Sports
Wednesday, November 16,1994 Page 7
Volleyball team ready to devour Buffs
No. 1 Huskers
hope to recapture
Big 8 title tonight
By Mitch Shwman
Senior Reporter
Tonight in Boulder, Colo., the Nebraska
volleyball team will try to hurdle the biggest
obstacle standing between the Cornhuskcrs
and another Big Eight title.
No. 1 Nebraska, 25-0, can clinch the Big
Eight championship with a victory over Colo
rado in tonight’s 8:30 p.m. match at the Coors
Event Center in Boulder. Nebraska and Colo
rado are the conference’s top two teams.
After 17 consecutive Big Eight titles, the
Buffs dethroned the Huskers a year ago. Colo
rado has beaten Nebraska in three of the teams’
past six meetings.
“It’s everything right now,” Husker setter
Christy Johnson said. “It’s by far the most
important match of the year, at least so far.”
Colorado's only chance to win a share of the
league title is to beat Nebraska tonight. A
Buffalo victory probably would result in a tic
‘It's everything right now. It's
by far the most important
match of the year, at least so
far. ”
■
CHRISTY JOHNSON
Husker setter
for the league championship.
Johnson, averaging 13.8 set assists per game,
said Nebraska would not be satisfied with a tie.
“It’s a matter of pride,” she said. “It’s a
matter of tradition.’’
For No. 14 Colorado, the match is a matter
of revenge. The 20-5 Buffs, who beat Nebraska
in three games last year in Boulder and in five
games at the Big Eight tournament in Omaha,
were swept by the Huskcrs on Oct. 29 in
Lincoln.
Nebraska coach Terry Pettit said the Husk
ers were traveling to Boulder at an opportune
time, having been at home since Oct. 25.
“It’s better to go on the road when we
haven’t been on the road for a while, because
we are pretty fresh,” Pettit said. “We’ve been
home for 2 1/2 weeks, so fatigue won’t be a
factor in this match.”
He said Nebraska might be more well-rested
than Colorado. The Huskers flew to Boulder on
Tuesday afternoon and will practice twice be
fore the match. The Buffs will have two regular
days of classes on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We’ll certainly be as rested as Colorado,”
he said.
Nebraska is not only rested but also ready to
play, Johnson said. An impressive sweep of
Missouri on Saturday at the NU Coliseum, in
which the Tigers scored a record-low six points,
set the stage for tonight’s big match.
“We really played well against Missouri,”
Johnson said, “which is something we haven’t
done for a while — play well against a weaker
team.”
Greater intensity in practice has been no
ticed, too. Johnson said the Huskers practiced
well on Friday and Monday before making the
trip.
“We were all very intense,” she said. “It’s
kind of indicative of the match coming up.”
Colorado's swing offense, which presents
the Huskers with a different challenge than
normal, probably won’t be of great importance,
Pettit said. Kansas and Kansas State have
shown a similar offense this year, but he said
neither team ran the swing with Colorado's
Starters for tonight*s 8:30 p.m.
match in Boulder, Colorado.. if
Netaska (25-0,. 1.0-0)
S Christy Johnson 5-8 Jr.
MB Peggy Meyer 6-1 Sr.
MB Allison Weston 6-0 Jr.
OH Billie Winsett 5-11 Jr.
OH Maria Hedbeck 5-10 So.
OH Kelly Aspegren 5-11 Sr.
Colorado (20-5j 9-1)
S Tracy Seiler 5-9 So.
QH Janine Zumerchik 6-2 Sr.
QH Leah Williams 6-0 Jr.
SH Karrie Downey-Larson 5-10 Sr.
SH Rachel Wacholder 5-9 So.
SH Shannon Parke 5-10 Jr.
efficiency.
“Colorado runs it better than those other
teams,” Pettit said, “but we’ll be prepared. The
offense isn’t the key. It’s the execution. When
Colorado passes the ball to the setter, they are
very effective. The systems won’t make any
difference in the match.”
Jeff HaJler/DN
Nobratkm outsldo Mttor Mlllo Wlnsott goos for tho dig gainst Missouri last woakand.
Wlnsott and tho Huskors will try to dofoat Colorado tonight to ralso tholr rocord to 2€-0.
Boulder match blocks
Huskers’ path to title
By Tfvor Parka
Staff Reporter
Nebraska's return trip to Colorado
for tonight’s 8:30 match against the
Buffaloes might be a little rocky for
the 25-0 Comhuskers.
After Nebraska’s three-game
sweep of the No. 14 Buffaloes Oct. 29
at the NU Coliseum, Colorado coach
Brad Saindon had a word of warning
for the Huskers tonight.
“The good news for us is, unlike
the football team, they have got to
come to Boulder and play us there,”
Saindon said. “We’re not going to
give this title up without a fight.”
Saindon was referring to the Big
Eight title that his team is trying to
defend.
Last season the Buffaloes de
throned the Huskers as Big Eight
champions. Nebraska had won the
Big Eight title for the past 17 years
straight.
But the Huskers have the inside
track against the Buffs for this year’s
title. Nebraska comes into the match
10-0 in the conference, while Colo
rado is 9-1. The Buffs’ only loss was
to Nebraska last month.
But Saindon didn't see all nega
tives about the trip to Lincoln. Colo
rado succumbed in the second game
15-12 to the Huskers.
In Boulder, Saindon said, the Bulls
would have won that game. The Buf
falocsjumped out to a 6-2 lead and led
11-7 late in the game. However, the
Huskers outscorcd Colorado 8-1 to
win the game.
“I felt we had a couple of swings
where we could have put them away,
but we didn't,” Saindon said.
Taking the Huskers away from the
NU Coliseum, where Colorado is
winless, will be a plus for the Buffs.
Saindon said.
“If you put that team in that arena,
there are not many teams that arc
going to beat them,” he said. “They
are good, and (at home), they arc
great.”
One Buffalo who has seen both the
Colorado triumphs and struggles
against Nebraska is senior swing hit
ter Karric Downey Larsen.
Larsen agreed with Saindon that
the outcome of tonight's match could
be different than tne match in Lin
See COLORADO on 8
Berrinoer’s work casts shadow on Frazier’s stardom
The whispers first were heard on a
Saturday afternoon, sometime in late
October.
After Nebraska’s pounding of
Colorado,, thousands of celebrating
Comhusker fans flooded out of Me
morial Stadium with images of or
anges and sandy beaches m January
dancing in their heads.
Andalmost exactly two years after
Tommie Frazier debuted as
Nebraska’s starting quarterback, the
inevitable question was asked for the
first time.
It probably started when a caller
on a post-game radio call-in show
said something like this:
“Hey, what a great game. Those
Huskers sure are just a super team. I
never thought they would be able to
handle Colorado so easily without
Tommie. But, well, I think, maybe
that Berringer guy is a pretty good
player. You know, now that I think
about it, he might even be able to lead
us to a national championship.
“Do you think our team could be
better with him than it is with
Frazier?”
Not much else was said about the
impending auarterback controversy
— until Air Brook took another step
toward immortality a week later
against Kansas.
Berringer picked apart the Jayhawk
defense. His shovel passes and use of
the tight ends made him look incred
ibly similar to Dan Marino, as he
throttled the Jayhawk secondary for
267 yards and led a balanced offense
to an easy win.
The same caller was heard on a
radio somewhere in Huskerland, only
this time, Mr. Short-Term Memory
was singing a new tune.
“Brook Berringer is the best passer
I’ve ever seen! Did you see that shovel
pass that went for 37 yards and that 5
yard ‘hot read’ that turned into a 64
yard touchdown?
“I think he runs the offense way
better than Tommie. When you think
about it, Frazier couldn’t even throw
that well, and who needs a great
running quarterback when we’ve got
Lawrence Phillips?”
It was at this time that other fans
started buying this ridiculous line of
thinking. Suddenly, Brook could do
no wrong, and Tommie was the .for
Mitch
Sherman
gotten superstar.
It seems that some Nebraska fans
fail to remember why Frazier, not
Berringer, earned the starting quar
terback job six games into his fresh
man season.
He runs the Nebraska offense like
no one else. Before his injury, Frazier
was well on his way to greatness.
Husker fans were going to carry him
on their shoulders all the way to the
Heisman.
He was everyone’s hero. The Or
ange Bowl Most Valuable Player was
sent to Nebraska on a mission — a
mission he was going to accomplish
this year.
In less than two years, Frazier
established himself among
Nebraska’s best signal callers of all
time. And after a few weeks on the
shelf, he shouldn’t be forgotten.
At the same time, Berringer has
proven himself beyond a shadow of a
doubt. He has earned everyone’s re
spect, and he could very well lead
Nebraska to its first national title in
more than 20 years.
But the fact is he was handed the
quarterback job after Frazier was in
jured.
Following Nebraska’s offensive
masterpiece against Iowa State, I hap
pened to be tuned in to the call-in
show again.
One caller, apparently under the
influence of a controlled substance,
suggested that the Huskers move
Frazier to wingback when he returned
in the spring.
How quickly people forget.
Let’s take a quick look back into
the past.
In his 23 games at the helm, Frazier
led the Huskers to a 20-3 record. Only
a junior, his 1,548 rushing yards
ranked No. 2 all-time among Husker
quarterbacks. His more than 2,000
yards passing ranked eighth all-time,
and most of all, he proved he was a
winner.
Next March, Frazier will be
healthy, and Berringer will be
Nebraska’s returning starter. In more
than 20 years as the Husker head
coach, Tom Osborne has applied a
simple policy to this type of situation.
Rule la of the Osborne coaching
handbook states that if a player is
injured and he returns to be 100 per
cent healthy, under no circumstances
docs he lose his job. As a result,
Frazier enters the spring as the No. 1
quarterback.
Period.
The subject of who has the advan
tage next season should not be an
issue. Both Frazier and Berringer will
be given a fair look—like every year
—and the man most suited for the job
will emerge as the starter.
So relax, Husker fans, and savor
the championship drive to Miami.
Enjoy the present, and support the
team, but look at everything in per
spective.
And keep a grip on reality. Don’t
lose track of the past.
Sherman It a sophomore newt-editorial
major and a Dally Nebraskan senior reporter.