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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1997)
enjoy final year SENIORS from page 13 McFadden. McFadden suffered a season-ending injury before the start of the 1996 season. A fter the loss of McFadden, a repeat perfor mance of the 1995 champi onship season seemed out of * reach, Cmich said. “When we heard about Jen, everyone — myself included — thought we would be hurting. I didn’t know what we were going to do. But then I started realizing that we had people like Megan (Korver) and Tonia (Tauke), and I knew we could overcome it.” Hedbeck said she and Cmich tried to remain optimistic, setting new goals for the team as the sea son progressed. “With a younger team, we had to take things step by step,” she said. The Huskers took things slowly as they developed from a 5-2 team in mid-September to a 27-3, Big 12 championship team by late Novem * ber, allowing Cmich and Hedbeck to ease into their expanded leader ship role. “Being a verbal leader was something that I wasn’t used to and it was difficult,” Cmich said.’T tried to show leadership through the way I handled myself on the court and in practice.” NU sophomore setter Fiona , Nepo said die two seniors Led- by example and earned the respect of the younger players. “They were good role models for the team on and off the court,” Nepo said. “I don’t think we nec essarily looked up to them from the beginning, but they stepped into that role of leadership, and we couldn’t help but follow.” As Crnich and Hedbeck ma tured, they became two of the Husk ers’ steadiest players. Although sometimes overlooked, the consis tent defensive play of the two se niors was significant to NU’s re turn trip to the Final Four. Pettit recognized Hedbeck, who competed for the Swedish National Team before arriving at Nebraska in 1993, as a player with great char acter. An offensive weapon for the Huskers her first two seasons, Hedbeck was restricted to backcourt duties her junior and se nior years because of a chronic in jury in her hitting shoulder. After seeing limited action her first two years at Nebraska, Cmich earned a starting spot in the NU rotation as a junior. Her most re membered moment is her career high 25 kills in the national cham pionship match against Texas. This season, the Huskers con tinued to rely on Cmich both of fensively and defensively. Like last year, Cmich saved her best for last, recording a season-best 16 kills and a match-high 15 digs against Stanford. “Kate showed that she was a hitter to watch,” Nepo said. “And Maria was the best defensive player on our team. We’ll fill their posi tions next year, just like good teams do; but we with definitely miss them.” season vuLdJii irom page ns * lost a game in three tournament matches. NU took a game, but the Cardinal out-blocked the Huskers 29-11, forced 15 service errors, and Walsh did the rest. The 6-foot-2 All-American did not record a hitting error after the first game, smashing 19 kills on .471 hit ting with 12 digs, eight blocks and three service aces. Walsh, the nation’s top recruit a year ago, earned the Final Four MVP award after another 17 kills and a. .438 hitting percentage in the champion ship match. Stanford erased Nebraska’s first game momentum by opening game two with 13 straight points, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. Folkl, an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olym pic team, added 15 kills for the Car dinal. “I won’t really say that we are sat isfied,” said Nepo, who posted a Fi nal-Four best 57 set assists in the loss. “But I have no regrets. We came so far and people doubted us. “It just would have been great to beat Stanford, but we can’t really think about that now. We’ll just have to learn from this and take the experience on to next year.” After the match, Pettit praised NU’s intensity, discouraged only that Nebraska was unable to fully exploit Stanford’s little-exposed weak spots. “There were opportunities where we had Stanford reeling,” he said, “and maybe if we had been a little more experienced, we could have taken advantage. But that’s no reflec tion of the effort. “I’m very proud of this team be cause they flat out left everything on the court, and they’ve done that for 34 matches.” Next year, Nepo and Reitsma lead a unit that returns all but Hedbcck, Cmich and Stacie Maser, whose ca reer has been cut two years short be cause of a chronic knee injury. “They were able to compete at this level because menially they have great character,” Pettit said, “and they’ve pushed themselves all year. But every team is vulnerable, and you are only as strong as your weakest links.” In 1997, Nebraska’s weakest links will be stronger. Jaime Krondak, Megan Korver, Renee Saunders and Tonia Tauke, all major contributors this season, gained valuable experi ence in its two hours and five minutes «-— Nebraska will be back” DonShaw Stanford volleyball coach on the court in Cleveland. “For next year,” Reitsma said, “it’s going to be a big advantage for these players to have been here before.” Nepo said Nebraska expects a third-straight trip to the Final Four, Dec. 18 and 20 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash. “The challenge to them,” Pettit said, who will begin his 21st season as NU’s coach next fall, “will be to come out and work as hard as this team did. If they do that, they are go ing to be a nice team.” Nebraska may see Stanford again somewhere down the road, perhaps in Spokane. “They can use that as payback,” Stanford’s Shaw said. “They haven’t beaten us, so they will be motivated. Nebraska will be back.” Owise CtAsses 8*WEEK SESSIONS BEGIN FEBRUARY ($40 PER PERSON) ^ country ♦ swing ballroom 4 latin ^ C Can /A Now to [f \ Register! bracKhan dance directive 2?OQO street 43^3344 - l II Z PER TEAM <Zke TAjLtimAte Spcnts T&ax 7X8 'O' ST. LOWER LEVEL January U,U,S Team Schedule announced i/iS/77 ••/TEAM - ENTRY FORM - DUE RY FRIDAY 1/17/97 PLAYER 1 _ PHONE _ • ' B 8 ' " a— - I EMM— "The world is like a book, and those that never leave home read but one page" — St. Augustine ( Peace Corps Is Coming To UNL! Information Table Film Show Jan. 13-15 "Completely Alive" 9 am - 3 pm Wed., Jan. 15th, 3pm Nebraska Union Room posted I ■ '*