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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 1998)
By Darren Ivy Summer Co-editor Nebraska Women’s Basketball Coach Paul Sanderford didn’t have to go far to land his latest basketball recruit for the upcoming season. He just went several blocks to the Nebraska Coliseum to find two-time All American volleyball player Lisa Reitsma. The 6-foot-4-inch Reitsma, who used up her eligibility in volleyball, gave up a chance to play on the United States National volley ball team this fall so she could return to Nebraska one more year to play basketball and complete her degree. “I have always wanted to play basketball,” Reitsma said. “So I debated (my decision) for quite a while. But there would have always been the question, ‘what if,’ and this was my last opportunity for basketball.” Even though Reitsma dreamed of playing basketball someday, she never took the aspira tion seriously until this spring, when Volleyball Coach Terry Pettit mentioned that Sanderford was interested in having her join the NU women’s basketball team. “Coach Sanderford thought I had poten tial to add to the team in the post position,” Reitsma said. “We both think I can help the program out a little bit” For Sanderford, the volleyball team is becoming a top recruiting spot — finding Renee Saunders last season and now Reitsma. Saunders said she had no idea Reitsma was going to join the team until Sanderford said something to her, but she was happy to be teammates with Reitsma again. “She has the height can block shots and Alan Yoshimoto/DN NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL and basketball player Lisa Reitsma relaxes after a work out at the Bob Oevaney Sports Center Friday morning. has a nice touch from the outside,” Saunders said. “She will have to get conditioned to run ning because there is a lot more of that in bas ketball. Once she does that, the intensity, competitiveness jumping and blocking are all the same.” Sanderford also is happy to have Reitsma on the team. “I’m really excited about Lisa joining our team,” Sanderford said. “She is extremely quick for her size and she is very athletic. With her quickness and leaping ability and timing, I think she also has great potential as a shot blocker. “I think Lisa’s experience playing volley ball at the highest level and in big games will carry over for our basketball team.” On the volleyball team, Reitsma was a three-year starter^ leading the Huskers to an NCAA title as a sophomore in 1995. She ranks second on NU’s career list with 1,633 kills. She also ranks sixth all-time at Nebraska with 337 block assists and added 35 block solos. Although Reitsma earned high acclaim on the volleyball court, Sanderford said she would have to play a lot of basketball this summer to ease the transition from volleyball to basketball. “It was something that Lisa wanted to do and the expectations are going to be very high,” Sanderford said. “People are just going to have to understand that it is going to take some time before she feels comfortable, but if she works hard this summer, she can definite ly contribute to our team.” Intramural basketball games with her vof leyball teammates are the only basketball games Reitsma has played since high school. At Western Christian High School, Reitsma was a Class 3A first-team all-state selection as a senior. She averaged 18 points and six blocked shots per game and was cho sen the Des Moines Register’s 1994 High School Girls’ Athlete of the Year. To try to return her to the form that made her an all-state player, Reitsma is working out four days a week this summer. “I have so much to work this summer, like ball-handling and conditioning, just so I can get on the floor.” NU Men’s golf team ends record season By Tanya Wright Staff Reporter The 1998 season was a record-breaking one for the Nebraska men’s golf team. The Comhuskers had their best showing in school his tory at the NCAA Central Regional Tournament, had a golfer tie the school record for an 18-hole round, qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in 20 years —finishing 20* place. “Therefc no question this is the best team I’ve ever coached,” said Coach Larry Romjue, who coached at the NCAA Championships for the third time in his 28-year NU career. When the Huskers entered the NCAA Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., May27-30, they ranked 29th nationally. Led by Friesen’s first round three-under-par 69, NU was 10th after one day of competition but dropped to 20th on the second day, eliminating the team from the tournament. Individually, Friesen shot a second-round 72 giving him a 141 total and making him the only Husker to qualify for the final two rounds of play. He finished in a tie for 37th place. “It was definitely disappointing,” Friesen said. “We were there as a team. It’s still nice to know that I was playing well enough to make the (cut).” To get to the NCAA Championships, NU, ranked 11* at the time in the region and 38* nationally, shot rounds of 286, 282 and 289 at the May 14-16 NCAA Regional Championships in San Antonio, Texas. These scores were good enough for a fifth place finish out of 21 teams — the best finish in school history. The resurgent NU play, after a disappointing ninth place finish at the Big 12 Championships, was keyed by juniors Jamie Rogers and Friesen. “They had something to prove,” Romjue said. “They Please see GOLF on page 9 ’■ “i 4 fe =4 p ■ 1 H m n jb . .ji|||ij'|i; • ■ ' -
