INSIDE: Soccer player named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. SEE PAGE 7A INSIDE: Duncan to return to home state Saturday. SEE PAGE 7A
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SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact Jay Kralr or Sarah Warren at (785) 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2001
Commentary
Brian
Hanni
Columnist
sportsseansan.com
Volleyball team aces Monday's NFL game
This past Monday night I took a walk on the wild side.
I broke the norm, went against the grain and did something I never thought I'd do. I skipped Monday Night Football.
I chose to spend my Monday evening at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center watching a Kansas volleyball game.
In all my three-plus years in Lawrence, I'd never made it out to see a Jayhawks' volleyball match. I'd made countless trips to Allen Fieldhouse, Memorial Stadium and Hoglund Ballpark, but never once had I set foot inside the Horejsi Center to see what it had to offer. Monday night I discovered what a great thing I'd been missing.
I showed up about 15 minutes before game time and walked in to find most of the center already filled with fans getting set for the Jayhawks' big match against the Missouri Tigers. From Big Jay to Roy Williams' prize recruit Wayne Simien, there were all kinds of faces in the crowd that I didn't expect to see. The band began to play and pretty soon, that little gym was rockin'.
Nearly 900 people came to see the Hawks battle the Tigers, and I could sense the excitement in the stands about the border-war battle about to take place. I've never been much of a volleyball fan, but a few minutes before the first serve, I was really starting to get in to it.
Filled with excitement and anticipation about my first volleyball match, I quickly found my seat at the end of the press row. Then just as I got settled, I was pelted in my right shoulder by a 100 miles per hour shot from the Missouri side of the floor.
At first, I was shocked, but the more I thought about it, the more excited I got. This was more fun than sitting behind the glass at a hockey game. The errant shot left me with a small bruise and a new reason to hate Missouri, but as soon as I regained my focus, I went on to enjoy an awesome evening of Kansas volleyball.
The Jayhawks' match with Missouri kept me interested the whole way through, and I saw things that Monday Night Football just can't offer. I watched Kansas senior Molly LaMere land flip shots on the Tigers' side with placement as brilliant as a Pete Sampras drop shot.
I saw junior Kylie Thomas guard the net like Dikembe Mutumbo does the rim, and junior Molly Scavizzo slam the ball with the authority of a Shaquille O'Neal rejection. I even watched one unlucky Tiger take a spiked ball right in the face, which made my shoulder bruise feel a lot better.
The most impressive thing I witnessed was the hustle of this young Jayhawk team. Coach Ray Bechard had his team going all out on every play and believe me, if Jerod Haase can write a book, *Floor Burns*, these women could fill a library with the stories of their hustle. Their effort was amazing and definitely something worth checking out.
By the end of the night, the 'Hawks had lost the match, but won me over on what Kansas volleyball games have to offer. If you're like me and have been choosing football forever, I challenge you to pass on the gridiron just once and take a peek inside the Horejsi Center.
But be careful, you just might get hooked.
Hanni is a Topeka senior in broadcast management.
'Hawks fall to No.25'Cats
Jill Dorsey, freshman defensive specialist, sets up for a pass during Kansas' loss at No. 25 Kansas State last night. With the loss, the Jayhawks have lost four of five Big 12 matches.
ZACH LONG/KANSAS STATE COLLEGIAN
Volleyball team swept despite a career night by sophomore hitter
By Steve Laurenzo Kansan sportswriter
Despite a career-best performance from sophomore outside hitter Abbie Jacobson, the Kansas volleyball team fell to No. 25 Kansas State last night in three games, 30-27, 30-21 and 30-27 at Ahearn Fieldhouse in Manhattan.
Kansas State dominated game two on the strength of a 7-0 run midway throughout the game. Jacobson took on a larger offensive roll, leading the Hawks with six kills.
In the third game, Kansas fought back again. Jacobson led the team offensively with seven kills, which brought her match total to a career-high 16. Defensively, she had seven digs for a career-high 19.
Despite her outstanding performance, Jacobson said she was disappointed with the loss.
"We played hard and we fought, but we were kind of streaky tonight," Jacobson said. "We let three balls drop and we were lacking on communication sometimes. We showed some times where it might have been the best we played all year, but we definitely had a lot of low points, too."
The lahawks (11-4, 2-4) were harried by Kansas State's career kill leader, Liz Wegner. Wegner finished with 19 kills and
"We made runs at them, but they're a veteran team and they didn't panic."
Ray Bechard Kansas volleyball coach
only two injuries. She also had nine cuts.
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said his team fought hard against a tough team.
"There were some things we'd like to have done a little better technically, but I thought we battled really hard," Bechard said.
The Jayhawks made the Wildcats (8-4, 4-2) earn game one, allowing Kansas State to get no more than four points ahead. Sophomore outside hitter Sarah Rome led Kansas' offense with six kills and Jacobson helped control the 'Cats with 10 digs and a block. Jacobson added three kills in game one.
Bechard was pleased with his team's effort and impressed by Jacobson's performance.
"Jacobson was tremendous," Bechard said, "We made some runs at them, but they're a veteran team and they didn't panic."
The Jayhawks return home to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders, at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center. The Red Raiders defeated the Wildcats 3-1 on Sept. 22.
Quarterback a throwback from the past
Contact Laurenzo at 864-4858
Signal caller's style mirrors alumnus' from '95 bowl
by Stephen Schmidt and Jay Krail
Kansan sportswriters
The last time the Kansas football team went to a bowl game, it was led by a quarterback with the same style of play as this year's starter, Mario Kinsey.
In 1995, senior Mark Williams anchored the offense that led the Jayhawks to a 10-2 record and a victory against UCLA in the Aloha Bowl. As a starter, Williams had developed a decisive and accurate passing game.
He also had a fearless on-the-field demeanor and his ability to scramble out of the pocket added another dimension to the team's rushing game — the same style of play displayed by Kinsey.
Although Williams was a senior in 1995, it was his first season as starter. He could have returned for the 1996 season had he not burned a year of eligibility by playing in one game in 1994, a 72-0 shellacking of Alabama-Birmingham.
Kinsey, who redshirted last year, continues his first season in the starting role Saturday at Texas Tech
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES PHOTO
"He matured unbelievably quickly," Falkenstien said of Williams. "He was a good passer. He could scramble and he just made things happen. It was the biggest surprise for us to find a quarterback who could do those things."
But the similarities are apparent.
Max Falkenstien, who has called Kansas basketball and football games on the radio since 1983, said it was still too early for a Williams-Kinsey comparison.
He said he thought Kinsey had plenty of time to achieve what Williams did, and more.
"I think he had a little bit more talent than Mario," Hirsch said. Williams seemed more disciplined as he looked downfield, and like many of that team's standouts, he had a winning attitude, Hirsch said.
Bud Hirsch, associate professor of English, has attended Kansas games since 1976.
He remembers Williams as performing better that season than Kinsey has in his two starts this year in losses against UCLA and Colorado.
However, Williams had a more dependable rushing game backing him up, led by all-time leading Kansasrusher June Henley.
In his eighth season, Kansas coach Glen Mason led the 1995 squad to a 10-2 overall record, going 5-2 in conference play. The Jayhawks' only losses came at the hands of powerhouses Kansas State and Nebraska. During the 10 victories, the Jayhawks averaged 37 points a game and gave up close to 20.
"In contrast to the teams we've seen since, they expected to win," Hirsch said.
Press poll.
Along the way, Kansas topped ranked opponents Colorado and Oklahoma, and was ranked as high as No. 6 after taking down the
In 1995, the Jayhawks finished the season ranked No. 9 in the Associated
Sooners.
In two games, Kinsey is 18 for 42, completing 42.9 percent of his passes for 258 yards.
Williams completed 174 completed passes and ended the 1995 campaign with a completion percentage of 61.7.
The 1995 team finished tied for second in the conference and capped its storybook season in Honolulu on Christmas Day, when the Jayhawks defeated UCLA 51-30 in the Aloha Bowl. Williams threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns on his way to earning the team's player of the game honors. He also rushed for 48 yards.
Contact Kraal and Schmidt at 864-4858
1995
Kansas
quarter-
back
Mark
Williams
(top left)
and cur-
rent quarter-
back
Mario
Kinsey
(bottom
right)
have simi-
lar play-
ing styles.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
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