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NU unveils new infield
By David Wilson
Staff writer
When Nebraska Assistant Baseball
Coach Rob Childress starts yelling,
‘Ham and eggs. Ham and eggs,” in the
dugout, he’s not
talking about
breakfast
More than
likely, he’s refer
ring to a grounder'
he considers to be
an easy double
play - a hearty
combination of
Vlieger timing, footwork
and good throws.
The saying might not make perfect
sense, but when second baseman Will
Bolt looked at shortstop Brandt Vlieger
before practice Wednesday and said,
“Ham and eggs,” Vlieger knew exactly
what the freshman was talking about
“It’s the most exciting defensive
play in baseball,” said Vlieger, a junior
college transfer. “It’s all about commu
nication.”
Both middle infielders will make
their Comhusker debuts when NU
opens its season today at 3:30 p.m.
against New Mexico State in the
Phoenix Showdown in die Desert
The duo replaces departed seniors
Kevin Harrington and Bryan Schmidt,
but the lack of Division I experience up
the middle doesn’t worry NU Coach
Dave Van Horn.
“I don’t think we’re going to miss a
beat out there losing our two seniors,”
Van Horn said.
Since last fall, Vlieger and Bolt said
they had worked to learn each others’
tendencies, playing catch together
everyday and just talking baseball.
“We feel comfortable with each
other,” Vlieger said before Bolt cuthim
off.
“It took a while,” Bolt said, “just get
ting to know how hard he throws and
where he likes the ball -7 and communi
cation...”
Bolt paused.
“I guess I’ve experienced college
baseball,” said Vlieger, who hit .365
with 11 homers at Grayson County
(Texas) Community College last spring.
“I kind of have a better idea than Will
does. Hopefully, I can help him out”
“I take his advice,” Bolt said with a
smile. “He’s a little older and wiser than
I am.”
“He gives me advice, too,” Vlieger
said. '
After another break in conversation,
Bolt added, “Hey, maybe it should be
our goal to set the team record for dou
ble plays in a season.”
He looked up at Vlieger, who was
starting to crack up.
“Uh, yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Women s tennis team
seeks upset in Iowa
By Darren Ivy .
Senior staff writer
When die Nebraska women’s tennis
team travels to Iowa City on Saturday to
take on the Hawkeyes, it will go armed
with several things it didn’t have last
year.
In the top six will be two freshmen,
Katarina Balan and Amy Frisch. But
perhaps the biggest difference is that die
Comhuskers already have a match
under their belts. Last year NU opened
with Iowa and lost 6-3.
“It was our first match, so it was
kind of a warm-up,” said Gina Felazini.
“I think it was good that we played
(Southwest Missouri State) first It gave
die freshmen a chance to play, and they
are a little more confident because they
all won their matches.”
Coach Scott Jacobson expects a
tough battle from the No. 61 Hawkeyes.
“Iowa is a very strong school,”
Jacobson said. “I think realistically they
are probably a little better than that”
To pull an upset, he said, NU must
have underclassmen step up and play at
high levels.
Last week, Pelazini was the one
who provided a lift She Avon her singles
match 6-0,6-0 and teamed with Frisch
to win at No. 3 doubles. Jacobson said
he hoped Pelazini’s winning continues.
“She’s stepped up,” Jacobson said.
“(The S WS dual was) the best dual she’s
ever played. We’re hoping she can stay
at that and have a really good day
Saturday.”
Men's tennis starts season
with strong singles players
By Darren Ivy
Senior staff writer
Looking up and down the No. 70
Nebraska men’s tennis roster, Coach
Kerry McDermott doesn’t see much
difference in talent
There are some new faces though.
Players who played in the top six
last year now are No. 7 or No.8. Others
who weren’t in the top six last year now
are. Then throw in a couple transfers,
and McDermott is excited to open the
season Saturday and Sunday against
Rice and Lamar.
“I’ve never had this closeness
throughout a unit,” McDermott said. “I
feel we’ve improved since last year and
have something to prove.”
Senior captain and No. 1 player
' ''i
Dinko Verzi agreed with McDermott.
Verzi said the 1999 team was the
strongest one he’d been on in his time
at NU. On a given day almost anyone
on the team can beat another, Verzi
said.
For McDermott, parity is a good
thing. When he’s had his top
Comhusker teams, McDermott has
had deep talent pools.
“My best teams were in 1989 and
1991,” McDermott said. “Generally, I
could count on winning two out of
three (matches) at the four, five and six
(spots).”
Last year the Huskers didn’t get
many wins from their No. 4, No. 5 and
No. 6 singles players. But this year,
McDermott is confident that NU can
win at least two out of three matches in
those spots.
Pettit recruits
to fill the gap
left by Nepo
By John Gaskins
Staffwriter
What do you do when your three
time All-American setter, one of the
best players in school history, gradu
ates?
For Nebraska volleyball Head
Coach Terry Pettit, the answer to
replacing Fiona Nepo was simple:
Recruit more setters.
Pettit did exactly that, and on
Thursday unveiled his 1999 recruit
ing class of four prep athletes. Two of
them, 5-9 Lindsay Weishmeier of
Lewiston, and 6-2 Greichaly Cepero
of Dorado, Puerto Rico, are setters.
“I think we have a very strong
class,” Pettit said. “Athletically, they
are exceptional and will help fill
some immediate needs.
“We recruited very specifically to
what our needs are. That’s why we
recruited two setters.”
Joining them are U.S. Junior
National Teanl member Amber
Holmquist. a 6-4 middle blocker
from Houston, and Laura
Pilakowski, a 6-1 middle blocker/out
side hitter from Columbus.
Holmquist was the big catch for
Pettit. She led the U.S. Junior
National Team to qualifying for this
summer’s World Championships in
Canada and was the 1998All-Greater
Houston Player of the Year.
Holmquist was “impressed with
the tradition of success of Nebraska
volleyball and the exceptional fan
support” She’ll now get to spend her
college years in front of more than
4,000 at the Nebraska Coliseum.
“(Last season’s seniors) Fiona
Nepo,' Megan Korver, Jaime
Krondak and Denise Koziol were
outstanding players,” Pettit said, “and
I think this group has the potential to
be good as well.”
Lavy highlights Husker Invitational meet
TRACK from page 7
way.” Lavy’s performance in the high
jump looks to be one of the highlights of
the Husker Invitational, which runs
Friday and Saturday at die Bob Devaney
Sports Center. More than 865 athletes
will participate in this weekend’s meet,
which is one of the biggest indoor colle
giate meets in the country.
And to ask Head Coach Gary Pepin,
he’s not all that concerned whether Lavy
clears a certain height or not Only one
thing matters.
“Well, he keeps winning and that’s
enough,” Pepin said “You keep on win
ning, and dial’s going to get you every
thing you Want - the NCAA
Championship, too.”
Lavy said that die most important
part of the short indoor season was
being mechanically sound. That means
sometimes sacrificing big jumps to be
technically correct, which pays off
biggest at the NCAA Championship in
Indianapolis on March 5-6.
“When you get in these competi
tions, it’s important to keep doing the
right tilings,” Lavy said. “As long as I’m
there technically, I’m fine.”
The biggest competition for Lavy
this weekend will be Kansas State’s
Charles Burney, who has jumped 7 feet,
3-V4 inches this year. Lavy has. already
faced off against Burney twice this sea
son.
Other Huskers will be in the run
ning for a individual crown at the
Sevigne, but none figures to face a larg
er task than NU women’s triple jumper
Dahlia Ingram.
Ingram, who has already provision
ally qualified for the NCAAs with a
jump of 42 feet, 7 inches faces off
against defending national champion
Trecia Smith of Pittsburgh. Smith is
also one of the nation’s best long
jumpers.
“This is a big measuring stick for
Dahlia,” Pepin said. “She has the poten
tial to beat Trecia. We don’t usually talk
about jumps where people scratched,
but she had a scratch of about a quarter
of an inch last week that would have
been.a jump of well over 44 feet.”
Kostek said Nebraska would field
one of the best teams, and although the
meet was not team-scored, Brigham
Young and Washington State were two
other powerhouses in the meet.
Lavy said the meet gave fans the
best chance,to see great athletes,
although if he had to watch just one
event it’d be, w ell, his.
“I guess 1 just like watching people
high jump,” I .avy said.
