Thursday, August 13,1998 ls^*s Page 7
Michael Warren/DN
FIRST STRING l-BACK DeAngelo Evans (#4) runs drills against Tyrone Uhler at Tuesday’s practice on the grass fields
behind Memorial Stadium.
Solich pleased with NU practices so far
By Sam McKewon
Staff Reporter
After the fifth day of two-a-day
practices and the first day in pads for
the Nebraska football team, NU
Head Coach Frank Solich got what
he expected.
He got tired team, weary legs and
some ragged play.
All in all, Solich said, the prac
tices were perfectly normal for the
Cornhuskers, who worked out this
morning with just shoulder pads and
switched to full pads in the afternoon.
“We’re pushing them pretty
hard,” Solich said after the two-hour
workout. “We got them to the point to
where they’re in great shape and can
lay off a little.”
Solich said Nebraska worked on
its passing game in the afternoon ses
sion, with some mixed results.
“We’re a long ways off in being a
* > / ' , 1 % i •
good passing team,” Solich said.
NU’s passing skeleton drill was
hampered by sophomore quarterback
Bobby Newcombe’s sore right elbow
and an inexperienced offensive line.
The running game looked better
than the passing attack, Solich said,
with signs of ground game that could
make big plays this season.
“We’ve got a lot of explosive
guys,” Solich said, “and when you
have that you can start to move the
football.”
Defensively, NU was quick to the
ball and was physical on the first day
of contact.
Sophomore rover Mike Brown
said he welcomed the pads, as it
helped the defense prepare for
Saturday’s first scrimmage.
“We needed the contact,” Brown
said. “It feels good to get a little hit
ting in.”
The Huskers escaped without any
major injuries in their first day of
' r . V '
contact. Left guard James Sherman
did not finish practice because of a
high-ankle sprain. Solich did not
expect the injury to hold Sherman out
for an extended period of time.
Also, starting left cornerback
Erwin Swiney was held out of prac
tice again Wednesday because of
pulled groin muscle. He is still listed
day-to-day, Solich said.
On the freshmen front, defensive
backs seem to be an area where new
comers have come in and performed
early. Solich said that true freshmen
Keyuo Craver, DeJuan Groce and
Mike Demps have all made signifi
cant strides in early season fall camp,
although Demps and Groce were lim
ited Wednesday because of injuries.
Solich also noted that rush ends
Chris Kelsay and Demoine Adams
have performed well at positions
already laden with talent.
Nebraska will continue workouts
this week, with a closed scrimmage
on Saturday.
Volleyball team
readies for season
9
Experienced squad aims for championship
By Darren Ivy
Co-editor
In just over three years,
Nebraska senior volleyball player
Fiona Nepo has grown from a
small, timid freshman, who was
afraid to talk to reporters, into a
confident captain who now comes
right up to reporters and doesn’t
act the least bit nervous.
During volleyball media day
Monday at the NU Coliseum, the
two-year captain and two-time
All-American setter from
Honolulu took some time to
reflect on her media day experi
ences and talk about the upcoming
season.
“The first three years went by
so fast,” Nepo said. “But I feel
more comfortable this year. I
remember when I was a freshman,
and I was like, take my picture and
then run away. Then my sopho
more and junior year you
(reporters) came up to me. Now I
am coming up to you.”
In her final season at NU,
Nepo is hungry for another
national championship. Her desire
to win has rubbed off onto the
other 12 returning letter winners
and two new freshmen. Their con
fidence could be seen in the way
they talked and carried themselves
Monday.
To get back to the champi
onship game, Nepo and fellow
seniors Megan Korver and Jamie
Krondak have taken it upon them
selves to motivate the younger
players.
“Off the court and on the court
they look up to us,” Nepo said.
“We’re the core group.”
Coach Terry Pettit likes what
he has seen in terms of leadership
from the trio. Any time three play
ers have started for at least two
years, there is going to be leader
ship, he said.
Pettit also likes the team’s
progress from last season, when
NU finished 27-7 and tied for sec
ond place in the Big 12
Conference, to this season. He
said the spring season provided a
big springboard into the 1998 sea
son.
“We always have pretty good
springs, but this past one was
exceptional,” Pettit said.
One reason the spring was
exceptional was because of all the
experienced players. He said he
felt comfortable he could play at
fcfc
We always have
pretty good springs,
but this past one
was exceptional ”
Terry Pettit
NU volleyabll coach
least 12 players and not miss a
beat. This group has 10 years of
starting experience and there usu
ally is only four or five, Pettit said.
But one player who won’t be
around is two-time All-American
Lisa Reitsma, who used up her eli
gibility in 1997.
Although Reitsma was an All
American, Nepo is confident
sophomores Katie Jahnke and
Nancy Meendering can step in as
her replacements. Meendering’s
physical style of play particularly
impressed Nepo.
“She’s a stud,” Nepo said. “She
hits harder than anyone I’ve seen,
and I’ve seen the national team
players.”
Pettit will miss Reitsma, and
said some other players will have
to take on larger roles.
“We will have to be more bal
anced,” Pettit said. “But we still
need to have some go-to players.
The right side has always been a
go-io piayer ai inu.
Meendering wants to be the
next go-to player on that side, but
she said she was not the only one
who was ready to step up.
“There are a lot of good play
ers who were overlooked last
year,” Meendering said.
On the other side, Pettit said
junior Mandy Monson, sopho
more Angie Oxley and Krondak
will pick up some of the offensive
load.
No matter what combination is
on the court, Pettit expects NU to
be a better offensive squad than
last year.
A better offense will be a
necessity because Pettit thinks the
Big 12 has at least three top 10
teams and another three or four
that will make the NCAA tourna
ment.
“Our conference will be the
most competitive in Big 12 histo
ry,” Pettit said. “But if you can be
successful in the conference, you
also will be nationally.”