THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2007
SPORTS
5B
SOCCER
Weekend match-ups pivotol in women's season future Big 12 Championship hinges on final three games
BY ALISON CUMBOW
CUMBOW@KANSAN.COM
The Kansas soccer team expects to continue improving its overall and conference record this weekend with two home games. The
Jayhawks play host to conference rivals Nebraska and Iowa State on Friday and Sunday respectively.
AND THE AWARDS GO TO...
Last weekend, Kansas took home a 2-0 victory against Colorado, and a 0-0 tie against Texas. After two shutouts on the road, senior goalkeeper Colleen Quinn was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, and was also named to the Elite Team of the Week by Soccer Buzz. She earned both awards for her six saves against Colorado, and seven saves against Texas.
CATCHING UP WITH THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas, currently seventh place in the Big 12 standings, can use this weekend to help solidify their position in the Big 12 Championship. Only the top eight Big 12 teams qualify to compete in the championship. After this weekend, Kansas' last game of the regular season will be at home against Missouri on Nov. 2.
THE COMPETITION
Nebraska is 5-8-3 overall this season, and 1-6 in the Big 12. The Huskers desperately need a victory against the Jayhawks this weekend, as their chances of making it to the conference tournament are getting slim. This could mark the first time ever that Nebraska would not be able to compete at the Big 12 championship. The Huskers have lost six of their past seven games.
Iowa State has a 7-5-3 overall record this season, and a 3-3-1 record in the Big 12. The Cyclones are tied for fifth in the conference,
three places ahead of the Jayhawks. Iowa State has failed to win a single game on the road this season, instead losing two and tying two. The Jayhawks lead 8-4 in victories over the Cyclones.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE THIS WEEKEND
Friday's face-off against the Huskers features Youth Organization Day, which allows anyone under the age of 17 wearing an organization uniform or T-shirt admission for $3. Also on Friday, the first 500 fans to attend receive a free Jayhawk flag courtesy of AT&T.
At Sunday's match against Iowa State, the first 100 fans make it to the game receive a free pair of KU Crocs. Sunday is also Big Brothers Big Sisters Day. Any pair of Little with his or her Big gets free admission.
Friday's game starts at 3 p.m., and Sunday's starts at 1 p.m.
Edited by Jeff Briscoe
VOLLEYBALL
Suffering team to face Tigers; hopes to return to win column
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
It's been a season of setbacks and obstacles for the Kansas volleyball
team. Kansas has suffered an array of injuries and close losses — enough to test the will of any team.
Junior middle blocker Natalie Uhart missed 10 games due to a
Bechard
medical issue, and as soon as Uhart returned to the lineup, sophomore middle blocker Brittany Williams tore her ACL and was lost for the season. Lately, it's been a string of demoralizing losses that have tested the jayhawks.
record to 10-12 and 3-8 in the Big 12 conference. The Jayhawks started off the season 7-3 against nonconference opponents, and were 9-5 after splitting their first four conference games.
"I think anytime you don't get the results you want, you start to question what you are doing, and wonder what else you could be doing," head coach Ray Bechard said.
Kansas will try to get back on
track against Missouri at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m.
Kansas defeated Missouri 3-2 when the teams met on Sept. 19 in Columbia, Mo. That victory broke a 12-match Kansas losing streak against Missouri. Missouri is 12-9 this season and 5-7 in the Big 12.
"After we've played on Wednesday or Saturday, they're right back on the court on Thursday or Monday working to get better," Bechard said.
Bechard said that he's been pleased with the way his team has handled its adversity.
CLUB SPORTS Men and women's lacrosse teams open the season
Edited by Luke Morris
The Women's Club Lacrosse team will attempt to elevate its record above last season's performance in its opening tournament this weekend. Last year, the team posted a 15-3 record, only losing one game in the fall season. The Jayhawks will be going to Northern Colorado for a one-day competition and facing teams from Wyoming, Denver University, and Northern Colorado. The Jayhawks are a member of the Central Plains Western Division and frequently face teams from the University of Arkansas, Creighton University, the University of Missouri, the University of Nebraska, and Oklahoma State University. The tournament will take place on Sunday and is free and open to the public.
The Men's Club Lacrosse team will travel to Lincoln, Neb., this weekend to play in its first tournament of the fall season Saturday. Proceeds from the Huskers helping Huskers tournament and all will be donated to the Athletic Club Director of University of Nebraska to assist his daughter's medical bills from a recent car crash. The Jayhawks represent the only out-of-state team competing against squads from University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Creighton University. The final record of each team decides the champion.
Emily Muskin
MEN'S GOLF Team ready to rebound in last tournament of season
The Men's Golf team prepares to finish its season on a good note when it travels to Wilmington, N.C., to compete in the Landfall Tradition. It's been a long fall semester for the golf squad.
The Jayhawks fell hard at the Prestige at PGA West in Palm Springs, Calif., where they posted their second consecutive, last place finish. Head coach Kit Grove believes that the losing streak will end today.
"We had a rough first part of the fall season, but we will try to build off our last round in Palm Springs and finish the season on a high note," Grove said.
Grove expects Colorado junior Walt Koebel to lead the Jayhawks to finish the season strong. Koelbel is the only KU golfer to play every tournament this fall season. Junior Zach Pederson and sophomore Bobby Knowles will join Koelbel after competing in the 2006 Landfall Tradition.
ing from last season, the young Jayhawks will have a tough time competing against teams like top 50, Ohio State.
Last year, the Jayhawks finished seventh with two graduated Jayhawks, Gary Woodland and Tyler Docking, finishing in the top ten in the 2006 Landfall Tradition.
The Jayhawks tee off in the 54-hole event today through Sunday, playing a single round each day.
Kansas ranks 11th in the Big 12, one spot above archival Missouri.
Bill Walberg
With no top finishers return-
SWIMMING Team aiming for revenge against Missouri Tigers
A head-to-head match-up with the Missouri Tigers is scheduled for 6 p.m. today in Robinson Natatorium. The KU swimming and diving team is fresh off a fourth place finish at the Big 12 Relays in Ames, Iowa a week ago. The swimmers are trying to claim their second victory in a dual competition after they defeated Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Jayhawks finished just 11 points behind the Tigers at the Big 12 Relays. The team hopes to avenge last year's loss to the Tigers in Columbia.
Scott Toland
CROSS COUNTRY Teams set goals, hopes for Big 12 Championships
This Friday, the Kansas cross country teams head to Lubbock, Texas, for the Big 12 Championships. The men's team has had success in the past, as it returns last year's champion Colby Wissel. While the women's team had higher hopes for last year's performance, its sights are now set on improving Friday.
"We really want to try and get sixth this year?" Hayley Harbert, Shawnee senior, said. "If we all run well, we should be able to do that."
The men have a little extra confidence, running behind their two All-Americans. While they had individual success last year, assistant coach Doug Clark thinks it will need to be a team effort.
"The thing you never know is how other teams are going to run." Clark said. "I think that it is important to have three number-five runners, because your top five runners. I think that based off of looking at other teams, a fifth place finish is very realistic, but if everyone runs like they should, then a third place finish or higher is very possible."
The men are set to run at 10 a.m.
and the women at 11 a.m.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Kansas wraps up fall schedule in Tuscaloosa
The University of Kansas women's golf team begins play today in the UA-Ann Rhoads Intercollegiate in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The tournament concludes the team's five-tournament fall schedule.
Kansas is coming off back-to-back top-five finishes including a victory at the Marilynn Sunflower invitational in Manhattan, Kan., at the beginning of October. The tournament features an 18-team field. Coach Erin O'Neil said she believes the competition the Jayhawks will face will be the best they've competed against all year.
The team plans to use what has become a familiar lineup. Senior Annie Giangrosso, sophomore Emily Powers and freshmen Meghna Bal, Grace Thiry and Sydney Wilson all are competing in the three day event in which golfers complete 18 holes each day.
O'Nell said she would be satisfied if her team could finish in the top 10 since the level of play is so high. The tournament field includes national powers such as Alabama, Notre Dame, Auburn and Florida.
—Andrew Wiebe
SPORTS BRIEF Giants and Dolphins play first overseas game
LONDON — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is in Britain this week to support the cause. He thinks it's great that the Giants and Dolphins have come overseas for a regular-season game that will boost the NFL's global image.
So, when can we expect to see America's Team in London?
Tyler Passmore
Jones' take was one of the few sobering opinions to come out of interviews during a conference of international sports leaders being held in conjunction with the NFL's first regular-season game outside North America.
"Well, that probably wouldn't work for us," Jones said Thursday of the NFL's newest international marketing project.
On deck
The majority said the Giants-Dolphins game, scheduled for Sunday at sold-out Wembley Stadium, is a logical and positive next step in a project more than 30 years in the making. The first overseas NFL game was an exhibition contest in Tokyo in 1976.
"I wouldn't want to put any kind of number on it," said the NFL's international vice president, Mark Waller, when asked how big this international push could get. "Our job is to give the fans the best we can and evolve and meet their needs."
Kansas returns to the road next Wednesday to play Baylor in Waco, Texas. Baylor defeated Kansas 3-2 when the two teams met earlier this season.
Associated Press
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