6B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2007
soccer notes
CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
Senior goalkeeper Colleen Quinn was named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week this week after shutting out two opponents on the road during the weekend. She is in
third place
in the Big
12 conference
with 80
saves, and
tied for
seventh in
shutouts.
"Colleen
has really
stepped up to the challenge since we started conference play and been very consistent," head coach Mark Francis said. "She was tremendous in both matches this weekend and was one of the big reasons we were able to get those results on the road"
Alison Cumbow
The Big 12 Conference named senior midfielder Emily Strinden the recipient of the Chick-Fill-A Community of Champions Award this week. She volunteers time with Lawrence elementary school kids through the Fun and Fitness with Jayhawks program, as well as the Adopt-an-Angel program, and Habitat for Humanity.
"Emily has been a great leader for us, not only this year but throughout her career," Kansas head coach Mark Francis said.
"She has a tremendous work ethic and always looks out for the best interest of her teammates. She's been a great role model for a lot of the younger players on the team."
MLB New scoreboard leads to increase in ticket prices
COMMUNITY RECOGNITION
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A big new
ballgame is not the only thing
going up at Kauffman Stadium.
So is the price of tickets.
The Royals announced Tuesday that the average price for single-game purchases will increase next year by almost 15 percent, going to $23.76 per ticket from $20.67. That does not include the so-called "premium games" such as those with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Prices for season-ticket holders will go to $16.62 from $14.46 per game.
The Royals will still rank 27th among the 30 major league clubs in average ticket price based on 2007 pricing, the club said. The average price per season ticket in the majors this past season was $22.69, the Royals said.
Kevin Uhlich, the Royals' vice
president for business operations, said a survey of 10 small- and medium-market teams found that the Royals' price for premium seats was about $9 below the average.
"We need to try to play a little bit of catch-up. We're never excited to raise prices. But over the past five years, we've raised them very little," Uhlich said. "We have an obligation to operate like a major league team. We can't just sit here and take from revenue-sharing. We need to make moves like this to keep ourselves competitive."
Uhlich said the increases were made only after careful consideration.
"Obviously we want to keep our prices reasonable for our fans, and I feel that despite the increase in ticket cost, Royals baseball is still one of the best bargains in professional sports," Uhlich said.
Associated Press
'Hawks to face Aggies for second time
VOLLEYBALL
volleyball notes
GETTING DEFENSIVE Freshman Melissa Manda is.
ON DUE
on pau
to put
her name
in the
Kansas
record
books
this
season.
Manda
Manda
averages 3.62 digs per game as a libero. That would be good enough for the sixth best single-season digs per game in Kansas history.
SPEAKING OF RECORDS
Sophomore setter Katie Martinich has passed former player Tiffany Sennett to move in to seventh all-time in assists at Kansas with 1401. Martinich has 208 assists this season.
After Kansas returns home from its two-game road trip, the team will play host to Missouri at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Rustin Dodd
UP NEXT
rdodd@kansan.com
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Coach Ray Bechard would prefer not to have a repeat of his team's last game against Texas & M. Following a home loss to Nebraska and a road loss to Iowa State, the Jayhawks were 9-7 and 2-4 in the Big 12 when they lined up against the Aggies on Oct. 6. But for Kansas a night to forget ensued as Texas A&M consistently gashed through an exposed Jayhawk defense en route to a 3-0 (30-26, 30-25, 30-19) sweep. Texas A&M had four players with double-digit kills — led by sophomore Mary Batis' 15 — as it finished with 59 kills to Kansas' 45.
Senior Emily Brown sets the team for teammate to spike in Kansas' loss to Nebraska Saturday. The Jahways will play Texas & A&M tonight in College Station, Tex.
Kansas gets a chance to average that loss tonight. The Jayhawks travel to College Station, Texas to play the Aggies at 6:30 p.m.
"We just have to be better defensively," Bechard said. "We didn't do anything last time to slow them down."
Kansas has struggled since the loss to Texas A&M. After a bounce-back victory against Colorado on Oct. 10, Kansas lost three straight matches to No. 7 Texas, Baylor, and No. 1 Nebraska. Now sitting at 10-11 and 3-8 in the Big 12, Kansas is trying to scratch out some victories and avoid a repeat of its late season slide last year. Last season, Kansas beat Baylor at home on Oct. 14, 2006 to climb to 3-7 in the Big 12, but then dropped its final 10 conference matches of the season.
Meanwhile Texas A&M has won
three out of four matches after its victory against Kansas, and improved to 16-6 and 5-6 in the Big 12.
Offensive struggles have plagued the Jayhawks all season long. Kansas is last in the Big 12 with a 167 hitting percentage and second-to-last in kills with 13.67 kills per game.
Bechard said that Kansas had to improve its hitting efficiency against Texas A&M, and turn it into a grind-
it-out type of game with long points.
Senior setter/right side hitter said a combination of things could be blamed for Kansas' hitting woes.
“it's just a combination of us making smarter decisions when were hitting, and to see where the block is and hit where they're not,” Brown said.
Edited by Luke Morris
》 BIG 12 FOOTBALL
'Pig' plays major role in Tiger defense
ASSOCIATED PRESS
one with the odd nickname who would help revitalize the Tigers' defense.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — When Missouri assistant coach Craig Kulgowski was in California two years ago recruiting junior college players, little did he know he'd find
Cornelius "Pig" Brown saved an opening-game win against Illinois with an interception at the goal line. In Saturday's 41-10 win over
then-No. 22 Texas Tech, Brown had 14 tackles, including 4 1/2 for a loss, along with an interception and two pass breakups. He was named Big 12 defensive player of the week.
Kuligowski found him in 2005.
"We were talking to all these coaches out there, Who is your best plaver?" Kukigowski recalled.
Reedley coach Michael White pointed to Brown, who played cornerback, safety and returned punts. Beyond that, Brown was considered among the team's smartest players.
In two years at junior college, Brown — nicknamed "Pig" by his mother — was named to all-state and all-conference teams. He led Reedley to a No.1 ranking for much of the 2005 season.
"That's what happens when you watch a lot of film," Brown said. "I think I was getting to the ball faster than they were. A lot of that has to do with film study."
No. 13 Missouri (6-1, 2-1 Big 12)
hosts Iowa State Saturday at Faurot Field.
Brown, a senior strong safety, has come a long way since his days at Reedley Community College, where