Section:
B
The University Daily Kansan
Sports
The day in sports
Knicks forward Patrick Ewing was traded to Seattle Wednesday in a 12-player, four-team deal that brought sharpshooter Glen Rice to New York.
Inside: Former Kansas athletes Gil Reich and Robert Timmons will be awarded the Ellsworth Medallion.
SEE PAGE 2B
Inside: Cycler Adam Mills has always had an interest in cycling and works to improve his ability in the KU Cycling Club.
For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
SEE PAGE 4B
Sports Columnist
Shawn Hutchinson
sports@kansan.com
Dodge ball club brings back gym class trauma
See if this sounds familiar.
You're standing around in your high school gym class, thinking about your fourth-period English test. Then, all of a sudden, your thoughts are jarred when you're blind-sided by a dodge ball. Pretty soon another one hits you in the head. Then, before long, yet another comes in contact with your head.
Boy, was I peeved. All those innocent people getting hit in their heads with dodge balls. I wanted the name of this person. I wanted to know where he lived. I wanted to go hit him with a dodge ball.
For anyone who took a high school gym class, this scene was probably a regular occurrence.
At least it was for me. As a freshman in high school, my gym teacher used to force my class to compete against the sophomore boys' gym class every week in dodge ball. And, yes, I usually ended up getting hit in the head with a dodge ball, and I often would forget how to spell my name for at least 48 hours.
So why do I bring this up? Well, on the front page of the Kansan on Monday, there was a story about somebody who actually had the nerve to start up a dodge ball club on campus.
Ian smiled, then went on to preach that this form of dodge ball was safe. No shots to the head, no 48-hour memory loss, no menacing high school sophomores.
But I soon contacted Ian Spirdigliozzi, Flint, Mich., junior, and I found out he was a good guy after all. I met Ian in downtown in the Kansas Union one morning, and we talked dodge ball. We talked about how he and Morgan Bowen, Overland Park junior, got the idea for the KU Neo-Socialists and Dodge Ball Club one day while studying. We talked about how you don't even have to be a neo-socialist to take part in the games. And we talked about how the games are usually played on Saturdays. Anyone wanting more information should contact Ian at toyfulmpa.com.
Despite all this dodge ball goodwill floating around the Union, one question was still hounding me: How often do people get hit in the head during these games?
"It's not real competitive," he said. "Nobody's a hard-core dodge ball player. If you were, they'd laugh at you. And I'd just like to say that we'd love to have more females members, too. We're a coed club."
Oh? Really? Go on. Please.
"You have to try it," he said. "There's just this nostalgic feeling. Maybe you'll remember what it was like to play when you were younger. Maybe if you were the kid who got pegged, now's your chance for revenge."
Yes, revenge can be sweet, but are you sure those head shots are illegal?
"Head shots are out." he said flatly.
Indeed, one of the rules says "if the ball comes in contact with an opposing player's head, the person throwing the ball is out."
After that tidbit of information, I felt better about myself, better about my high school years, and better about dodge ball. In fact, I felt cured of my dodge ball head-shot phobia. One day I may even take part in a dodge ball game. What the heck.
But if a dodge ball comes anywhere near my head. I'm suing.
Words flow free for Davison
Hutchinson is an Overland Park senior in journalism.
Kansas junior says he's best corner in Big 12
By Jason Franchuk sports@kansan.com Kansan sports writer
Andrew Davison is saying enough to make everyone go deaf.
Despite the humbling experiences last year for Kansas' junior cornerback, he's back this year more confident, more skilled and just as talkative. He says he is the best.
"I feel like I've improved a lot," Davison said. "I think I'm the best cornerback in the Big 12 Conference."
What?
Playing on last year's team that ranked last in the Big 12 in pass defense, one might think Davison would stop his bravado. He repeats his proclamation again, just to make sure he's clear.
"I feel I am the best cornerback in the Big 12," he said.
He is told that being quoted for making
that statement will automatically turn the No. 24 on his jersey into a bullseye. Teams will target him. They will attack him, make him prove that he can live up to his own billing.
"Go ahead," Davison said. "I want the challenge. I want to face the best receivers. I think this defense is ready, and I'm ready."
After what Davison has labeled a disappointing 1-1 start, including a season-opening loss at Southern Methodist, he has talked about how he thought Kansas should have won its first two games by blowouts. When some teammates were pleased to escape with last week's 23-20
nailiter against Alabama-Birmingham, Davison barely broke a smile.
"A win is a win, I guess," Davison said after the game. "But we should have beaten them really bad."
Davison has spoken of his embarrassment that the Jayhawks have not gotten the job done. He keeps gabbing about how Kansas has not played up to its potential and can be a contender in the conference.
"Drew's a talker," said junior Quincy Roe, a close friend of Davison who starts opposite of him at right cornerback. "He never stops talking."
The Jayhawks surrendered only 45 yards passing against Alabama-Birmingham. That has given Davison ammunition to keep firing away with words.
And Davison has not stopped as the Jayhawks head into a showdown at 6 p.m. tomorrow against Southern Illinois at Memorial Stadium. He insisted that his use of speech had not alienated him in the locker room after he heavily criticized his own team's substandard play.
"I don't think they care at all," Davison
KANSAS FOOTBALL
What: Kansas vs. Southern Illinois
When: o p.m. tomorrow
Where: Memorial Stadium
Television: Tape delay on Channel 6 at 10 p.m.
Radio: Live broadcasts on 105.9 the Inzer and 90.7 KIHK
said. "I think they all feel the same way."
than they all feel the same way. Davison is trying not to look ahead, but he admits it is tempting. After Southern Illinois looms the challenge of Big 12 play. Playing a Division I-AA team such as Southern Illinois does not excite him too much. Realistically, he doesn't want to play any more than the first half of tomorrow night's game.
"I hope we treat them like the double-A team they are," Davison said. "I hope we're blowing them out so I don't have to play the second half, and we can get some of the younger guys an opportunity to play."
— Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
'Hawks to whirl against Cyclones in conference play
By Sarah Warren sports@kanson.com Kansas sportwriter
With the sting of its loss to Nebraska not totally gone, the Kansas volleyball team heads to Ames, Iowa, tomorrow to continue Big 12 Conference play.
The Jayhawks were spanked by the Huskers, the No.1 team in the nation, Wednesday night, losing all three games by a
significant margin, 15-
7.15-5.15-6.
In fact, Bechard compared Iowa State to Nebraska, although he admitted the Cyclones were less venomous.
Kansas, now 10-2,
takes on 2-8 Iowa State
at 7 p.m. in the
Cyclones' Hilton
Coliseum.
The Jayhawks played the Cyclones twice last year, splitting the two matches. Kansas won 3-0 when Iowa State came to the Horejsi Family Athletics Center but fell to the Cyclones in five games at the Cell
In fact, Iowa State senior Stacy Nicks ranks fifth in the Big 12 in blocks, averaging 1.21 per game. However, as a team, Iowa State ranks last in the conference in digs, kills, assists, hitting percentage and match won/lost percentage.
"They're a good blocking team." Bechard said. "They're very physical too."
"We have to execute; we have to pass, unlike we did against Nebraska. We need to play our game and do the things we know how to do well."
Nancy Bell
Kansas, on the other hand, ranks in the top six of each of those areas, placing third in both hitting percentage and kills.
nive games at the Coliseum.
“It’s a team that really put a dagger in us last year,” said Kansas coach Ray Bechard.
Now 1-2 in conference, the Jayhawks need a win against the Cyclones, who are 0-3 in conference with losses to Kansas State, Texas and Missouri.
Despite the Cyclones' record, senior outside hitter Nancy Bell maintains that looks can be deceiving.
Individually, senior outside hitter Amy Myatt and Bell are ranked third and seventh, respectively, in blocks per game. Junior setter Molly LaMere also ranks third in assists per game.
"I've heard they're much better than last year," Bell said. "We've just got to go out there and play the way we can."
Bell said Kansas would need to live up to those stats if it were to avoid a close Cyclones.
match with the Cyclones.
The Jayhawks have an all-time 23-32-1 record against Iowa State, and this team seems to want to add another Kansas win to the record. "We didn't play our game against Nebraska," LaMere said. "We need to play our game against Iowa State. We still need to get the respect we deserve."
"We have to execute, we have to pass — unlike we did against Nebraska," Bell said. "We need to play our game and do the things we know how to do well."
— Edited by John Audiblem
Kansas senior outside hitter Amy Myatt is ranked third in the Big 12 Conference in blocks per game. The Jayhawks will continue Big 12 play at 7 p.m. tomorrow against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Sophomore defender Brianna Valento scored her first goal of the season Saturday against Ole Miss. The Joayhawks open Big 12 Conference play at 7 tonight against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Soccer sets sights on Big 12 tourney
By Yoshitaka Ebisawra
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
Let the quest begin.
The Kansas soccer team has set the season goal at a level where it has never been before — making the Big 12 Conference Tournament. The top eight teams in the conference qualify.
Starting at 7 tonight, each victory means more to the Jayhawks (4-4), as they will open conference play against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Kansas then will face another conference foe, Oklahoma State, at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Olathe District Activity Complex.
Coach Mark Francis said the team had learned to play patiently during times of frustration, which would help it in conference play.
In its last game against Southwest Missouri State, Kansas dominated the midfield and created scoring chances but couldn't bury a single shot until deep into the second half. Francis said that his players had a tendency to panic when
that happened but that the team endured and stuck to its game plan to seize a victory.
"That was the thing I was happy about the game most." Francis said.
Francis said the team had made up for Rantala's absence.
The number of goals Kansas has scored this season without Hilla Rantala, the program's single-season-scoring record holder, also makes the coach happy.
"I mean, we scored two goals the last game and three goals the game before that." Francis said.
Despite this obstacle, the Jayhawks have learned ways to score goals.
After playing the season's first two games, Rantala, a senior forward from Vantaa, Finland, was forced to cut the season short because of a knee injury.
Sophomore defender Brianna Valento, who scored her first collegiate goal last Saturday against Ole Miss, said the victory before conference play began encouraged the team to begin its
She said both Oklahoma teams were beatable.
quest.
She said both Oklahoma teams were beating Oklahoma (5-3) will open the conference season in the midst of a three-game winning streak. Although the Sooners have scored only 10 goals in eight games this year, they boast a solid defense that has given up only 0.97 goals per game. Kansas beat Oklahoma 2-1 last year in Lawrence, which made their all-time record 2-1 against the Sooners.
"We need to win the next two because they are conference." Volunteer said.
In contrast to the Sooners, Oklahoma State (3-5) is heading into the weekend after losing its last three games.
%
But similar to Oklahoma, the Cowgirls' strength is a steady defense. Organizing the solid back line, sophomore goalkeeper Katharine Doud has earned three shutouts this season. Kansas defeated the Cowgirls 4-2 last year in Lawrence and evened the all-time series at 1-1-2.
— Edited by Katherine Moore
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