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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1993)
Netffaskan SPORTS Thursday, Saptambar 90,1999 KJm V/lVl kJ Hawkeyes beef up Huskers’ nonconference schedule By Jeff Singer Senior Editor Nebraska football fans who have been wanting to see a more competitive non conference schedule for the Comhuskers won’t have to wait too much longer. Such college football powers as Notre Dame, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, South ern California and Stanford are being con sidered as opponents for the Huskers near the turn of tne century, Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Byrne said Wednesday. Iowa is slated on the Huskers’ schedule for the 1998 and 1999 seasons, Byrne said, while Notre Dame is expected to follow in 2000 and 2001. The agreement with the Hawkeyes is still tentative, but Byrne said a series with Iowa was a good idea. “It’s a natural rivalry to play and it will mean easy access for our fans,” Byrne said. Iowa Athletic Director Robert Bowlsby agreed that a Husker-Hawkeye series would be positive for both schools. “I think it’s a good idea from a geograph ical standpoint and from a competitive stand point,” Bowlsby said. “People appreciate the quality and tradition of Nebraska foot ball. Having the opportunity for them to come into our stadium and play and for us to be able to go to Lincoln is a very positive thing.” Nebraska and Iowa played a four-game series from 1979 through 1982,duringwhich the Huskers were 3-1 against the Hawkeyes. It was the last time Nebraska played its Big Ten neighbor. Some college football analysts and fans have criticized Nebraska for its non-confer ence schedules in recent years. This season, the Huskers’ non-confer ence schedule consisted of North Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA and Colorado State. So far this year, those teams have a combined record of 5-10. Nebraska’s non-conference schedules until 2000 are nearly completed and include such opponents as Wyoming and UCLA in 1994 and Michigan State and Arizona State in both 1995 and 1996. Since most athletic departments plan their football schedules up to 10 years in advance, Byrne said, games against schools such as Michigan and Stanford are being talked about for after the 2001 season. He said Nebraska was making an effort to schedule the most competitive games possi ble, while still meeting financial consider ations. “We want to play the best schools in the country,” he said. “But we also need to get between six and seven home games per year.” The Nebraska athletic department loses approximately $750,000 every time it plays a game outside of Lincoln, Byrne said. Therefore, the Huskers try to have seven home games per year scheduled. In order for Nebraska to get at least six home games, Byrne said, the Huskers can’t See SCHEDULE on 11 Nebraska as good as ever in victory By Tim Pearson Senior Reporter Nebraska’s seventh-ranked volley ball team proved to Kansas State Wednesday night that they are good. Good enough for Wildcat coach Patti Hagemeyer to say it could be the best Nebraska team she’s seen in her three years at Kansas State. The Wildcats remained winless in 48 tries against the Comhuskers after Nebraska defeated them 15-5, 15-7, 15-9 at NU Coliseum. “This was the first time I’ve seen them this season,” Hagemeyer said. “They’re as good as they’ve ever been.” Nebraska, 12-1, scored the first five points of the first game and led 10-1 before Kansas State fought back for four points. The Huskers won the game on freshman middle blocker Jen McFadden’s kill, one of her seven of the night. Husker coach Terry Pettit said he saw improvement from his team, which lost its last match in four games to Notre Dame last Saturday. “We did some things better (Wednesday night),” Pettit said. “Most of our errors were serving errors. “We were trying to serve more aggressively.” One of the aggressive Nebraska servers was junior middle blocker Kim T onniges, who received the mostplay ing time she’s had since her off-sea son shoulder surgery. In the second game, with Nebraska ahead 6-2, Tonniges served two con secutive aces to lead the Huskers to the 15-5 win. In the match, the Husk ers had seven aces, their highest in five matches. Tonniges, who had been playing only defense while her shoulder healed, said she will do whatever she can to help the team. She played in all three games against Kansas State and had three digs to go along with her two aces. “I’m feeling better than I have for a while,” she said. “It’s fun to do more than just defense. “I ’ m just doing everything I can to push our team.” See WIN on 10 Travis Heying/DN Nebraska’s Maria Hedbeck (right) and Kelly Aspegren try to dig the ball during their win over Kansas State Wednesday. Husker front row works on building blocks By Stephanie Borgmeyer Staff Reporter With Jen McFadden and Allison Weston at the net, opponents have a hard time getting around them. “They definitely have two big blockers,” Kansas State coach Patti Hagemeyer said after Nebraska’s win over the Wildcats Wednesday night. “We didn’t have the ability to nit over them, so we tried to find ways around them.” The Huskers lead the Big Eight in blocking and are also ranked eigntn in the nation. McFadden has put herself in the top position in the Big Eight and is also ranked fourth in the nation. She is now averaging more than two blocks a game. “Jen is a strong blocker,” Huskers assistant coach Cathy Noth said. “With her at the net it definitely puts a lot of pressure on our opponents. “Our blocks looked very good to night. We had to wait a lot longer, since their sets were so high. We adjusted real well though. Blocking has always been a strong point for the Huskers. It helps to have the height of the 6-foot-2 McFadden and the 6-0 Weston. “Jen McFadden is definitely a strong blocker, and has proven that,” Nebraska assistant coacn Val Novak said. “Weston has a few things she needs to work on.” Weston agreed. “I’m working hard and trying to improve,” Weston said. “Blocking has never been my strongest aspect. Not only do the Huskers have the two tough blockers, they have many other strong front row players, setter Nikki Strieker said. And Kansas State played right into the Huskers’ hands Wednesday night, she said. “It’s a lot easier to close the block when we have that high of sets from our opponents,” Strieker said. “But we looked really good. We just need ed to stay organized and concentrate on what we were doing.” r orget the bench-clearing brawls — Yahtzee anyoner Saturday was definitely beautiful. After finally getting my order through to the Home Shopping Net work for this sweet Jimmy Walker autographed barbell set, I turned the channel to the Colorado-Miami foot ball game. I was ushered into the action by ABC’s Keith Jackson call ing the game one of the “ugliest things” he’d ever seen. Of course, I think he was biased after being forced to look at the Col orado fans all morning, but still the scene certainly was not pretty. If you failed to see the tilt, you missed some really poor wrestling or some very good football — however you want to look at it. - Late in the first half, after a Hurri cane score, the ensuing kickoff pre cipitated a bench-clearing brawl that resulted in rto less than a dozen play ers being ejected from the game. It’s «till my contention that the referees booted them for fighting like girls. In all seriousness, the scene was brutal. A helmet reportedly went fly ing during the skirmish. Luckily, though, it was thrown by Buffies’ Quarterback Kordell Stewart, so it idn’t hit anybody. And things only got worse when some Hurricane players asked some of the Colorado players to come to Miami and rent a car from the Miami airport. I kid the Prop 48ers, but it does make one wonder about the state of college football. These guys would have killed each other without the control of the referees. And I don’t want to see players getting hurt unless Beau Finley it’s entertaining to me. The whole scene in Boulder was made that much worse by the pres ence of former Puffalo, Eric “Public” Bieniemy. Bieniemy, a former Colo rado I-back, was arrested following the game for assault. Reportedly, Bieniemy was going around alternately throwing headiocks on parking attendants and urinating on cars. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. In his defense, he allegedly argued that he was suffering from muscle spasms and temporary bladder con trol problems. Hey, we all have our problems. • However, the way I figure it, be tween the football team, Bieniemy and basketball star Donnie “Mr. As sist” Boyce, Colorado is well on their way to having the best penitentiary team since the 1987 Oklahoma Soon ers. But such troubles are not surpris ing for Colorado. Coach Bill McCartney, who looks like a cross between Gov. Ben Nelson and Gilligan, has recruited criminals and trash-talkers for years. I mean, a Colorado team that does not talk smack would be about as ~ >m Osborne guest-hosting Right or not, this Colorado team does get me thinking, however. How are the Comhuskers going to do against a team that likes the fisticuffs? Can Nebraska hang? Then I figured it all out, we have got to get the players some nick names. For pure intimidation purpos es, the Huskers need handles. Like, for instance, who would screw with Byron “Gopher Killer" Bennett? Forget that Shakespeare “what’s in a name" crap. 1 never saw Willie play defensive tackle. But 1 have a remedy for all the fighting. Instead of allowing the play ers to resort to punches, that energy should be re-channelled through the coaches, the guys who really could See FINLEY on 10