SOCCER The nationally ranked women's team prepares to take on Nebraska in its Big 12 Conference opener. PAGE 6B
SPORTS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
www.kansan.com
students.
Kansas takes Tech
BY BILL CROSS
bcross@kansan.com
KANKSAN SWISSPWRITER
The Kansas volleyball team won its first Big 12 Conference match of the season, sweeping Texas Tech last night.
The No. 21 Jayhawks, fresh off a three-spot jump in the USA Today/CSTV Coaches' Poll, solidified the game with one of the best defensive performances in the team's record books.
Kansas posted 71 digs, the second most in school history. It had 72 against Morehead State in 2002.
Texas Tech had 37 digs on the night
"We had a very good scout on Texas Tech, and we knew where they were going to hit," said junior middle blocker Josi Lima, who was second on the team with 14 digs to match her team-high 14 kills.
Because of the Kansas defense, Texas Tech hit just .071 for the match. Kansas hit only .236, below the team's season average of .260, but it was good enough to win 30-24, 30-23, 30-20.
But two Jayhawk errors helped the Red Raiders jump out to a 5-0 lead in the first game, prompting Jayhawks coach Ray Bechard to call an early timeout. They Jayhawks scored their first point when senior middle blocker Ashley Michaels spiked the ball all the way across the court. Then Michaels took the serve and reeled off five straight points, giving her team a 6-5 advantage.
Kansas won game one with powerful attacks that could not be matched by Texas Tech's finesse offense.
The second game was close the whole way, but momentum was on the Jayhawks' side after they led 14-11, sem-
ior libero Jill Dorsey said. Kansas ended a long rally with a point.
"Long rallies against Texas Tech are a good thing," Dorsey said. "It keeps you on your toes."
And they did. Michaels spiked the ball down the right boundary for a 16-11 lead. She added another kill and a block assist in leading her team to the victory.
The Red Raiders would not be close again as the Kansas offense came alive. Lima had six kills while Brown and Michaels each added five during the game. All three players had 10 or more kills in the match.
Sophomore outside hitter Jana Correa made her first four kills and three digs.
"I'm not 100 percent yet," she said. But I really want to play, and I'm going to be out there."
And she will need to be, Bechard said. Her backup, senior outside hitter Lindsey Morris, was injured during Friday's loss at Texas A&M.
Morris is out indefinitely and will not be available for the Jayhawks' next match on Saturday, when they face the no. 22 Texas Longhorns.
"That really hurts." Bechard said. "She's our MVT: most valuable teammate. She can play any place at any time and brings great energy off the bench."
"Texas is a totally different team: strictly power and physicalness," Bechard said.
Lima said Kansas would try to duplicate last night's defensive performance.
Ginny Weatherman/KANSAN
"I don't think we can stress passing and defense enough," she said.
Edited by Steve Schmidt
Just Lima spikes the ball to Texas Tech opponents last night at the Horesji Athletic Center. The volleyball team plays again on Saturday against Texas.
Kit Leffler/KANSAN
Senior kicker Johnny Beck strikes a field goal as sophomore safety, Jonathan Lamb holds.
Beck kicked out
Freshman replaces senior kicker for all field goals
BY JONATHAM KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITER
It was just one-too-many missed field goals for senior kicker Johnny Beck.
When Beck went 0-2 on field goals last Saturday, Kansas coach Mark Mangino knew it was time to make a change. Enter freshman kicker Scott Webb. Webb, who was a redshirt his true freshman year, has been slowly working to the top of the depth chart in
"H is leg is much stronger than it was in
spring football." Mark Mangino Football coach
Going into the Toledo game, Webb took over the extra point kicking duties, as well as field goals kicked within the 20-yard line. So far, he's 11-11 on points after touchdowns and 1-1 on field goals.
the kicking position. Beck will still be used, but exclusively for kick-offs.
"We eased him into the role of PAT and short field goals, and the position is
his now." Mangino said.
Webb will now get the opportunity to kick all the field goals. Webb will have his first test of his new role this Saturday against Texas Tech. Requests to speak with Webb have been unsuccessful.
Mangino and sophomore quarterback Adam Barmann are impressed with what Webb has done the last few weeks, as well as in practice recently.
One concern about Webb is that his leg is not strong enough to kick truly long-range field goals.
"His leg is much stronger than it was in spring football." Mangino said. "He kicked a few longer ones yesterday in practice."
SEE KICKED ON 3B
GOING DEEP
SHANE KUCERA
skucera@kansan.com
Soccer player reflects on success
The Hermann Trophy is college soccer's equivalent to the Heisman Trophy, and Kansas' junior forward Caroline Smith is a candidate.
Smith's sophomore season earned her national recognition when she received Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors three times, and was named to the Academic All Big 12 Conference first team. Entering this season, Smith is the Jayhawks' all-time leader in points (68), goals (31), game-winning goals (11) and shots (143).
Thanks to Smith's skills and a team loaded with talent, the women's soccer team is off to its best start in program's history.
A 3-1 defeat of then-No. 7 Clemson on Sept. 11 was the first time that the team defeated a top-10 opponent. Because of that victory and an 8-1 record, the Jayhawks are now ranked No. 8 in the nation.
This week, Caroline Smith talks about soccer and much more:
A: It's an awesome start, and we feel pretty good about it, but it's still early in the season.
Q: How are you and the team feeling after its best start in the program's history?
The best thing about it right now is that it gives us a good chance for the postseason.
Q: Why did you come to KU from Minnesota?
A: I didn't want to really stay in Minnesota because I didn't like the soccer there. I met the coach here and it was my best visit. I committed right away.
Q: Why is it that you dominated in high school and continue to dominate in college?
A: I would think that one of the things that makes me do well is that I always want to be the best one and do as well as I can. I don't like being second-best, whether it's on the field or anywhere. High school was a challenge when I was younger, and this is a definitely a challenge for me now. Basically I love having a challenge and not being the best and having to work for it.
SEE SUCCESS ON 4B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Limited practice still helps team
BY PAUL BRAND
pbrand@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIETER
It's 7 a.m. and Allen Fieldhouse is a ghost town. Assistant coach Katie O'Connor nonchally flips a basketball up in the air. Guards Larisha Graves, Erica Hallman and Sharita Smith chat quietly as they stretch informally in the paint under the basket.
At first glance, the low attendance and casual nature of those there seem to indicate that an intramural league practice is about to begin. In a few minutes that will all change.
For the women's basketball team, offseason practices are not the same as the regular season, but these preseason workouts are crucial to the preparation of the team.
In addition to weights and conditioning commitments, players have two basketball skill sessions per week. All together, the work helps prepare the team to take on the intensity of the regular season practices and games
Because of NCAA restraints on practice time, the skill sessions last only one hour. In order to maximize the limited time, it is necessary for the players to stay focused and pay attention to their coaches' comments.
"Basically, we get some conditioning in every day," Hallman, a junior, said.
In addition to time limits, basketball teams are allowed to only host small group workouts of three to four players at a time. To deal with this, the groups are separated by position.
"You listen to what they tell you to correct and try to make that change as soon as possible so you don't have to keep going over it," Graves, a senior, said.
This particular workout consists of all guards so the drills are tailored to meet their position-specific needs.
To warm up, the players go through a myriad of stationary dribbling and ball-handling exercises. In no time, Graves, Hallman and Smith are sprinting down the court running a three-
person weave drill. But this variant has a bit of a twist.
"Sharita," O'Connor yells as the three reach half court.
In immediate response to the coach's call, Smith, a sophomore, deftly reverses her course and starts moving backwards. She is now the defender and must prevent Hallman and Graves from scoring.
Although the staff is still in its first year, the players have readily accepted the demands and new styles of their new coaches.
"They expect us to be a lot more accountable for everything," Graves said. "Everything we do is competitive."
Even though the regular season has yet to begin, players are already seeing improvements all across the board.
"We are getting better with everything we do, from stretching to defensive drills to running the plays," Graves said.
To keep the competition interesting in the one-on-one, the coaches offer added incentives, or rather avoidance of punishment.
"You gotta win." Graves said.
After being beat solo in a particular drill, the players are forced to drop and offer push-ups to the winning party.
While there is a price to pay for the little failures, successes are celebrated.
There is only one way to avoid such a penalty.
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High-fives and verbal encouragement salute players for improvement and solid execution.
For now, the fieldhouse is still empty and the Jayhawks are still getting better, one hour at a time.
Because the season is not even underway, there are still many corrections to make.
"We're having fun while we're doing it," Hallman said. "They challenge us and correct us when we're doing something wrong.
With the ups and downs of practice encouragement and teamwork go a long way.
Edited by Jón Ralston
Joshun Kendall/KANSAM
Sharita Smith, sophomore guard, passes the ball around Erica Hallman, junior guard, as the two warm up for practice Tuesday morning at Allen Fieldhouse. The KU women's basketball team season begins Tuesday, Nov. 9.
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