UT coach likes Huskers’ posi|i6n
By Andrew Strnad
Staff writer
A tradition built on consistency.
That’s how Texas Volleyball Coach
Jim Moore explains Nebraska’s volley
ball program.
As he talks about die Comhuskers,
Moore makes no mistake that despite
UT’s success in volleyball, the
Longhorns can’t match NU’s tradition.
“People around here might not want
me to say this, but (Nebraska) proved
for many years, consistently, that they
are the best program in this conference,”
Moore said.
In his second year coaching the
Longhorns, Moore has gotten to see the
Huskers up close for the last five years.
Before coming to Texas in 1997,
Moore coached Kansas State for three
years, directing KSU to three winning
seasons and the school’s first NCAA
tournament
With such a successful beginning as
a young coach,Moore said it wasn’t
until his days at KSU when he saw how
tradition is built in a volleyball program
“The players (at Nebraska) realize
that there’s an atti
Nebraska VS. tude that has to be
Tavac passed down from
IWd> player to player,”
Moore said. “It’s
something the coaches can instill, but
the players at Nebraska are able to pass
that attitude down to younger players.”
The attitude that Moore sees in
Nebraska is a relentless drive to win and
maintain the high standard set by previ
ous Nebraska teams.
“Last year when (NU) came down
to Austin and we beat them three to
nothing, they fought to the end hoping
to get back into it,” Moore said. “It’s just
unacceptable for them to lose.”
It’s been so unacceptable for the No.
3 Huskers that they’ve refused tolose so
far this season.
NU enters this weekend’s matches
against No. 22 Texas A&M (16-8 over
all, 9-7 in the Big 12 Conference) and
No. 12 Texas (21-3,15-1) undefeated at
26-0 and a perfect 16-0 in the confer
ence.
The lone conference loss on the
Longhorns schedule was to Nebraska
on Oct 16. The Huskers swept UT15-7,
15-11,15-12 in Lincoln.
“I don’t know what happened that
night” Moore said. “And to this day I
still don’t know.”
This weekend will not only provide
the defending conference champions
with a chance to rectify that loss against
NU - it will give life to die Longhorns’
Big 12 Conference tide chances.
Nebraska toill play the Aggies
Friday night in College Station, Texas,
before taking on Texas at Gregory Gym
in Austin.
par-„ .
nts in fan-friendly swim meet
to include synchronized diving
By David Wilson
Senior staff writer
Mention synchronized diving
and a smile quickly comes to Jim
Hocking’s face.
It’s not an official meet event, but
the Nebraska diving coach will tell
you that it’s definitely catching on.
“It’s like synchronized swimming
with a destruction derby aspect to it,”
Hocking said. “We’re pretty excited
about it”
As the newest addition to the
Sprint Classic, synchronized diving
will be an exhibition event today at
the Bob Devaney Sports Center pool.
But the meet won’t be short on non
traditional events. With die exception
of the relays, all races will be cut in
half. The meet, which begins at 7
p.m., also marks the first 11-dive
meet for NU.
Nebraska Swimming Coach Cal
Bentz, along with his assistants,
designed die Sprint Classic in the late
1980s to make for a fan-friendly
atmosphere.
“This is a meet especially for
people who aren’t familiar with com
petitive swimming,” Bentz said. “It’s
a very fast-paced event, and with
some of the best swimmers from
around the country, we are looking
forward to an exciting event this sea
son.”
NU sprinter Beth Karaica is also
pumped about the classic.
“It’s the only swim meet like it in
the country,” said Karaica, who won
the 50-yard freestyle at the Lady
Mustang Invite Nov. 6-7. “This is the
funnest meet •
Nebraska also will play host to
the Husker Shoot Out on Saturday.
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Nonen leads
soccer team
with stability
NONEN from page 7
hard for other people to get around
her one on one.”
The Huskers voted Nonen the co
all-around player of the year in 1997.
And LeBlanc, who is one of six
Canadians on the team, said Nonen
played a factor in her decision to
commit to Nebraska.
“She’ll be the first to tell you if
you’re doing something that’s hurting
the team, but she’ll say it in a way that
helps you understand why,” LeBlanc
said. “It’s good to know that someone
is there for you.” ^ --
Nonen concentrates on helping
freshmen and other Canadians feel
welcome because memories of her
own difficult transition remain fresh
in her mind. Not only did Nonen
move to another country for soccer,
but she was forced to change posi
tions from striker to defender.
me .3-1001-0 junior reiieu on ner
new friends and her boyfriend, for
mer Nebraska basketball player
Tyronn Lue, to help her adjust.
“It was hard to be here at first,”
Nonen said. “I was ready to leave. I
was homesick, but I needed to do this
for myself.”
Now Nonen, who spent the sum
mer of 1997 with the Canadian
National Team, feels more than com
fortable with Nebraska now.
Eventually, Nonen would like to
move to Los Angeles with her older
sister, Misha, in order to be closer to
Lue, who signed with the Los
Angeles Lakers.
But until then, her only goals are
to obtain her degree and to continue
to provide consistency for the
Huskers as a defender.
“I really want to make it to the
Final Four at some point when I’m
here,” Nonen said. “I want to give
whatever I can to the soccer team,
and I want to get my degree. After
that, I’m outta’ here.”
W.C.’S presents... 1
