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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1994)
Friday, December 9,1994 ■t - ion Wallor/DN Nebraska coach Tarry Pettit addresses the media during Thursday’s press luncheon. NU to battle Buffs again By Mitch Sherman Senior Reporter If the Colorado volleyball team has anything in its favor heading into tonight’s regional semifinal match of the NCAA tournament against Ne braska, it’s that the Buffaloes cer tainly know what’s in store for them. But so do the Cornhuskers. For the fourth time in 42 days, the Buffaloes and the Huskers will tangle in front of a sold-out NU Coliseum crowd in a match that starts at 6 p.m. Twice Nebraska has swept Colorado, and in the Big Eight tournament championship game, Colorado fell to the Huskers in four games. “We know their boyfriends,” Ne braska outside hitter Kelly Aspegren said. “Wr know the color of their socks. We know everything about them.” If tonight's match is anything like the last three, Colorado will be headed back to Boulder to prepare for next season, but Aspegren said the No. 1 Huskers were not taking the5 Buffs for granted. “Colorado is a teanMat is not going to give up,” said the 5-foot-ll senior from Callaway. “They are al ways out to get Nebraska. We know that, and wc can’t let up. Just because we have beaten them three times doesn’t mean we arc going to beat them a fourth.” A fourth win over the Buffs would give 30-0 Nebraska a spot in the re gional finals and a chance to play ei ther Penn State or Notre Dame for a birth in the Final Four next week in Austin, Texas. Husker coach Terry Pettit, who has guided Nebraska to three Final Fours said Colorado showed improvemem between its loss to Nebraska on Oct 29 and the Big Eight tournament. “I thought they competed hardei in the Big Eights than maybe the flrsi couple of matches,” Pettit said. “1 thought the first couple of matches they broke down and were disorga nized a little bit.” This time around, the Buffs wil be playing at a different level, sait Nebraska senior blocker Pegg} Meyer. Meyer posted a career-high eight blocks against George Washing ton last week. “The past doesn’t mean anything because it’s tournament time.” Meyei said. “It’s do or die for anyone. The) arc going to play all out no maltei what.” As Nebraska has trudged through the season, Meyer said, the Final Four has been a goal. But now that the Huskers arc only two matches away, she said, and it seems too close to slip away. “It’s been in focus all year,” said the 6-foot-2 senior from Morehead, Minn. “But it’s to the point now that it’s really there. You can really grasp it. You can really have a feel on it. So, it brings a little more adrenaline.” A year after losing the Big Eight title to Colorado for the first time in 17 years, Aspegren said revenge was . not on the Huskers’ minds. “I don’t care about revenge,” Aspegren said. “I don’t want to beat them down and smash them into the | floor. I want to beat them. I want to beat them in three.” Win or lose, this weekend both Aspegren and Meyer will play their * last match in the Coliseum. Meyer said she hoped the crowd would con tinue to be as loud as it was last week against George Washington. “It was the loudest crowd,” Meyer said, “and they stayed with it the longest. They’re behind us, and it gives you this overwhelming feeling when you walk in the gym and all the people here arc cheering you on.” Buffs: Fourth time the charm? By Todd Walkenhorst Staff Reporter Colorado’s volleyball team has a chance to lose to Nebraska for the fourth time this season. But all the Buffaloes are thinking about is winning. And with wins Friday and Satur day, the Buffaloes would not only get by Nebraska, but also advance to the Final Four in Austin, Texas. Senior Karrie Downey said a win against Nebraska in the NU Coliseum would be more important than the previous three matches the two teams have played. - “I think if we beat Nebraska to morrow night,” Downey said, “it would be more satisfying.” Colorado coach Brad Saindon said he was not sure if his team had reached its full potential yet this sea son. “It’s been a year of diversity,” Saindon said. “It’s time for us to rise and come together.” As far as Colorado is concerned, now would be a great time to put it all together in the regionals of the NCAA tournament. “We’re honored to be here,” Saindon said. “I feel like we are for tunate to be here. We're very proud to be in the sweet 16.” But the Buffaloes have their work cut out for them in the Mideast Re gional, a region that may be one of Nebraska NCAA Mideast Regional No. 1 Colorado 6 p.m. Friday No. 4 Notre Dame 7:30 p.m. Saturday No. 2 8 p.m. Friday Penn State No. 3 All games at NU Colisuem. “I look forward to the challenge. You don't usually get the chance tc play against the No. 1 team in the nation four times in one year. ” BRAD SAINDON CU volleyball coach the toughest in the tournament. Al four teams are ranked in the top 1 in the nation. In the semifinals Saturday nigh in Lincoln, No. 1 Nebraska will pla; No. 13 Colorado, and No. 5 Pern State will face No. 12 Notre Dame. Saindon said that he was excited to get another crack at the No. 1 team in the nation. “I look forward to the challenge,” he said. “You don’t usually get the chance to play against the No. 1 team in the nation four times in one year.” Playing the Comhuskers could be an advantage for the Buffaloes be cause of their familiarity of the team. i ne leam we Know most aoout is Nebraska,” Saindon said. Nebraska has defeated the Buffa loes three times this year, including in the Big Eight championship in 1 Omaha on Nov. 26, but Downey is ) hoping Colorado peaks Friday night against the Huskers. t “I don’t think we have reached our i full potential,” Downey said, “and I’d l like to do it tomorrow.” I. ...-..-.-.:w.--1 Jon Wallor/ON Colorado coach Brad Saindon spsaki at a media luncheon Thursday about Ids toam, which will play No. 1 Nebraska tonight. NU hopes to dash Michigan State’s hopes for revenge By Clay Short Staff Reporter Along with playing a top 20 team in Michi gan State, the Nebraska men’s basketball team also will face one of the top guards in the coun try. Nebraska plays host to the No. 17 Spartans on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. The Spar tans are 2-0, with wins over Illinois-Chicago and Louisville. The Spartans are led by 6-foot-3 senior Shawn Respert, who is averaging 21 points and five rebounds in the two games this season. “Respert has got to be one of the top 10 play ers in the nation, just on athletic ability,” Husker guard Tom Wald said. Respert has a 36-gamc three-point streak to his credit, and he holds the all-time school record with 215 three-pointers. He also is the fifth highest all-time scorer in Spartan history. “With Snow and Respert, they ha ve one of the better guard tandems in the country. ” DANNY NEE NU basketball coach “With Snow and Respert, they have one of the better guard tandems in the country,” Husker coach Danny Nee said. Senior guard Eric Snow is Respert’s part ner in the backcourt. He scored 19 points and dished out 10 assists in the Spartans' win over Louisville. Michigan State returns four starters from last year’s NCAA tournament team. Respert and Snow are both back, and so are forwards Quinton Brooks and Daimon Bcathea. The Huskers are 5-1 and are hitting more than 50 percent of their shots from the field this season. This includes shooting 59 percent against Morehead State and then a season-high 60.3 percent against Idaho Slate in the Amcritas Classic title game. Nebraska is coming off an 85-57 victory over rival Creighton. The Bluejays were held to 18 points in the first half of Wednesday night’s game. Creighton shot just 17 percent from the field. But Nee said the Spartans would be look ing for a little revenge on Saturday. The Husk ers defeated Michigan State 85-81 last season in East Lansing. The win was Nebraska’s first in five tries there, and it snapped the Spar tans' 22-game home winning streak against nonconference foes. Starters for tonight's 1:05 game against Michigan State. Nebraska (5-1) ppg. rpg. G Jaron Boone 15.6 3.6 G Erick Strickland 16.6 5.4 F Melvin Brooks 8.0 5.2 F Terrence Badgett 7.2 6.2 C Mikki Moore 6.2 5.0 Michigan State (2-0) G Eric Snow 16.5 3.5 G Shawn Respert 21.0 5.0 F Quinton Brooks 11.5 5.5 F John Garavaglia 10.0 7.0 C Jamie Feick 12.5 9.5 DN graphic