NU golf team’s win challenges stereotype
By Jeff Apd
Senior Editor
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
women’s golf team battered an old stereotype
this weekend by winning the Spartan Invita
tional in East Lansing, Mich.
Nebraska women's golf coach Robin Sch
erer said opponents used to think Nebraska was
at an instant disadvantage because it is located
in the Midwest, but not anymore. She said her
team’s victory proved that .the Comhusfcers
cannot be taken lightly.
Scherer’s Huskers shredded the Midwest
stereotype by claiming the top two individual
titles en route to claiming the team tide at the
6,748-yard, par-71 Forest Akres golf course.
Nebraska was led by sophomore Joanne
Brooks, who won her second consecutive indi
vidual f: Je of the season with a school-record
222 total, while teammate Ann Guiberson was
second with a 228 mark.
Nebraska won the team tide by finishing
with a two-day total of 933. Michigan State
was second with a 963 mark, while Northern
Illinois and Michigan tied for third with 964
totals.
Penn State finished fifth with a 969 total,
followed by Illinois State, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Bowling Green, Notre Dame, Indianapolis,
Ferris State College of Big Rapids, Mich., and
Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Scherer said Nebraska used a balanced at
tack to win the team title. In addition to the
lofty finish by Brooks and Guiberson, the
Huskers received, a 241 total from Susan
Dougherty, a 242 mark from Alysen Madsen, a
253 total from Nodjya Cook and a 269 effort
from Melissa Busskohl.
“We were consistent,” Scherersaid. “Ann
Guiberson had a great tournament and Alysen
played much better. So we got good efforts
from our top four players.”
Scherer said Brooks showed again that she
is a legitimate title threat every time she steps
cm to the green. The sophomore sensation
claimed the third title of her collegiate career
by using a consistent effort throughout the two
day competition, Scherer said.
“She played excellent,” Scherer said.
“She’s one of the best players in the country,
and she’s well on her way to qualifying for
nationals.”
Scherer said there is a definite difference
between Brooks this season and la3t year.
“As a freshman, she played well at times
but wasn’t always consistent,” Scherer said.
* ‘This year she’s playing hard every time out. ’'
“Her performance is a big boost.”
Scherer said Nebraska received a boost
entering the Spartan Invitational from the per
formance it turned in two weeks ago. The
Huskers finished eighth in the 11-team All
College Kickoff Classic in Stillwater, Okla.,
Sept. 21 through 24.
“We used our performance to our advan
tage,’ ’ Scherer said. “We set some goals, and
we talked about not worrying about what other
people are doing. That’s a key for us -- concen
trating on our game.”
Wildcats to concentrate on then* own play
By Damn Fowler
Senior Reporter
The Kanstts State volleyball team
will be making its second trip to Lin
coln this season arid, like the first
time, the Wildcats will not be con
cerned about Nebraska.
Kansas State was not concerned
during its first trip to the NIJ Coli
seum because the two teams did not
meet in the Runza Invitational Sept 8
and 9.
In that tournament which Ne
braska won, Kansas State went l-l,
stretching Houston to four games
before losing, and defeating Bowling
Green in three games.
Kansas State coach Scott Nelson
said he is not concerned about Ne
braska this time either.
Instead, he said, his only interest
i
will be the play of his team.
"(Nebraska’s) a good volleyball,
team and they're playing really
well," Nelson said. "I'm more con
cerned about our side of the net rather
than their side of the net and I'm sure
(Nebraska) coach (Terry) Pettit is
more worried about his team’s execu
tion."
Fifth-ranked Nebraska plays Kan
sas State tonight in a Big Eight
matchup that begins at 7:30 p.m. at
the NU Coliseum. There is no admis
sion charge for University of Ne
braska-Lincoln students who show
their IDs.
Nebraska is 10-0 this season and
1-0 in conference play. Kansas State
is 6-8 and 0-1 in the Bug Eight
Pettit said Kansas State, which
finished 15-13 last season and fifth in
the conference, is an improved team.
The two teams met three times last
season with Nebraska winning every
match.
"I think they're a better team than
the re last year," Pettit said.
teams got a good look at each
other in the Runza Invitational.
Nebraska assistant coach Tern
Killicn scouted the Wildcats in their
matches against Houston and Bowl
ing Green, Pettit said.
‘‘They’re running a different sys
tem than they did last year, so that'll
be lo our advantage,” he said. "But,
they saw us play, too."
Nelson said he expects a better
Nebraska team than the one he saw
play four games against Bowling
Green and ttve getnes against Hous
ton.
"They had some personnel
changes with two or three players out
of the lineup as well as just trying to
develop their system,” Nelson said.
‘‘If they played those teams now,
they would be 3-0 wins.
‘‘I think they’ll be a much better
team. Nebraska always seems to play
better and better as the year goes on.
They'll be a much improved team
than the one we saw at the Runza
Invitational.”
Pettit said he is interested in seeing
how the Huskers will react with just
one day of preparation.
Nebraska is coming off a road win
against Colorado on Saturday. The
Huskers beat the Lady Buffs 15-13,
15-4,15-10.
Nebraska hit .430 in the match, its
highest hitting percentage this sea
son.
Eileen Shannon led the attack with
23 kills while hitting .550 to raise her
season average to .309. She also had
nine digs.
Carla Baker had 11 digs and 12
kills for a hitting percentage of .400,
with an average of .337. Virginia
Stahr totaled 10 kills, hit .429 and had
nine digs. Stahr’s attack percentage is
.450.
Janet Kruse had eight kills and 10
digs, while Cris Hall had 10 kills and
eight digs.
Pettit said Husker setter Val No
vak set the pace against Colorado.
Novak had 55 assists, boosting her
season total to 531. Novak also
picked up 10 digs.
“We hit the ball very well,’* Pettit
said. “I thought Novak did a real
good job of getting the ball where we
needed it”
i
Brinson eats his words,
gains team’s acceptance
When Dana Brinson was at
Nebraska, his gold chains and styl
ish clothes always made him stand
' out
Now, he's standing out for a
different reason.
Brinson, who completed his
eligibility at Nebraska last season,
has spent his first year with the
National Football League's San
Diego Chargers splitting time be
tween running back and wide re
ceiver. His impact has been readily
accepted even though his attitude
has not
Brinson arrived in sunny San
Diego in midsummer and immedi
ately cast a dark cloud by setting
off a flurry of controversy. The
controversy erupted when Brinson
directed a series of boisterous
comments toward new teammate
Lionel Janies, who just happened
to be holding the starting job the
former Comnusker wanted.
Brinson’s comments weren’t
rjfeenlightly. Instead, after several
crush*!* hits, a self-proclaimed
cheap shot or two and several near
death threats, Brinson was forced
): eat known words,
renson picked on the
when he singled out
Auburn star,
le-bound build
the nickname
to
it rs
.. —
1___
on the San Diego roster.
And when a cocky, gold-flash
ing rookie from Nebraska arrived
and promised to derail the train,
well, in Brinson’s infamous words,
“shit happened.”
Several teammates greeted
Brinson the day his comments
appeared in print and promised
revenge.
“Watch your back,” others
said.
Those threats, plus the promise
of retaliation against any rookie or
other naive player who came to
Brinson’s aide, turned an ordinary,
pre-season practice into an excru
ciating event. After several of
these pain sessions which always
included at least one hit that
packed a lot of extra {Minch, Brin
son conceded to the inevitable,
called a team meeting and apolo
gized.
Fortunately for everyone in
volved, Brinson’s apology was
accepted. It's tough for anyone to
survive the rigors and physical
demands of the National Football
League, let alone a 5-foot-9,170
pound rookie who has been labeled
a big mouth.
Brinson’s actions aren’t new.
One of his former Nebraska team
mates, Broderick Thomas, had a
mouth that would break a Richter
scale and anyone who even goes to
practice today can get a laugh out
of the “We re great and we’re
going to win the national champi
onship” attitude possessed by
most of the players.
• What is new about Brinson’s
cockiness, and what makes it inter
esting and newsworthy, is he real- •
ized he was wrong Unlike Tho
mas, who never admitted anything
See BRINSON on 7
7^. • -7
Former Nebraska wtngbeck Dana Brinson
.. _ ♦ ^ - . - i