SPORTS
Buffs pound NU in Big 8 Tournament
Thater’s absence
hurts Huskers
in title matchup
By John Adkisson
Senior Editor
OMAHA — With ihcir corner
stone missing, the Nebraska
Comhuskcrs’ reign over Big Eight
volleyball opponents finally crumbled
Saturday night.
Colorado beat the Huskers for the
first time in 16 tries by pounding
Nebraska in the finals of the Big Eight
Tournament 16-14,15-11,9-15,15-8
at Civic Auditorium.
Playing without All-American
middle blocker Stephanie Thater, the
Huskers were oulmuscled by a pow
erful Buffalo hitting attack that con
sistently took advantage of Thater’s
absence in the middle.
As a result, Colorado claimed the
conference’s automatic spot in the
NCAA Tournament and forced Ne
braska into an at-large bid in the 32
tcam tourney.
The Buffs also became the first
conference team to beat Nebraska
since Oklahoma won a match from
the Huskers in 1988.
Thater, who sat out both of
Nebraska’s matches in the tourna
ment, sprained her left ankle in
warmups prior to the Huskers’ win
over Oklahoma on Friday night. •
Huskcr coach Terry Pettit gave
credit to Colorado, although he said
Thaler’s injury hurt his team.
“Colorado may have beat us if
(Thater) was on thccourt,’’Pettit.said.
“1 thought we played hard and well. I
never like to lose, but I’m never dis
appointed losing to a good team.”
The two teams battled in a classic
first game that lasted a little more than
45 minutes and included six service
rotations. The Buffs raced to a 9-4
lead before Nebraska came back to tic
the game at 10.
With the game lied again at 14,
Colorado was able to win on a kill by
senior hitter Michelle Kohler and an
Kiley Timpertey/DN
Nebraska middle blocker Billie Winsett (left) and outside hitter Eileen Shannon block Colorado’s Janine Zumerchik in the finals
, of the Big Eight Tournament in Omaha Saturday.
acc by jump-server Staci Wolfe.
Pettit said that in the firsl game, his
team was adjusting to nol having
Thater.
“1 thought we spent the first game
getting organized,” Pettit said. “I
wasn’t real concerned with whether
or not we lost the firsl game, as long
as we were playing better.”
Nebraska outside hitter Laura
Luther said it was easier adjusting to
Thatcr’s absence against Colorado
than it was the night before against
Oklahoma.
“We seemed a lot more confident,”
Luther said. “The night before helped
us adjust.”
Colorado again jumped out early
in the second game, taking leads of 5
1,10-6 and 14-8. The Huskers tried to
rally by scoring three unanswered
points, but outside hitter Allison
Weston was called for a net violation
on game point, and the Buff aloes took
a 2-0 game advantage.
At that point, Buffalo setter Nicole
Vrancsh said, the Huskers became
unnerved.
“There was definitely something
missing,” Vranesh said. “1 looked
across the net, and I noticed that they
didn’t have anywhere to look.”
Nebraska did rebound in the third
game, sprinting away from an 8-8 tie
See TOURNAMENT on 10
Comhuskers
to face CU
in first-round
NCAA match
By Jeff Singer
Senior Reporter _ _
Familiarity won’t be a problem for
the Nebraska volleyball team in this
year’s NCAA Tournament.
The Big-Eight champion
Cornhuskers will battle conference
tournament champ Colorado Thurs
day at 7:30 p.m. at the NU Coliseum.
Nebraska, which lost to the Buffa
loes in the finals of the Big Eight
tournament over the weekend, earned
an 11th straight trip to the NCAA
playoffs and the third seed in the
Midcasl Regional. The 22-8 Buffa
loes received the sixth seed in the
region.
The 21-5 Huskcrs beat Colorado
twice in the regular season, but lost in
four games to the Buffaloes on Satur
day without Huskcr All-American
Stephanie Thatcr, who saloul with an
ankle injury.
Stanford, which had a 26-2 record
this season, earned the Midcast’s lop
seed, while Big 10 champion Illinois
is No. 2. Other teams in the region
include No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre
Dame, No. 7 Ohio State and No. 8
Pittsburgh.
Other No. 1 regional seeds arc 29
0 UCLA in the West, 31-1 Florida in
the South and 27-2 Long Beach State
inthc Northwest.
Nebraska assistant volleyball coach
Cathy Noth said she was pleased with
the Huskers’ bracket.
“It couldn’t be a belter draw for
us,” Noth said. “We don’t know any
team better than Colorado.”
Fellow assistant coach Brian Begor
agreed.
“It will be exciting to play Colo
rado again,” Begor said. “Both teams
know each other so well, it wouldn’t
matter if we played them tomorrow.”
NU gymnasts win Colorado meet
From Staff Reports
The Nebraska men’s gymnastics
team kicked off its season on Satur
day by winning the Rocky Mountain
Open in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Cornhuskcrs won the team
title, earning 276.K total points and
easily outdistancing second-place
Brigham Young (274.1). Big Eight
rival Oklahoma(272.6) finished third.
Nebraska sophomore Richard
Grace won the all-around with a total
of 108.8. Grace tied for second in the
vaulland finished third on the parallel
bars.
Husker freshman Jason Christie,
making his debut, finished second in
the all-around with a score of K)7.0
and captured the individual title on
the parallel bars.
Junior Dennis Harrison won the
individual title on the pommel horse
with a score of 9.7. Harrison also
finished fourth in the all-around.
Chandler shines
in Nebraska win
By Jeff Singer
Senior Reporter
Derrick Chandler struck oil Satur
day night.
The senior center scored 24 points
and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead
the Nebraska men’s basketball team
to a 126-96 win over Marathon Oil at
the Bob Dcvancy Sports Center.
The win enabled the No. 25
Comhuskcrs to end their exhibition
season with a 2-0 record in front of
10,172 fans. Nebraska beat the Cuban
National team 114-76 two weeks ago
in its exhibition opener.
Chandler was one of seven Husk
ers to score in double figures, as Ne
braska prepared for its regular-season
debut Friday against Colgate in the
Amcritas Classic.
Chandler led the Huskcrs in scor
ing in both exhibition games, but he
said he didn’t know if that trend would
continue when the season began.
“I don't sec myself as a scorer; I
concentrate more on rebounding and
defense than on scoring,” Chandler
said. “I just try to gel a double-double
(10 points and 10 rebounds) — that’s
my objective for the season.”
Chandler didn’t get his first points
until 16 minutes had elapsed in the
first half, but his tip-in at that point
gave the Huskcrs a 40-27 lead, and
Nebraska cruised from there.
Chandler scored 10 points in the
first half, but he said his lack of pro
duction in the game’s first 16 minutes
inspired him for the rest of the evening.
• I
“Coach said if you want lobe a pro,
these arc the limes you’ve got to suck
it up,” Chandler said. “I wanted them
to know I was out there.”
Freshman guard Andre Woolridgc
made his first start and scored 11
points from the shooting guard posi
tion.
Woolridgc got the start over Jaron
Boone, who startedin Nebraska’s win
over the Cuban National Team.
Woolridgc said starling and coming
off the bench were two separate roles
that he could get used to.
“It feels a little bit different than in
the last game — I was a little more
pumped up," Woolridgc said. “I started
all four years in high school, but it was
different not starting in the first game.”
He said whatever the starting lineup
was during the regular season, he
would have to help the team by what
ever means necessary.
“Jaron Boone is a great two guard
and Erick Strickland can also fill the
position, so if I don’t start, I’m going
to have lo adjust and come off the
bench,” Woolridgc said.
Forward Eric Piatkowski had 18
points, while Strickland added 17.
Nebraska coach Danny Nee said
he was happy with the entire team’s
effort against Marathon Oil.
“I was pleased with it — I can’t
think of anyone who didn’t do some
thing good tonight,” Nee said. “I
thought the effort and altitude were
really good; if I had to grade it, I’d
give it a B or B+.”
