Samuel McKewon
Cook
ready to
take over
John Cook stood about 60 feet
away from the main stage on media
day for the Nebraska volleyball team.
He was near the net on one of
those smaller stages, like where you
might find die bearded lady. Or bat
boy. Or the three-tongued man. A
strange attraction, for sure.
Imagine this: a head coach of a
solid, Division I program — like
Code was at Wisconsin. Imagine him
giving it all up for an assistant job at
another solid, slightly stronger
Division I program, like Nebraska.
On media day, I found Cook’s sit
uation much more intriguing than
that of Head Coach Terry Pettit, ring
master on that main stage, because I
know, and surely Cook knows, that
he wasbrou^it toNUtoeventually
run that main stage Pettit runs now.
,, Cook, who was at NU for four
years as an assistant from 1988-91,
won’t say it Neither will Pettit. And
both won’t talk about when Pettit will
step down and hand off the program
to a good friend who’s already made
a major impact on this 1999 team.
But make no mistake, it will hap
pen. It’s equivalent to betting on Man
O’ War to win a horse race.
“There’s not really any doubt,”
junior setter Jill McWilliams said. “I
mean, I don’t know why else he would
have come hoe as an assistant”
McWilliams allows about one
second to correct herself.
“Well, associate head coach”
McWilliams said. “Right there, it’s
all in the name.”
so it is. in many ways, mot nas
picked his successor, just like Tom
O&ocne did with Frank Sdkh. Only
Pettit has done Osborne one better
For one, he picked 9 person that
had already been a head coach, and a
successful one at that
Wisely, Pettit has allowed Cook
toindoctrhiatehisowntoughertrain
ing philosophies, too, which the team
seems to welcome anyway. Still, itls
wise, because when Code does take
over, no punches will be pulled.
But when will he take over?
Code, a pretty decent faker, still
treats the situation as an “if”
*1 didn’t take this job to necessar
ily be the head coach,” Cook said. “I
thought this was a great opportunity
to be part of a great program.”
As to when Pettit will walk away
from the game, Cook only says,
“That’s his business.”
My money says Pettit and Cook
already have this thing figured out—
they just aren’t saying. But if the
players know something, they aren’t
letting on either.
“Coach Pettit didn’t say anything
about retiring when he recruited me,”
said freshman Amber Holmquist.
Said McWilliams: “We’re totally
in the dark on it”
Again, Pettit’s wise to not let his
Please see COACH on 12
.
John Cook is thriving
in the position that.
Pettit created for him
By John Gaskins
Staffwriter
It really shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who
attends a Nebraska volleyball practice that things are
different on that old Nebraska Coliseum court.
The players don’t seem winded near the end of
practice. They’re not only going at full speed on
every scrimmage point or sprint or stretch, they seem
to be enjoying themselves. Unlike last year, they are,
heaven forbid smiling.
“Last year after two-a-days, we could hardly
walk around here,” senior defensive specialist Kim
Crandall said.
“This year, everyone feels better. No one’s on the
injured list It’s turned around 100 percent.”
The reason for this change, in shape and attitude,
stands intently at the net, his eyebrows pointed down
ward, hands on his knees, whistle in mouth, ready to
be blown.
He always wears a T-shirt, properly tucked in his
gym shorts, and his eyes don’t scan or merely look at
whatever they see. They zero in. Voey focus. The man
seems to know what he’s doing. You would think by
his demeanor, or even his mere presence, he runs the
team. But he does not.
And for this, John Cook is not your average assis
tant volleyball coach. Technically, he isn’t.
He’s Nebraska’s associate head coach, a new
position that Head Coach Terry Pettit personally cre
ated for Cook, a position that, judging by their prac
tices, and their Red-White scrimmage last Saturday,
seems to bring with it an extra air of importance to
NU’s already dynamic program.
“Right from the first day of practice, he started
implementing new defensive moves,” senior defen
sive specialist Nikki Henk said. Henk is one of the
players that Cook works most extensively with as the
primary defensive coach on the staff.
“He does not half-ass on anything. He really
pushes you, doesn’t let you slack off in Mis.”
Pettit has seen the same thing out of Cook.
“The two most important things about John are
ms emnusiasm ana a commitment to wont nara,
Pettit said “He brings a lot of energy to the gym.” w _ ,,, _
One would wonder whv Pettit needed any more Mike Warren/DN
y y more MEBRilSKA ^mim Heail coach John Cook loft a head coaching position at Wisconsin in the
spring of 1999 to come to Nebraska, it is widely believed that Cook will bo the successor to currant
Please see COOK on 12 Head Coach Terry Pettit.
Tough task awaits
By Brandon Schulte
Staff writer
Any time a team faces a highly
ranked opponent it’is important.
Imagine facing two of the top
eight teams in the country in the first
weekend of the season, and one
begins to realize the daunting task
that awaits the Nebraska volleyball
team this weekend.
NU will host the fifth annual State
Farm/NACWAA classic this week
end. The four team field will not only
feature third-ranked Nebraska but
also top-ranked Penn State, No. 6
Pacific and No. 8 Florida.
NU Coach Terry Pettit down
played the tournament, yet knows its
importance.
“It’s a pre-season tournament,”
Pettit said. “You prepare for it and do
everything you can to win it.”
Winning may not be as important
as making it to the final, however, as
seven of the eight teams who have
participated in the finals in the histo
ry ofthe State Farm Classic have gone
on to die Final Four that same season.
Judging by NU’s intensity at prac
tice on the eve of the matches, it’s
likely that this fact hasn’t gone unno
ticed. :
“I think the kids are ready to play,”
Pettit said. “Emerging in practice is
one thing, emerging in a match is
another thing. We’re ready to play.
Coaches and players.”
In Friday’s late game, Nebraska
will open the tournament against
Pacific. Florida and Penn State will
square off in the early match. The
Tigers are led by senior All-American
outside hitter Elsa Stegeman. She led
the team in kills (4.51) per game, digs
(2.67) per game and hitting percent
age (.348). They are also the most
experienced team in die field with six
senior starters returning from last
year.
Leading the charge for NU will be
All-American Nancy Meendering
and setter Jill .McWilliams.
McWilliams is making only the sec
ond start of her career after taking
over the reigns from All-American
Fiona Nepo, who completed her eligi
Please see CLASSIC on 12
NU
199
■ Huskers say
outplayed
and will reclaim
By Darren Ivy
Senior staff writer
-t-■ ■- ^ % t -
One goal in the final regular sea
son game of the 1998 season was ah
that kept the Nebraska women’s soc
cer team from winning its second
regular season Big 12 title in three
years.
The team that scored that one
goal was Baylor, and by virtue of its
1-0 victory over NU, the Bears took
home the conference trophy.
Several CorhHti&er players said
they outplayed Baylor and. would
look forward to proving NU is the
better team when the teams meet
again Sunday at the Abbott Sports
Complex.
“Vfe are going to be pumped for
Baylor since they took away our title
last year;” said Isabelle Momeau, a
second team All-American defender
last season •
ie No. 8 Huskers
, they must play
at 7 pm. The Red
ine starters from
their 1998 team that finished 7-7-3
overall and 3-5-2 to place seventh in
die Big 12 Conference standings.
1; Nebraska Coach John Walker,
.Who was an assistant for the
Canadian National team during die
summer, said his team had a good
fall training camp and was ready to
open the season. Playing two confer
ence opponents to open the schedule
is different and brings added pres
sure, he said.
“Obviously these are big
games,” said Walker, who has com
piled an 82-21-1 record since start
ing the program in 1994. “You don’t
want to get behind the eight-ball and
drop one at home right away.”
Nebraska returns eight starters -
including returning All-Americans
Momeau, Lindsay Eddleman and
Sharolta Nonen - from the 1998
Please see BAYLOR on 12