
triples. He was named 2nd-team All
Big Eight
Benjamin said he will leave Nov.
18 for California, where the team will
practice for a couple days before
going to Taiwan.
Nebraska coach John Sanders said
the fact that Benjamin is just a sopho
more made the honor special.
“It is an outstanding honor and one
that Bobby deserves, Sanders said.
“It’s especially significant because
we are talking about someone who is
a sophomore in college.”
All members of the team who will
play in Taiwan will be invited in June
to play on a U.S. team that will tour
Korea.
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