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Swinging for par The Kansas men's golf team finished its fall-season tournaments in California. The team finished 7th in the Prestige tournament. PAGE 9A
sports commentary
The University Daily Kansan
12A
Thursday, November 6, 2003
Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Jayhawks prepared to defeat 'Huskers
Although Nebraska enters the game against Kansas with a 7-2 record, Kansas can win Saturday.
Forget that out of the 109 games played in the third-longest series in the nation, Kansas has won only 21 of them, with five of those victories coming before 1900.
Forget that Nebraska has flat out cold-cocked the Jayhawks the past three seasons by an average score of 51-10.
Even forget Kansas hasn't beaten Nebraska since 1968, when my dad was a freshman here. That's an awful long time; 34 games to be exact. But fear not Kansas fans, Kansas will win this game on Saturday for several reasons.
Nebraska's offense stinks. OK, so it's not that bad, but the 'Huskers struggle to put points on the board. Its offense is one dimensional, featuring a power game with only occasional option capabilities. Jammal Lord's abysmal throwing ability keeps them from passing. He's completed half of his passes and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.
All of which leads to Kansas's defense having a big game. While Kansas' defense has been inconsistent this season, the unit will be anxious to prove itself after a dismal showing against Texas A&M where the defense allowed 547 yards of total offense. Kansas's defense has proven itself against run-first teams like Missouri and Baylor, and should be no different here.
Nebraska didn't have the capability to put up that many yards against Troy State Oct. 4, and it sure won't gain a lot of yards against a fired-up Kansas defense with a one-track mind on stopping the run game.
Nebraska's defense can't corral a mobile quarterback. In both of Nebraska's losses this season, at Missouri and Texas, the 'Huskers lost because they couldn't grab the opposing quarterback. Both Brad Smith and Vince Young had big days on the ground in those games, including momentum-changing touchdown runs. While the Nebraska defense is better than it was the past two years — it is in the top 10 in the nation in total defense and is tops in takeaways — it still can't stop a quarterback who moves well.
Enter Adam Barmann, Kansas' true freshman quarterback tore apart a Texas A&M defense last week for more than 300 yards of total offense. He has quick feet to go with a howitzer of an arm.
Kansas is not intimidated by Nebraska. Why would it be? Nebraska may have a winning history with three national championships in the 1990's, but looking at this year's teams the jahawks appear to be on equal footing with the Cornhuskers. Usually if Kansas came close to defeating Nebraska, it was considered a moral victory. But this is a Kansas team that doesn't believe in moral victories. If Kansas believed in moral victories, players would not have cried after a hard-fought loss at Colorado.
Mark Mangino said earlier this week that Kansas was looking forward to the game.
"For some reason the KU kids love to play Nebraska," Mangino said. "I guess there have been some good games in the past here at Memorial Stadium."
Looking forward to it or not, the game won't be easy. Nebraska's defense has only allowed 13 points per game this season and its offense seems to do just enough to get the job done. But Kansas will be prepared.
The last few Nebraska games may have gotten out of hand, but remember this; the longer Kansas stays in the game, the more confident the team will become. Add confidence to the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium and the factors above, and you've got yourself a big-time victory for a growing program.
Flaherty is a Lanexa senior in journalism
Kansas storms back
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
Another five-game match might not have been what the Kansas volleyball team wanted, but that's what it got.
For the 11th time in 24 matches this season and for the fourth match in a row, the Jayhawks went the full five games, beating No. 25 Missouri 3-2.
After blowing a 2-1 lead in the match, Kansas (15-9 overall, 7-6 Big 12 Conference) rallied from a 9-1 deficit in game five to win 15-13 and take the Border War match.
"I'm very sick of five-game matches," sophomore middle blocker Josi Lima said.
Lima didn't seem very sick on the court. She had a team-high 20 kills and a.436 hitting efficiency in the 2-hour and 18-minute match.
Senior outside hitter Sarah Rome had a career-high 31 digs, and junior middle blocker Ashley Michaels had 17 kills, contributing to an all-around team effort.
In the first game, the teams battled back and forth to a 7-7 tie.
Missouri (16-7, 9-5) pulled ahead 12-9 on a kill by Jessica Vander Kooi, forcing Bechard to call a timeout.
After trading points, Lima flew through the air and pounded a kill that went untouched between two Missouri players. It tied the game at 14 and had the crowd of 874 on its feet for the first time.
Lima added another kill for the next point, and the teams continued to battle until a kill from Michaels tied the game at 29.
Missouri then used a kill and a Kansas error to end the game, which gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the match.
"The whole year we've said we're never going to give up. We're going to fight to the last game," junior libero Jill Dorse said.
The team must have used that philosophy the rest of the match.
In game two, the Jayhawks jumped out to an 8-2 lead, showing no effects from the loss in the first game.
Michaels had six kills and Lima added five as the Jayhawks won 30-23. Lima's last kill! whizzed by the whole Missouri
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 7A
Missouri outside hitter Jessica Vander Kooi sent the ball past junior middle blocker Jordan Garrison and sophomore middle blocker Josi Lima toward junior jibril Dill Jorose. Dorsey saved the ball, and the Jayhawks went on to score in the first game last night.
Z. Gordon Straus/Kansai
'Hawks to face Sooners
Kansas soccer team to try for first victory in post-season play
By Nikki Nugent
nnuengt@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The No.21 Kansas soccer team could continue its record-breaking season with a victory against Oklahoma tonight in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament.
The No. 3 seed Jayhawks (15-4-1;6-3-1) have never won a post-season game, and Kansas coach Mark Francis said this was their best chance ever.
Winning at least the first match of the tournament could solidify the Jayhawks chances of an NCAA Tournament berth. Junior forward Rachel Gilfillan said Kansas is not a lock for the tournament because there are still a number of good teams that have a chance at a tournement slot.
"All the other stuff is irrelevant right now," he said. "We just need to win the game and advance in the conference tournament, which is something that we've never done before."
"They still look at how you do in the Big 12 tournament," she said. "If we lose the first game, that might be a big enough fault against us."
The Jayhawks last played the Sooners (8-5-5; 3-3-4) on Oct. 24. Although they won that game 3-1, Francis said it was difficult to play a team more than once in a season.
Junior forward Monica Brothers agreed.
"It is going to be a psychological battle," she said. "It could be easy to underestimate them. Maybe they didn't have their best appearance against us."
Though the team is not looking past the Big 12 Tournament, its ultimate goal of an NCAA Tournament berth is always on their mind.
Gilfillan and Brothers recalled the team's last trip to the NCAA Tournament. As freshmen, they said they both were so excited to be in the tournament that they didn't fully understand the importance of the situation. But Brothers said not making it back to the NCAA tournament last season opened her eyes.
"You've got to earn it," she said. "This year we've earned it. I think we look at it now as not just getting there, but going and winning and advancing, and not just being there."
Notes: Ten Kansas soccer players were named to the conference's 2003 Academic All-Big 12 first and second teams Tuesday. Goalkeeper Sarah Gonzalez, senior, math education; defender Maggie Mason, senior, journalism and communication studies; forward Monica Brothers, junior, psychology; forward Rachel Gliffillan, junior, sports management; defender Stacy Leeper, junior, health education; midfielder Lauren Williams, junior, exercise science/nursing; forward Kimberly Karfonta, sophomore, journalism; and forward Caroline Smith, sophomore, pre-med/human biology were named to the conference's first team
Junior Monica Brothers was one of 10 Jay-hawks named to the Big 12 Conference's Academic All-Big 12 team. The No.3-seeded Jay-hawks will attempt their first post-season victory tonight against Oklahoma in the Big 12 tournament.
ness administration; and goalkeeper Meghan Miller, junior, journalism, were named to the second team.
Midfielder Amy Geha, junior, busi- — Edited by Katie Nelson
First-team members have maintained a 3.20 or better grade point average, while second-team members have kept a GPA between 3.00 and 3.19. To be eligible, athletes must have participated in 60 percent of the team's games. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible.
Athletics Department gains new member
By John Domoney
Kansan staff writer
jdomoney.com.kansan.com
When the new associate director of athletics and senior women's administrator started work at the University Oct. 13, she returned to a place of fond memories.
Kelly Landry is a Florida native but always had a soft spot for Lawrence and the University of Kansas. As a discus thrower for the University of Alabama track team, Landry had taken part in the Kansas relays in the early 1980s.
andry
"I just remember it being a great place to throw the discus," Landry said.
After nearly a month on the job, Landry is quickly learning that the athletics department is a also great place to work. Athletics director Lew Perkins hired Landry in September to replace Janelle Martin, who left Kansas in August.
Landry was at the University of Illinois, where she worked for the past five
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SEE LANDRY ON PAGE:8A
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