Pettit,
Huskers
remain
positive
By Brian Christopherson
Staff Writer
Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach
Terry Pettit knows that quality prac
tices usually translate into a high
level of play in games, and that may
explain.Pettit’s upbeat attitude going
into Saturday’s 2 p.m. match with.
Colorado at the NU Coliseum.
“The last few weeks’ practices
have been very good,” Pettit said,
“and I think we saw the results in the
way we played against Iowa State.”
Nebraska’s three set win over the
Cyclones on Wednesday lifted the
Cornhuskers to 11-4 and 3-2 in the
Big 12 Conference.
Colorado (10-4 and 4-1) should
pose more of a challenge to Nebraska
as it brings a No. 20 ranking to
Lincoln.
“They have a good team, but we
enter every match with the same
mentality,” Pettit said.
“Every game is going to be tough
because the conference is so bal
anced, with maybe the exception of
Iowa State.”
Nebraska fell back in the pack
early in conference play, with losses
to Kansas State and Texas A&M.
Colorado features a powerful attack
similar* to those two teams, behind
the setting of Kelly Campbell and the’
strong play of leftside hitter Sonja
Nielsen.
The Buffaloes have had much
success this season in producing
sideouts. However, Pettit says his
team will not change its style and
will continue to play with an eight- or
nine-player system, including a
three-pronged attack at the middle
blocker position.
The upstart freshman Amber
Holmquist is featured at that position
along with sophomore Jenny Kropp.
Senior Tonia Tauke has been rele
gated to the bench as of late, but
Pettit remains confident in her abili
ties.
We have three solid people at the
middle blocker position, and we will
find someone to get the job done,”
Pettit said.
Pettit said the key to Colorado’s
attack will be the play of the
Buffaloes’ setter, Campbell.
“When she gets on a roll with her
setting,” Pettit said, “they can be a
tough team to stop.”
Pettit is more concerned with the
play of his team though, as it heads
into the heart of conference season in
the unfamiliar position of not being
in first.
“We just need to keep getting bet
ter as the season goes along,” Pettit
said. “We need to play at a high level
every time we take the floor.”
NU hopes to play on home turf
By Brock Wendlandt
Staff writer
jO.
The No. 4 Nebraska soccer team
is ready to make a homecoming at
the Abbott Sports Complex tonight.
After becoming the first team in
Big 12 Conference history to sweep
both Texas and Texas A&M on the
road last weekend, NU brings home a
winning streak of 10 games.
The Cornhuskers will look to
maintain home field advantage
throughout the NCAA tournament
into its 7 p.m. match with Denver (5
6-1).
“Our biggest home field advan
tage is our large crowds,” NU Head
Coach John Walker said. “Our play
ers feel very comfortable because
our crowds are very supportive, and
they’re louder than most places in the
country.”
Home field advantage, Walker
said, is an important factor in NCAA
play and is a goal for the team.
NU ended each of its last two sea
sons with NCAA losses at Notre
Dame.
The NCAA Committee, Walker
said, is the final judge of who
deserves the right to hold court in
November.
They look at a team’s record,
strength of schedule, road wins and,
ultimately, who’s playing well down
the stretch.
Texas A&M Head Coach G.
Guerreri, whose team lost 1-0 to NU
last Friday and helped move NU’s
record to 6-1-1 against teams that
have been ranked in the top 25 during
the season, added that the Huskers
have a geographic advantage at
home.
“When we go to Nebraska,” he
said, “we have a tough time playing
on their field. They’re grass is longer,
and the climate makes the field
rougher. They’re used to it, and I
think it gives them a slight advan
tage.”
This week’s NSCAA soccer
rankings have six teams in the top 10
from warm weather climates.
Although NU’s home field is dif
ferent than those found in Texas and
California, Walker said, it is not an
overwhelming advantage.
it
We re not in a location where you can grow
Bermuda grass. We have a good field, the
weather has cooperated this year and our
biggest advantage has been our fans”
John Walker
NU soccer coach
“We’re not in a location where
you can grow Bermuda grass,” he
said.
“We have a good field, the weath
er has cooperated this year, and our
biggest advantage has been our
fans.”
The Huskers will encounter
another team with good support
when they travel to Colorado (9-4)
on Sunday at 2 p.m.
“I like how Colorado has built
their program,” Walker said. “They
haven’t shied away from a tough
schedule.
“In the beginning, they had to
deal with the criticism of a poor
record, but now they are reaping the
benefits.”
Colorado, Walker said, is just one
example of how the entire Big 12 is
improving.
With six of its remaining seven
games against the Big 12, there
won’t be any sure wins, Walker said.
“You just have to look around and
see the scores of games, and you
realize that we’re not immune to
defeat,” he said. “In our conference,
nobody is intimidated.”
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