SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, October 7, 1992
9
Volleyball team prepares for Nebraska
Holly McQueen / KANSAN
Junior Barb Bella, left, and junior Cindyne Kanabel try to block sophomore Janet Uher's spike during practice at Allen Field House. The Jayhawks practiced yesterday in the field house to prepare for tonight's game against No. 5 Nebraska.
Jayhawks play first game in field house this season
By David Dorsey
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas volleyball team will play in Allen Field House tonight for the first time this season. No. 5 Nebraska, a team which has won the Big Eight Conference for 16 consecutive years, will be the Jayhawks' first opponent at home since the Sept. 11 KU Invitational Tournament.
Although the Jayhawks have the home court advantage, the team could not practice in the field house until last night. The floor in the field house was being installed and was not completed until last week. The Jayhawks played their two home competitions in Robinson Center.
"It's fun to play at home, but it's not like we're going to have a true home court advantage. It will be nice to practice here to get a feel for it again," said senior middle blocker Kim DelFoff.
The match will be the third Big Eight Conference competition of the season for both teams. Kansas' record is 16-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Kansas lost to Colorado in three consecutive games on Sept. 25 but defeated Kansas State 3-1 on Sept. 30.
Nebraska is 8-2 and 2-0 in conference play. Nebraska lost to New Mexico and Illinois earlier this season but never has lost to Kansas.
Despite the Cornhuskers 48-0 record against the Jayhawks, Kansas junior Erin Kramer, outside hitter, said she was looking forward to the match.
Kansas coach Frankie Albitz said she did not expect her team to do what so far had been impossible.
"We always play better against them," Kramer said. "It gives us a chance to see how well we can play against the better teams."
"It would be a big upset if we beat them," Albitz said. "It's not impossible, but the important thing is for us to be competitive.
"It's nice to be playing at home again. We like playing here, and the atmosphere is good. I hope we get a good crowd."
Nebraska features Stephanie Thater, who was named the Big Eight
"She did well against us last year," Albitz said. "She's a dynamic type player, and to be a standout on such a good team is an accomplishment. It's usually easier for good players to stand out on bad teams."
Player of the Year by conference coaches last season. Thater averaged 3.87 kills a game last season.
Albitz said that freshmen Tracie Walt, Jenny Larson and Lesli Steinert were probable starters for tonight's
So far this season, Albiz has not made a permanent starting lineup.
"I got my wish," she said. "Like I said before, it's a really good problem to have. This means we have more depth to work with, Tracie and Jennen were playing when our last match ended, so they might start against Nebraska."
game, along with DeHoff and juniors Barb Bella and Cindyne Kanabel.
As the volleyball season nears the half-way point, senior captain Julie Larkin reflected on the team's progress.
"All the pressure is off us," she said. "And usually our freshmen get really excited. They have it in their minds right now that we have a chance to beat them."
"Nebraska is going to be really tough. They're probably the toughest team we'll face this season. It's easier for us in a way because they have everything to lose, and we have everything to gain."
Playing a nationally ranked team is easier than it sounds. Delfoff said,
higher level than us, we need to step it up against them. Overall it's been going well.
"We've beaten all the teams we were supposed to have beaten," Larkin said. "With the teams who were on a
The match's first serve is scheduled for 7:30 tonight. The game is free.
Setter receives honors early in college career
By David Dorsey
Kansan sportswriter
Steinert was named the Big Eight Conference Player of the Week for her performances last week against Kansas State and during the Arkansas State Tournament. She had 25 set assists against K-State and had 46 set assists against Southwest Texas State in the tournament.
Lesli Steinert, the Kansas volleyball team's freshman setter, is already making her way into the Kansas record books.
"It's definitely a neat honor, but we still have to play well against them."
Already the third all-time leader in sets at Kansas with 543, Steinert also broke the school record for most assists in a three-game match with 50. She broke the record against the University of Illinois-Chicago in her third week of college competition.
Steinert also has been selected to three consecutive all-tournament teams and was named the most valuable player of last weekend's tournament at Arkansas State.
Kansas coach Frankie Albizt said she was happy for Steinert.
"I think that for a freshman it's especially nice to be honored," Albizt said. "I don't really like to look at the numbers, but Lesli has really performed well and I'm glad she was recognized."
Steinert said she did not set personal goals but had a strong desire to beat Nebraska, a feat the Jayhawks have never accomplished.
"I don't think our team has peaked right now," she said. "But I hope we play well. It will be nice to get a feel for them and to see how strong they are."
Steinert said she would use tonight's game to help prepare for the Jayhawks and Cornhuskers next meeting on Oct. 28 at Lincoln, Neb.
Late Night on TV
Stations to air season kick-off
This year, Kansas basketball fans can enjoy Late Night with Roy Williams on television as well as live at Allen Field House.
Late Night, which marks the beginning of basket ball season, will be Oct. 31. Activities start at 7 p.m. and include a midnight intrasquid scrimmage. The event traditionally provides fans with a look at their men's basketball team.
WIBW in Topeka, KSMO in Kansas City, Mo., and KWCH in Wichita are scheduled to televise Late Night.
Aluminum bleachers to be installed in stadium for fans at K-State game
By David Bartkoski
Kansan sportswriter
KANSAN
The department brought in four huge light banks when Kansas played California at night on Sept. 24.
And now, because of the large crowd expected for Saturday's game against Kansas State, the department is putting aluminum rental bleachers in the south end of Memorial Stadium.
The Athletic Department will be adding something new to Memorial Stadium for the second time in two weeks on Saturday.
Bernie Kish, director of ticket operation and sales, said the bleachers would seat about 1,200 people and that 200 of the bleacher seats had been sold as of yesterday morning.
He said he thought sales would have decreased yesterday, but people still were calling and standing in line for tickets. He said yesterday's sales increased his hopes for a sellout.
About 3,500 tickets remain, and all seats cost $20, Kish said. Ticket buyers would be offered a choice between reserved stadium seats and the bleacher seats, which also are sold on a reserved ticket basis, he said.
He said there would be 20 rows of bleachers. The first walkway would be 40 inches
Gordon Maatsch, a salesman for Specialty Bleacher Co. in Aurora, Colo., said that facilities operations contacted him a month ago about renting the bleachers.
Kish said he was not sure if the bleachers would block the view for fans sitting on the Hill. He said his main concern was providing accommodations for fans paying to get in the game.
from the ground, and the top row would be about 18 feet high.
Maatsch said some of his company's bleachers would be transported from Heartland Park Topeka, where they were used last weekend at the Sears Craftsman National drag races. The others would be brought in from Aurora, he said.
Darren Cook, facilities supervisor for the Athletic Department, said installation of the bleachers, which was scheduled to begin today, would take about two days.
"They'll be off at a safe distance from the
field," he said. "We'll have concessions and restrooms available for fans in the bleachers."
The last time bleachers were used at the stadium was in 1987, Cook said, and the bleachers were made of iron and wood.
Floyd Temple, a former director of facilities operations at Kansas, said the old bleachers were used only once every two years at Memorial Stadium, when Nebraska played Kansas in football.
The main reason the university does not use the old bleachers, he said, was that they were becoming a safety hazard.
"Those things were in such poor conditions," he said. "Some of them you'd sit on and be picking splitters out of your rear end for two days."
Fifth down and 2 years later: Missouri seeks revenge against turf-slipping Buffs
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo.— As Colorado prepares for its first trip back to Missouri since the infamous fifth-down game, Bill McCarthy knows the controversy still throbs in the hearts of the fans.
"I don't think people are going to let it die for a life," the Colorado coach said yesterday. "There are a certain number of people I feel we didn't do the honorable thing."
A national TV audience will be looking on when the N. 9 Buffaloes jog onto Faurot Field tomorrow night. Missouri fans would call it returning to the scene of the crime.
In the amazing sequence of events which two years later are still debated, Colorado was given five downs to get the winning touchdown in a 33-31 victory. It would turn out to be the Buffalooes' closest call in their drive to the national championship.
"It sticks in their cray." McCarrney said. "It isn't to go away."
McCartney, unaware of the fifth down, had made up his mind to complain about Missouri's oft criticized artificial turf. While reporters clamored about the fifth down, McCartney kept complaining about the turf and only added fuel to the fire.
"Obviously, I didn't anticipate at time that there would be the controversy over the fifth down," McCartney said. "So I foolishly made up my mind I was going to protest. I regret saying anything. I think I've learned something from that."
Missouri coach Bob Stull had little time to celebrate the end of his eight-game losing streak before plunging into the freaky of Colorado's return.
"Once a university makes an investment, they're going to keep it that way," he said. "That's where we're at right now. Some thing with Kansas State a couple of years ago. It was concrete with a painted painter on top.
But when the subject of the slick turtl at Faurot场 is raised, he sounds
But you went out and played."
"He's not undergone surgery yet," he said about Nitche. "It was inflamed. They're going to let the swelling get out of there. Then they'll go in and fix it. Scott Klug has resigned from school to go home and have his back repaired. It's been a very successful surgery. It looks like he'll be back with us for another year. Those two blows we didn't count on."
Iowa State coach Jim Walden said during the Big Eight's weekly teleconference that he had lost two players for the year, linebacker Matt Nitchie and guard Scott Klug. Nitchie will probably undergo knee surgery, Walden said, and Klug was recovering from back surgery.
Kansas (3-1) and Kansas State (3-0) are both waving for national attention, lending a unfamiliar air of excitement to what used to be a little-noticed rivalry. Kansas coach Glen Mason thinks that when Kansas State comes calling this week, the Jayhawks might experience their first sellout since he
arrived in 1988.
"I remember about 1988, '89, that annual contest was a joke." Mason said. "I became very upset, particularly with some radio personalities. I thought that game was healthy for college football, two programs down but clean, a bunch of kids playing their hearts out. I don't know why anybody would want to make fun of that."
Oklahoma took both player-of-the-week honors. Linebacker Mike Coats had 11 tackles and quarterback Cale Gundy threw for 333 yards in the Sooners' 17-3 victory against Iowa State.
"As far as releasing the ball, accuracy, arm strength, you'd have to rate him a top prospect," Walden said of Gundy. "He's got to do some work with his feet. Sometimes he throws off his incorrect foot. But he's been able to get the ball in there against people all his life doing so. In certain games, he's still doing it."
CONFERENCE
Kansas football rankings in the Big Eight
1. Nebraska 1. Colorado
2. Kansas 1. Missouri
3. Kansas St. 3. Oklahoma
4. Kansas 4.
5. Kansas St.
6. Oklahoma St.
7. Iowa St.
8. Nebraska
Rushing defense: Passing defense:
1. Kansas St.
2. Oklahoma
3. Kansas
4. Iowa St.
5. Nebraska
6. Missouri
7. Oklahoma St.
8. Missouri
9. Kansas St.
10. Kansas St.
11. Oklahoma
12. Colorado
13. Oklahoma St.
14. Missouri
15. Nebraska
16. Iowa St.
Total offense:
Total defense:
Source: The Associated Press
Sean M. Tevis / KANSAN