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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1997)
ft'*'' ' *r ^ -P'":£$ *%' *, % •; :£r. -V & -. iS f ; a AndrewStrnad Nebraska: volleyball factory For years the state of Nebraska has been known as a football facto ry Unknown to most, however, r there’s another factory in Nebraska that’s been quietly producing quali ty athletes of a different kind for nearly 20 years. While it’s no secret that the Nebraska volleyball team is one of the top programs in the country, lit tle is made of Nebraska and the quality players that come out of the state year after year. Texas has approximately 19 million people, and 35 of them play women’s volleyball in the Big 12. Nebraska has 1.6 million people, and 17 are competing in the Big 12. t Of the Buskers’ 15 players, nine come from Nebraska and four others come from neighboring Iowa. Hawaii native and NU All American setter Fiona Nepo is astonished at how rich the talent ’ ■ pool is in Nebraska. “It’s amazing that all of our players are from Nebraska or Iowa. That says a lot about Nebraska. They’re pretty talented in volley ball,” Nepo said. “If we could only do that in Hawaii.” -t-Sfi - - ■ One would expect a school to* t have the majority of their talent home bred. Nebraska faced three schools this season without a single in-state player on the ros ter. Four teams - Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas State and UKianoma - nave a combined one in-state player on their rosters, and they’re all NCAA Tournament teams. Oddly enough, three players on Kansas State’s roster are from Nebraska. • This in-state success can be - linked in part to the success of Husker Coach Terry Pettit " Pettit has won 20 conference titles and has guided five clubs to1 the Final Four and led the 1995 team to a National Championship. h ' ■ This success seems to create a cycle much like Nebraska foot ball. Young girls grow up watching the Huskers win and wi% Then , before high school those satpe girls are picking up volleyballs all ova: the state dreaming of the day they can play forthe Big Red. . ; r , Strand is a senior broadcast ing ang political science major and a Daily Nebraskan staff reporter. f dom Braves ^?p I: Assignment Reporter was noi^^to be found, the Nebraska women’s bas ketball tea|n discovered a previously hidden element nf its gam&- a solid offense. | The h6). 12 Comhuskers (7-1) defeated the unranked Bradley Braves 80-66 in front of 1,447 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Wednesday night, * ♦> . i~ shooting a season-high 62 percent from the field. Five playeis scored in double figures for NU, whichcommittedjust 22 turnovers, its second-lowest mark of the season. “We were shooting good shots and we had a lot \ better selection,” Husker Coach Paul Sanderford said. “But it seans like we have to sacrifice one thing for smother. Bradley played extremely smart on offense. They drove the ball and kept the middle open, and we were a step slow.” Sanderfonfpointed to Nebraska’s failure to both er die Braves (>3) with a full-court trap and press. Bradley Coach Donna Freitag said the Huskers’ press benefited Bradley, which prefers to play a quick, up-tempo game. “I think their press has really been harassing teams,” Freitag said. “Their movement and trapping takes other teams out of their offense and keeps them off-balance. “But it was better for us. We broke it and took advantage of it by getting some fast-break layups.” Eighteen of Bradley’s 23 points in the first half came within five feet of the bucket, including four fast-break layups. But NU countered by shooting 65 percent from the field while committing just 11 turnovers, taking a 36-23 lead into the locker room at halftime. Husker forward Cori McDill attributed die lack Please see BRADLEY on 10 EVEN THOUGH JAIME KRONDAK has been sidelined for 10 matches this Mass* became of kackpnMM^dw hat stayri pttfthra thraaghoat her palatal taasw. KraNlak salt ska still plait to pafathatcealt la canto by a herniated disk. Krondak t in action i. - •- r By Shannon Heffei/inger Assignment Reporter” " ■ '■ ). ' ' , Jaime Krondak has seldom hesi tated to express her feelings about anything that concerns her role on Ae Nebraska volleyball team. In her junior season, Krondak has provided the team with its most vocal - leader, rarely missing a chance to express a straightforward opinion. | But after missing 10 matches with a back injury she suffered Oct. 4 at Missouri^Krondak lost a little of her signature outspoken leadership, she said. ■; Andncwassheattemptstoweave her way back into Nebraska’s lineup, Krondak doesn’t speak ofher rote for with foe same self-assuredness. “I don't really know how to act around the team now because before, I was such a leader and such a factor on the court,” Krondak said. “Now it’s hard to know how I’m supposed to act around my teammates, and I don’t know how they are going to respond anxmdme.” Rediscovering her leadership role Please see KRONDAK on 11 Bowls not ruling out NU defeat By Antone Oseka Senior Reporter History has a scary way of repeat ing itself. Should history repeat itself this weekend with a Nebraska loss in the Big 12 Championship to Texas A&M in San Antonio, NU’s bowl future could be up in the air. The Huskers (11-0) are guaranteed a bowl bath, but a loss could take them from a national championship contest in the Orange Bowl to one of the other top bowls. !l?venwitha loss to A&M, Nebraska probably would be taken as an at-large opponent in the Bowl Alliance. “I still think they’d be an Alliance bid,” said Shawn Schoeffler, a public relations representative for the Fiesta Bowl. “It looks most likely we’ll get Syracuse; I drink we’re in a good posi tion with than.” The Bowl Alliance was created in 1995 to try to provide fans with a national championship contest and die best bowl matchups for college football fans, fttodudesthe Orange, Fiesta and Sugar Bowls, which have to take the conference champions from the SEC, Big 12, ACC and Big East and two at laige opponents. This season, the Orange Bowl has the top two selections and rnusit take either the No. 1 or No. 2 team in either poll. Since Michigan is No. 1 in both polls and tied into the Rose Bowl, No. 2 Nebraska, with a win over Texas A&M, would go to the Orange Bowl, Should Nebraska lose to the Aggies, die Huskers could get a spot jn die Fiesta Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl has the fourth and Sixth picks, while die Sugar Bowl has the third and fifth selections. If Nebraska dropped out of the Bowf Alliance aH together, the Cotton Bowl would have the next shot at. Nebraska. - “Our group is going to look at Nebraska if Nebraska^ available,” said Marty Mchmis, vice president for the Cotton Bowl. “They’re on the top of that list; they have to be.” The Codon Bowl is required to take the second-place Big 12 team. That list of candidates includes Nebraska, Ifexas A&Mand Kansas State. Either of those teams would likely face UCLA in Dallas. “AH three of diese teams vs. UCLA makes this game a great game,” Mchmis said. “We drink we have a bet ter game than two of the Alliance Now, ifNebraska gets overlooked Please see BOWLS on 11
