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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 1998)
Huskers ‘can’t relax’ entering Big 12 play I By Andrew Strnad Staff writer A volleyball season has four stages, according to Nebraska Coach Terry Pettit Stage one is the nonconference sched ule. Stage two begins tonight, as the No. 3 Comhuskers open Big 12 Conference play against Iowa State tonight and Missouri on Saturday. The Huskers (9-0) cleared stage one with relative ease, dropping only one game during the nonconference schedule. “I think we did almost everything well (last) weekend,” Pettit said, “especially our serving and blocking, which go together. “We’re not a great volleyball team, we’re great competitors.” NU downed two ranked teams last week, including No. 9 Florida in three games -15-4,15-8,15-0. During the Huskers’ first nine match es, they defeated five ranked teams, including two-time defending national champions Stanford. Now, the Huskers enter Big 12 play, which won’t be any easier. Volleyball No. 3 Nebraska vs. Iowa State, Friday, 730 p.m. No. 3 Nebraska vs. Missouri, Saturday, 730 p.m. Both matches at the NU Coliseum With five ranked teams, Pettit regards the Big 12 as the best conference in the nation. “I think it’s even better than I thought,” Pettit said. NU does get to open the conference with two opponents that historically have been weak. Iowa State (2-9) hasn’t beaten the Huskers in 52 tries and last won a game in 1994. Missouri hasn’t fared much better. The Tigers have a 2-46-1 record against the Huskers and haven’t beaten them since Sept 20,1982. Missouri (8-4) will come into the NU Coliseum on Saturday having won four of its last five matches. Despite the Huskers’ dominance over Missouri and Iowa State, junior middle blocker Tonia Tauke refuses to take any opponent lightly. “You just can’t relax, you’ve got to take a deep breath and keep on going,” Tauke said. Lately, Tauke has become an offen sive spark plug for the team, as oppo nents have spent more time focusing on the Huskers’ outside hitter. The 6-foot-3 Tauke is fourth on the team in kills and is hitting a solid .375. “I think I’ve got a lot more going for me, and that’s helping my teammates trust me out on the court,” Tauke said. As the Huskers head into the second stage of the season, Tauke expects the intensity level to go up in practice. Last season, the Huskers rolled out to a 4-0 start in the conference before dropping four of die next six matches. Tauke said that this year the team’s focus and confidence will be there dur ing the crucial stages of the conference season. Pettit told the media during a Tuesday press conference that he expects this week’s practices to be among the toughest of die season. “It’s not a long season. We have 10 weeks left, and that means only 30 prac tices,” Pettit said. “If we miss three, that’s 10 percent of our practices.” Both matches begin at 7:30 p.m. at the NU Coliseum. Matt Miller/DN JUNIOR MIDDLE BLOCKER Tonia Tauke reacts to a point last season. NU braces for Huard HUARD from page 9 with the big play when he has to.” Huard said the Huskies have been watching film of NU’s victory over Louisiana Tech, when the Husker sec ondary gave up 590 yards in the air. But that Is the last thing in the minds of die defensive backs, Brown said. “The defense wants to come out and prove that we’re a good defense,” Brown said. “I think people have start ed doubting us a little bit We want to come out and prove that we’re capable of playing great defense against a top 10 team.” Coats said consistency is impor tant if the Huskies are going to move the ball against Nebraska. But attitude, he said, is another key. “I know it’s Nebraska,” Coats said. “But I’m not going to get caught up in their winning streak and stuff. I’m just going to look at the team and try and dissect it. We have to go in believing that they’re beatable.” Your tv. only seems like the % screen' to an ant Just because you missed the movie when it first came out doesn't mean you’re stuck with watching it on video Starship gives you one last chance to see the coolest mooes at the big screen. Nine movies, $1.75 tickets—every day. Cad 475-9991 for listings. ^ StarShgp9 ^ “Racial Preferences are Dead.” Ward Connerly Tuesday, September 29th 8:00 p.m., Nebraska Union •PraaMantoftha Amsrican • Chairman of CaMomla’s CMIRIpttikiamutkMi Proposition 209 FREE ADMISSION NU gears for six-game homestand I By Jay Saunders Staffwriter Coming into this weekend, Nebraska Soccer Coach John Walker can’t help but have a case of deja vu. Last year, the Comhuskers were 4 2 entering a month-long homestand. One year later, the No. 21 Huskers are 4-2 after a win Wednesday against Iowa State. This weekend, NU starts a stretch of six consecutive games at the Abbott Sports Complex. The homestand starts tonight at 7 against Loyola Chicago. Sunday, Nebraska plays host to Southwest Missouri State at 1 p.m. “It is really ironic,” senior Lindsay Eddleman said. “Hopefully it won’t become a trend.” Walker said although the situation is the same, this year’s Husker team is vastly different than last season. Not only did die Huskers lose sev eral players to graduation, but nine players are in different positions. Only Eddleman and fellow forward Kim Engesser are in the same position as they were a year ago. But Eddleman is just returning from a foot injury that has hampered her the entire year. In addition, five freshmen have Soccer Nebraska vs. Loyote-Chicago, Friday, 7p.m. Nebraska vs. SMSU, Sunday, 1p.m. Both matches at Abbot Sports Complex seen considerable playing time. “It is quite a bit different because we have such a younger squad,” Walker said. “We still have a good team, but the team is not as experi enced.” As if Walker didn’t have enough problems to worry about, the injury bug has bit the Huskers. This week in practice, freshman Najah Williams suffered a knee injury and will be out at least this weekend. Williams’ injury leaves 17 healthy players for this weekend. “We are still in the experimenta tion phase,” Walker said. “It is difficult when you have five players out” Despite all of that, Walker said he is comfortable with Nebraska’s situa tion - because the Huskers are at home. NU has only lost once in the past three seasons at Abbott “We have a good track record at home,” Walker said. “After this home stand, we will have a better idea about our team.” In last season s homestand, the Huskers won all eight games, outscor ing their opponents 40-0. But this year, senior Becky Hogan said something is different “I just think we might have lost track of our goals,” Hogan said. “It’s nice to be at home. It will be exactly what we need.” Whatever the ailment, Hogan said a little home cooking could very well be the cure. Both Loyola-Chicago (5-3) and Southwest Missouri State (1-5) are unranked. The Ramblers have won three con secutive games. Walker said Loyola is being talked up as one of the most improved teams in the region. SWMSU is suffering from an injury situation similar to that of the Huskers. The Bears have been outscored 19-6 in their six games. But even though this weekend’s opponents are not in the NSCAA/Umbro Top 25 poll, Walker said the Huskers cannot be compla cent “Sometimes when you play a team without a big name, there is a human nature to have a drop-off in intensity,” Walker said. “There is no reason for that” Evans, Newcombe return for NU EVANS from page 9 way to trick the coaches and doctors into thinking it was 100 percent,” Newcombe said. “That didn’t work, and it probably turned out to be a good thing.” The thought of handing off to Evans adds to Newcombe’s excite ment. The last time Evans played for NU, Newcombe was in high school Evans is also ready to play with Newcombe. “We are both confident in each other,” said Evans, who ran for 776 yards and 14 touchdowns as a fresh man. “And with both of us back, they won’t be able to key on just one person. We will have all of our dimensions.” The Huskers expect their biggest offensive challenge yet against UW. The Husky defense was impressive in a 20-10 win over BYU last Saturday, holding the Cougars to 204 yards of total offense. ‘1 think they are die best defense we have seen all year,” Newcombe said. “They will challenge us offensively. They do a lot of stalling before die ball is snapped, which makes it hard to read i the defense.” But Evans thinks NU could catch the Huskies off-guard - Washington Football Starters *“"« Iw w lame Ht WL Poe. No. Nemo HL WL ^OfebyflewC'iJiriTt SO 185 y| "OS:?: ConalBuckhaltor 6-0 225 NT 96 StevaVtomn 61305 jtwiMetovfcki m m mmmm mS^SSm 64 m 46 fttetSte SI IS Shenon Jackson 64 245 MLB 44 Jw Foreman 61 240 mmmarmmmmam ms zr&fejawsan mmm mm James Sherman 62 296 LCB 16 Eneki Swiney 60 185 iUMi i 63 290 is , SSftfin. .&■* Kris Brown 610 205 P 23 MLaReur 611 200 No. Name HL WL Poe. No. Name Ht WL 4 iirtmutifadwr" antes * «mt : i m 2® 68 Bk# Store 6-6 300 DE 99 JoshSmMl 64 2S5 mi• Hfa«m. < - mv mmni* ^ «** • a» 51 BradHutt 64 285 NT 95 Jabarilssa 64 296 n 11mmm - m-'-mz 11 i», yinwi: m • «i 75 Aaron Dalan 6-7 325 ILB 17 Lesler tons 64 240 IT - TtHtifTBftte .64--,296 ,v*tt -IS tot***** .• ' 44-S '2351 7 BrockHuard 64 225 ROV 6 Nigel Burton 54 180 .32 '::'iiialBttdistf :Mb$ ',>» 8 4#.. im 47 PatGomW 6-1 235 C8 1 Jermaine Smith ail 195 mmmmme $ i 61 t96 9 Gerald Harris 6-1 190 j0N FrankADN has not seen NU’s injured players at full some big-play capability” Evans said, strength this season. “I expect a victory. If I play well and “I feel better about coming back for things ItfSJpen the way they should for a game like this. I feel like I can bring everyone, we can win it” -