SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1994
Kansas to play in soccer nationals
PAGE 10
Team will compete with country's elite
By Kent Hohlfeld
Kansan sportswriter
This weekend, the Kansas soccer club will face what will be its most difficult challenge of the season.
The Jayhawks will face teams that are bigger, stronger and better funded than themselves in the National Club Soccer Association Championships in Phoenix.
Despite those facts, Kansas coach Mark Salisbury said he thought the team had a good chance of advancing part the first round of the championships.
The tournament consists of the best 16 club teams in the country separated into four pools with each team playing the three other teams in its pool. The top two
clubs in each pool advance to single-elimination play tomorrow and Saturday.
"I think we have a chance of making it past pool this year," Salsbury said. "A lot will depend on how our first game goes."
Kansas got its second consecutive bid to the tournament under Salisbury when the team won the Great Plains Tournament championship two weeks ago.
Kansas defeated Iowa State 2-0 in the semifinals and got a last-second 1-0 victory against Kansas State in the championship game. The team finished its season with an 8-1 record.
Part of the team's success came from the tough defense it played late in the season. Entering the national tournament, the team hasn't given up a goal in three games, a span of 270 minutes.
Continuing that defensive intensity will be key to improving on last season's 0-3 performance in the national tournament.
The tone for last year's tournament was set during a 10-loss to Auburn.
"Last year when we lost our first game to Auburn, it really hurt us psychologically," said midfielder Chris Lewis.
Lewis is one of six players to return from last season's team tournament.
"A lot of the teams play a lot quicker than we're used to," Lewis said. "We really need to control the pace to be successful."
Other adjustments Kansas will have to make include the time change, climate and pressures associated with playing the best teams in the country.
"I think last year will help us to deal with the weather and the pressure you feel when you're one of the best 16 teams in the nation," junior goal keeper Pete Schwartz said.
Kansas begins play pool this morning against the University of Texas at El Paso. The University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse and the southeast region champion will also
play in Kansas' pool.
"UTEP is tough," Salisbury said. "They come from the West region which is the toughest region in the country."
Brigham Young University, the defending national champion, was eliminated from the same region UTEP qualified from. Kansas faces difficulties beyond personnel, though.
Kansas has no trainer, statistician or paid coaches on their team. Salisbury said that Kansas operates on a budget of about $3,500, while many of the other teams receive as much as $50,000 to operate.
"In terms of funding and institutional support we're clearly not where some of the elite teams are," Salisbury said.
Despite the hurdles, Salisbury said that Kansas could pull off some unsets.
"We're concentrating on one game at a time," Salisbury said. "We have to be realistic, but if we can get past pool play, anything can happen."
Volleyball team claws Wildcats
Kansas breaks three-game skid
By Chesley Dohl
Kansansportswriter
Paul Kotz / KANSAN
Some called it ugly. Others called it bizarre. But in the end, the Kansas volleyball team's last home match was a victory.
Kansas defeated the Kansas State Wildcats last night in five games, 15-8, 2-15, 2-15, 15-8, 15-13 at Allen Field House. The victory broke a three-match losing streak for Kansas.
Kansas outside hitter Jenny Larson and middle blocker Leslie Purkeypile block a spike from a Kansas State player in Allen Field House. The Jayhawks won last night's match at Allen Field House 3-0 and ended a three-match losing streak. The team played its final match at the field house.
the whin cats took the first game. Kansas won the second. Then the teams alternated wins until Kansas came around and took the last game — the one that mattered.
"It was weird. It's hard to explain," said Kansas outside hitter Jenny Larson, who finished with 12 kills. "It was a game of momentum shifts, I guess. One team would serve tough, and then the other team would come back."
It wasn't a good performance by either team last night. Through the first four games, as Kansas and K-State struggled to score points, the Kansas pep band seemed to provide more entertainment for the 381 volleyball fans.
Despite the 38 errors Kansas committed, compared to K-State's 24, Kansas had reason to celebrate the victory. If Kansas can win against Missouri on Saturday, the Jayhawks will finish the season in fifth place in the Big Eight Conference.
"It was an ugly match," Kansas coach Karen Schonewise said. "Still, it was one of the highlights of the season. Our goal was to go in and beat K-State tonight to fight for a fifth place finish."
The first game started with a kill by freshman middle blocker Kendra Kahler, who was one of four Kansas players with double-figures in kills. But from the middle of the first game on, both teams played with hesitancy at the net.
“Strange,” a speechless K-State volleyball coach Jim Moore said after the game. “It was strange. That's the only way to explain it. When you play not to lose, your team falls apart at the seams. We've been
playing like that for the past four weeks. We were lucky to win the two games we did."
The last game could have gone either way. But Kansas may have ended up with a little more luck on its side. Moore said.
In the final game, K-State was ahead 11-9, led by the hitting of K-State outside hitter Yolanda Young. But Kansas crept back to a 12-12 tie.
Kansas sophomore outside hitter Katie Walsh, who led all Kansas hitters with 17 kills, hit an ace serve and put Kansas in the lead, 13-12. The final play of the game was a block by Kahler and Larson that rejected a spike by K-State's Young.
KANSAS (6-19.3-8)
Kansas defeats Kansas State 8-15, 15-2, 2-15, 15-6, 15-13
| Player | kills | pct | digs | ast | aces |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Kahler | 12-26 | .269 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Purkeypile | 14-39 | .205 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Walt | 8-37 | .054 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Larson | 12-34 | .147 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Lindgren | 1-4 | .000 | 13 | 55 | 0 |
| Walsh | 1-7 | .162 | 15 | 0 | 7 |
| Mohrfeld | 0-1 | -1.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Uher | 0-1 | -1.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiedeke | 0-0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sennett | 0-0 | .000 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
KANSAS STATE (14-12, 3-8)
Totals 64-179 .145 75 57 13
| Player | kills | pct | digs | asst | acs |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Dugan | 13-23 | .565 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| Young | 11-45 | .000 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryning | 5-6 | .833 | 9 | 48 | 1 |
| DeClerk | 7-20 | .050 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Wylie | 9-24 | .250 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| Phillips | 1-5 | .200 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Dau | 0-0 | .000 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Miller | 9-24 | .208 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ghattas | 1-1 | 1.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Hagge | 1-1 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals 57:149 .221 61 51 5
Jayhawks set to play exhibition
Kansas men's basketball team to take Marathon Oil seriously
By Chesley Dohl
Kansan sportswriter
There's another preseason exhibition game on the line tonight for the Kansas men's basketball team when Marathon Oil enters Allen Field House.
But when it comes to exhibition games, the consensus on campus seems to be: "They don't count—they're just exhibition games."
However, that's not the consensus from the Jaya-hawks and Kansas coach Roy Williams. With Kansas facing one of the toughest schedules in several years, these preseason games are crucial in developing this year's young team, Williams said.
"For a young team it's important for them to play in front of a crowd." Williams said. "Early in the season you worry about what we call game slippage.' Exhibition games provide two opportunities for them to work on their game before the real deal."
The "glorified practice" philosophy the team employed in last week's 87-85 overtime victory against the Victorian All-Stars won't hold up tonight against Marathon Oil. Williams said.
"It's a little different, but at the same time it's more like a second dress rehearsal for us," he said. "Tomorrow will be a little different. There were a lot of things on the offense and defense we hadn't put in yet last week, so in that way it will be like a second rehearsal."
Kansas sophomore guard Jacque Vaughn said that the philosophy used in last week's exhibition wasn't particularly successful.
"I played a terrible game," Vaughn said. "I went in there thinking 'practice.' I didn't do the things I wanted to do. But us having to come in and fight for this early season game put things into perspective for the rest of the year."
Sophomore guard Jerod Haase, who finished last week's game with 11 points, said that he wasn't expecting to put up such a fight to win the game against the All-Stars.
"I expected it to be a lot easier," Haase said. "Deep down I'm glad it came down to this. The incentive is really there for the rest of the season."
Kansas will play Marathon Oil as a tune-up game for next Saturday's season opener against San Diego State. Marathon Oil is 2-0 in the Big Eight Conference already this season, posting wins against Iowa State, 95-85, and Kansas State, 89-83. All but one of the Marathon Oil team members played Division I basketball for universities.
Glen Sergent, the mastermind behind the Marathon Oil travel team, has been in charge of scheduling preseason games against college basketball coaches for the past 45 years. He said it was a win-situation for both the Marathon Oil队 members — the players make about $1,000 a week — and college coaches who use the exhibition games to gauge their teams' progress.
"We went 8-0 in the Big East last year," Sergeant said. "At the Big East meeting when they said that they got kicked by Sarge, it was immediately unanimous that they wanted to play us again."
Williams has no doubt that Kansas will have a battle on its hands tonight.
"They're a good team." Williams said. "This game is definitely more important to us. We hope to execute better, but at the same time we aren't going to get worried about the score."
Note: Williams said senior center Greg Ostertag's knee and ankle were healed for tonight's game.
Associated Press contributed information to this story.
1994 Gold Glove awards
American League
First base—Don Mattingly, New York.
Shortstop—Omar Vizquel, Cleve land
Third base—Wade Boggs, New York.
Second base—Roberto Alomar, Toronto.
Outfield—Ken Griffey, Jr., Seattle;
Devon White, Toronto; Kenny
Lofton, Cleveland.
First base—Jeff Bagwell, Houston Second base—Craig Biggio, Houston
Catcher—Ivan Rodriguez, Texas.
Pitcher—Mark Langston, California.
National League
Shortstop—Barry Larkin, Cincinnati.
Third base—Matt Williams, San Francisco.
Outfield—Barry Bonds, San Francisco; Darren Lewis, San Francisco; Marquis Grissom, Montreal.
Catcher—Tom Pennozzi, St Louis
Pitcher—Greg Maddux, Atlanta
Source: Associated Press
Limited experience drowns water polo club team
By Jenni Carlson
The Iowa State Cyclones blew away the Kansas water polo club Saturday at Robinson Natorium.
Iowa State defeated Kansas 17-5. Players from the Des Moines, Iowa, water polo club combined with the team from Iowa State for the game. Saturday's game marked the first game of the season for Kansas.
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas' water polo club is in its second year of existence, said Bernie Brucha, club vice president. The club has approximately 20 members, 10 of whom practice regularly. Most of the members are former swimmers. A few played limited amounts of water pool in high school).
"It was pretty sloppy at times," said Todd Hirsch, Rockaway, N.J., sophomore.
Hirsch said the team had difficulties practicing under game conditions as well. To simulate a game in practice, two teams with six players, a goalie and one referee are needed — a total of 15 people. That is a situation the team rarely has at practice. Hirsch said.
"More than half the team had never played a game of polo," Brucha said.
Even though times are difficult, circumstances may change. The water polo team is dominated by young players, mostly freshmen and sophomores. Hirsch said.
"We have a good core of young kids we can
build a strong team out of in the future," he said.
build a strong team out of in the future, he said. Hirsch said more people, especially former swimmers, might play water polo and become addicted to the fast pace.
"A lot more people would enjoy water polo if they just tried it." he said.
Being a club sport, water polo does not receive any University funding. Brucha said he and other members of the team handled the coaching duties, the scheduling of games and the travelling arrangements.
Hirsch said the issue of team funding was not likely to change any time soon because of the Athletic Department's attempts to comply with Title IX standards. The chances of having another men's varsity sport at Kansas in the near future are slim at best. Hirsch said.
The team is planning games against several regional teams this season, Brucha said.
Iowa, Southern Illinois, South Dakota, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are possible opponents for the water polo team. Brucha said much of the team's schedule depended on the amount of pool time the University allotted it.
The team also plans to travel to several away games, which have yet to be determined, Brucha said. With the team paying its own expenses, traveling has not been the best experience for the water polo team, but Brucha said it was worth it.
"It's good experience to get a little bit of travel." he said.
Yumi Chikamori / KANSAN
Mark Sonneck, a Kansas junior from France, swims to catch a ball at a water polo practice at Robinson Natatorium. The water polo club team practiced yesterday, but Bernie Brucha, the club's vice president, said the team had trouble in attempting a full scrimmage during practice.
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