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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1991)
DN file photo All-American Janet Kruse looks on as Nikki Strieker digs the ball in action last year. Kruse will play against her younger sister Jodi when Nebraska plays Georgia in the Firstier Invitational Saturday night. „ Sisters face for first time Kruse to battle Kruse By John Adkisson Staff Reporter The state couldn’t hold two Kruses, but the volleyball court will Saturday night Janet and Jodi Kruse, sisters from Fort Calhoun, will be on opposite sides of the net when Nebraska plays „ Georgia in an .8 p.m. match in the final match of the FirsTier Invita tional at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Janet Kruse, the elder sister and All-American outside hitter for the Comhuskers, said she’s looking for ward to playing her sister for the first lime in organized competition. “I figured out that we’ll be oppo site of each other on the court all match long,” Janet said. “So I’m sure we’ll see a lot of each other.” The two were teammates at Blair High School before Janet came to Nebraska in 1988. But Jodi, who is two years younger, said the two have never been on opposing teams. “It will be kind of weird,” Jodi said. “I’m getting excited about coining back.” Jodi said she was never contacted by Nebraska to play volleyball. She left the state to become a part of Georgia’s up-and-coming volleyball program. She said that once she overcame homesickness, Georgia became a home for her. “It was kind of hard at first,” Jodi said. “But I really like the program, the campus, and the people here.” The two keep in touch on a some what-regular basis. “We talk quite a bit,” Janet said. “She tells me about their team, but she doesn’t tell me any secrets.” . Janet said the 7-3 and ninth-ranked Comhuskers need to be wary of the Lady Bulldogs, a team which just missed making this week’s American Volleyball Coaches’ Association Top 20. “They’re a good team,” Janet said. “They’re real aggressive, and they’ll be tough to beat.” Jodi said her team gladly will accept the role of underdog when the Lady Bulldogs play Nebraska. “I figure we’re going to come in with the attitude that we have noth ing to lose,” Jodi said. “Nebraska’s got a great team, but we’ve been playing pretty well.” Last season, Georgia finished 26 12 and third in the Southeastern Conference with a 4-4 conference record under second-year coach Jim lams. This season, the Lady Bulldogs return four starters, including Jodi. “We’re a really young team,” Jodi said. “We start four sophomores and a freshman.” Meanwhile, Janet will be concen trating on turning Nebraska’s three match losing streak into a three-match winning streak. The Huskers will play Colorado at 8 p.m. Friday and Map^ land at noon Saturday before facing Georgia. Janet missed eight matches be cause of an ankle injury suffered in the Huskers’ first match against Wis consin. But she returned last week to play in Nebraska’s straight-game loss to New Mexico. Her first full practice was Tues day. “I was just happy to get back out there,” she said after the workout. “I was supposed to practice until (the ankle) hurt, and it never really did.” She said Nebraska’s losing streak, in which the Huskers have lost to UCLA, Brigham Young and New Mexico, is a matter of the team not playing together. “It happened, and there’s nothing we can do about it now,” Janet said. ‘‘It felt like we were all individuals playing out there instead of a team.” Janet added that the three losses may help the Comhuskers in the long run. ‘‘We’re not invincible, and I think we realize that,” Janet said. “Now, we’ve just got to pick it up from here.” Volleyball fans to see familiar face By John Gardner Staff Reporter Nebraska volleyball fans will see a familiar face when the Comhuskers play Maryland in the FirsTier Invita tional this weekend. Valerie Vermuelen, now a right side hitter for the Terrapins, played her first two seasons at Nebraska, only to transfer this season. Vermuelen said a few factors fig ured into her decision to leave so suddenly, but was unwilling to com ment (Hi them. She said sire doesn’t regret her decision to transfer, but does miss a few things. “I’m really looking forward to going back and seeing ail my old friends,” she said. But, Vermuelen said, she is happy playing in Maryland, mainly because of the educational opportunities. Vermuelen is a junior this year. “This school is very good for my major, which is special education," Vermuelen said. “That was probably the main reason I came here.” And she is very pleased with her new team and coach, Janice Kruger. “When I first heard about (Mary land), I heard many good things about (Kruger)," she said. “And they were -44 -— Sometimes when I think about It, I get sick to my stomach. It's go ing to be really hard on me, but I'm Just going to think about It as a match against another team, not against my friends. Vermueien Maryland volleyball player -9f - all true. She's great She's really helped me through a lot and sb have my teammates." Even in the lough practices, Ver mueien said, Kruger works them hard, but they still manage to have fun. So far this season, the Terrapins are faring well, compiling a 5-3 rec ord. She said playing Nebraska this early in the season will definitely help her team, win or lose. /‘Playing an excellent team like this will be really good for our team,” she said. “We’re already getting bet ter day by day,” she said. When Vcrmuelen first left, she said she wanted to prove her worth to the Huskcr team. But, that thinking has changed somewhat. “I knew what I was capable of all along, though,” she said. l‘So, now, l, don’t feel I need to prove anything to anyone but myself. “As long as I play my best, I’ll be happy." Now that it’s time to venture back to Nebraska, Vermuelcn said the trip mav be difficult to handle. “Sometimes when I think about it, I get sick to my stomach,” she said. “It’s going to be really hard on me, but I’m just going to think about it as a match against another team, not one against my friends.” Heins Continued from Page 15 nity to play quite a bit this year before the season’s out,” Darlington said. Heins said he’s looking to those immediate opportunities, but he’ll keep an eye on the future. “With Curtis (Cotton) and Tyrone (Legette) graduating,” Heins said, “two more starting spots will open . up. So I guess that’s in the back of my mind.” But for now, he said, “you have to prepare like you’re going to start even though you know that you’re not going to.” Heins said that’s a lot more en couraging than the way he spent last year. Heins redshirted after recording 19 tackles and one interception for the Husker junior varsity team in 1989. “It was hard through the redshirt year, just going to practice like all the rest, but knowing you’re not going to play,” Heins said. “It’s kind of hard to just get ready for practice.” But Heins said it was worth it. “During your redshirt year, you just work on your techniques,” Heins said. “I’m pretty glad I redshirted, though, because there were so many seniors on the team last year. I would have been pretty far down the list.” And the work on his playing style moved him up this year’s charts. But Heins said that gradual process can be overbearing. “It’s hard to see the end of the tunnel,” Heins said. “It’s a very slow, gradual process and you have to be patient. But you can get down some times.” Darlington said Heins doesn’t stay down for long. “Ever since I ’ ve dealt with him, he has always responded quite well,” Darlington said. “He’s a very hard worker and he gives you great effort. He has real good toughness, both mentally and physically.” But physically, Heins needs to improve some. Heins, who runs a 4.8 electronically timed 40-yard dash, needs to be faster, Darlington said. “Other than that he’s really a solid player,” he said. And since he’s a former walk-on, Darlington said, he’s a commodity. “A lot of walk-ons have played well for us,” Darlington said. “Guys like Derrie Nelson and Jimmy Wil liams, who were walk-ons, became All-Americans. “So we’ve had a long history come in and do quite well. Certainly, Mike falls in that category.” Green Continued from Page 15 only a childish altitude, it’s detri mental to the program. And increasing passes U^20 or even 25 a game doesn’t quite cut it, either. If the offense runs 80 plays in a game, 35 to 40 of them should be passes. Time and time again, Osborne preaches that Nebraska doesn’t need to pass to win the Big Eight title. Wrong. The games against Oklahoma and Colorado will prove that. But even if it were true, what difference does it make? It will take more than a few passes to win a national title if the Huskers ever do get to the top of the heap in the conference. Osborne suffers from acute tunnel-vision. He never quite looks past winning the Big Eight. That’s a big part of his job. Conference championships are important and hard to come by, like national titles. But running the ball up the middle until cleats arc worn down to lumps won’t help the Huskers against a team mat can acicna me run. Like Washington. Against the Huskies, Nebraska looked like a car stuck on an icy road. Against Arizona State, Ne braska will have success. And everything will be fine... until the next good team comes along. Oranges arc needed in the Husker program. It doesn’t matter what they are, because they won’t come. Neither will a national champi onship. Not under Osborne. Green is a senior news-editorial ma jor, the Daily Nebraskan’s assistant sports editor and a columnist r r FILM/HEATER 12th A R StreeU^F Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery 472-S3S3 Untvertily cl Nebraaka-Lincoln THE FILMS OF EAGLE PENNELL the whole shootin’ match last night at the alamo heart full of soul Filmmaker Eagle Pennell in person Thursday A Saturday at the 7:30 pju. screenings 3 A 7:30 p.m. on 3, 7 A 9 p.m. on Friday I 1, 3, A 7:30 p.m. on Saturday Complete schedules available I at the box office. Ends Saturdayl | I _ The Computing Resource Center is offering free microcomputers seminars to UNL faculty, staff, and students. The seminars will feature an introduction to Microsoft Word for the Macintosh and WordPerfect for IBM machines. Each session will last for about an hour. Advanced Microsoft Word for Macintosh Lab Location Dates Times Andrews Tuesday, September 24 3:00 to 4:30 Advanced WordPerfect 5.1 on IBM Sandoz(IBM) Thursday, September 26 3:00 to 4:30
