Sports
iThater’s growth aids Husker volleyball
I By John Adkisson
■faff Reporter
I So, Stephanie Thatcr, just how
Ixcitedareyouaboutplaying UCLA?
I “That’s all I can think about,” said
Nebraska’s junior middle blocker about
[he Comhuskcrs’ Saturday match with
[he defending NCAA champions. “It’s
ko hard to concentrate on other things
this week ... I’m pumped.”
This season, Thater has given
Nebraska volleyball fans reasons of
their own to be pumped, stacking up
huge statistics almost as quickly as
she pounds balls into the opponent’s
open court.
a secona-ieam Aii-American se
lection last season, Thater leads the
Huskers in almost every statistical
category in 1991. But all of those
matches were against teams ranked
lower than No. 4 Nebraska.
This Saturday, in an 8 p.m. match
at the Bob Devaney Sports Center,
Thater will get her chance against a
higher-ranked team in the form of
defending national champion UCLA.
“I enjoy playing teams like this,”
Thater said. “I’d rather play (teams
ranked) 1 through 5 all year than play
regular teams.”
In the span of just a year, Thater
has emerged from the shadows of
former All-American Virginia Stahr
and turned into one of best middle
blockers in the country.
The national recognition is pour
ing in. Last year as a sophomore,
Thater was named second-team All
American, and Volleyball Monthly
magazine features Thater on its cur-,
rent cover.
Thater said she enjoys the atten
tion.
“It’s nice,” she said. “It’s good to
see people are recognizing Midwest
volleyball. A lot of times they just
skip over the M idwest and go straight
to California players.”
Nebraska Coach Terry Pettit said
Thater has improved every facet of
her game.
“We knew coming into this season
that Stephanie was a whole level above
where she was last year,” Pettit said.
“That’s reflected even in her ball
handling and her defense.”
UCLA Coach Andy Banachow
ski, who saw Thater attempt 37 at
tacks in Nebraska’s win over the Bruins
last season, said Thater is a player
wno nas gooa maicnes agamsi ev
eryone.”
“She has all the physical attributes
you need to be a middle blocker,”
Banachowski said. “I’ve always been
impressed by her.”
Thater said she has concentrated
on trying to constantly improve her
game.
“Every year I’ve been able to
improve a great amount,” Thater said.
“A lot of players, they plateau out
their freshman or sophomore year.
I’m just thankful my ability allows
me to keep improving every year.”
In addition to being Nebraska’s
kill leader and main offensive threat,
Thater has also had to adjust to an
other role — that of being a leader in
the absence of senior co-captain Janet
Kruse, who is out with an injury.
“Both (teammate) Cris (Hall) and
I have concentrated on being lead
ers,” Thater said. “And I think in a
way, that’s helped us.”
r
ON file photo
Nebraska’s Stephanie Thater goes for the block in action last season. Thater will lead the
Comhuskers into action in the Runza Challenge at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this
weekend.
----
Kam runner
says loss
changed team
By David Moyer
Staff Reporter
Colorado State running back Brian
Copeland said Saturday’s game against
Nebraska will be entered with a fresh
attitude by
the Rams af
ter dropping
last week’s
game against
Air Force 31
26.
“We are
looking at the
season in a
whole differ
Copeland cnt aspect
right now,”
Copeland said. “This is going to show
what type of team we have and what
I can do against a big-time team.”
Copeland said he was trying to get
over the bumps and bruises from the
game, but he expects to be ready for
the Cornhusker defense.
“I -_* .LI. -1_ _ t- _ II
i vA^vi iu uc avit iu iuii iii^ uau
against Nebraska,” the senior from
Security, Colo., said. “If the line is
blocking, then I’ll get some yards.”
Copeland’s expectations do not
come unwarranted. Last week against
Air Force, Copeland carried the ball
17 times for 134 yards. In 1990, he
. was named to the first-team all-West
cm Athletic Conference squad after
leading the WAC in rushing with 940
yards on 177 carries. He started 12 of
13 games for the Rams, averaging
72.3 yards per game.
Copeland said he wants to add to
his accomplishments in 1991. •
“I’d like to be all-WAC, and I
want to win the rushing title again,”
he said. “But I would like to double
my numbers receiving.”
Last season Copeland finished with
21 catches for 195 yards.
Although Copeland is thinking once
again of post-season honors, he is not
See COPELAND on 16
Fewer going Big Red
Football team surviving without J V team
By Chris Hopfensperger
Senior Editor
It is getting harder to be a Com
husker. '
The elimination of Nebraska’s
junior varsity football team last
spring decreased the size of the
incoming freshman class and tight
ened the requirements to enter the
walk-on program this fall, Husker
Coach Tom Osborne said.
Despite the loss of the junior
varsity team, the Nebraska foot
ball program is running smoothly,
he said.
Last fall there were 65-70 fresh
man football players. This season
40 freshman reported, Osborne sakL
Freshmen, who would have prac
ticed apart from the top units under
the former system, have been in
corporated into the regular prac
tices. That means they arc getting
to know the older players and
coaches earlier, Osborne said.
“So far it’s worked pretty good.
The only negative is the freshman
have to be on the scout team,” he
said.
l lie mahu iconi piucutw a^aniM
Nebraska’s top units, imitating the
plays of upcoming opponents.
The junior varsity team, which
was allowed a five-game season
under NCAA rules, was used to
season the younger Huskers. Ne
braska, however, was the last ma
jor college other than the military
academies to field a team, filling
the schedule with junior-college
teams.
Osborne said the coaching staff
hopes to make up for the lost game
experience with a series of Friday
afternoon scrimmages.
“We’re hoping fiveor six scrim
mages will make up for it,’’he said.
“They might even be playing bet
ter people if they are playing them
selves. ’
Because of elimination of the junior varsity football program, freshmen are getting a
quicker chance to get to know players like junior starting l-back Scott Baldwin, shown
here in action against Utah State.
The junior varsity program was
also valuable to young coaches, he
said.
“It was really good for the gradu
ate assistants to work with their
own teams. But they gel as much
work with us out here as they did
before,” he said.
Elimination of graduate assis
tant positions al ter this season was
another reason the program was
cut last spring, Osborne said.
Nebraska’s junior varsity team
was beneficial to the Huskers’ highly
touted walk-on program, but drop
ping the program will not affect the
coaches’ emphasis on recruiting
players to walk on at Nebraska.
Osborne said the coaching staff
would also continue to look over
athletes who hoped to walk on at
Nebraska, but “we’re not just let
ting anybody come out.”
Facing NCAA legislation that
will require a cutback in the foot
ball coaching staff, the decision
was made in February to eliminate
the team.
The provision, which goes into
effect in 1992, limits NCAA Divi
sion I programs to one coach, eight
full-time assistants and four “re
stricted earnings” coaches. Gradu
ate assistants, part-time coaches
and volunteer coaches make up
restricted earnings coaches.