Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1997)
NY&has grown in one year J By Shannon Heffelfinger Staff Reporter Gary Wyma took a big risk last season when he invested thousands of dollars in the fledging National Vol leyball Association. The women’s professional league was suffering from bad management, poor attendance and little media in terest. Wyma restructured the league, buying out minority owners and re cruiting new general managers, coaches and players. He studied pos sible new sights and placed teams in high-interest areas. Now, after a year away from the West Coast, the NVA has resurrected itself. Fan interest and media partici pation are at an all-time high, and Wyma’s risky venture has turned into a profitable success. The league will expand next season, fielding new teams in Madison, Wis., and Austin, Texas. “We are tremendously happy,” Wyma said from San Diego. “This year, the frustrations are gone. We have 20 times the media and triple the attendance. And it’s all because we’ve gone to the right areas.” One of those areas is Nebraska, specifically Lincoln, where the NVA Championship Playoffs will take place this weekend at Northeast High School. The weekend’s matches will fcfc Because the fans are so knowledgeable, it will raise the level of play for everybody Joel McCartney Tbmados volleyball coach showcase the top four regular season finishers in the league. “Lincoln is the perfect place to have the championship,” Wyma said. “Because of (NU Coach) Terry Pettit and all he’s done at Nebraska, the fans have a real understanding and an ap preciation for the game.” On Saturday at 5 p.m., the Colo rado Thunder (5-4) will face the un defeated and first-seeded Iowa Bliz zard (9-0). In the second semifinal match at 7 p.m., the third-seeded Ne braska Tornados (4-5) take on the Utah Golden Spikers (3-6). Tornado Coach Joel McCartney said that although his team — which includes several former Cornhusker players—will have a home-court ad vantage, the fan interest in Lincoln will benefit the three other teams as well. “Because the fans are so knowl edgeable,” McCartney said, “it will raise the level of play for everybody. Iowa will be a better team because they are playing here. They’ll play well knowing how supportive and inter- I ested the fans are.” The Tornados and the Blizzard I both defeated their semifinal oppo- L nents twice during the regular season, but those matches cannot be consid ered an accurate indication of how the teams will fair Saturday. Because of the nature of the league — teams practice only once a week and players are paid approximately $ 100 per match—team members can not afford to concentrate full time on their NVA careers. These outside factors have made it difficult for many teams to compete with a full roster during the season. McCartney expects that to be differ ent throughout the playoffs. “What fans saw during the regu lar season was not what they will see this weekend,” McCartney said. “There will be more parity, because all four teams will be at full strength. “The team that is successful will , win with a strong combination of work ! ethic and experience. It’s going to be ^ a real dogfight.” F\ . ® Goodwill can use your old stuff! (Get new stuff next year!) Goodwill drop boxes are in dorms from: April 28 to May 9 Or stop on the way outta town at: 3910 North 27th Street tf SUMMER KICK OFF PARTY tt |p Don't miss the Main St. Summer Kick Off Party W ri this Saturday with $2 You Call Its!! ***. |f We will run this UNBELIEVABLE SPECIAL T thru' July, so don't miss out!!! wM—Special runs from Spm-close— —Special not available on May 10— Road leads to stardom TRESSA from page 9 things,” Thompson said, “and if I just kdep getting stronger and my tech nique keeps improving, there’s a lot that I can do.” Thompson, a junior in the outdoor season although her indoor eligibility expired after die wot her first NCAA title in March, envisions the day when she throws 65 feet. Last week at the Drake Relays, she threw 58 feet, 3/4 inches, breaking a 10-year meet record for college athletes. She’s topped 61 feet several times this season, but never in competition without scratching. “She’s very proud of what she’s done,” Colligan said, “and she wears it well and projects it. She loves the training, the discipline that it requires, and she loves the attention, too. And she deserves it.” Syble Thompson knew long ago that Tressa was different from most little girls. When Tressa’s sisters slept at night, they snuggled with dolls, Syble Thompson said, but Tressa lined up volleyballs, footballs and basket balls beside her bed. We always knew we had a little tomboy in her,” Syble Thompson said. “But we are very proud of what she’s done. It’s kind of overwhelming, and she handles it really well.” Last summer, the Bloomfield Cham ber of Commerce named Tressa an hon- : orary member at a banquet in her honor i after an eighth-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Thompson’s mother , said she hears encouraging words from , townspeople daily during the track and , field season. , Support from the Bloomfield com- j munity, TYessa said, is nothing new. ! While in junior high school, she \ played quarterback on the football team, and as a high school freshman and sophomore she played tight end and safety, becoming the first girl in Nebraska history to win a state foot ball championship. “I had this peculiar instinct that I ' liked to hit heads and make contact,” Thompson said. “If you do that in bas- 1 ketbali, they catch you on all those fouls. That’s how I am in the shot-put ring. I release all my energy with a throw.” Midway through her senior year of high school, Thompson still held tightly to her dream of playing col lege basketball. But with the advice of ho- father, she turned down basket ball opportunities at Kansas State and Iowa State to throw at NU. The Husker coaches, however, had their eyes on Crete’s Teri Steer, who instead chose Southern Methodist and provided Thompson with her primary competition before a broken leg shelved Steer prior to the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite three months ago. “When I came in my freshman year,” Thompson said, “no one really expected me to do that well. But I had the determination, and I wanted to be the best.” Following a successful indoor season as a freshman, Thompson redshirted in the spring and switched from a glide throwing motion to a spin technique. “Watching her movements, I had a sneaking suspicion she could ulti mately achieve at a higher level,” Colligan said, “even if we had to back track a little bit. We were making good progress, but we were making progress down a road that eventually was go ing to have construction points.” Thompson endured a frustrating stretch of months in which she tem porarily lost five to 10 feet of distance pn her throws. I would go home and sit in my oom and beat up my pillow and won ier what the heck I was doing here,” she said, “But I had the determina ion, and I wanted to be the best. “(Colligan) just hammered my ass. t think he saw in me what no one else saw. He saw that I have what it takes o be the big dog.” Three years later, Thompson, hough still not the big dog of U.S. rack and field, has nearly mastered he spin technique and ranks among he top three throwers in the United States, along with former UCLA standout Valeyta Althouse and long ime star Connie Price-Smith. After her NU career, Thompson vants to remain in Lincoln and train vith Colligan, she said, in prepara ion for “at least the next two, and naybe the next three Olympics.” This summer, while she’s not in Greece for the World Championships )r in Sicily, Italy, for the World Uni /ersity Games in August, Thompson s content in Nebraska. She wants to work in law enforce ment after her days of international competition. And she's secured an in ternship with the Nebraska State Pa trol, a job that may someday send her cruising down State Highway 84, ex ploring the path to Bloomfield she t)lazed past on her way to stardom. A Sale For All The Ladies With No Class. Tired of studying? Ready for summer? If the answer is ‘Yes’, then come in today to find fantastic deals up to 1/2 off on big groups of selected new ladies’ clothing like these great examples: Ladies' Savings Short Skirts.Up to 40% OFF! Selected yarndyes, prints & solids! Values to $88! Blazers.Up to 40% OFF! Seasonal favorites! Values to 198! fonts.Up torn OFF! Choose from a variety of styles & colors! Values to $135! Vests.Up to 40% OFF! Popular yarndyes prints and solids. Values to $ 148! Blouses.Up to 50% OFF! Select cottons, silks and linens. Values to $98! Seasonal Sweaters ....up to 40% OFF! Special savings on great styles! Values to $168! Shoes, Handbags & Belts ..Up to 40% OFF! Save nou' on select spring and summer styles! Long Skirts.Up to 40% OFF! Popular styles including yarndyes! Values to $110! Shorts.Up to 40% OFF! Popular styles in a variety of colors! Values to $68! Dresses.Up to 40% OFF! Select soft solids, prints, knits & denim! Originally $ 168! Knits.Up to 40% OFF. Spring and summer novelty tops! Values to $78! All This Plus Much, Much More for a Limited Time Only... At Harold s! Savings up to 1/2 Off on Hundreds of Selected Spring and Summer Favorites! Available Exclusively at One Pacific Place, Omaha 1 o reeeite a free Harold’s men's and ladies’ apparel catalog and advanced notice of sales, call l -80067653 73.
