INSIDE: Volleyball team set for home opener tonight. SEE PAGE 3B.
INSIDE: Soccer team ranked 10th in region. SEE PAGE 3e.
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SPORTS
1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2001
Commentary
Aaron Fulk
Columnist
opinionekansan.com
Players share names, talent plus spotlight in volleyball
The idea of twin sensations is as common to the Kansas volleyball team squad and coach Ray Bechard as spandex and bus rides.
Former player Amanda Reves was known as much for her skill on the volleyball courts as her identical twin sister Brooke Reves was known for her athletic talent playing hoops.
Instead of a twin sensation this year, it's a Molly sensation and it has started out strong.
Molly LaMere and Molly Scavuzzo, both 21-year-olds, played leading roles in helping the Jayhawks capture a win last weekend at the Charlotte Invitational in North Carolina.
Senior setter LaMere walked away with the tournament MVP title and junior middle blocker Scavuzzo was named to the all-tournament team.
Lucky for Bechard, the two girls are the only ones on the team with alike names besides freshmen Ashley Michaels and Ashley Bechard, Ray's daughter. So, these two shouldn't be too hard for him to keep straight.
Even luckier for Bechard, the Mollys are straying away from the meaning of their name. According to www.enlightenedsoftware.com, the name Molly is a form of Mary meaning rebellious. However, the "rebelliousness" of these two isn't what's setting them apart this year.
Standing at 5-foot-7, the only senior on the team, Nebraska native LaMere is already quite experienced. The health education major was the only non-senior last season to start every match. She also set a few school records including the most assists in a five-game match against Texas last October. LaMere recorded 1,295 assists last season, ranking third-highest in Kansas history and recorded at least 10 digs in each of 10 matches.
More than half a foot taller and towering over most of her teammates at 6-2, Scavuzzo is letting her experience shine through as well. She posted a team-high 11 kills against Virginia Commonwealth and nine kills against Charlotte this weekend. Scavuzzo is a graduate of Blue Valley Northwest High School who decided to go to Wyoming, where she ranked third on her team in assists in 1999. However, the Kansas native decided to follow in both her parents' and three brothers' shoes and become a Jayhawk.
The Molly sensation has led them to a 4-0 record going into tonight's home opener against Wichita State. If history repeats itself, the 'Hawks should walk away with a boastful record — Kansas has never lost a home opener under Bechard.
No. 8, La Mere, and No. 13, Scavuzzo, are getting ready for the match against the Shockers. After all, the Web site gives yet another meaning for their name: "to take advantage of opportunities."
Basketball recruit list revised
Fulk is a Gardner senior in journalism.
By Ryan Malashock Kansan sportswriter
Kansas' list of recruiting targets stayed the same this past week as two potential recruits added the Jayhawks to their lists and two said they would be looking elsewhere.
Two Oklahoma high school seniors, Kevin Bookout and DeAngelo Alexander, were considering Kansas until early last week. But Alexander, a 6-foot-4 guard from Midwest City, Okla., committed to Oklahoma last Wednesday. Bookout, a three-sport star and major league baseball prospect from Stroud, Okla., has not committed to a school, but college recruiting analyst Greg Swaim said Kansas was unlikely to lure Bookout.
"Kansas' chances with Kevin are very slim." Swaim said. "I think he'll go to Oklahoma. He's a fifth-generation Sooner. His mom and dad went there and he has a brother there now. His other brother, Casey, played baseball at Oklahoma and now he works in the athletics department."
On a positive note, the voids left by Bookout and Alexander will be filled by two new prospects.
Andre Igoudala, a versatile
guard/forward from Springfield, Ill. recently narrowed his choices to five schools — Kansas among them. The Jayhawks had not been high on Igoudala's list until last week, when he declared that he would visit Kansas, as well as Boston College, Arizona, Arkansas and Maryland.
The Jayhawks may have found a safety net within their recruiting chase in Adam Zahn. Zahn, a 6-7, 220-pound power forward from Redondo Beach, Calif., recently told alliancesports.com that Kansas was not actively recruiting him, but that Jayhawk coaches said they would stay in contact.
One of the Jayhawks' most soughtafter out recruits, Iowa Western Community College's Jeff Graves, appears to be keeping Kansas high on his list of schools.
Iowa Western assistant coach Trent Lovewell said the mob of calls from college coaches was getting out of hand. He said more than 40 schools had contacted him over the last several weeks about Graves, a Lee's Summit, Mo., native who announced he had narrowed his list to eight schools.
But Lovewell said he thought the real battle was between Kansas and Mis-
RECRUITING REVOLVING DOOR
Three prospects have recently expressed interest in playing for the Kansas men's basketball team, while two others have taken themselves off of the radar. Guard Andrew Inourolda from
Guardforward Andre Igoudala, from Springfield, Ill., has narrowed his choices to five schools — Kansas among them.
Adam Zahn, a power forward from Redondo Beach, Calif., told a recruiting Web site that Kansas coaches have asked him to stay in touch.
iowa Western Community College standout Jeff Graves still has Kansas high on his list.
DeAngelo Alexander, a 6-foot-4 guard from Midwest City, OKa, ended his candidacy to become a Jayhawk by committing to Oklahoma last Wednesday.
Kevin Bookout, a three-sport star and major league baseball prospect from Stroud, Okla., is unlikely to sign with Kansas, according to recruiting analysts.
souri.
"I think Kansas is in the lead because he had a good visit there and that was the last place he visited. He's been talking about them the most," Lovewell said. "But I know Missouri is on him hard and things could change hard."
Contact Malashock at 864-4810
UCLA back concerns'Hawks
By Jeff Denton Kansan sportswriter
Kansas defensive lineman Nate Dwyer stamped through the line of scrimmage at yesterday's practice and snuffed freshman running back Clark Green for no gain.
But on Saturday, when No. 14 UCLA comes to Lawrence, the 305-pound co-captain will be staring down a different type of back than his Kansas teammate — he will be face to face with Heisman trophy candidate DeShaun Foster.
"We're going to have to really prepare for him and what he brings to the table as far as his running ability. We're going to change some things up and figure out what we did wrong today to get ready for UCLA," Dwyer said after Saturday's game.
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Dwyer and the Kansas defense stoned the SMS running game Saturday. The Bears managed only 58 yards — an average of 1.3 yards a carry — against the front seven of defensive coordinator Tom Hayes' defense. But as Kansas defensive line coach Travis Jones put it, the change in caliber from last week's opponents to this week's feature back was substantial.
Linebackers Marcus Rogers, top, Leo Etienne, and Glenn Robinson try to stop Southwest Missouri State running back. The KU defense forced three turnovers in a 24-10 win over SMS Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
"He'll make you miss," he said. "He's extremely talented, but our guys are excited about the opportunity. Challenges to me mean equal opportunities. They may give him the ball 40 times on Saturday, but the point for us is to stop him when we need to stop him."
In UCLA's 20-17 victory Saturday night against then-No. 25 Alabama on the road, Foster picked up 110 yards on the ground.
Kansas middle linebacker Marcus Rogers clogged up the running lanes for SMS running backs on Saturday. Of his 10 unassisted tackles, two resulted in
UCLA coach Bob Toledo has tutored a lot of talented college running backs. He coached Skip Hicks, who broke the UCLA record for career rushing touch-downs. He coached Karim Abdul-Jabar, who had stints in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. He also watched Marcus Allen and Charles White win the Heisman trophy while he was at USC.
losses as he slung the runners onto the turf. But although Foster will present more of a threat, Rogers said that the mindset would be no different.
"It's a great opportunity to go against an All-American," he said. "But we're going to bring our A game.
After sitting out Saturday's game for violating team rules, sophomore running back Reggie Duncan and freshman quarterback Mario Kinsey will play Saturday, said Kansas coach Terry Allen after yesterday's practice.
Duncan, Kinsey to return against UCLA
Duncan will resume his position as the starting I-back in Kansas' three wide receiver offensive set. Kinsey will not start Saturday's game, Allen has said, but will back up Zach Dyer.
Duncan was excited to get back on the field, but he said that he regretted what he did to keep him away from the layhawks' first game of the season.
"It's something I did, and I am sorry for what happened," Duncan said. "But I got to move on from it. I just missed being out there with my teammates."
Contact Denton at 864-4810
Golfers hope putts will fall in Carolina
Team set to compete in the largest NCAA women's golf event
By John Domoney
Kansan sportswriter
At the end of every Kansas women's golf team practice, each player must make a putt from the same distance before everyone can go home.
As the Jayhawks travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., this afternoon for the Baytree Intercollegiate Tournament, the three-foot putt that each player finished with at the end of practice yesterday symbolizes what Kansas must do for a good tournament performance.
At last year's Baytree Intercollegiate, the Jayhawks stood in sixth place after the first round, only to limp home with a 16th-place finish after the team faltered in later rounds.
This year Kansas must finish the final two rounds of the tournament in the same fashion that they bury each putt at the end of practice.
If that happens, the Jayhawks are convinced that they can accomplish their goals at the NCAA's largest women's golf tournament, with 33 teams competing.
"I think since we have five returning players this year, that's going to help us tremendously because we all know what's expected of us," junior Tiffany Kruggel said.
The five players who will represent Kansas are juniors Kruggel, Jill MacDonald, Kristy Straub and Heather Rose along with sophomore Jennifer Bawanan.
Standing in the way is the the Silver Course at the Bay Tree Golf Course, which Coach Nicole Hollingsworth said could be tricky.
"It's not an extremely hard course, but it could be hard if you make it hard," she said. "You can't go wrong with any golf course in Myrtle Beach."
The team will get a good look at the course before it begins the tournament Friday. Tomorrow the Jayhawks play a practice round to get ready for the Silver Course during their 18 holes of tournament golf on Friday through Sunday.
For the second straight year, Kansas opens in Myrtle Beach in early September after only a few weeks of practice.
"Practice has been great, and they've been very focused," Hollingsworth said. "We've had well-executed practices in that our shots are a lot better than a year ago as a whole.
So far, Hollingsworth and the team say they have started off quicker than last year at this point.
"Confidence-wise it's greater and ability-wise it's greater than last year's team," Hollingsworth said. "We're prepared a lot better than last year at this point."
The Jayhawks are excited to head for the coast for a chance to show their improvement.
"When you come out of summer, you should have your A game," Hollingsworth said. "We've prepared ourselves, now we just have to go down there and get it done."
Contact Domoney at 864-4810
MLB
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