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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1990)
■ HUSKERREi)”" PRO SHOP Complete Line of Sportswear & Accessories Custom Lettering •Racquet Restringing 472-4357 ! CAMPUS RFXREATION CENTER a XPlRks 9,8/90 Monday-Friday 10:ftft am-6:ftft pnij cm 1 Outside hitter may move inside despite back pain By David Moyer Staff Reporter Back problems have greeted Ne | braska volleyball player Cris Hall again this season. Through the first part of last sea son, Hall suffered what were believed to be recurrent back spasms, which interfered with her practice and play ing time as one of the Comhuskers’ outside hitters. This year she found out those pains were the result of a slipped disc. Hall, who said she hoped to come back healthy this season, said the injury would not keep her from the lineup. ‘‘I can play with pain,” said the junior from Chanute Kan., where she was a state champion high jumper and long jumper. ‘‘If anything I will be more focused because of it. I won’t sit out because of a little back pain.” Hall played in pain enough last -1 season to finish second on the team in digs with 291 and third in kills with 367. She also earned all-tournament honors at both the Big Eight Tourna ment and the NCAA Mideast Region al. The Huskers are deep and experi enced at outside hitter, Coach Terry Pettit said. With that surplus, Hall may find herself at a new position -- middle blocker. Nebraska lost two starters from last year’s team, which finished sec ond in the nation. Both were middle blockers. Because senior Linda Barsness, who as a sophomore outside hitter led the team in kills, returns after a sea son-ending knee injury at the start of last year, Pettit said, moving Hall would allow him to play more of his talent at once. The6-foot-2 Hall said she would not mind a move to middle blocker. Pettit said the amount of time Hall will play at middle blocker depends on the opponent and how well she comes along. He said her skills are not a problem. “Physically, Cris Hall has the potential to do some things that arc very unique to the middle blocker position,” he said. Barsness hopes for on-court role after lost season By Chris Hopfensperger Senior Reporter Last fall, Linda Barsness was a junior who was expected to make a huge contribution to the Comhusker volleyball program after leading the team in 1988 with 465 kills, the third best single-season total ever at Ne braska. That expectation ended in the second match of the year, when she suffered a knee injury that ended her season. After finishing the previous year as a second-team All-Big Eight and honorable mention Lee Jeans/Big Eight All-Aca demic selection, she was forced to watch the rest of the season from the bench, having recorded 10 kills and a .381 hitting per centage in three games. “It was hard, but it was ex citing, Barsness said. It was great to see the team do so well.” Nebraska went on to finish 29-4 and second in the nation, and won its 14th-straight Big Eight championship. This year, Barsness is back. And so is her knee. “It’s great, ready to go,” Barsness said. * ‘It has come along fine through rehab.” Despite silting out a year, Barsness will be a major asset to the team this fall, Cornhusker coach Terry Pettit said. ‘‘Linda had a real good spring,” Pettit said. “She played in our last tournament (of the spring) and played real well. She seems to have completely recovered. “Linda brings a lot of expe rience to our team. She’s cer tainly one of our most experi enced players. She understands the game real well.” Nebraska returns all three of its starting outside hitters in juniors Cris Hall and first-team All-American Janet Kruse and sophomore Eileen Shannon, who went on to be named All-Big Eight and to the Final Four All Tournament team after replac ing Barsness in the lineup. Sophtv more Debbie Brand also returns. “I’m just part of a great team,” Barsness said. “It will be great to have so many out side hitters. Coach (Pettit) will always have a reserve if some one isn't playing well or some one gels hurt.” Pettit said that depth could be deceiving, though. “We thought we were deep in a lew spots last year mu then you gel an injury or two and you find that maybe you aren’t as deep as you thought you w ere he said. “I think we do have a lot of talent in that position.” Talent will be required if Ne braska is to compete with a schedule stacked with nation ally-ranked teams. “It’s going to be great,” Barsness said. “There’s a lot of good competition.” Taking into account the tough schedule, Petut said that although he was confident with the learn, he was not concerned with its record. “Generally speaking, wins and losses take care of them selves,” he said. “If you play enough good teams you may not be successful every night, but you put yourself in a posi tion to perform like we did in last year’s tournament. “I don’t feel the key to the season is that we win all but two matches. What will make this a great season for us is dial we play great volleyball from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15.” Barsness said her hopes for the team outweighed her per sonal goals. “I’d like to make it through the season healthy,” she said. “But I want the team to win the national championship. There is so much potential on this team it is unbelievable. We have a very good chance to do dial.” I intro action . I 1 setvicector«.ri«''cne Banking K'feS—-*ISNra,Bt'” l V balance ofS200 or more._ (NOMomHmwSfKg^S* | I 3»<ioOanw.« 5) «“ndW to iKilinre of $5.000 or more. ---1 ... 1 - , i CommOFCi^i ,4„1; : i {j& Federal '■$3Ms \ “ -1 1 iVh&0.47MnW 5rt.«rO-<P«" --- Sunday-Thursday HI 5:00 p.m. to 11 fxm.1 Friday-Saturday 5:00 p.m. to Midnight