THE UNIVERSITY OF IAHR KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
SPORTS
3B
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks to maintain competitive edge in Big 12
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
The Kansas volleyball team will kick off the Big 12 Conference play as well as the 2009-2010 Border Showdown Series today at Missouri.
Even though senior middle blocker Paige Mazour didn't grow up in the area, she said she gets caught up in the rivalry.
"It's all about pride," Mazou said. "You want to do it for yourself because of the rivalries and you want to do it for the school."
The fans take the competition seriously too and will sometimes heckle the players, sophomore outside hitter Lauren Hagan said.
"It's normal for the fan to heckle." Hagan said. "It doesn't bother me at all."
Coach Ray Bechard said while the rivalry is important, alumni may think there are more crucial things about the game against Missouri.
"More important than anything else, we have to figure out how
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to compete on the road against a quality team." Bechard said.
Missouri excels at transition offenses, Bechard said. He said the team plans to try to stop its counterattack by ending rallies early so that Missouri will not have a chance to fight.
Kansas will need to keep the momentum it gained over the weekend after it swept past Arkansas for the Tournament Title. The Jayhawks will also need to start off the Big 12 play with a win to stay competitive.
Kansas struggled on the road last year going just 1-9 in the Big 12. Bechard said he knows how important it is to be able to win on the road.
"It's critical if we want to have the success we want to have," said Bechard.
KANSAS GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
KANSAS AT MISSOURI
KU (7-2), MU (7-3)
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. today
WHERE: Hearnes Center,
Columbia, Mo.
Up next:
OKLAHOMA AT KANSAS
OU (7-2), KU (7-2)
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sept 23
WHERE: Horeisi Family
Athletics Center
With all the stiff competition coming up it could be easy for the team to look ahead, but so far many of the players are staying focused on the game.
"I just take it one game at a time, but I am very excited about conference play," Hagan said.
Senior middle blocker Paige Mazour leaps in the air for a block against Lipscomb during the second set. The Jayhawks defeated the Lady Bisons 3-1.
Jerry Wann/KANSAN
— Edited by Anna Kathagnarath
MLB
Orioles conquer the Tampa Bay Rays 10-5
BALTIMORE — Rookie Matt Wieters homered and had a career-high five RBs, Luke Scott also connected, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a five-run deficit to beat rookie Jeff Niemann and the Tampa Bay Rays 10-5 on Tuesday night.
Brian Roberts and Cesar Izturis had three hits apiece for the Orioles, who trailed 5-0
in the third before scoring six runs over a three-inning stretch against Niemann (12-6).
Niemann, who allowed six runs and a career-high 11 hits in 4 1-3 innings, lost for the first time in nine starts since July 26. It was his shortest start since June 21, and the six earned runs matched a career high, set in his first outing of the season against Baltimore.
Wieters put the Orioles ahead for good with a two-run single in the fifth, Scott hit his team-high 22nd homer in the
seventh and Wieters clinched it with a three-run drive off Chad Bradford in the eighth.
Tampa Bay's Pat Burrell broke out of a 1-for-22 slump with a homer and four RBIs, and Ben Zobrist fell a home run short of the cycle. But the Rays lost for the 12th time in 13 games.
Only 11,575 showed up on a beautiful night for baseball. But with the Orioles in last place, and because the opponent wasn't Boston or the New York Yankees, the stadium wasn't even one-fourth full.
Tigers' outfielder earns $18 million contract
DETROIT — Detroit Tigers outfielder Maggie Ordonez has earned $18 million with a fifth-inning groundball.
The at-bat Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, was Ordonez's 1,080th plate appearance since the start of the 2008 season, the number that he needed to automatically trigger his $18 million contract option for 2010. The option will make the contract that began in 2005 worth $93 million over six years.
The appearance was also Ordonez's 455th of 2009. If Ordonez comes to the plate 1,080 times between 2009 and 2010, he'll activate another $15 million option for the 2011 season.
Ordonez reached on Alex Gordon's error in the fifth.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL UCLA players suspended for violation of team rules
LOS ANGELES — UCLA has suspended four football players for violating team rules, sidelineing
them for Saturday's home game against Kansas State.
Starting cornerback Courtney Viney was suspended by coach Rick Neueisel along with running back Milton Knox and receivers Morrell Presley and Randall Carroll. The school didn't specify the nature of the rule violations.
The players will be allowed to practice during the suspension.
UCLA (2-0) didn't specify the punishment's length.
Associated Press