4B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2007
VOLLEYBALL
Kansas plays Kansas State tonight in Manhattan. The Wildcats won the first contest 3-0 at Lawrence.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Hawks face Cats tonight
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Another match, another ranked opponent for the Kansas volleyball team. Kansas (12-15, 5-12 Big 12 Conference) travels to Manhattan, Kan, tonight to play No. 12 Kansas State (20-7, 12-5 Big 12). The Wildcats will be the Jayhawks' seventh match against a ranked opponent this season, and its third against a ranked team in its last four matches.
"Our last three matches we played Texas, who arguably might be the best team in America right now, we played Oklahoma, who's a top 20 team, and a road match at Colorado."
Kansas lost to No. 3 Texas, but picked up victories against No. 18 Oklahoma and Colorado. The Oklahoma victory was Kansas' first against a ranked opponent since
3-0 victory against No. 16 BYU on Sept. 7, 2005.
"It's not like this team has given up," Bechard said. "We've seen a lot of teams like K-State. Obviously, the physical nature of the league prepares you for that. So it won't be something we haven't seen, but it'll be a difficult test."
Kansas fell to Kansas State 3-0 (30-20, 30-21, 30-25) when the teams met earlier this season at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. Kansas State leads the all-time series 54-34.
"There's a lot of interest locally because there are so many local kids on both teams," Bechard said. "There's lots of Kansas kids on both sides of the net. We're playing pretty well really. K-State has really had a great season. It'll be a great challenge for us."
Edited by Rachael Gray
Kansas vs. Kansas State
7 p.m.
Manhattan, Kansas
match preview
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kansas
Natalie Uhart, junior middle blocker.
Uhart missed 10 matches earlier this season, but the Lansing junior has returned and become Kansas's most consistent attacker. Uhart leads Kansas with a .278 hitting percentage.
Kansas State
Angle Lastra, senior libero. Lastra leads the Big 12 with 5.21 digs per game. The Puerto Rican native is one of the main reasons K-State sits a No.12 in the country and third in the Big 12 conference.
ACADEMIC
SUCCESS
The Big 12 announced its 2007 Big 12 Academic All-Big 12 volleyball team on Tuesday and six Jayhawk volleyball players were named to the team. Seniors Emily Brown and Caitlin Mahoney, junior Savannah Noyes and Natalie Uhart, and sophomores Melissa Grieb and Katie Martinicich were among the 53 Big 12 volleyball players selected.
SENIOR DAY ON DECK
Kansas' Nov. 17 match with Iowa State was switched from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. The game is Kansas' last home match of the season and seniors Emily Brown and Caitlin Mahoney will be honored in a post-game ceremony.
SISTER, SISTER
For Kansas freshman Melissa Townsend, the Sunflower showdown is also a battle for family bragging rights. Townsend's older sister, Leslie, is a junior defensive specialist for Kansas State.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
>> COMMENTARY
Altidore, Bradley produce fanfare
Jozy Altidore, of the New York Red Bulls, got his first call-up for the senior U.S. men's national team. Although Altidore is being called the national team's eventual savior by some pundits, 20-year-old center midfielder Bradley Middleton might be the best player of the U.S. soccer vounts.
Jostim Altidore is as much of a savior as American soccer fans can imagine. Many believe the 18-year-old wunderkind is the answer to the United States national team's well-documented deficiencies at the forward position. Altidore joined the senior squad for the first time this week to the delight of frustrated Internet pundits.
BY ANDREW WIEBEE
KANSAN COLUMNIST
AWIEBE KANSAN.COM
Despite the fanfare, it's manager Bob Bradley's son Michael who could be the most important player on the field for the United States when it travels to Johannesburg to face South Africa this Saturday.
Michael Bradley isn't the most talented player on the team. That title undoubtedly belongs to Landon Donovan. Bradley isn't the biggest, either. That's massive central defender Oguchi Oneywu. But Bradley fits the mold of the other type of player the United States has struggled to produce — a true two-way midfielder.
Just like Altidore, Bradley is blessed with the physical attributes to become a world-class player. At the tender age of 20, his rare combination of youth and experience has propelled him to 10 national team caps, as well as a starting spot in midfield for SC Heerenveen of the Dutch Eredivisie.
--minute against Switzerland, his first as a senior international, to further cement his name on his father's lineup card.
Since this summer's under-20 World Cup in Canada the perception of Bradley as strictly a defensive presence seems to have been misguided. Despite scoring only one professional goal before this season, Bradley's maturation as a player has resulted in the kind of multidimensional play U.S. fans aren't accustomed to.
Until recently Bradley was known as the kind of tireless defensive destroyer the United States has produced in droves. He was talented enough to provide the valuable link between defense and midfield, but proved awkward in the attacking third, lacking the finishing ability to be a true threat in front of goal.
He has hit the back of the net six times in 13 games for his current club after spending most of last season as a substitute. Bradley also notched the last-gasp game winner for the national team in the 86th
usa vs. south africa
International friendly Saturday, Nov. 17, 8 a.m. TV — Fox Soccer Channel (Sunflower channel 149)
to concentrate on being the type of attacking threats the U.S. so desperately needs.
By adding scoring goals to his repertoire, Bradley has all but assured he will be a national team stalwart in the middle of the park. Other promising prospects such as Benny Feilhaber, Maurice Edu, Freddy Adu and Danny Szetela face a battle to claim the spot alongside him in what could be the most gifted pool of midfield talent the United States has ever had. Simply put, the coach's son is the best of the bunch.
His play opens the door for other players to maximize their abilities. Bradley's ferocious tackling and ability to recover defensively allows players such as Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley
The biggest hole in Bradley's game may be his penchant for overzealous challenges. He racked up three yellow cards in five games this summer in Canada and was sent off during the Gold Cup semifinal. If he can cut down on bad decisions without sacrificing his aggressive style of play, Bradley could be the backbone of the U.S. midfield for the next decade.
For now, fans are fascinated by their first chance to see how the much-hyped Altidore handles international competition. American soccer enthusiasts can dream about the kind of player he could become but the truth is Altidore may not even play in Saturday's friendly. Bradley will. If the young midfielder's recent performances are any indication, Altidore may have to share the spotlight. That bodies well for the United States in 2010, when the two will return to South Africa to stake the American's claim to a real prize — the World Cup.
NIKE INC.
Recall of chin straps after reports of injuries
after reports of injuries WASHINGTON — Nike Inc. is recalling about 235,000 football helmet chin straps after the company received 18 reports of the chin straps breaking, including some that resulted in concussions and facial lacerations, a government safety
Edited by Ashlee Kieler
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group announced Tuesday.
The chin strap's plastic cup may break after contact, exposing the player to facial or head injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Beaverton, Ore, company has received reports of concussions, facial lacerations and a broken nose. The chin straps, made in China, were sold at sporting good stores and on Nike's Web site from April 2006 through October 2007. They were sold in both youth and adult sizes in four style numbers: FA0016 046, FA0016 130, FA0021 046 and FA0021 130. For more information, consumers can call Nike at 888-583-6453.
Associated Press
www.ContinuingEd.ku.edu (keyword: testprep) 785-864-5823