THE UNIVERSITY OF JALY KANSAS
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008
SPORTS
3B
VOLLEYBALL
Inconsistent offense plagues struggling Jayhawks
BY JOSH BOWE
bowe@kansan.com
If there is one thing to learn about freshman setter Nicole Tate this season, it's that she's honest. Maybe even brutally honest.
"Full responsibility. It is my whole job to make the offense work," Tate said. "If it fail."
Tate, who is from St Louis, did not hold back when addressing the extent of her role in Kansas' inconsistent offense this season.
then it's my fault."
Tate doesn't sugarcoat her performances. And though it would be a stretch to say the offense has failed outright, it must become more consistent if the lavwhaws
Bechard said.
"It is my whole job to make the offense work. If it fails, then it's my fault."
Six Big 12 teams have posted hitting percentages of .200 or higher during conference play. Five of those teams have winning records in the conference. For Kansas to turn its season around, the offense has to come through against Missouri.
"I think we're going to get back into our rhythm that we need to be in," Tate said after Monday's practice. "Keeping up with the defense is important, but keeping an offensive
are to climb out of the Big 12 cellar. A victory against border rival Missouri tonight at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center would be a good start.
NICOLE TATE Kansas setter
edge agains Missouri would be great."
Kansas ranks ninth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage — a cold .195 for the season. That percentage falls to .186 for conference play. A respectable number for a quality team is about .200, coach Ray
Sophomore outside hitter Karina Garlington encourages her teammates during a match against Texas A&M on Oct. 8 at the Horesi Family Athletic Center.
Growing pains are inevitable when a freshman starts at any position. But the season is almost over, so Bechard expects Tate to correct those some of those
rookie mistakes.
"There are some bumps there," Bechard said. "But she's closer to being a sophomore in my book."
She sits fifth in the conference in assists, averaging just more than 10 per set.
Tate also leads the team in double-doubles, and her 64-assist match against Wyoming earlier this year still stands as second-most in the Big 12 for a single match.
Weston White/KANSAN
keys to the game
Coach Ray Bechard hasn't questioned the Jayhawks' effort this year. Their execution is another story.
Offensive Execution:
Crisp offensive play at the beginning could dictate the rest of the match. If Kansas can cut down on errors during the first two sets, the match will be competitive.
on its home floor. The Jayhawks look relaxed yet confident in their abilities. Add that to a surprisingly passionate home crowd that can't wait to show its disdain for Missouri, and Kansas should at least fare better than it did during a four-set loss to the Tigers in mid-October.
PLAYERSTOWATCH
It's no secret that Kansas has looked far more comfortable
Beware of the Horeisi:
Kansas' Nicole Tate: This should be no surprise. Tate
needs to rein in the Jayhawks' wandering offense. As Tate goes, so goes the rest of the offense.
More importantly, the deceptive left hand she uses for easy kills might be overdone. In Kansas' last four losses, Tate has a total of 48 kill attempts. This statistic is leading to indecisiveness at the net. Bechard said.
Tate needs to decrease her kill attempts to between six and eight to help keep her hitters involved and in rhythm.
to win."
Missouri's Weiwen Wang:
While redshirt sophomore Julianna Klein leads the team with 3.46 kills per set, sophomore Wang is second at 2.56 kills per set.
Wang is only 70 kills behind Klein. She leads Missouri hitters in hitting percentage, and if the Jayhawks focus solely on Klein, Wang could step in and hurt them.
"She's done a great job managing the role that she has, which is quite extensive for a freshman," Bechard said. "She's got a lot of experienced players around her, so that's what we need to draw.
Josh Bowe
need to draw on."
Any more losses and it might be too late to salvage hopes for an NCAA Tournament bid. Kansas is 1-5 in its last five matches, and the consi-
Those experienced players, such as middle blockers Natalie Uhart and Savannah Noyes, will compete in the Border Showdown for the last time as Kansas players. To add more value, only one match in the standings separates the teams.
"Every match of my senior year is important to me. It's the Border Showdown, so we've got to win."
NATALIE UHART Kansas middle blocker
tent struggles have weighed on the team. But as Tate improves, so will the offense. Uhart said she thought the team just needed a victory to relieve the pressure.
"We're trying to work on it in
practice, and it's just getting to the point where it's frustrating." Uhart said. "We're in a rut and we're trying to get out of it. It's not fun"
Edited by Mary Sorrick
Jeter's fall classic doesn't include baseball this year
BY DAN SEWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI — No October baseball this year for Derek Jeter, but the New York Yankees short-stop did have a victory to talk about Tuesday.
Jeter and golfer Tiger Woods were in Orlando, Fla., working on
Gillette Champions promotions, including for a global online video gaming competition that opens Friday.
The shaver maker, part of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co., is partnering with EA Sports in a tournament that culminates in February with winners playing Gillette endorsers such as Woods and Jeter in person.
Jeter said he took Woods down in "FaceBreaker" video boxing.
"We were just playing a game which I beat him in a few times," jeter said. "We've got video, photos, all the proof."
It's seemed like a long October for Jeter, whose Yankees missed the playoffs this year after a 13-season string of postseason appearances.
"It feels like it should be about
the middle of November, so it's been a little awkward," said Jeter, who hasn't been watching the World Series games between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.
"If I'm not playing in it, I don't really want to sit around and watch, but I'd be lying to you if I said I'm not interested in what's going to happen."
But he said the Rays' emer-
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"They have a young team and I'm sure they're going to be good for many years, and that unfortunately makes that division that much tougher," he said.
gence this year has added to the Yankees' challenge in the American League East Division that they and Boston had dominated in recent years.