Volume 125 Issue 2
kansan.com
Monday, August 20, 2012
COMMENTARY
Tradition hard to break
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
There's this tradition that goes along with Kansas football.
It's simple, really. Fans — primarily students — show up to Memorial Stadium around kickoff, or sometime in the first quarter, and they leave Kansas football games at halftime.
Junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc attacks the ball for the Blue team during the Crismon and blue match Saturday afternoon at the Horeksi Family Athletics Center. Jarmoc had 11 kills in the match.
But that's a big "if." More likely than not, Weis is about to learn traditions are hard to make and harder to break.
See, it's an easy one to learn.
This is no smattering of student exiting the stadium, either. This tradition involves herds of students migrating out of the stands and back to their houses, bars or wherever they came from.
—Edited by Nikki Wentling
They do this for multiple reasons. Some want to return to the drinking culture that envelops college football. Some are simply done with the game and want to go home. Others leave because of the futile performance on the field that they've seen the last few years from the program.
Sure, if Kansas can keep it close most fans will stay, cheer and be normal college football fans.
You see, not too long ago Kansas football was competitive. The players were in games. They even won games. And the student section would fill around kickoff time.
The tradition of leaving early was still alive a few years back when Kansas was competing, but it was much younger and weaker than it is now. The bleachers were full at the beginning, and when fans would leave there would still be a decent amount of butts in seats.
During these past two seasons, the student section stopped filling up. Really, it didn't get close to filling up. So lately, when the students that do come to games leave at halftime, the bleachers have crater-sized holes in them.
It will be the same for the second game against Rice as well.
To be fair, Charlie Weis is a far better coach than Gill, and the result on the field will be improved from the previous two seasons. But that still isn't saving muc. 1.
Now Charlie Weis, the new face of Kansas football, desperately wants to change this. Keep in mind that Turner Gill did, too.
When it's 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night on Sept. 1 and Kansas is beating up on South Dakota State at halftime, the students won't hang around for the second half. And if it's a close game, maybe some will stay, but others will be upset because of the same poor product and return to their watering holes.
The first chance for Weis to change this Kansas tradition is a slim one, and it comes in Kansas' third game of the season against TCU. The Horned Frogs are going to be juiced for their first game in Big 12 play, and, to be honest, teams are not normally described as "juiced" to play Kansas.
VOLLEYBALL
FRIENDLY FIGHT
GEOFFREY CALVERT
BASKETBALL
gcalvert@kansan.com
The Blue team beat the Crimson team three sets to one in the Kansas Jayhawks intrasquad scrimmage Saturday at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center, which was open to fans and reunited volleyball alumni.
Some players rotated teams between sets, which coach Ray Bechard said was done to give hitters the chance to play with each setter. Every team member played, and teams were not divided up in any particular order.
"A lot of good rallies, so that's a sign of good effort," Bechard said. "The execution part of it will come if the effort and the enthusiasm is there each and every time out, and I thought that was very, very solid today."
Throughout the four-set match, both teams sustained rallies, and the team that jumped out to the lead usually kept it. The score was tied 20 times during the four sets, but the lead changed sides only seven times.
The layhawks were excited to play a match in front of fans after doing two-a-day practices for almost two weeks. Before the beginning of the fourth set, some players on the floor playfully sang and swayed to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe."
Redshirt junior outside hitter Catherine Carmichael had 16 kills and six digs for the Crimson team, along with a kill and a block during a brief appearance for the Blue team.
"We were all very excited to get in here and actually play and compete today," Carmichael said.
"I think the last two weeks has been rough, and it's been stressful, but I think it's been extremely helpful for us as well."
Before the third set, almost 20 former Jayhawk volleyball players and coaches were recognized, including former outside hitter Allison Mayfield, a 2012 graduate who will soon begin playing volleyball professionally in Paris.
had one of the more impressive afternoons, recording 11 assists and six digs for the Crimson team and 33 assists and 10 digs for the Blue team. Offensively, redshirt junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc's 11 kills and sophomore outside hitter Sara McClinton's 13 kills complemented Carmichael's team high 16 kills.
Junior setter Erin McNorton
"For myself, I need to work on out of system balls and be sure
that I hit out-of-system and make sure I know where I'm at because we're going to have a lot of people playing right side and outside," Carmichael said.
Four Jayhawks got their first experience in a Kansas uniform. Freshman outside hitter Tiana Dockery, middle blocker Janae Hall and setter Maggie Anderson combined for 12 kills, nine digs and 11 assists.
Bechard said the freshmen played fairly well while also showing some freshmen nerves, but that he's seen them display more confidence in practice. Dockery said she noticed how much faster the college game is than high school.
"I was a little nervous at the beginning, but all the girls made me feel a lot better, made it feel like home pretty much," Dockery said.
The fourth new Jayhawk, graduate student outside hitter Sylvia Bullock, a transfer from the University of Miami who played basketball for four years for the Hurricanes, recorded seven kills. Although this was her first organized match since high school, Bullock showcased her impressive athletic ability that helped convince the Kansas coaching staff she could help the Jayhawks. Bechard said most of her five attack errors came from four years away from the game.
The Jayhawks' season opener is Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Northwestern State in the Arkansas Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark.
—Edited by Christy Khamphilay
Doyle leaves Kansas
RYAN MCCARTHY
rmccarthy@kansan.com
According to several reports, freshman Milton Doyle will not be attending Kansas on basketball scholarship this season.
Doyle was originally a Florida International recruit, but opened up his options last spring when Florida International coach Isaiah Thomas was fired.
After getting through the NCAA Clearinghouse, he was cleared to play in late July and able to join the Layhawks.
His mother Lisa Green confirmed to the Lawrence Journal-World and the Kansas City Star about Doyle's decision to leave Kansas a day before classes started.
She did not comment further on the situation.
Kansas coach Bill Self is said to comment further on Doyle's departure today.
Doyle recently made the trip on the European tour and played in all four games averaging 2.3 points per contest.
Edited by Vikaas Shanker
SOCCER
Jayhawks succumb during overtime
ANDREW MORRIS
amorris@kansan.com
The Kansas soccer team ended the opening weekend with a 2-1 overtime loss to Northwestern on Sunday. Freshman forward Ashley Williams scored her second goal of the season, but the jayhawks could not overcome the Wildcats' Georgia Waddle's golden goal in the 95th minute.
Despite creating a majority of the chances, Kansas just couldn't seem to find the back of the net. The Jayhawks felt unlucky after seeing two shots hit the post, including one late in the second half. Despite the loss, the Jayhawks know they had chances capable of creating goals.
"I thought we had a lot of opportunities, just unlucky," Williams said. "Just ready to bounce back for the next game, that's all we can do, and learn from our mistakes."
The Jayhawks fell behind early when Kate Allen got on the end of K.K. Barr's cross to put the visitors ahead. Barr got around the right side of Kansas' defense before cutting back to Allen on the edge of the six-yard box, who coolly slotted home the goal for the early advantage.
Freshman Forward Ashley Williams goes in for a goal during Sunday afternoon's game at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. After overtime, the Jayhawks lost 1-2.
2. 2.2.2.2.2.
The Jayhawks best chance of the half came in the 31st minute when Williams played a nice pass into the box for senior forward Nicole Chrisipulous, who forced
The second half saw Kansas continue to apply pressure. In the 48th minute, Amy Grow had space on the edge of the area and unleashed a laser shot that dipped over the goalie and stuck the crossbar before bouncing down and out of the area.
a save from Northwestern's goalie Anna Cassell.
RENEE DUMLER/KANSAN
One minute later, the Kansas pressure finally paid off when Williams netted the team's lone goal. The Kansas attacking duo of Williams and Caroline Kastor combined on the edge of the penalty box to open up space for Williams' shot to creep just inside the post and into the back of the net to tie the game.
Shortly after the Kansas goal, senior defender and former Ohio State star, Cassie Dickerson was injured after a crunching tackle and never returned to the field.
The game slowed down after the injury stoppage, but Kansas almost found a wining goal in the 82nd minute when senior defender Shelby Williamson received a short corner kick, but saw her shot bounce off the inside of the post.
Despite having an advantage in shots, Kansas couldn't find the back of the net, and they would soon regret the lack of clinical finishing when Northwestern midfielder Georgia Waddle scored off a corner kick in overtime.
On Friday the jayhawks host Georgia, who knocked
"We got to be better on defending set pieces," coach Mark Francis said. "I don't think this is a game we should have lost."
"They are big and physical," said midfielder Amy Grow. "We know what to expect, it is just a
the jayhawks out of last year's NCAA tournament, in the Kansas Invitational.
matter of getting the job done this time."
Edited by Andrew Ruszczyk
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