8A
Yesterday in sports
The University Daily Kansan
Down by as many as eight,
the U.S. women's basketball
team (3-0) beat Russia (2-1)
88-77. Lisa Leslie led with 18
points. Next up: New
Zealand tomorrow.
Sports
Zealand tomorrow
Inside: Intramural flag football is underway as teams prepare for next week's playoffs.
SEE PAGE 7A
Inside: Americans continue to win in the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
OLYMPIC GAMES
SEE PAGE 6A
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2000 For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
From left, Molly LaMere,
Papillion, Neb., junior; Jennifer Kraft, Saratoga, Calif., sophomore; and Nancy Bell.
Orland Park, Ill., senior, to take the floor against
Nebraska last night in the Horeisi Family Athletic Center.
The Jayhawks were swept by the top-ranked Cornhuckers.
Photo by Craig Bennet/
KANSAN
Cornhuskers thump Kansas
By Sarah Warren
By Sarah Warren
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
A Nike swoosh almost became a permanent facial feature for Jennifer Kraft, who took a high-velocity volleyball across her left cheek courtesy of Nebraska last night at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center.
The Jayhawks shared the sophomore defensive specialist's pain as they, too, were smacked in the face by the topranked Cornhuskers, dropping three games and losing the match 15-7, 15-5 and 15-6.
"Against this team you better play pretty well for an hour and a half to have a good chance," said coach Ray Bechard.
No team this season has had a good
chance.
The Cornhuskers are 10-0 and in no jeopardy of losing their No. 1 rank. Nebraska recorded a team hitting percentage of .495, while Kansas came away with a below-normal .193. The 'Huskers also out-blocked Kansas, 9-2, and out-killed Kansas, 50-41.
"We didn't play up to our potential at all," said Molly LaMere, junior setter. "And they are just really good, all-around players."
Indeed, every player in for the 'Huskers could pass, set, kill and serve. And the serves became a large factor in the downfall of Kansas, Bechard said.
"They mixed up their serves — short or long — they served well," he said. "They don't take any shortcuts; their plavers can do it all."
And they could do it all with height.
Their 6-foot-plus starting lineup could dig and bump in the back row just as well as any 5-foot-5 defensive specialist could, without compromising frontline power.
"They put so much pressure on you that you feel like you're on the defensive all night," Bechard said. "There were some balls they hit that you've just got to say nice swing because you just can't get them."
Nancy Bell, senior outside hitter, said that even when a Jayhawk did get a chance to swing, Nebraska's blockers didn't even flinch.
"When you have a blocker that big, you have to watch it or it will hit you back in the face just as hard," Bell said. She said, however, that the biggest problem the Jayhawks had was of their own doing.
"They were passing the balls, and we weren't," Bell said. "And when we're not passing well, we can't get Molly the ball for a set, so we can even try to take a shot."
beau and senior outside hitter Amy Myatt, Kansas' leaders in kills, were held to only 10 and 11 kills, respectively. Each of them had been averaging about 16 kills per match. Freshman outside hitter Sarah Rome, who usually tails her senior teammates in kills, was held to only three during the match.
"We didn't play our game tonight," LaMere said. "And we can't do that again on Saturday."
The Jayhawks travel to Iowa State to take on the 2-7 Cyclones at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
- Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Size matters against Nebraska
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Bv Chris Wristen
A big red storm quietly crept up on the Horejsi Family Athletics Center last night, dumped on the Kansas volleyball team and then disappeared into the night.
The aftermath of that storm left the Jayhawks standing 10-2, while No. 1 Nebraska remains unblemished.
The storm struck in a variety of forms. Thunderous rumbles bellowed from the 'Husker fans who had followed the team from Lincoln. Lightning spikes struck from the hand of Laura Pilakowski, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter. All of the elements combined for a 3-0 sweep for Nebraska.
The first element of the attack came from the army of nearly 300 'Husker fans who packed the stands. They follow the 'Huskers to every game,
At the heart of every Nebraska attack was one word — size.
wherever the team goes.
"It's a state where there's not a lot else to do except watching college teams," said Kent Coudeyras, Burchard, Neb., resident. "I guess that's probably what draws us to them."
Nebraska has cruised to that record by bullying, blasting and belting opponents from the first serve. Last night, the team rolled to an 11-0 advantage in the opening game before Kansas realized what hit it.
"The they are big and they hit the ball hard," said Kansas coach Ray Bechard. "We've got to try to put the most physical lineup we can out there, and still you look a little bit small compared to what they throw at you."
The number of fans who crowd the stands on road games might provide a home-like atmosphere for the 'Huskers, and the team's dominance on the court reflects that comfort zone with a 10-0 record.
Twelve players on the roster are
taller than 6 feet, compared with six for Kansas. Nebraska setter Greischal Cepero is 6-feet-2. Kansas setter Molly LaMere is 5-foot-7.
That athleticism and power of Pilakowski did the most damage. She belted 17 kills in the game. As a team, Nebraska had 50 kills. The 'Huskers also dominated the front line by out blocking Kansas 9-2. In the volleyball world, that all-around dominance makes the 'Huskers larger than life — literally.
"The size is intimidating," Coudeyras said. "Even some of the small players help contribute, but there's athleticism too — it's not just size."
"When you have a block that big ahead of you, you have to think smarter," said Nancy Bell, senior outside hitter. "You can't just go up and hit it as hard as you possibly can because the ball will come back that hard in your face."
Edited by Kimberly Thompson
Amy Myatt, Iowa City, Iowa, senior, prepares to hit the ball in the Horeisi Family Athletic Center. Last night's loss dropped the Jayhawks to 10-2 on the season. Photo by Ashley Mariott/KANSAN
Coincidences? Stats prove freaky truths
The Kansas football team should be invited to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
As reported in Monday's Kansan, Al Gore will be the country's next president.
In the last six presidential election years, when the Jayhawks won their second game, the Democratic candidate won the election. And because the 'Hawks beat Alabama-Birmingham Saturday, Gore will win in November.
When the Jayhawks lost the season's second game in the last six elections, a Republican won the election.
Kansas beat Texas Christian and Ball State in Bill Clinton's winning Novembers, and won in 1976 against Washington State when Jimmy Carter was elected. When George Bush won in 1988, Kansas lost to Auburn in that season's second game and fell to Florida State and Pittsburgh in '84 and '80 respectively when Reagan was elected. (These statistics were provided by the Kansas Sports Information office.)
Students should still rock the vote in November, but just go with the inevitable and check the box next to Gore's name on the ballot.
I tried to assemble my own historical stats to see what additional predictions could be made. But, as journalism majors generally aren't strong mathematicians, I couldn't find too many dazzling treasures inside the numbers on my own.
In years when Star Wars movies were released, the Jayhawks didn't use the force as much as they should have. They were a combined 16-21-4 in four seasons.
Frantically searching for more relationships between Kansas football and national events, I decided to focus on that purple thorn in the Jayhawks' collective side — Kansas State.
The Wildcats have owned the Sunflower Showdown the past seven years, but the following numbers show why Kansas will win this year.
In years ending in zero, the Jayhawks are 6-1 against the Wildcats, winning the last such game in 1990, 27-24. (The two teams didn't play each other in 1910 or 1900.) The Wildcats won their lone zero-year game in 1840.
Kansas also is 29-16-3 against K-State in contests played during even years.
Here's the real kicker. Kansas has recorded it three 10-win seasons in years when Saturdays fall on the same dates as this year. Perhaps my 8-3 prediction earlier in the semester wasn't lofty enough.
The Jayhawks defeated No. 4 Colorado on Oct. 7, 1985. No. 5 K-State comes to Lawrence Oct. 7 this year. Coincidence? Wildcat fans probably should cancel those reservations in Miami for the Orange Bowl.
For the Jayhawks to go with the flow of my brilliant research this year, they need to play as they did for the majority of the first half Saturday against UAB.
As for me, I should probably quit analyzing records and numbers and spend more time doing homework. Well, at least I was working on history.
Linenberger is a Washington, Kan., senior in journalism.
Running back fulfills new role after injury-plagued season
By Jason Franchuk
sports @ kansan.com
Kansan sports writer
When David Winbush is forced to talk about the past, he will pause, which is very unlike him.
Whether Kansas' senior running back is running or speaking, he does it quickly. The lapses in answers could be from the frustration that came when last season's expectations did not pan out because of injuries. Or because those struggles left him entering this season with an undetermined role.
"Um ... you know ..." Winbush said. "It's just ... last year was tough because I didn't want the team to feel that I could play well in one game and then always have to sit out the next one because I'd be hurt."
Five-foot-7-inch, 180-pound running backs get hurt. The problem was that they weren't debilitating injuries, just the constant, nagging types that are enough to keep a player from playing to his full potential.
Winbush saw action in 11 games, missing only the game against Kansas State with a sprained knee. But he was not completely healthy much of the season, and Kansas found a different option.
Instead of trying to out-hustle opposing teams with the fleet-footed Winbush, Kansas was going to bulldoz them. Moran Norris, at 6-2, 245 pounds, was the solution. And Winbush was inclined to be a decoy.
"I tried not to let it bother me," Winbush said. "I just told myself that I was going to get the ball on the next play."
"Last year was tough because I couldn't always be part of the game."
David Winbush Kansas running back
With his injuries, he still led Kansas in rushing for the second straight year with 687 yards.
"I knew I was ready to go," Winbush said of starting this year. "But I was concerned from the standpoint if the coaches were convinced."
Playing two teams that posses less size than Kansas, Norris has remained a focal point, but that has not kept Winbush from touching the football. He
"Ideally, we'd like to get both Moran and David the ball," Allen said. "We'd like to get David 10 to 15 rushes per game and a few touches out of the back-field catching."
Coach Terry Allen confirmed that Winbush remained an important part of the offense.
had 10 carries for 62 yards in Saturday's win against Alabama-Birmingham and was named by coaches as the team's offensive player of the week.
Winbush said he would be happy with whichever role he could contribute.
"Last year was tough because I couldn't always be part of the fun," Winbush said. "Now I'm happy Moran and I are both healthy, and we can both help this team have some success."
- Edited by Kimberly Thompson
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