tuesday, September 9, 2003
sports
the university daily kansan 9/2
9A
sports commentary
Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Support confident Jayhawks
Every year columnists remind readers that basketball isn't the only sport at the University of Kansas. But this year's Kansas volleyball team is too good not to talk about.
But a team's record isn't always an indication of how good it is. What makes this team so good is the way it plays. Teammates are constantly communicating, and they do it well.
After beating No. 13 University of Minnesota last weekend and bringing home the Nike Volleyball Invitational championship, the team improved to 5-1 overall.
cating, and an impressive is the team's attitude. These Jayhawks are cocky. It's not a bad cocky—it's confidence. It's something you need in order to win.
Even when the team was losing 30-18 to Dayton, Jill Dorsey, defensive specialist, had a smile on her face throughout the game.
When backup Megan Hill, freshman outside hitter, entered the game and quickly recorded two kills, the players celebrated as if they had won the match; they were actually down by 10.
they were dummy blocker Sophomore middle blocker Josi Lima said the closeness of the team contributed to its solid play on the court.
play on the court.
That unity isn't hard to see when you watch the team play. The Jayhawks slap high fives or shout encouragement to each other after every point, whether it's their point or the opponent's.
No matter how close the players are, the coach still has to keep the team motivated everyday. That is exactly what coach Ray Bechard has done.
The players say he has them believing they can win, a daunting task in the Big 12 Conference.
Despite all the positives, I won't sit here and make a bold prediction of a national championship or even a Big 12 championship.
But this could possibly be the best volleyball team Kansas has ever had. Even if it's not, the team is fun to watch. It plays with passion and a confident swagger.
It's probably enough passion and confidence to get it into the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.
I'll go ahead and say it: Come out and support the volleyball team. You won't be disappointed.
Norris is an Overland Park senior in journalism.
University of Kansas men's basketball 2003-2004 schedule
University of Kansas
■ Tuesday, Nov. 4
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
10 p.m.
TBA
7 p.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
5:05 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
7 p.m.
3 p.m.
8 p.m.
1 p.m.
8 p.m.
8 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
7 p.m.
3 p.m.
8 p.m.
1 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
1 p.m.
TBA
7 p.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
8 p.m.
1 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
1 p.m.
TBA
EA Sports All-Stars (exh.)
Pittsburg State (exh.)
UT Chattanooga
Michigan State
at TCU
Stanford
Fort Hays State
Oregon
UC Santa Barbara
at Nevada
Binghamton
Villanova
Colorado
Kansas State
Texas A&M
Richmond
Colorado
at Kansas State
at Iowa State
Missouri
Texas Tech
at Oklahoma State
at Nebraska
Baylor
Iowa State
at Texas
Oklahoma
Nebraska
at Missouri
Big 12 Tournament
Lawrence
Lawrence
Lawrence
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
Dallas
Lawrence
Lawrence
Kansas City, Mo.
Reno, Nev.
Reno, Nev.
Lawrence
Boulder, Colo.
Lawrence
College Station, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Manhattan
Ames, Iowa
Lawrence
Lawrence
Stillwater, Okla.
Lincoln, Neb.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Austin, Tex.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Columbia, Mo.
D Dallas
ESPN
ESPN
Warner sidelined after concussion
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — One week into the season, the St. Louis Rams have a quarterback controversy.
Kurt Warner's comeback got off to a rocky start when he played through a concussion in the season-opening loss to the New York Giants.
New York Giants Healthy or not, he won't start Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, Marc Bulger will.
cisco 4951, Marc MVP said he felt fine Monday, a day after his fog induced, error-filled performance in the 23-13 loss. After being released from a New York hospital earlier Monday, Warner ran and worked out in St. Louis, and he wants to play on Sunday.
Doctors in New York told Warner he probably could practice Wednesday, although team medical personnel will be more cautious.
Not so fast.
"I think I should play," Warner said in a conference call with reporters. "As long as the doctors clear me, I'll be ready to go."
Coach Mike Martz blames himself for allowing Warner to slowly clear his head while fumbling six times and getting sacked six times, and said he'll take a
safety-first approach on Sunday. So Bulger, the backup who was 61 as the Rams' starter last year, will get the call.
"I don't want to get into all of that right now," Martz said. "Let's just take it one week at a time at this point.
will get the call.
“This week I'm going to play Marc.” Martz said. “I think we can go one week, and make sure. He's upset about probably going with Marc but I think it's probably the best thing at this point.”
Martz said it's way too soon to talk about whether it's still Warner's job to lose.
"I don't know what the medical staff will say at the end of the week and I don't know how he's going to be at the end of the week, so if that ever becomes an issue we'll address it."
"This isn't about me and Marc, this is about the team," Warner said. "This is about doing what's best for our team."
we address it. Warner, the MVP in 1999 and 2001, was 0-6 with three touchdown passes and 11 interceptions last year while missing time with a broken pinkie and hand. He doesn't appear worried about the competition.
Warner's status far overshadowed several other concerns at
Rams Park, relegating Martz questionable play-calling to the second half of his weekly news conference. Martz disdained field goals twice on fourth-and-long in the fourth quarter, decisions that haunted him the following day.
lowing day.
The Rams believe Warner's concussion occurred on the first sack, which came on their second pass play when Giants lineman Michael Strahan collared him and stripped him of the ball with 8:34 to go in the first quarter.
On his first seven pass plays, Martz said Warner made five errors in judgment.
"It hasn't done that his whole time here." Martz said. "It's just not like him."
But Martz wasn't ready to yank Warner until the start of the second half, when the quarterback was cleared to continue by the team's medical staff. By that time, Warner said, he was feeling much better.
In the second half, Warner was 19-for-27 for 186 yards and a perfectly thrown 37-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt in the fourth quarter.
fourth quarter.
"The first half he seemed a little goofy." Martz said. "He didn't appear normal, is probably the
best way to put it."
Warner doesn't regret finishing the game because the symptoms of the concussion had subsided.
"You come back and watch the film and there were things on that aren't typical of me, things I don't normally do," Warner said. "The second half I felt good, felt really good."
Warner said this concussion doesn't come close to the one he had at the end of the 2000 season when he was hit by Willie Whitehead of New Orleans. Warner played the following week in a wildcard playoff loss, but was still feeling aftereffects several months later.
This time he had a headache and nausea in the locker room after the game, but felt fine by the time he got to the hospital.
"Compared to what I've had in the past, this was extremely, extremely mild." Warner said. "The symptoms dissipated much more quickly than anything I've experienced before."
Not good enough for Martz. On Monday the Rams moved to shore up the position, signing Scott Covington and releasing the team's inexperienced thirdstringer, former Missouri quarterback Kirk Farmer.
Young Texas Tech volleyball team starts 4-0
The Associated Press
LUBBOCK, Texas — The sun has set on the first volleyball tournament of the year. Now several of the Red Raiders are rising. Texas Tech volleyball welcomed three newcomers and one redshirt freshman for the 2003 season.
The team saw its first action in the Islander Invitational this weekend, where the Raiders went 4-0. Tech coach Nancy Todd said she was pleased with the way the new members of the team performed.
Redshirt freshman middle blocker Nina Miller led the team in blocks with six and scored 10 points against North Carolina A&T.
"They did a great job," she said.
"Each time they play, they're gaining more and more experience"
Freshman Kiley Lyons led the team with 15 kills during the match against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday.
Miller sat out last season because of a broken leg.
was faring so well in the match against A&M Corpus-Christi.
"While I was playing, I didn't notice, but afterwards I was kind of surprised," she said.
Another freshman who had the chance to play was middle blocker Raven Garret. Todd said Garrett, like Miller, needs to get more experience to sharpen her playing ability.
Lyons said she had no idea she
playing Part of the key to any freshman's success is the help she receives from the veteran players, and Todd said the team's upper classmen helped the newcomers
gain confidence.
"I really think the older girls did a good job of helping them and having them develop the chemistry, getting them used to being part of the team, kind of bonding with them" she said.
Of all the experiences the freshmen had in their first official competition, Garrett said the best was finally becoming one unit.
"I think the best part was just coming together as a team and getting to play a different school instead of just each other in practice," she said.
HERE ARE NEXT WEEK'S GAMES:
Daily Kansan contained an error. The cutline in the article, "Volleyball aims to bury Gophers," misnamed a player. The cutline identified sophomore Renita Davis. Her last name is Davidson.
Notre Dame vs. Michigan
Correction
Friday's The University
Kansas vs. Wyoming
N. C. State vs. Ohio State
N.C. State vs. Ohio State
Oregon Tech vs. Florida
Notre Dame vs. Michigan
N.C. State vs. Ohio State
Hawaii vs. USC
Georgia Tech vs. Florida State
Massachusetts vs. Kansas State
Penn State vs. Nebraska
Iowa vs. Iowa State
Washington State vs. Colorado
Arkansas vs. Texas
SMU vs. Baylor
Siena vs. Stony Brook
The Associated Press
MU player overcomes Saturday's injury
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri quarterback Brad Smith should be fully recovered from a mild concussion in time to play Saturday in the Tigers' game against Eastern Illinois, the team's physician said.
Smith was held out of the second half of Saturday's 35-7 victory over Ball State with a mild concussion.
conclusion. The team physician, Pat Smith, cleared Brad Smith to take part in Sunday night's practice and the quarterback did not have any problems during that practice.
The doctor said if Brad Smith did not suffer any unexpected complications, he should be able to play in Missouri's home opener.
opener. "Terr on the cautious side," Pat Smith said.
Pat Smith said the short-term memory loss Brad Smith suffered after he was hit on the head during a tackle in Saturday's game "didn't result in him losing consciousness."
He said the quarterback suffered some mild confusion and amnesia and linebacker Brandon Barnes had mild concussions and that cornerback Terrance Curry had a slight hamstring pull.
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