THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
VOLLEYBALL
PAGE 9
Looking back on a bumpy and volatile season
MATT GALLOWAY
mgalloway.kansan.com
twitter.com/UDK_vbail
On the heels of the Kansas volleyball team's final game on Saturday and the news on Sunday that it missed the NCAA tournament, coach Ray Beard spent much of his time reflecting on the season and playing the "What if?" game.
"Sometimes it's at 3 in the afternoon, and sometimes it's at 3 in the morning." Bechard said.
In a conference that got seven seeds in the NCAA tournament, one can't help but join Bechard in wondering what would have happened if the Jayhawks (15-14, 3-13) had turned the tables in their heartbreaking five-set losses to No. 15 Northern Iowa or No. 9 Texas.
But don't include junior middle blocker Tayler Tolefree in that group.
"I hate the 'What if?' game," Tolefie said. "At the end of the season, personally I can only reflect on it for so long and then I have to move on. I can't function thinking about it so long."
The layhawks had their share of ups and downs in 2011. From the team's best start since 2002
to one of the worst conference seasons in program history, it is hard assigning an identity to the team even after the season's end.
On one hand, the five-set shocker against No. 6 Minnesota on Sept. 10 was the highest ranked opponent the team has scored a victory over in program history. Pre-conference play included three invitational wins and three Most Valuable Player awards for senior outside hitter Allison Mayfield. The team finished its season with a 25-9 set victory against Baylor, an NCAA tournament team, and Mayfield set the school record for most kills in a single season with 462.
On the other hand, the team ran into a wall in conference play. The team lost what could possibly be the program's final contest with Missouri on Nov. 2 at home. In fact, it netted a program-low three wins in conference play that dashed any hopes for its first post-season appearance since 2005.
"I think it was difficult to start conference play with Texas and Iowa State back-to-back," Bechard said. "I think our confidence took a bit of a jolt and I think that defined a bit of our conference season, that inability
to bounce back from losses as soon as you need to."
One of those players who lost confidence in conference play was sophomore setter Kara Wehrs, Bechard said. Wehrs, who will be a critical cog next season when the team has only two setters, said she looks forward to bouncing back from adversity next season.
"Maybe when we started losing all those games in a row, it could have affected my confidence," Wehrs said. "I wouldn't say it was the reason why, but I think it could have happened to anyone."
Ultimately, Tolefree said she will remember 2011 as a squad that took its bumps but never lost its cool.
"We got frustrated but we never turned against each other," Tolefree said. "It would've been really easy to not show up and work hard. For as tense as it was not winning, I think the relationships that we have, we stuck it out together. That will bind us together through the spring and into the fall."
Edited by Ben Chipman
Junior middle blocker Tayler Tolefree spikes the ball away from a Baylor defender during Kansas' matchup on Saturday, Nov. 26, in Lawrence.
NICK TRE SMITH/KANSAN
FOOTBALL
Zenger on the hunt for next head coach
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Sheahon Zenger has worked for and alongside some of the brightest and most prominent names in college football. He worked on Bill Snyder's staff at Kansas State from 1989-1992. He worked for South Floridas former head coach Jim Leavitt as well. And most importantly, for the time being at least, he worked with two of the Stoops brothers at one point in his career.
Now, he is the Kansas athletics director and is in charge of finding the next football coach of the University of Kansas. And it's not too much of a stretch to think his time and experiences as a coach will play a major role in finding his man.
Zenger's connection with the Stoops brothers began with the most notable one — Bob. Currently Oklahoma's head coach, Bob Stoops began his coaching career in the same year that Zenger joined Bill Snyder's staff at Kansas State. The two worked together for three years before Zenger returned to school to get his Ph.D. in 1993.
After earning his doctorate in 1996, Zenger returned to coaching and got a job as the recruiting coordinator for South Florida. The same year, current Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops got a job as the defensive backs coach at South Florida.
Zenger and Stoops both left South Florida after one year. Zenger left to be the recruiting coordinator at Wyoming. Stoops left to be the defensive back coach — also at Wyoming.
Within two years of joining Wyoming's staff, Zenger became the running back coach and an assistant head coach. Along with his coaching tasks, Harkins said the position came with many administrative duties as well. He said Zenger has seen all sides of the business.
The two worked together at Wyoming for three years. During that time, they also worked with Tim Harkins, Wyoming's associate athletics director and media relations director for football. Harkins considers himself to be a friend of Zenger's and the two have stayed in sporadic contact since Zenger left Wyoming in 2000.
In the current coaching search at Kansas, Zenger and his innermost circle are as tightlipped a group as they could be. He won't talk about candidates specifically, but he has said that he is currently out of Lawrence conducting interviews and that he has, for now, six to 10 strong replacements for Turner Gill in mind.
And it just so happens that Mark Stoops is currently thought of as one of the top assistant coaches in the country. He's considered to be someone who will get a head coaching job sooner, rather than later. In 2009, Stoops inherited a defense that was
"Sheahen was an ultimate professional," Harkins said.
ranked 108th in the country. His current defense at Florida State is the sixth best in the country.
Zenger
A former Wyoming free safety from 1998-1999 Matt Lehning
was under Stoops' command for two years. Lehning was a Second Team All-Conference defensive back for the Western Athletic Conference in his senior year at Wyoming and he is not surprised that Stoops' name is being thrown around for a head coaching position.
Edited by Ben Chipman
"He's got such a knowledge actually for the game," Lehning said. "And he's a great leader, he's very fiery, very intense, a motivator, you'll actually go to war for the guy. I think it was just a matter of time."
So as Zenger continues to conduct his interviews, he may just select the man he feels the most comfortable with. And that man could very well end up being Mark Stoops. "They definitely had a good working relationship," Harkins said. "They worked here closely for three years."
MEN'S BASKETBALL
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
twitter.com/ukd_bball
Robinson improves on the line
When junior forward Thomas Robinson was a freshman, he had one downfall in his game that hushed some of the hype. The burly forward who drew fouls with ease couldn't take advantage of them. The free throws wouldn't fall.
Wednesday night against Florida Atlantic University, Robinson stepped to the charity stripe 13 times, breathed easy each time and hit 11.
"Now when I miss a free throw, I'm mad," Robinson said. "The past two years it didn't really matter if I missed a free throw."
Kansas plays the University of South Florida on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse, and when Robinson returns to the
line,he'll aim to keep his pace and not revert to his former ways.
As a freshman, coming off the bench behind the Morris twins and Cole Aldrich, Robinson
played 7.2 minutes per game and made just 39.5 percent (17-43) of his free throws. In contrast, Sherron Collins made 85.5 percent (118-138) the same year.
"He said, 'Just be a man and step up there and knock down your free throws.'"
In Robinson's sophomore season, the Morris twins were still around but Aldrich was off to the NBA. Robinson's minutes just about doubled to 14.6 per game and he shot 51 percent from the line; improvement, but nothing to be proud of.
Just as he did in previous sum
mers, Robinson worked on his free throws every day. But this summer he knew that they would matter more and he had to start making them at a higher rate. No longer would he be a sixth man;
THOMAS ROBINSON junior forward
he would be the centerpiece of the team. Coach Bill Self told him not to work with anyone or change his form, so Robinson
practiced for months and didn't change much.
progresses. Self can't depend on automatic scoring from most players on this team. There's no player like Collins who can find a bucket out of nothing. Senior guard Conner Teahan, who has been dependable at Allen Fieldhouse all season, catalyzed a slow start on Wednesday with three 3-point baskets. But away from the Fieldhouse, Teahan has converted only three of 11 3-point shots. That's where Robinson's free throws can help.
"Not any more than I did during my first two years," Robinson said. "Coach just told me it's a confidence thing."
If the beginning of the season is an indicator, the Jayhawks will often find themselves in offensive droughts as the season
Other than telling Robinson to fix his own problems at the line over the summer, Self gave Robinson other advice in simple terms.
"He said, 'Just be a man and step up there and knock down your free throws,' Robinson said.
Edited by Jason Bennett
GOLF
Bad weather doesn't stop McIlroy's drives
HONG KONG — U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a 6-under 64 in blustery conditions on Thursday to share the lead with Alvaro Quiros and David Horsey after the opening round of the Hong Kong Open.
The Northern Irishman had the worst of the early morning conditions as most of the top players in the field, including defending champion Ian Poulter (71), struggled in the swirling winds at the Fanling course at Hong Kong Golf Club.
Quiris and Horsey shot their 64s when conditions improved later in the day.
"I was able to handle the wind pretty well today. This is probably the best round that I have played here." McLroy said. "It was a solid round. I didn't make a mistake, six birdies and no bogeys is always a nice way to start the tournament.
"I hit 17 greens and just kept giving myself a lot of opportunities and it was very nice to be able to take a few of them."
Associated Press
The University of Kansas University Theatre presents
An original new musical by Nathan Tysen (book & lyrics) and Ryan McCall (music)
Directed by Alex Espy
An original new musical
A HOLIDAY TREAT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
7:30 p.m. December 2,3,10,2011
2:30 p.m. December 4 & 11,2011
2:30 p.m. December 4 & 11, 2011
William Inge Memorial Theatre, Murphy Hall
general admission tickets are on sale in the KU ticket offices. University Theatre, 864-392-3822; Lied Center, 884-ARTS; and online at www.kutheatre.com. Tickets are $15 for the public, $19 for senior citizens and staff, and $10 for all students. All major credit cards are accepted. The University Theatre is partially funded by the KU Student Senate Activity Fee. The University Theatre's 2011–12 season is sponsored by the KU Credit Union.
KU UNIVERSITY
THEATRE
The University of Kansas
STUDENT SENATE
KU CREDIT UNION
Imagining America Series
GREGORY JAY
Senior Director of the Cultures and Communities Program and Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Scholarship, Engagement, and the Future of the University
A presentation on the challenges facing engaged scholarship, including questions of tenure and promotion, community partnerships, financial support, and the relationship between engaged research and learning.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Reception to follow Lied Center Pavilion
Jay's visit is part of an ongoing series of events on publicly engaged scholarship in the humanities, arts and design sponsored by the School of the Arts, the Lied Center, and the Hall Center for the Humanities.
For more information on Imagining America, please contact one of the consortium's campus contacts:
LIZ KOWALCHUK, Associate Dean, School of the Arts, at kowalchu@ku.edu
KRISTINE LATTA, Associate Director, Hall Center for the Humanities, at klaatta@ku.edu
KU SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
The University of Kansas
KU HALL CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES The University of Kansas
LIED CENTER OF KANSAS