48 = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY. OCT. 17,2001
Tennis player leads by example
SARA SHEPHERD/KANSAN
Kansas tennis player Cheryl Mallaiah, North Longwood, Fla., senior, stretches before practice. Mallaiah, one of two seniors on the team, won a three-hour singles match on Sept. 30.
By Jason Hwang
Kansan sportswriter
Three hours does not seem like a long time to some, but it was an eternity for Cheryl Mallaiah.
Mallaiah, a senior on the Kansas tennis team, finished the Hurricane Invitational in Tulsa, Okla., the last weekend of September with a 3-1 singles record and a 2-1 doubles record. Her final singles match took three hours and she won in three sets. Unfortunately, she felt the effects of fatigue the following weekend at the Indiana Invitational, where she dropped her first two singles matches.
"I was a bit tired, but they were good players," Mallaiah said. "Even though they were long matches, I thought I still played well."
Coach Kilmeny Watterman said Malaiah was leading by example, which helped the team on the court.
"This season she is just coming into the role as a leader, not just as a senior," Waterman said. "In fall tournaments she's fought very hard and won a lot of matches and respect from the team. She's a very quality person as well. She'll do anything for anyone."
one.
This is the first tennis season the North Longwood, Fla., native has not played with her sister, Lisa. Although Lisa was a three-year letter winner for the team, she took a leave from the team this year to concentrate on academics. The Mallaiah sisters had paired up on doubles to earn an 8-3 record for two years straight.
Malliaiah said she missed her sister on the team.
"She's always supportive and a big part of the team. She's always made me laugh. She's someone to talk to at tournaments," Mallaiah said.
Meanwhile, Lisa Malliaiah said she commended her sister for being a determined player who strived to win and be a good sport.
sport.
"Just watching her, you can see she's very determined," Lisa Mallaiah said. "On a day when she saves shes wins, she wins."
draw. Junior Kim Lorenz and freshman Paige Brown will play in singles qualifying rounds to gain a spot in the main draw. The doubles combinations of Kristen Steinbock and Courtney Steinbuck, Brown and
when she says they are the players.
Note: The Kansas tennis team has received invitations to send three singles players and three doubles teams to the ITA Central Regional Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., next Wednesday through Sunday. Mallaiah and sophomores Courtney Steinbock and Emily Haylock were three of 56 players chosen to play in the main singles
Mallaiah, and junior Kim Lorenz and Haylock will enter in the doubles main draw.
Contact Hwang at 864-4858
New receivers bolster Aggies offensive play
The Associated Press
COLLEGE STATION, Texas Prior to this season, neither Jamaar Taylor or Terrence Murphy had ever caught a pass in a college game.
They've since become two effective targets in the Aggies offense for Texas A&M quarterback Mark Farris.
"I said this summer that I didn't know who it would be, but I felt two of those young receivers would help us this year," coach R.C. Slocum said.
But even Slocum couldn't have expected the results produced by Murphy and Taylor.
Murphy was a quarterback at Chapel Hill High School in Tyler. He converted to wide receiver for the Aggies and caught freshman records of 11 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in last week's 31-21 loss to Colorado.
"As many plays as he makes that are positive, he makes one that is negative," offensive coordinator Dino Babers said. "But the one thing you can say about Terrence Murphy is he doesn't make the same mistake twice."
Taylor, sophomore, transferred from Notre Dame after his freshman year. He caught nine passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns against the Buffaloes.
Taylor leads the Aggies with 27 catches for 403 yards and three touchdowns, while Murphy is third on the team with 18 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Murphy averages 17.3 yards per catch.
The newcomers got their chances in part because of injuries. Senior Bethel Johnson was lost for the season after having his spleen removed. Greg Porter has been sidelined since the Baylor game with a broken foot.
Taylor has stepped into a key receiving role vacated by Robert Ferguson, who is now with the Green Bay Packers.
"Jamaa isn't as big as Robert but they are both very physical. He (Jamaa) is probably the best blocking wide receiver in the conference," Farris said.
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