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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1996)
By Mike Kluck Senior Reporter Hie dog days of October have be sieged the sixth-ranked Nebraska soc cer team. With the postseason still more than a month away and fall camp more than a month in the past, Comhusker Coach John Walker finds himself trying to push his team to its first-ever appear ance in the NCAA Ibumament. After Nebraska’s 2-0 victory over, Alabama on Sunday, and a Friday win over Tulsa to improve the third-year team’s record to 11-0, Walker said he was going to give his team a couple of days off. “We’re dead caught in the middle of the season nght how,” Walker said. “You can see it, and some of them are beat up, too. We’re actually going to give them two days off and then push on from there.” But Walker said this is good for his young team, which has set a new stan dard this season. After Sunday’s win against an Ala bama team that won the Southeastern Conference Western Division champi onship last season, Walker had to give his team a pep talk. “They were disappointed they couldn’t do more,” Walker said. “Here I am, having to cheer up an 11-0 team. We’re doing OK, and we’ll keep marching on. But that’s good that their standards are high.” Nebraska defender Kim Ratliff said the Huskers thought they had not per formed up to their expectations Sun day. “Even though we came out with a win, we want to play to the best we can,” Ratliff said. “When we don’t, we are still disappointed.” However, Ratliff, who has been with' the Huskers since the formation of the program, said it is nice to enter every game expecting to win. Husker midfielder Kari Uppinghouse said the team is tired, but it is at the point where it expected to be. “Definitely, we have the pressure now since we are a top-five program,” Uppinghouse said. “But we’ve always been disappointed if the effort hasn’t been there all the time.” Former Husker Wrnsett named woman of die year Indiana native beats nine other finalists for the NCAA honor. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Right at the bottom of the long list of goals that Billie Winsett-Fletcher hoped to achieve when she came to Nebraska was to win a national chain She did that, and more. Winsett-Fletcber, who recently mar ried Greg Fletcher, was named NCAA Woman of the tion of academic excellence, com- Wiasett nuinity service and fine play as an out side hitter for the 1995 Nebraska vol leyball team, which won the national title. “The final thing was to win the na tional championship,” Winsett Fletcher said before she was honored along with nine other finalists at an NCAA dinner in Kansas City. “I had the GPA I wanted to have. I had the outside activities I wanted to have. “Winning the national champion ship was the last thing. I gave it every thing I possibly could every day. I be came the best volleyball player I pos sibly could be. There is a peace of feel ing knowing that I accomplished that. “It really doesn’t matter what awards you win. You go out and do the best you can and help make the others around you be better. There is a peace fulness, a proudness when you know that you have done that.” Winsett-Fletcher, from Boonvilie Ind., carries a 3.833 gradepoiitt aver age into her final year toward a degree in secondary education. She is an ac tive member of the Fellowship ol Christian Athletes and has focused on working with children. She speaks at many school assem blies and is the keynote speaker al Nebraska 's annual School is Cool Jam which attracts about 14.000 students. Her husband, a former Nebraska football player whose career was ended by injury, isa third-year medical school student. “It’s just the concept of being in volved,” Winsett-Fletcher said. “It’s getting involved in music, in Mkm sewing—it’s all the basis of what you are going to do for the rest of your life. “You never know about injuries, you never know about a career-ending injury. There are other qualities you can fall back rat. My family has always taught a strong work ethic and mod esty to yourself and to others.” Winsett-Fletcher grew up with three older sisters, all of whom played collegiately, but none enjoyed the op portunities that were opened to her. “I asked my mom once if she ever competed,” Winsett-Fletcher said, “and she said, 'Every time I raced someone, I won. But I didn’t have the opportunity.’ “These girls need to know that as soon as they can throw a ball or swim or play — that they can do it. People need to say, 'You are special, you are good.’” The other finalists were Mary-Alice Brady, track and field, Boston College; it I became the best volleyball player I possibly could be. There is a peace of feeling knowing that I accomplished that.” Billik Winsett-Fletcher l Woman of the Year pg|gfe|||gi| Amy DeVaster, swimming, Alabama; Kristi Kloster, track and field and cross country, Kansas; Marya Morusiewicz, volleyball, Barry University; Nikki Nicholson, volleyball, Georgia; Jenni Rademacher, basketball, North Dakota State; Annette Salmeen, swimming, UCLA; Samantha Salvia, field hockey, Old Dominion; and Katie Smith, bas ketball and track and field, Ohio State. The finalists were selected by an NCAA committee from 51 state nomi nees. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then picked Winsett-Fletcher. Winsett-Fletcher was the sixth award winner. Rebecca Lobo, who led the University of Connecticut to the women’s basketbal 1 championship, was honored last year. “Each student-athlete is simply amazing," Winsett-Fletcher said. Next round promises drama BALTIMORE (AP) — Roberto Alomar and the Baltimore Orioles know what to expect in the next few days: an unruly crowd at Yankee Sta dium, and a couple of games of homerun derby against New York. In other words, classic National League baseball. “I didn’t worry about them booing me—I just went out there and played the way I know how to [day the game,” Alomar said after his 12th-inning homer completed the Orioles’ surpris ing playoff win in Cleveland. Tom Glavine and the World Series champion Atlanta Braves figure to see something different when the St. Louis Cardinals show up this week: tight, well-pitched games that keep fans tense. In another words, classic National •League baseball. u “The thing I’m amazed about is that we play much better, much crisper baseball this time of year than we do in the regular season,” Glavine said after Atlanta finished off a first-round sweep of Los Angeles. The second round of the playoffs could well be a study in contrasts, showcasing the best that both leagues have to offer. In the AL, that means power. The Orioles hit a major league record 257 home runs this season, breaking the mark of 240 set by the 1961 Yankees. They connected for nine more in four games in knocking out the AL champion Indians. The Yankees, who won their series 3-1 over Texas with three home runs by Bernie Williams, figure to make things tough on Baltimore. New York went 10-3 against the Orioles this sea son. The best-of-seven series starts Tuesday night in New York. “It’s going to be real good for us to start off at home, particularly after the tough series with Tex&s,” Yankee Man ager Joe Torre said. “Baltimore was as good as any team in the league in the Major League Playoffs second half of the season .” - The NL series begins Wednesday night in Atlanta, with the focus cm pitching. The Braves held Los Angeles to just 14 hits and no home runs in three games. The three-man playoff rotation — John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Glavine - was 3-0 with an 0.79 ERA against the Dodgers. “We’ve got some big-game pitch ers,” second baseman Mark Lemke said. “You saw it once again.” The Braves have won seven straight games at home in the postseason, and 14 of 17 overall. Atlanta went 9-4 against St. Louis this season. The Cardinals are playing in their first postseason since 1987, but have plenty of October experience. Manager Tbny LaRussa and seven players who toe* part in the three-game sweep over San Diego in the opening round own World Series rings. NU blasts Cats 39-3 KSU from page 8 yards and passed for 34 — re newed the NU confidence. On the next Wildcat posses sion, NU safety Eric Warfield blocked a Garcia punt at the NU 19. After the offense couldn’t pick up a first down, Brown kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Nebraska a 15-3 lead. Brown added a career-long 50-yarder as time expired in the first half, giving the Huskers an 18-3 halftime advantage. Before the KSU offense had a chance to make a second-half adjustment, the Cats fell even deeper. One play after Green left the game with a toe injury, Evans took a pitch around the right side 69 yards for a touchdown to put the Huskers up 25-3. Frost then tossed a 21-yard strike to tight end Vershan Jack son, who got one foot down in the back of the end zone, cap ping a 10-play, 70-yard with 43 seconds left in the third quarter. Evans found the end zone again, this time from five yards out, with 12:34 left to end the scoring. “The thing that I was some what uncertain of was which team was the real team,” Osborne said, “the one that played in Arizona, or the team that we thought we had.” LONDON $319 Paris Quito Santiago Tokyo Hong Kong S«3| $3; $529 $372 $434 Fares are each way from Lmcoin eased on a roundtmp mechase. Fares 00 not moude federal taxes ot PFCs TOTAUNG RE1WEEN S3-S45, OEEENDMG ON OE5TMATK3N OR OEPAEIUEE CHARGES PAID DNECTIY TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. Council Travel National Reservation Center 1 -800-2-COUNCIL (1-800-226-8624) EUROPASS FROM $210 EURAILPASSES AVAILABLE BY PHONE! No. 6 NU experiments in two wins VOLLEY from Page 10 Nebraska started quickly Saturday night against Missouri, taking an early 4-0 lead in the first game. The Tigers closed the gap to 7-5, but NU re sponded with eight unanswered points and never looked back the rest of the match. The Huskers were led by outside hitter Kate Cmich. The 5-11 outside hitter recorded 11 kills on just 13 at tempts, hitting .769. Nebraska hit a season-high .444 against MU. “Kate was very effective against Missouri after struggling a bit against Iowa State,” Pettit said. Jodi Maune was the only Tiger to post double figures in kills with 11. The - Huskers held-Missouri to a .141 hit ting percentage. Nebraska’s three game win against Missouri (0-12) marked the 25th consecutive time the Huskers have swept the Tigers. NU will play its third consecutive road match Wednesday night when they travel to Boulder to face Colorado before returning home Friday to play host to the U.S. National Team in an exhibition match. —m 8y Gamer*. M 1 f/r ® for Gamer* Miijic, Mini&turts, Rol< PUyih^, &i\J More. 2439 Rfcndolpk St. * Lincoln, NE 48510 * 474-8402 Monday Night Football y & Buckets of Beer I. Wet T-Shirt \\ Contest Following Lincoln's Only Topless Sports lai*^ i8tt.1T1 St the Game : ■ ■ ii Dance Contest Tuesday Mights