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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1994)
Page 7 NU to use big guns against Russian rifle By Mitch Shwnan Senior Reporter After listening to Nebraska volley ball coach Terry Pettit talk about the Comhuskers’ opponent on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA volleyball tournament, it wasn’t difficult to determine his main concern. When Nebraska takes the court at the NU Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. to play 32-3 George Washington, all eyes will be on the Colonials’ star Svetlana Vtyurina. The 6-foot-4 product from Russia registered 48 kills — an NCAA tour nament record — in George Washington’s first-round victory on Wednesday night over Wisconsin in Washington, D.C. As host and top seed in the Mid east regional, No. 1 Nebraska, 29-0, had a first-round bye. Pettit said Husker assistant coach Cathy Noth made the trip to the nation’s capital to watch the match, and she came away impressed with Vtyurina. “It’s a big 6-4,” Pettit said. “She hits the ball hard, and she hits a heavy ball. They set her in every position. Cathy estimated that she probably had 20 kills from the back row.” Pettit said the Huskers would have a problem matching up with Vtyurina, but as a whole, Nebraska compared favorably with the Colonials. “I don’t know that that’s physi cally possible (to match up with Svetlana),” he said. “I’m probably less concerned about who we have blocking her than that we make good decisions and don’t hit into her. “She can only be at one position across the net. You tell your setter to be aware where she’s at. We’ll work on some of those things today, and I think we’ll be ready.” In 12 NCAA tournaments, Ne braska has never lost its first match. But Pettit was quick to point out that Nebraska also had never had a first round bye. “With 48 teams in the tourna ment,” he said, “the weaker teams arc eliminated on Wednesday night. So you are playing somebody pretty good in your first opportunity.” He said Nebraska’s first opponent a year ago, Cornell, which the Husk ers swept, did not compare to George Washington. “Cornell was a much weaker team,” Pettit said. “Cornell was not a competitive team. GeorgeWashing ton is. They beat Pitt. Pitt beat Iowa (Wednesday) in the NCAA tourna ment. Iowa was third in the Big Ten.” The Colonials, however, are not accustomed to playing in front of large crowds. In their 35 matches this season, no crowd larger than 648 has seen George Washington play. Their average attendance, home and away, is 226. At the Coliseum, Nebraska is av eraging 3,379 fans per game, and of ficials are expecting their fifth sell out of the season on Saturday night. General admission tickets still are available. University of Nebraska Lincoln students can buy tickets at the South Memorial Stadium ticket office for $3. Nebraska In The NCAA 1993 - Second ound loss to Note Dame 1992 rt 1991 - Regional loss to Ohio State 199D 1989 - Loss to long Beach State in final. DN graphic 1 Shaun Sartht/DN Nebraska’s Kally Aspagran goes for the Mil as Colorado’s Rachel Wacholder defends. Nebraska will play Oeorge Washington on Saturday In the second round of the NCAA tournament. George Washington coach proud By Trevor Parks Staff Reporter This year the George Washing ton volleyball team has gone be yond Coach Susie Homan’s expec tations. Homan said she wouldn’t mind if her team kept exceeding those expectations with a win against No. 1 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament at the NU Coliseum on Saturday. “We’ve had one little stumble all year long against Massachu setts,” Homan said, “Fortunately we’ve bounced back, and things couldn’t have gone better.” Homan’s team has gone 32-3 and is making its second straight NCAA appearance under her guid ance. The Colonials are coming off a 15-13,15-11,12-15, 12-15,15-10 victoiy over Wisconsin on Wednes day in Washington, D.C. Homan said the win over the Badgers proved her team could compete well against a big-name school. “It was a huge win for us,” Homan said. “It wasn’t just George Washington vs. Wisconsin; it was Atlantic 10 vs. Big Ten. And we wanted to beat a Big Ten team.” Earlier this year, the Colonials defeated Minnesota, another Big Ten school. Homan said East Coast volley ball teams were not as widely no ticed as teams on the West Coast. However, she said her team was out to surprise some people. “The problem is where the West views the East,” Homan said. “That’s been the most difficult part of my job, just gaining respect .” A key factor in gaining some national respect is All-American Svetlana Vtyurina. Vtyurina, a 6-foot-4 junior from Russia, set an NCAA tournament record with 48 kills against the Badgers. “She was phenomenal,” Homan said. “I expected her to have a suc cessful match, but to get 48 kills, 1 had no idea.” Although the Huskers and the Colonials are meeting for the first time, Nebraska is no stranger to Homan. Homan, a native of Crete, coached for five years at the Uni versity of Nebraska at Omaha be fore going to George Washington. Homan said she had told her team about the atmosphere at the “She was phenomenal. I expected her to have a successful match, but to get 48 kills, I had no idea. ” ■ SUSIE HOMAN George Washington volleyball coach NU vs. GW Starters for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. match at the NU coliseum. Nebraska(29:0).._ S Ch|fe%Joh®>n 5-8 Jr. MB Peggy fteyer 6-1 Sr. MB Allifton Weslon ^6-0 Jr. OH Mate Helbecfc ® 10 So. OH KelpMpogrer* #11 Sr. George Washington (32-3). S Kate Haubenreich5-8 So. MB Anna Krimmel 6-0 So. MB Stefanie Francis 6-1 Sr. OH Liu Li 6-0 Sr. OH Svetlena Vtyurina 6-4 Jr. OH Jill Lemmert 5-9 Jr. NU Coliseum, and the Colonials should be ready. “This is a perfect dream in terms of sports,” Homan said. “To play in front of a packed house against the No. 1 team, we are re ally up for that challenge.” George Washington was allot ted 150 tickets for Saturday’s match, and Homan said her team would have some support because of her local background. Homan said Nebraska had done a great job this season. Being able to go 29-0 is something that may be as intimidating as the Coliseum, she said. “I don’t care what schedule you play,” she said, “A record like that speaks for itself.” Top high school quarterback likely to become Husker By Mitch Sherman Senior Reporter One of the top high school quarterbacks in the South has placed Nebraska high on the list of schools he is considering attending next year. Frankie Lundin, a 6-foot-1,175-pound sig nal caller from LaGrange High School in Lake Charles, La., is leaning toward committing to Nebraska, his coach said Thursday. Mike Johns, coach of LaGrange, which plays on Friday in the Class 5A state semifi nal, said Lundin would fit in well if he de cided to come to Nebraska. “On a smaller basis,” Johns said, “we run a lot of the same things Nebraska does. We have got an I-formation offense. He does a lot of things very well.” Lundin is ranked as a 5.8 on a 6.1 scale by National Recruiting Advisor, a recruiting ser vice based in Austin, Texas. He has thrown for 1,541 yards and 13 touchdowns this year. Rushing the ball, he has scored six times and gained 771 yards. “He has done a great job as a leader,” Johns said. “At the start of the year, his stats were “Right now, lam not sure where he’s going. Nebraska is way, way up there. He’s had a real good year, and he’s led us through the playoffs.” ■ MIKE JOHNS LaGrange High School coach down a little bit, because we had only one mem ber of our offensive line back. But as the sea son has gone on, he has performed well when it counts.” Johns said Lundin had the grade point av erage in his core classes to meet eligibility re quirements, but he scored a 16 on the Ameri can College Test the first time he took it. In order to meet Proposition 48 require ments, athletes must score a 17 on the ACT or 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Johns said Lundin was scheduled to retake the ACT on Dec. 10. But if LaGrange wins on Friday, it will be playing in the state title game on that day. “If that happens,” Johns said, “he’ll have to take it in February. But he’s going to pass the test. That’s not going to be a problem.” Along with Nebraska, Johns said Lundin also was considering Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Louisiana State, Vanderbilt and Baylor. He said Texas A&M probably was second on his list. ' “Right now,” Johns said, “I am not sure where he’s going. Nebraska is way, way up there. He’s had a real good year, and he’s led us through the playoffs.” Nebraska personnel are prohibited from commenting on potential recruits until after they sign letters of intent, on or after Feb. 1. Name Kris Brown Carroll, Tex. Lonnie Fulton 6-5 240 OL Grand Island Adam Julch Omaha (Burke) Kamell Matthews 5-11 180 DB St. Charles, Mo. Nebraska Football Commitments DN graphic