INSIDE: McGwire helps Cardinals gain ground in division. SEE PAGE 5A
6A
INSIDE: Women's golf team falls to Wildcats. SEE PAGE 5A
SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact Jay Krall or Sarah Warren at (785) 864-4858 or editor@kansan.com
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2001
Commentary
Chris Wristen
Columnist
sportseksan.com
Quarterback was entitled to be treated with respect
All Zach Dyer wanted was a chance.
The Kansas quarterback wanted a chance to throw one more pass, scamper one more time on a scramble and feel the stinging pop of a linebacker crushing him to the ground. He wanted to guide the Jayhawks on one more scoring drive and high-five teammates in the end zone.
What Dyer got was a slap in the face and a seat on the bench.
He showed promise in guiding Kansas to its lone victory against Southwest Missouri State when he set a school record for a quarterback in his first starting assignment, completing 19 of 29 passes for 231 yards while Kinsey sat out because of a suspension. Kinsey played better against UCLA and appeared to take the lead in the race for the starting job.
But coach Terry Allen said he needed one more game to decide on a starter.
Dyer wouldn't have had a problem taking a backseat to Kinsey if he knew it would give the team a better chance to win games. Heck, before the season began, he knew there was a chance he wouldn't be the starter by midseason.
Regardless, the one thing he knew—the one thing he was sure of—was that he would get one final chance to prove he could lead the Jayhawk offense into the end zone against Colorado last Saturday. He had no reason to believe he wouldn't get that opportunity.
Newspapers were still reporting the quarterback controversy and fans were talking about it. Both players were taking turns working with the first-string offense in practice. Allen gave him every indication that he would get another shot.
Dyer clearly believed he would play up at some point during the 'Hawks 27-16 loss against the Buffaloes, but he never left the sideline.
Not exactly.
"I can't say there was one point that I realized I wasn't going in," Dyer said. "I guess I kind of figured it out when everybody else did."
Allen's mind was apparently made up days in advance, according to Kinsey, who said Allen told him of the decision during a film session last week.
But why not tell Dyer? Why leave him hunging? Why tell Kinsey at all?
Dyer's flashy smile, good grades and friendly demeanor make the team look good. He's unselfish and is willing to play other positions if it would help the Jayhawks win.
There was no reason not to tell him he wasn't going to play. He could handle it. He wouldn't have cried. He would have understood that Kinsey was the better player.
As of Tuesday, Allen still hadn't talked to Dyer about it.
Discovering his fate from others hurts more. He's worked way too hard and sacrificed way too much to deserve the cold shoulder. That's poor treatment for a guy who only wanted a chance to play. He deserved better than that.
But nobody told him.
Wristen is a Leawood senior in journalism.
Volleyball team falls to No.23 Texas
Kansas' 26 errors too much to overcome in tough Big 12 match
By Steve Laurenzo
Kansan sportswriter
Despite a performance that Coach Ray Bechard called one of the best he's seen in his three-yeartenure, the Kansas volleyball team lost its second match of the season last night.
Kansas (10-2, 1-2) fell in three games to the No. 23 Texas Longhorns (8-2, 3-0). The Longhorns swept the Jayhawks 30-21, 30-17, 30-25.
Bechard said he was impressed by his
team's die-hard spirit in a tough match.
"The things that didn't go well tonight are fixable, and I'm encouraged about that," Beachard said.
As was the case against Oklahoma last weekend, the Jayhawks killed their own momentum with errors.
"We had 26 hitting errors and that's way too many," Bechard said. "But, we'll get there."
The Jayhawks were unable to stop a pair of Texas freshmen in Mira Topic and Bethany Howden. Topic took advantage of her ability to perform at both the outside hitter and right side positions.
Topic had 13 kills, 14 digs and two
blocks. Howden recorded 13 kills, scoring on 13 of 23 attempts without an error. She had a 56.5 percent hitting efficiency that helped bolster the Longhorns' 26.6 percent team total. Kansas finished with a seasonlow team hitting efficiency of 9.6 percent.
The Jayhawks gave the Longhorns a scare in game three. Despite starting the game down 5-1, the 'Hawks battled back twice, coming as close as 14-13 and 23-22. But the game and the match slipped away in the end.
Sophomore outside hitter Abbie Jacobson tied her career-best with nine. Freshman outside hitter Danielle McHenry struggled, scoring on 3 of 17 attacks. McHenry added eight digs to the team total of 39.
Senior setter Molly LaMere, who recorded 31 assists, five digs and three kills, said she also was pleased with her team's competitive drive.
"I thought we played hard all night," LaMere said. "We're really disappointed in the outcome, but we have to get ready for our match on Saturday."
The Jayhawks return home to face the Colorado Buffaloes at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Horesei Family Athletic Center. Texas moves on to one of the biggest match-ups in the Big 12 Conference. The Longhorns travel to Manhattan to play No. 22 Kansas State.
Contact Laurenzo at 864-4858
Talkin' it up
Etienne backs up loud mouth with big plays on field
Junior linebacker Leo Etienne, a transfer from Hutchinson Community College, runs down a Southwest Missouri State wide receiver after a short gain Sept. 1. The 6-foot, 210-pounder has a team-leading 27 solo tackles for the 1-2 Jayhawks.
By Jeff Denton Kansan sportswriter
The starting Kansas defense trotted off the field during yesterday's practice when defensive coordinator Tom Hayes called for his second unit.
Some starting players took a knee. Others stood on the sidelines yards away from the playing field. Junior Leo Etienne, starting weak-side linebacker, did neither.
"I don't want to get too excited yet, and I don't think he is going to either because it is early. But he knows that he could become a real good football player." Tom Hayes KU defensive coordinator
Clutching a Gatorade bottle in his left hand and his helmet in the right, Etienne howled at junior wide receiver Marcellus Jones, who was jogging back to the offensive huddle.
"Nice catch, Scooter," Etienne chuckled from the sidelines. "I know you hear me,
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Scooter. I know you hear me. Don't pretend like you don't."
Etienne joked with his teammate after hearing Jones' aunt call him by his nickname in Colorado after Saturday's 27-16 loss to the Buffaloes. Etienne loves to make noise, and he'll admit to it.
"I've never been a quiet person, and I am not a quiet person," Etienne said. "Whether it is to the other team or my team, I always got to say something. I try to keep my team up as much as I can."
For the first three games of the season, it has been Etienne's play on the field, not his voice, that has made the most noise.
A Winter Haven, Fla., native and junior college transfer from
Hutchinson Community College, Etienne (pronounced A-tee-en) has blanketed the football field since his first game as a Jayhawk
Although he didn't start Kansas' opening game Sept. 1, he finished it with a game-high 14 tackles against Southwest Missouri State — eight of them solo stops.
Etienne also notched his first career Division I sack at the end of the first half. Storming into the backfield on a weake side blitz, he flattened Southwest Missouri State quarterback Austin Moherman for a four-yard loss.
"I just do what I always do," Etienne said. "I just go to the ball. That's what I have been
doing all my life."
Etienne's defensive production has soared since week one. For the season, Etienne is second on the team in tackles with 31—his 27 solo tackles are first on Kansas' defense.
He is second on the team with five tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks. He has also recovered a fumble.
Hayes has not been surprised with his linebacker's production. But he said that Etienne has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential.
"He won the starting job," Hayes said. "He's making progress. He's getting better, but he's not anywhere near as good as he can be. He's a new player in a
new system and he's progressing.
"I don't want to get too excited yet, and I don't think he is going to either because it is early. But he knows that he could become a real good football player."
Yesterday, as Jones busted through the doors leading to the hallway outside of the Jayhawks locker room, Etienne jawed at the junior from Oklahoma City.
"What's up, Scooter," Etienne said laughing.
All Jones could do was shake his head.
"It's all about having fun,' Etienne said.
Contact Denton at 864-4858
Rowers work together to improve technique
By Ryan Malashock Kansan sportswriter
With more than 80 rowers, the Kansas women's rowing team is the second largest squad on campus.
Despite its size, this year's team hasn't had much trouble finding a common rhythm in the water, said senior co-captain Andrea Buch. Internal competition gets strong with the team competing for seat positions and boat ranks, but cutting through river current becomes a team effort.
"You would think that not everybody would get along because you're always competing for boat spots," said
Buch, who was named co-captain Monday along with seniors Dana Parsons and Stephanie Mahal and junior Jen Van Ruyven. "But everybody works together on our team. Everybody might not be your best friend, but we have a lot of fun."
Looking to build on an impressive spring season in which the team spent most of the semester nationally ranked, the Jayhawks begin their fall season at the Head of the Des Moines meet in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday.
Sixth-year coach Rob Catloth leads an experienced group into Saturday's opener. The Jayhawks lost only two rowers from their top boat from last season.
"The fall season lets us see how everyone's getting along and see everyone's fitness level," Catloth said. "The main goal is to work on our technique during the fall and improve overall."
Buch said she agreed that the technical aspect of rowing was especially important during the fall season.
"We're going to be setting things up for the spring," Buch said. "We do lots of fitness work, strength building and technique work. We spend a lot of time refining our skills."
The team's ultimate goal is to reach the NCAA Championships in the spring, Catloth said. Sixteen teams qualify for the championships.
"There's only five guaranteed spots in the NCAA Championships, and there's 11 at-large berths, and we believe that we can be one of those teams," Catloth said. "We've got a great group of seniors and we've got a lot of sophomores that will contribute this year."
On such a large team, Buch said that it was hard to notice individual leaders, but the seniors would lead the team as a whole.
"Our entire senior class shows a lot of leadership," Buch said. "It's the kind of sport where you don't stand out as an individual."
Contact Malashock at 864-4858