Nebraskan SPORTS
November game could revive Sooner-Husker rivalry
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Gibbs' Sooners against the
"Big Three" Colorado,
lo vs. Texas, and
Overall record Nebraska
1990 8 - 3 1 -2 -0
J® 5-4-2 0-2-1
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By Jeff Singer
Senior Editor
The Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry
hasn’t meant much beyond confer
ence pride in the last few years.
But this year, the Sooners and
Comhuskers could be on a collision
course for their first meaningful
matchup since 1988, when Nebraska
beat Oklahoma 7-3 in a battle for the
Big Eight Title.
Sooner coach Gary Gibbs said that
if things continue to go right this
season, the Huskers could see an un
defeated Oklahoma team come into
Lincoln on Nov. 26.
“I think we’ve improved and can
realistically expect to compete with
everyone on our schedule,” Gibbs
said. “If we can stay healthy and have
a little luck, you just never know.”
The prospect of the two teams bat
tling for the Big Eight title improved
on Saturday when the No. 10 Sooners
beat Iowa State 24-7 in Ames, Iowa,
to raise their record to 4-0. Oklahoma
has also beaten Texas Christian, Tul
sa and upset then-No. 5 Texas A&M
44-14 for its other victories this sea
son.
This year’s start for the Sooners
might be a sign that they have begun
to recover from the sanctions placed
on them by the NCAA for recruiting
and other violations. The probation
lasted for three seasons.
Despite having winning records
during their probationary ypars, the
Sooners had a 1-10-1 record from
1989-92 against their “Big Three”
rivals — Nebraska, Texas and Colo
rado.
But, Gibbs said, he wants to see
that record improve starting this sea
son.
“We’re not where we were at in the
mid-’80s when we were dominant,”
he said. “Buteven with being hit hard
by the sanctions, our last two recruit
ing classes have been solid in their
depth and quality, and the foundation
is there for us to continue to build.”
Oklahoma will get its first shot at
the “Big Three” this weekend when
See SOONERS on 8
,
Huskers spend week evaluating progress
WHNamUuer/DN
Nebraska nose tackle Terry Connealy, left, fends off the block of Colorado State s Brandon Evans during the Cornhuskers’
win over Colorado State. Connealy, a 6-foot-5,275-pound Junior from Hyannls, has a season total of 1 f tackles, Including
4 1/2 for losses. Connealy had Just 41/2 tackles for losses during all of last season.
Connealy calls
for better effort
in Big 8 hunt
By Derek Samson
Staff Reporter
Nebraska nose tackle Terry
Connealy said the Comhuskers’
week off wasn’t exactly devoted to
rest and relaxation.
Despite a 4-0 record, Connealy,
a 6-foot-5,275-pound junior from
Hyannis, said the Huskers were far
from satisfied.
“It was definitely a goal of Ours
to go undefeated, so I’m not sur
prised we made it through the non
conference without a loss,”
Connealy said. “The thing about it
is we didn’t play too great and
we ’re going to ha vc to play better if
we want to go through the Big
Eight undefeated.
“But I think it will help us pre
pare and help our injury si tuation.1?
The plethora of Husker injuries
— including those to outside line
backers Donta Jones and Bruce
Moore — could be looked at in a
positive way, Connealy said.
“We would have liked to get to
this point without all the injuries,
but in a way that could help us,” he
said. “It should make us a little
tougher. We had a lot of good
players beat up and we still came
through. It is going to benefit us in
the long run.”
As will the Huskers’ switch to a
4-3 defense this season, Connealy
said. While it took some getting
used to, he said, the defense is
beginning to reap rewards from the
attacking style. Connealy has
benefited with 11 total tackles so
far this year — 4 112 for losses.
“We played just a little of this
defense last year and I thought it
See CONNEALY on 8
Bus ride almost busts NU volleyball bubble
By Tim Pearson
Senior Reporter
The Nebraska volleyball team’s
first bus trip almost resulted in a loss
to Iowa State on Saturday.
The three-hour drive to Ames to
play the Cyclones took a toll on the
seventh-ranked Comhuskcrs, Nebras
ka assistant coach Cathy Noth said.
The Huskers improved to 13-1 with
a 15-8,15-6,13-15,15-5 victory over
the Cyclones before 617 fans at the
Iowa State Physical Education Cen
ter.
“Coach (Pettit) and I were talking
about it,” Noth said. “If we had an
experienced team with five seniors,
we’d be able to handle the trip and get
the job done in an hour.
“We, as coaches, have to tell our
selves that we have some inexperi
enced players. But we can only use
this excuse once.”
The Huskers—with two freshman
starters and two others seeing signif
icant playing time — improved to 2
0 in the Big Eight, but it wasn't easy.
Noth said.
“This was basically a match where
we weren’t too organized,” she said.
“We were able to come back and win
the first two games, and they won the
third game.
“Iowa State is not a strong and
competitive Top 20 team. But when
we got disorganized, they ran off some
points on us.”
Nebraska had 24 attacking errors
and 17 service errors against the Cy
clones.
Part of the organization problem
was because of setter N ikki Strieker’s
sore ankle, Noth said.
Strieker was held out of a couple of
practices last week because of her
ankle, Noth said, so she wasn’t as
sharp as usual.
“It wasn’t one of her best match
es,” Noth said. “She wasn’t connect
ing with Allison Weston or Jen
McFadden.
“We wanted to be cautious with
Nikki, so we held her out a couple
days last week."
With Strieker at less than 100 per
cent, other Huskcrs had to step up and
perform.
Noth said she was pleased with the
performances of junior Kelly
Aspegren and freshmen Stephanie
Clerc and Kate Crnich.
Aspegren, an outside hitter from
Callaway, had a career-high IS kills
against the Cyclones.
“Kelly played a good match on the
right side. Noth said. “She was orga
nized out there.”
Noth said the play of the Huskcr
bench keyed the win, which was the
Huskcrs’ 41 st straight victory against
the Cyclones.
“People came off the bench and
contributed,” she said. “Kate Cmich
came in and served five points for us
and Stephanie Clcrc came in and dug
some balls."
Sophomore outside hitter Billie
Winsett led the Huskers with 22 digs,
which was 4 shy of jKathi DeBoer’s
Nebraska school record of 26.
The Huskers used the bus ride back
to Lincoln to sec what they did wrong
against the Cycl6ncs, Noth said.
“We watched the tape of the match
all the way home,” she said. “We
didn't have a lot of blocks, and we
couldn’t get balls to attack.
“This opens their eyes, and now we
really have to buckle down and get
ready for road trips."
The Huskers’ next two matches
will be on the road. They will play at
Oklahoma on Saturday and at No. 12
Colorado on Oct. 13.
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