■ The Huskers feel no fear
in traveling to Stanford for a
chance at the final four.
By John Gaskins
Staff writer
Despite having to go on the road to
potentially beat two top seven teams to
make it to another final four, nobody
involved with the Nebraska volleyball
team seems intimidated about this
week’s Pacific Regional semifinals
and finals in Palo Alto, Calif.
Not after everything the 10th
ranked Cornhuskers have gone
through this season - like getting off to
the first 0-2 start in school history and
having their 65-match NU Coliseum
winning streak snapped. Or getting off
to a 2-2 start in the Big 12 Conference
and losing its first match ever to
Kansas State.
And especially not after playing
three freshmen in the regular lineup, in
a complicated 6-2 offense no team had
used in five years and finally putting it
all together to win its last 12 matches.
NU has seen it all in 1999 and is
ready for tonight’s regional senhfinal,
its 16* in the last 17 years, against sev
enth-ranked UC-Santa Barbara ^ espe
cially after winning the Big 12, which
is what UCSB coach Kathy Gregory
called “the toughest conference in the
country.”
“We’ve gone through a lot of stuff
this year,” outside hitter and co-captain
Mandy Monson said. “We’ve played
really well on the road, so I don’t think
that will be a factor.”
If the Huskers win, they’ll either
face No. 2 Stanford or No. 18 Arizona
Friday on Stanford’s court in the
regional final that will send the winner
to Honolulu for the NCAA semifinals
and final next week.
“We haven’t played our best volley
ball yet,” Monson said. “I think when
we get to California and hopefully the
final four, that’s when we’ll hit our
pique. That’s what’s exciting - we
always have something new to look
forward to.”
This time, it’s UCSB, the region’s
Please see HUSKERS on 11
NCAA Tourney
Today, Palo Alto, Calif.
7 p.m.
No. 10 Nebraska vs.
No. 7 UC Santa Barbara
Thirty minutes after
No. 2 Stanford vs.
No. 18 Arizona
Sharon Kolbet/DN
MAMMA HYMAN is a umber of both the UNL women's bowlinf team and the pfesttfieus Team USA.
Hyman recently returned from a tournament hi Abo-Dhabi where she placed 28* In the world.
Queenpin
Dedicated Hyman looks for big finish at NU
By Matthew Hansen
Staff writer
As far as stories on athletes
go, Diandra Hyman’s is not the
matically different from most.
Yet her story is original.
Diandra Hyman is a bowler,
and the themes present in her
story, so contrived in most
cases, ring true in hers. A
Hollywood executive looking to
mate millions seemingly could
n’t have scripted it any better.
Except to cast a baseball,
basketball or football player in
the leading role.
Bowlers sweat, too
Let’s get one thing straight.
Diandra Hyman is good -
really good. Her bowling
accomplishments, when com
piled, read more like a novel
than a resume.
The Nebraska sophomore
bowler seems to have won every
bowling award imaginable.
Among the highlights are the
1997 “Star ofTomorrow” Award
given annually to the nation’s
top junior bowler, being chosen
as an Honorable Mention All
American as a freshman follow
ing the Husker’s 1998-99
National Championship, and
winning a large number of
junior and amateur tourna
ments. v|
The high point of her career
so far was representing the
United States in the recently
completed World
Championships, where she fin
Please see HYMAN on 10
NU, Jays prepare
for in-state battle
Cochran: Sears,
Walker key to
CU offense
By Joshua Camenzind
Staff writer
_
Nebraska and Creighton will square
off in Omaha tonight at 7 for bragging
rights in the Comhusker state.
The Huskers enter the contest at 3-3,
while the Bluejays sport a perfect 5-0
record. NU won last year’s meeting 76
60 in
Lincoln //
when CU **
Tpaiit6'°tbwo No offense to
games in the CreightOH, blit
Ameritas °
Classic and some of OUV
are strug- J
gimg to find guys have never
themselves. ° ^
Nebraska heard of it ”
guard Cary
Cochran said CARY COCHRAN
many have ^ ,
mispercep- 6
tions about
the intrastate
rivalry.
“No offense to Creighton,” Cochran
said, “but some of our guys have never
heard of it. We know this is a huge rival
ry, but a lot of people build it up that
Creighton looks at it as a rivalry and us
just trying to fend it off.
“I see this as a bigger rivalry than
Kansas. Everything is at stake; bragging
rights for a year. We run into these guys
all the time. I see these guys all summer
long.”
NU has made it evident that CU
guards Ryan Sears and Ben Walker are
key road blocks to its success.
Wednesday’s practice included drills
where scout team players wore yellow
jerseys to signify the two guards on the
court.
“We want to simulate Sears and
Walker out there,” Cochran said. “They
are obviously focal points for us. If we
are to win the game, we have to control
those two.”
Sears and Walker are combining for
27.2 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.
The two are eerily similar to Husker
v-" guards Cochran and Danny Walker, who
are combining for 17.3 points per game.
Cochran is familiar with both play
ers, especially Sears.
“He is from Iowa too,” Cochran said.
Please see NU on 10
Altman cautions
team against
letting down
By David Diehl
Staff writer
The Creighton basketball team has been
a giant killer of sorts during the past two
plus seasons.
In the 1999 Missouri Valley Conference
tournament championships, the Bluejays
beat Oklahoma State at home and Iowa on
the road last year, and downed the Hawkeyes
earlier this season. They also upset Nebraska
84-73 the last time the Comhuskers visited
Omaha.
Despite falling to Creighton two years
ago, Nebraska leads the all-time series with
its in-state rival 21-10 and has won eight of
the last nine contests.
Sixth-year Creighton Coach Dana
Altman said although the wins over Iowa
and OSU are impressive, every opponent is
different from the last and the two teams are
different now.
“We have had a couple big wins here at
home,” Altman said. “And we have had
some disappointing losses. We’re just going
to have to come out against Nebraska and
play as well as we can as hard as we can.”
Nebraska’s backcourt shows signs of
inexperience with two junior college trans
fers and a sophomore, but Creighton fea
tures a tandem of juniors that has experience
and proven talent Point guard Ryan Sears
was the Missouri Valley’s Freshman of the
year in 1997 and shooting guard Ben Walker
was the 1999 MVC Tournament Most
Valuable Player. Both are averaging in dou
ble figures so far this season.
Altman pointed out that whileNU has a
lot of talent in its lineup, its lack oftime play
ing Division 1-style basketball, at times, has
hurt it
“At times, their inexperience has hurt
them in a few ball games,” Altman said, “But
wife Cookie (Belcher) playing, feat gives
them a big phis because thaft a lot of experi
, enee coming onto the floor.”
Belcher will play in Thursday night’s
7:05 pm. game. He has been plagued by a
wrist injury and will likely apply for a med
ical redshirt after he plays in six games.
Altman saidhe is a little concerned wife
fee lift NU will receive with the decision to
play Belcher and the experience and talent
hebrings.
“Defensively, he’s very good,” Altman
said. “I’m sure he’ll get them some boards,
and he’ll find a way to make a basket or two.
He can do a lot of things. Hels a very versa
tile player.
I “1 don’t think it changes our outlook on