Sports
Page 12__Wednesday, November 17,1999
I NU has room to improve, Nee says
MikeWarren/DN
RODNEY FIELDS goes for a layup in an
exhibition last week. Fields is replac
ing Cookie Belcher, who is out with a
uirict iniiirti
■ Aitnougn on to a slow
start, the game against
Russia should give the team
a chance to improve game.
By Matthew Hansen
Staff writer
The Huskers’ first exhibition game
was a learning experience as well as a
performance filled with inconsistency,
according to Head Coach Danny Nee.
The coach said the team’s second
game, a contest against Ural Great
Russia, would be another opportunity
for his young team to learn about them
selves, their teammates and college bas
ketball. He also hoped the game would
be a smoother affair than last week’s
exhibition opener, an overtime win.
Nee said the matchup against the
Russian squad was a chance for the
team to gauge its improvement smce me
first game.
“It’s a process for us,” Nee said.
“Our first game
was an opportuni
ty for the new
players to get onto
the floor and see
what it was all
about. Since then,
we’ve had one
more week of
experience in
practice. 1 hope
Mee we are more con
sistent this game than we were in the last
one.”
Nebraska will have to tiy to smooth
the rough edges without the help of
senior co-captain Cookie Belcher, the
team’s top returning scorer.
Belcher is still recovering from off
season surgery on his shooting wrist.
While he has been practicing with the
team, he said he wasn’t ready to play yet.
everything s on schedule with the
wrist,” Belcher said. “I’ve been making
some progress in practice. I’ve started
shooting a basketball, but I can’t shoot
outside of six feet because it’s too
painful right now.”
The guard, who also missed the first
exhibition game, took a wait-and-see
attitude regarding his future availability.
He said it was unclear whether or not he
would be ready in time for the Huskers’
first regular season game against
Eastern Illinois next Tuesday.
Although he’ll be on the bench in
street clothes, Belcher said he expected
the team to play much better than they
did last week.
“I wasn’t pleasantly surprised by
anybody (in the first game),” he said. “I
wasn’t impressed because I know how
good these guys are. They didn’t play up
to their potential in the first game, espe
cially in the first half. I think they will
play hard from start to finish against
Russia, and I think they’ll do well.”
Both Nee and Belcher said the
Husker defense had the most room for
improvement heading into the game
against Ural at 7:20 tonight. The team
yielded 99 points to the California All
Stars a week ago.
“We have to play much more solid
defense,” Nee said. “We really played
terrible transition defense against
California for a laige part of the game.
That’s the number one thing we need to
work on against Russia.”
The coach doubted things would be
too easy for NU against Ural. Although
he hadn’t seen them on film, he said he
knew they were big, strong and experi
enced, all of which may give Nebraska
problems.
“I’m sure the Russians will give us
good competition and some different
looks,” he said. “They’ll mix in man-to
man and zone, so we’ll be able to run
more of our offenses. Overall, I just
hope it’s a good, competitive game, and
we can get something out of it.”
John Gaskins
As soon as Tonia Tauke
receives her graduation diploma
this December from the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, she’ll have
absolutely no fears or doubts like
most collegians dtrabout making it
, in the “real world.”
Why? Because she’s survived
being a prolific and under-the
microscope Nebraska athlete.
She’s survived an emotionally
tumultuous 1999 season that saw
her lose her starting position at
middle blocker to freshman sensa
‘ tion Amber Holmquist and a shot
at the school’s all-time block
assists record (and having to read
about it in the papers like she is
now).
She’s survived playing for
Head Coach Terry Pettit, whose
demand for perfection equals that
of an ancient Greek architect or a
drill sergeant.
Most importantly, she’s sur
vived her own bitterness, at both
herself and the world, since Pettit
told her she was not going to play
much anymore just after NU’s Oct.
2 loss to Texas A&M.
“Tonia’s handled it great. She’s
been an inspiration to all of us,”
setter Jill McWilliams said.
Said Holmquist: “She’s had a
great attitude and stayed constant
the whole way. She’s been willing
to help me out. I look up to her a
lot.”
Fans are already missing, and
will forever miss, Tauke bouncing,
banging and screaming her way
Tonia’s handled it great. She s been an
inspiration to all of us.”
Jbll McWilliams
NU setter
around the court like a spark plug.
In the rare points of home matches
when she checks in a game, the
Coliseum goes nuts. They know
her. They still love her.
And rest assured, the media, or
at least I, will miss her because
unlike some diplomatic athletes
around here, “Tonia Talk-a-lot” is
not afraid to say what’s on her mind
and how she truly feels - not what
she should say because it’s what
you’re supposed to tell reporters:
She wasn’t afraid to tell me just
days after Pettit benched her that it
“sucked.”
“What am I supposed to tell
you?” she said more than one
month ago.
She’s not afraid to admit she
thought she wasn’t cutting it or that
Holmquist is a better player than
she is.
Or that she felt resentment
toward all the players on the team,
not just Holmquist, for a while
when they performed well because
she wasn’t even getting the chance
to perform well.
She wasn’t afraid to go off
Please see TAUKE on 14
Oklahoma,
NU to meet
second time
By Sean Callahan
Staffwriter
At 21 -5 and on top of the Big 12 Conference, >
the Nebraska volleyball team could not ask to be
in a better position for this point of the season. *
Tonight the 12th ranked Comhuskers will
travel to Norman to take on 8-18 Oklahoma. The
match against the Sooners will be the team’s sec
ond meeting of the year. The first time these two
teams played on Oct. 13 the Huskers swept OU
15-5,15-7,15-6.
Despite coming 44
in as heavy favorites, * / >
NU Head Coach
2222E1S (Pabst) teams
pas,““ very traditionally
Pettff said. “They have COme
have enough offen- alOYl2VCW
sive power to win *
matches. Where slowlv ”
they’ve struggled a
UtUe bit is defensive- TERRY PETTIT
Pettit is right. UNL volleyball coach
The Sooners could —————
easily have four more wins in the conference.
OU dropped four matches in five-game deci
sions to conference opponents.
One of those matches was to 1 b^-ranked
Texas, and they lost 15-13 in the fifth game.
According to Pettit, Oklahoma is a team that
usually starts out the season slowly.
“Miles’ (Pabst) teams^traditionally have
come along very slowly,” Pettit said. “It’s not
unusual for them to lose six out of their first
eight.”
fettit said what makes the Sooners danger
ous is their style of play, which is similar to a
men’s team.
Pettit believes OU’s style shadows Pabst,
who was a former Olympic volleyball player.
“Their offense tends to be high sets, slower
tempo and they build it around die block,” Pettit
said. “Defensively they just kind of evolve until
they’re pretty good defensively.”
The Sooner front row averages about 6-3. It
is led byjuniormiddle blocker Cathy Cook, who
lead the conference with a .342 hitting percent
age.
In the NU-OU series, Nebraska is a com
bined 5i-6 against the Sooners. The last time
Oklahoma defeated NU was back in the 1997
season when it swept the Huskers 3-0.
Tonight’s match is scheduled to start at 7 at
the OU Fieldhouse.