Big 12 standings
Conference Overall
W L PCT. W L PCT.
Nebraska 8 0 1.000 17 0 1.000
Texas 7 1 .875 13 3 .813
Colorado 7 1 .875 13 2 .867
Kansas State 6 2 .750 12 5 .706
Texas A&M 5 3 .625 12 4 .750
Kansas 3 5 .375 13 7 .650
Texas Tech 3 5 .375 14 7 .667
Missouri 2 6 .250 11 10 .524
Baylor 1 7 .125 7 12 .368
Iowa State 1 7 .125 3 17 .150
Oklahoma 1 7 .125 7 13 .350
Sagarin ratings
I, NU
II. Texas
12.TexasA&M
16.Cok>rado
18.Kansas State
24.Texas Tech
Canlstsnea Rankings
1. Big Ten 89.35
2. Big 12 86.03
3. Pac10 79.63
JonFrank/DN
i you never rerum me
STVEEt WAVEI?LY, NE
HAUNTING TIMES
Oct. 22 - 750 to 1t30 Oct 29 - 750 to 1150
Oct 23 - 750 to 1150 Oct 30 - 750 to tOO
Oct. 24-750 to 1150 Oct 31 - 750 to tOO
SPECIALS
Oct. 22 - Food Night - #100 off with a can of food
Oct. 3 - College Night - $100 off wdh you College V
Oct 24 - Parly Night (2 AcUts 6- 2 Chiton) - $10.00
•‘Specials not vafid with 2 for 1 past*
ADMISSION: tS.OO
lor tap Rates Or Mon Information. Call 786-5252
I Lincoln's First Class
Billiards Center v
• 30 BRUNSWICK POOL TABLES
• Electronic Games
• 6 Televisions
• SPIRITS
• Darts
(402) 474-8545
! DDED
fou^
October 24th
:r^ERoFEE 2:00 PM
• 1QQ% Pay back minus table time
Sertoma's Ride
of Terror
The haunted hayrack ride will run
October 16,17,22,23,24,29, & 30th
For Group Reservations (20 or more) or for
information call 489-2973
Location:
Grandpa John's Pumpkin Patch
2 miles west of Kawasaki
$5 per person
Preschoolers free
with parent
consent
Sponsored in put by:
Journal star t
• I ■ _ , . , __— -,;T,
.. j.--* » -*« •** *-* * ■*. ***•»»
Big 12 among best in volleyball ’
■ Adding Texas schools
to former Big Eight helped
turn the conference into a
powerful force.
By Andrew Strnad
Staff writer
When the Big 12 Conference
became a reality, dreams of turning
the defunct Big Eight Conference
into a volleyball powerhouse was no
longer a pipe dream.
The addition of the four Texas
schools, particularly Texas, turned
the one-man show called the Big
Eight into a legitimate bipolar confer
ence.
Balance of power politics aside,
the creation of the Big 12 forced the
middle-tier schools to get better.
Over the first two years of the Big
12, those middle-tier programs have
progressed to the point where the Big
12 is a multi-polar conference with
as many as seven of the 11 teams
competing for NCAA Tournament
bids.
“I don’t think there is any ques
tion about it; this is the best confer
ence,” Oklahoma Coach Miles Pabst
said. “I could see six, maybe even
seven teams getting in.”
As Big 12 play nears its midway
point, the conference has five of its
teams ranked in the latest American
Volleyball Coaches Association
Poll.
Nebraska leads the charge at No.
3 with Texas at No. 12, Colorado at
No. 13, Texas A&M at No. 15 and
Kansas State at No. 22.
“If you look at the Sagarin rat
ings, we have six teams in die top 25
and two others in the top 50,” NU
Coach Terry Pettit said.
In the latest Sagarin Division I
Volleyball Power Ratings, Nebraska
was ranked No. 1, and the Big 12 is
the second-ranked conference behind
the Big 10.
Only the Big 10 has more ranked
teams (6) than the Big 12.
With the level of play in the con
ference at such a high level, keeping
up with the Joneses has become quite
a task.
Last weekend, Texas A&M played
Colorado in Boulder on Friday night
and then flew to Lincoln to play the
Huskers on Sunday afternoon.
“Every weekend in this confer
ence, chances are you’ll be playing a
ranked team,” Texas A&M Coach
Laurie Corbelli said. “That makes
those back-to-back matches that
much tougher.”
The tough weekend trips and long
flights take a toll on all of the players,
but retreating to the days of the Big
Eight where it was Nebraska and
everybody else isn’t the preferred
scenario.
“I remember in the Big Eight,
Colorado was our biggest rivals,” NU
setter Fiona Nepo said. “With the Big
12, all the teams have improved and
they all help us play better.”
Someone who is new to the Big
12 Conference as a coach, but is
familiar with its exploits, is first-year
Kansas Coach Ray Bechard.
Bechard coached at Barton
County Junior College for 13 seasons
in Kansas before leaving to coach the
Jayhawks.
“The athletic abilities of the play
ers in this conference are at such a
high level,” Bechard said. “It’s hard to
imagine a better collection of athletes
in any other conference.”
While the Big 12 boasts at least
five potential All-Americans, with
Nepo, NU middle blocker Megan
Korver, outside hitters Demetria
Sance of Texas, Stacy Sykora of
Texas A&M and Sarah Lodge of
Colorado, the quest for a national
championship is a possibility.
Texas and Nebraska each have
won one national title, the only non
West Coast schools to ever win the
championship.
With the Huskers 17-0, many
coaches in the Big 12 believe NU is
destined to reach its third final four in
the last four years.
“They’re strong with Fiona.
They’re strong on the outside, and
their block is outstanding,” Pabst
said. “Terry’s got a great team, and
along with Texas or Colorado, we
should be able to send somebody to
the Final Four.”
ANNUAL "BIG RED" SALE
SPECIAL PROMOTION FROM
Oct. 19 through Nov. 1 st
SIDEWALK SALES Oct. 31 st-Nov. 1 St
•Pep Rally with the UNL Yell Squad and Lil' Red on
October 22nd at 6pm in the parking lot.
Gretna Optimists will be hosting a
chilifest following the Rally.
• !-.7;
Bring in ad to mall office for a FREE "Come Bade Pack"
’ ’’_--_ ,
