Monday, October 5, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
ABOVE: Kansas right-side hitter Nancy Bell spikes one past a Nebraska defender. The Jayhawks lost three games to the 'Huskers during the weekend. Photo by Dan Elavsky/KANSAN
Volleyball team set to relax after two Big 12 losses
Kansan sportswriter
By Laura Bokenkroger
In the midst of one of the country's toughest conference schedules, the Kansas volleyball team will get a break this week.
After falling to two Top-25 Big 12 Conference teams last weekend, the 10-5 Jayhawks travel Wednesday to the University of Missouri-Kansas City for a welcome non-conference match.
"I think it'll be nice to kind of get a grasp on how much we have improved," said Amanda Reves, middle blocker. "It's hard to measure how far our steps have taken us when we play teams that are so much over our heads."
The Jayhawks lost three games to none against undefeated No. 3 Nebraska (12-0) on Friday night, (15-8, 15-5 and 15-5). They also lost 3-0 against No. 12 Colorado (10-1) on Saturday night (15-11, 15-6 and 15-5).
The two losses in two days dropped Kansas to 1-3 in the Big 12 Conference.
Ray Bechard, volleyball coach, said the tempo of Nebraska's game was faster than that of the Javhawks.
"They were playing higher above the net. We had our moments, but we just didn't stretch them out," Bechard said.
The Jayhawks jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first game against Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers took the lead 6-5 and never trailed again.
The second and third games were over quickly. The Jayhawks fell behind early and couldn't catch up as the Cornhuskers rallied in three-point
LEFT: KU sophomore Nancy Bell spikes the ball on Nebraska's Jaime Krondak, left, and Tonia Tauke. The Jayhawks fell to the Cornhuskers 0-3 on Friday. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
"We need to work on first-ball sideout," Bechard said. "We need to get a good pass and attack on the first chance we get to end the play."
and four-point stretches.
Tough Nebraska servers -- including a jump-server who hadn't been a standout until this weekend -- contributed to a lapse in passing for the Jayhawks. Reves said that was a key to the loss.
"When we're up against a tough server, we just need to get a good pass and get out of that rotation," Reves said. "Passing and serving has to be there every game."
Kansas' passing game looked better against a scrappy Colorado team on Saturday night.
The Jayhawks battled for every ball in long lallies, but Colorado's senior-laden squad had the advantage of experience.
"Game one was very clean, competitive," Bechard said. "We had some opportunities where we could have done something here and there, but Colorado's a veteran team. They have some West Coast players who have been playing forever, and they have the reactive, instinctive play that we don't have yet."
Outside hitter Leslie Purkeyle provided a lift off the bench for the Jayhawks by contributing a couple of key hits that led to much-needed sideouts.
Right-side hitter Nancy Bell posted six kills and nine digs to lead Kansas on Saturday.
Outside hitter Mary Beth Albrecht led the Jayhawks in the Nebraska match. Albrecht had nine kills and six digs against the Cornhuskers.
Although it was a disappointing weekend for the Jayhawks, Bechard said that the team would work on some specific things in practice and against UMKC to prepare for the rest of the Jayhawks' conference schedule.
Kansas right-side hitter Nancy Bell and middle blocker Anne Kreimer try to hit the ball to the other side of the net. The Jayhawks were hosts to Nebraska and Colorado this weekend. Despite the Jayhawks' effort, they lost both matches. Photo by Dan Elvasky/KANSAN
Inclement weather rains on parade of Kansas women's soccer team
By Brad Hallier
Kansan sportswriter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas women's soccer team was stalled by an unbeatable opponent this weekend — Mother Nature.
Yesterday's match against Texas Tech was postponed because of heavy rains and lightning at the Kansas City Wizards' practice field.
"It's unfortunate that you can't control the weather, and Texas Tech knew that." Kansas coach Dan Magner said. "It's highly unusual for a soccer game to be canceled, but this is highly unusual weather for this time of year."
The game will be rescheduled later in the season. Magner said that plans already were being made for a new date.
"We're trying to find a date that works for them and us," he said. "There are budgetary concerns. For Texas Tech to fly back up here during the week would cost thousands of dollars. We may have to find a halfway point, such as Tulsa or Oklahoma City, so both teams can bus to the game."
Sunday's postponed game came on the heels of a 1-0 loss to No. 23 Baylor on Friday. The Jayhawks put together one of their better performances of the season against the Bears.
Last year, Baylor defeated Kansas by the same 1-0 score but outshot the Jayhawks
40-3. This year, Baylor still outshot Kansas, 33-8, but the shots on goal were much closer, 12-6, in favor of Baylor. Shots on goal are shots that have a chance of going in the goal.
"We have a much
stronger team this year," said goalkeeper Jen Fecke, who made 10 saves. "I think we deserved to win, but it just didn't happen that way."
While the Bears had more shots, many shots the Bears took were not close to the goal. Fecke attributed that to the defense.
"We had really good defense," she said.
"We forced them to take shots from further
out, which resulted in shots going high and wide."
Bears defender Rachel Kacsmaryk scored the lone goal in the 27th minute after a Britt Talley free kick was flicked on by Nikki Thales. A flick on is when a player continues the direction of a ball with her head. Kacsmaryk scored from about seven yards out.
Kansas had several opportunities to equalize. Forward Natalie Hoovgveld nearly broke free in the 72nd minute, but Bears goalkeeper Dawn Greatheath tackled the ball before Hoovgveld could get to it. Defender Jackie Dowell's free kick in the 86th minute rattled the crossbar.
"We were disciplined against Baylor," he said. "We had a game plan and stuck to it. I think it's不fortunate that we had a little lapse on the free kick. A team ranked in the top 25 is going to take advantage of those opportunities.
Magner said that his team played well.
I'm very proud of the way the women played, and they should be proud of the way they played. Performances like this will lead to wins."
Texas A&M slides by 'Hawks with fourth-quarter drive
Continued from page 1B
little nervous when the Aggies' were trailing with fewer than five minutes in the game.
"I thought Kansas had a good defense," McCown said. "They had a good front seven. I thought they played well. Their secondary did well. We came on that last drive and executed like we had to. We were fortunate enough to be ahead when the clock ran out."
With the Aggies' ineffective passing game, Texas A&M relied on running back Dante Hall to carry the load. His 177 yards came on 36 carries, and his three touchdowns were clearly the difference in the game. Nonetheless, Hall knows the game could have easily gone the other way.
"They (Kansas) did a great job in the red zone," he said. "We just happened to escape with the win."
The Texas A&M "Wrecking Crew"
defense did not demolish the Kansas offense. The Jayhawks ever-improving offense was able to rack up 294 yards. The Aggies, who came into Saturday's game as the 13th best defense in the country, yielded 127 yards on the ground and 167 yards in the air.
"Those guys (Kansas) played hard all game, we left 'em in the game," said Rich Coady, Aggies' strong safety. "There was opportunities out there we could've put the game away, but we just didn't take advantage of those opportunities. That's a good football team. They have a good offense. They don't make a lot of mistakes. I think we made some mistakes, and they were able to capitalize on them. Their quarterback is a good quarterback, when he has time he's gonna throw the ball well, and today he threw the ball well."
The Jayhawks play next Saturday at Bavlor.
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