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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1992)
Sports NU effort difference in match, coach says By Derek Samson Staff Reporter The season came to an end Thurs day for Colorado, but the Buffaloes went out with a fight. After watching Nebraska win a four-game match and terminate Colorado’s season at 22-9, Buff coach Brad Saindon said both teams played a good match. “Nebraska was the difference. I don’t think we were at our best, but fatigue was a big factor,” Saindon said. “I thought the Huskcrs played well.” Nebraska beat Colorado 15-11,15 8,8-15,19-17 to advance to the sec ond round of the NCAA Midcast Re gional. The two were the only Big Eight teams in the 32-tcam NCAA field, and pairing the two in the first round did not sit well with Saindon. “I feel bad that two Big Eight teams had to match up in the first round,” he said. For Colorado, the loss came on the KpaIc r\f iho Ruffe’ fircl_r*\/r*r vi/in against Nebraska, in the finals of the Big Eight Tournament last Saturday. Michele Kohler, the Buffs’ only senior, finished up her career by rack ing up 12 kills on 41 attempts for a .195 hitting percentage. “I had a great four years here. My dream was always to come in and beat Nebraska and 1 accomplished that,” Kohler said through tears. “1 think Nebraska will have a very hard lime beating them next year." In the fourth game, with Colorado leading 16-15, the Buffs let a poten tial game-winning hit drop between three players. “The key point was the ball we let fall in the fourth game. We were in a great position to force a fifth game,” Saindon said. “We had our chances.” Saindon said Nebraska — which played without All-American middle blocker Stephanie Thaler — adjusted well to her absence. “Their system is such that they can change personnel without dropping off,” he said. Nebraska now will play the winner of tomorrow night’s Illinois-Ohio Slate match. If Illinois wins, the Husk ers wi41 go to Illinois for the next round. If Ohio Slate wins, the match will be played in Lincoln. Saindon said whatever the out come, he wishes Nebraska the best. “They’re a great team, great pro gram, great tradition. I hope they do well,” Saindon said. Shaun Sartin/DN ‘ Nebraska outside hitter Eileen Shannon digs a ball in Thursday’s NCAA first-round match against Colorado. The Cornhuskers advanced by winning 15-11,15-8, 8-15,19-17. New-look Huskers repay Buffs By Jeff Singer Senior Reporter Nebraska’s volleyball team did its1 best Dr. Jckyll and Mr. Hyde impression Thursday night. The Comhuskers, who had lost to Colorado in the finals of the Big Eight Tournament fivedaysearlicr in Omaha, rebounded to beat their conference rivals 15-11, 15-8, 8 15, 19-17 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before 2,608 fans at the NU Coliseum. And Nebraska did it without middle blocker Stephanie Thaler, the Big Eight Player of the Year who suffered an ankle injury prior to last weekend’s conference tour ney. Because of Thaler’s absence, the Huskers used a different of fense to make up for the loss of the 6-foot-2 All-American. Allison Weston and Billie Winsctt played new positions at middle blocker while Christy Johnson got a rare start at setter. Nebraska vol ley ball coach Terry Pettit said he was pleased with the way the players responded to the new offense.__ - fti I knew it was going to be a grind... but we have a lot of tradition, so we didn’t run up the white flag. —Pettit NU volleyball coach -» " “We played three players who weren’t in roles that they’ve played,” Pettit said. “Portunatcly we have very bright people.” Weston said it was a challenge playing without Thaler. "We had to adjust without Slcph, and we all had to step up,” Weston said. Pettit said he was pleased with the way his team performed with Thaler’s absence. “Not having Slcph creates a lot of problems, because our whole system is centered around what she can do,” Pettit said. “I think it’s a remarkable team that could handle thatkindofehangeand notgdt bent out of shape.” At the beginning of the match, the only ones getting bent out of shape were the Buffaloes. The Huskcrs scored the first game’s first 10 points and hung on for a 15 11 win. Colorado opened the second game looking to even the match, and it looked good early for the Buffaloes. Colorado jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but a pair of service aces by Johnson in the game propelled Nebraska to victory. The Buffaloes dominated game three with more consistent hitting than they had in the first two games, setting up a showdown in the fourth game. The lead seesawed early, and it looked as if Colorado might even the match at two games when they look a 16-15 lead and were scrv ing for the fourth game victory. But the Huskers rebounded, and a pair of Eileen Shannon kills gave Nebraska the win. The Huskers oulhil the Buffa loes .184 to .111 in the match, led by Weston’s .342 hilling percent age. Colorado coach Brad Saindon, whose team was seeded sixth in the Midcast Regional, said it was diffi cult playing Nebraska twice in less than a week. “It was a huge task to have to come back here — it was almost more than I could ask of our team,” Saindon said. Saindon said his team’s biggest problem was that they were tired. “We’re emotionally fatigued,’’ Saindon said. The Huskers, the No. 3 seed in the region, improved their record to 22-5. Colorado ended its year with a 22-9 mark. Pettit said the reason Nebraska was able to improve its record was because they didn’t buckle under when the match got close. NU’s gate to Orange Bowl may open in Tokyo Husker victory over KSU will mean Miami trip By Nick Hytrek Senior Reporter Nebraska will go lo any length to > win a Big Eight football champion ship. This week the Comhuskcrs’ path to a conference title winds through Tokyo, where No. 11 Nebraska will play Kansas State. If the Huskcrs win, they will win the Big Eight crown and gel an automatic berth into the Or ange BowJ. Despite the exotic location, Husker players aren’t using the trip as a vaca-4 lion, I-back Calvin Jones said. “Everyone’s really enthusiastic abopt this game,” Jones said. “It’s goipg lo be a great trip but we’re going over there to do a job and that’s to win the Big Eight championship." Kansas Slate may be only 5-5 and 2-4 in the Big Eight, but Jones said this season’s 19-10 loss to Iowa State taught Huskcr players they can’t af ford to take any opponent lightly. “Everyone knows what’s on the line and we don’t want to have an other happening like we did a couple of weeks ago,” he said. Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said he sensed (be same attitude. “I think the players realize they’ve got to win this to go to the Orange Bowl,” Osborne said. “I think we’re a little better psychologically now than we were for (the Iowa State) game.” The 8-2,5-1 Huskcrs will attempt to win their first outright conference championship since 1988 in front of about 50,000 fans at thcTokyo Dome. Kickoff will be Saturday at 10 p.m. Lincoln time. Osborne said a little film viewing would help lessen the likelihood of an upset at the hands of the Wildcats. “(The players) are going to be fo cuscd on playing,” he said. “I don’t I think it’s a matter of their feeling they ’ vc got i t in the bag. A11 we ’ vc got to do is show them last year’s film, where seven minutes left in the game, we were down seven points and we had to score twice in the last seven minutes to win it against these same people in Lincoln.” Last year Nebraska had to score 14 fourth-quarter points and then hold off a late Kansas Slate drive to post a 38-31 win. This year, the Wildcats again arc capable of testing Nebraska, Osborne said. “I think they have a very good defensive football team,” he said. “I would say they probably are one of the lop three defenses in the Big Eight, from what I’ve seen. They were very impressive in beating Oklahoma Slate 10-0.” The Wildcats’ strength on defense lies in slopping the run. Kansas Stale See KANSAS STATE on 11 I SE 80 Trumans Ball 6-3 210 Jr. LT 77 Lanes Lundberg 6-4 300 Jr LQ 62 Ken Mehlln 64) 265 Jr. C 51 Jim Scott 6-2 268 Sr. RQ 75 Will Shields 6-1 305 Sr. RT 72 Zach Wleoert 6-5 310 So. TE 80 William Washington 6-2 280 Sr. 00 18 Tommie Frailer 64) 190 ft. FB 26 Lance Lewis 6-0 225 Sr. ■ 44 Calvin Jones 6-11210 So. WB27 Abdul Muhammad 5-9 155 So. PK 13 Byron Bennett 6-1 180 Jr. ft WR5 GaraidBanton 5-6 150 Sr. Q LT 73 Banatt Brooks 6-5 275 So. ft LQ 75 TobyLamanca 6-5 Ss Sr. i) C 72 Quanto Naujahr 6-4 270 Jr. CRG 65 Eric Wofford 6-2 270 Jr. JRT 77 MksOrr 6-7 MO Sr. II ?i M 245 So. 95 13 «*»onSmargfaaao 64 220 Jr. C 5S.1 6-1 210 Sr. ft *2L A"*»°o,an'an 5-10170 Jr. n WR 80 Mftch Running 6-0 180 Fr. V PK 18 TMaWrlgN ^ 610175 Jr. LOLB 93 Travis Hill 62 240 Sr. LT 92 John Parrella 66 290 Sr. NG 73 David Noonan 63 276 Jr. RT 90 Bruce Moors 66 240 Jr. ROLB 34 Trsv Alberts 64 230 Jr. ILB 64 Troy Branch 6-0 239 Jr. WLB 32 Ed Stewart 60 205 So. LCB 19 Kenny Wilhite 66 176 Sr. RCB 0 John Reece 60 200 Jr. SS 31 Steve Carmer 62 210 Sr. FS 6 Tyrone Byrd 6-0 160 Sr. P 47 Mice Stlgge 62 190 Sr. «0E 91 John Butlor 6-2 225 Jr OT 55 Ekwons Griffith 9-0 295 Sr. (ft NT 92 Tim Colston 9-2 250 Fr 2 DT 99 Jody Klllan 9-6 278 8r. ^ LB 44 Brooks Barta 6-0 220 Sr 7 LB 39 Brant Vdnablos 6-2 218 Sr J4 Chris Prttorson 6-3 235 Sr. Wt 176 Jr. In FcTmSzr £J 38* ! 2srK3srte,ph£{o{Sfc Scott Maursr/DN