THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2008
SPORTS
7A
SOCCER (CONTINUED FROM 10A)
Soccer season at a glance
McCabe said of Kansas' ability to cope with setbacks. "Getting beat 6-0 by Missouri was kind of heart-breaking. To come back and beat Texas A&M 4-2 just showed we could come back from adversity."
Just making the tournament is no longer a goal at Kansas. It's an expectation.
But more than that, doubling the program's all-time victory total against the Aggies and making the NCAA Tournament helped give the program the momentum it lacked after three consecutive seasons without any tournament experience. It gave Kansas something to build on. Predictably, Francis' message to his team following the loss to Stanford was straight to the point.
— Edited by Ramsey Cox
"Just seeing your name pop up on the screen in a bracket was a something different that none of us had experienced," Dolinsky said. "A lot of us want that feeling again."
Graphic by Peter Sotz
Kansas won five straight games to begin the season before a stretch of road games and the beginning of Big 12 Conference play cooled its hot start. The Jayhawks wouldn't win or lose more than two game in a row for the rest of the season, but still collected enough quality wins to play in the NCAA Tournament.
Honest golfer ineligible after illegal ball use
The only thing that seems remarkable to Hayes about that decision is the stir it created.
the moment J.P. Hayes saw the golf ball on the floor in his hotel room, he knew he could keep his mouth shut and his chances of playing full-time on the PGA Tour next season alive or pick up the phone and disqualify himself.
"it's blown me away," Hayes said Thursday. "I certainly don't want to be made out as a hero. I'm just a player that did the right thing."
Hayes was on the tee at the par-3 12th hole in the first round of the PGA Tour's qualifying tournament when his caddie flipped him the ball. He missed the green, chipped on, marked his ball and then realized it wasn't the one he'd started the day with. Hayes called over an official and took a two-shot penalty, then went back to playing his original ball on the next tee.
VOLLEYBALL
Like a lot of golfers, Hayes goes through his golf bag every night. The night after the second round, he realized the ball that had already cost him two strokes was a prototype that hadn't been approved for tournament play. After he called a PGA tour official, he recalled, "I pretty much knew at that point I was done."
Team prepares to face Longhorns
Associated Press
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
It's officially gut check time for Kansas.
The final stand starts Saturday, on the road in Austin, to face the No. 4 Texas Longhorns.
The volleyball team has only three matches remaining this season. Each against a team with a winning record. Each critical to the team's slim chance of making it into the NCAA Tournament.
At least the Jayhawks' last match was against Nebraska, one of the premier teams in the Big 12.
"They'll (Texas) put a lot of pressure on you with their serve and their attack and their block," coach Ray Bechard said. "We've seen it before, but it's how we manage it on our side of the net."
Although Nebraska and Texas are different teams, Bechard thinks that the Jayhawks can transfer some of the strengths from last week's match to Saturday night's match.
"You see some of the same physicality," Bechard said. "The speed
A bye week certainly helps. The players received their first day off
of the game is similar, I think those opponents back-to-back do help you"
Although it isn't as sound in fundamentals as a team like Nebraska, Texas offers some of the best athletes in the conference. Texas just flexed its muscles against that same Nebraska team on Wednesday night.
The Longhorns punished the Cornhuskers in four sets. They accumulated 25 total blocks and junior All-American Destinee Hooker stole the show from Nebraska's All-American Jordan Larson with 24 kills.
"We have to focus on what we did really well," Garlington said of the Nebraska match. "We worked on digging, and trying to convert aggressive swings off of that."
Kansas has to catch Texas sleeping after a huge victory, but sophomore outside hitter Karina Garlington doesn't want to take that chance. She said the Jayhawks have to focus on their team, not the Longhorns.
on Monday and were able to forget about volleyball, albeit just for one day.
"We finally get to see what other students get to do." Garlington said with a laugh.
Garlington also mentioned the bond between her teammates. Even though the team had the entire day off, she said the team members were still together, hanging out and enjoying their break.
But the task at hand is beating Texas. Freshman setter Nicole Tate understands the importance of the match and knows what the Jayhawks have to do starting against Texas.
"We just have to stay after them/
It's a must-win match," Tate said.
"We're ready to play them. They're big,
but they can go down."
The players seemed cool and collected when talking about what's in store for them to end the season.
But Garlington shared a sense of urgency with her teammates about the match against Texas.
"We know this is a doable deal if we just can create that kind of high level," Garlington said. "We know that they're going to make plays, but we can make plays too."
volleyball notes
Series ring and a better shot at the Hall of Fame.
Edited by Jennifer Torline
KEYS TO THE GAME
Saw em off. Usually that phrase is reserved for the students at Texas A&M, but Kansas needs to hold that level of confidence to beat the Texas Longhorns. The season isn't over, and while it can be intimidating to play in Austin, this could be a defining moment for the Jayhawks if they squeak out with a win.
Sleeping giant: It's natural for a team like Texas, especially after beating Nebraska, to overlook this Kansas team. If the Longhorns come out sloppy in the opening sets, the Jayhawks have to take advantage. Bechard said this team cannot fall down by five or six points on the road, especially against the No. 4 team in the country.
The New York Yankees pitcher walked away from baseball Thursday after his only 20-win season.
"I don't have any regrets with what I decided. This is the right time" Mussina said on a conference call.
"I don't think there was ever a point where I looked around and said, 'You know what, I'm going to change my mind,'" he said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Kansas: Karina Garlington the sophomore outside hitter
"It was like the last year of high school. You know it's going to end and you enjoy the ride."
Mussina finished 270-153 with a 3.68 ERA in 18 seasons with Baltimore and New York. A thinking man's pitcher who relied on sharp control and did more than overpower hitters, he ranks 32nd on the career wins list and 19th in strikeouts with 2,813.
Associated Press
MLB
Yankees pitcher leaves baseball without regrets
From day one of spring training, he knew this was his final year — even if it meant giving up bids for 300 wins, a World
Texas: Destinee Hooker This one is a no-brainer. Hooker might be the most physically imposing player in the entire country. She stands six-foot-four-inches with an impressive wingspan. Her stature also translates into dominating the Big 12 Conference. Hooker's 4.28 kills per set tops the conference and she also boasts the sixth best hitting percentage in the Big 12 with .347. If Kansas can somehow control this phenom, then consider that a victory in itself.
had a poor match against Nebraska, hitting for only nine kills with a sub_200 hitting percentage. It will be interesting to see how Garlington rebounds against another elite team. If Garlington gets her groove back, look for the Jayhawks to be competitive.
NEWYORK — Mike Mussina took a secret to the ballpark every day this season. Maybe that's why he was so successful on the mound, so jovial in the clubhouse.