6A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2004
Libero position changing again
Player now allowed to serve ball
By Bill Cross
bcross@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
In college volleyball, the libero position changes from year to year, team to team and player to player. Even the pronunciation of the word varies, depending on who you ask.
dependently "I usually say lie-bear-o," said senior Kansas libero Jill Dorsey. "Others say li-bro. Different countries have different pronunciations."
cautions.
The role of the libero, whose jersey color is different than the rest of the team, is confined mainly to defense. She digs the ball, then communicates to the front line where the ball should go.
Take this scene from last Saturday's Kansas sweep of the Denver Pioneers:
Junior setter Andi Rozum then passes the ball at least 20 feet in the air. Dorsey, recovered from her dive, analyzes Denver's defense in a split-second and yells, "middle, middle, middle!"
Denver's serve lands near the 10-foot line on the Kansas side of the court. Dorsey dives on her right side, knocking the ball in the air with one hand.
Junior middle blocker Josi Lima, already running toward the net, adjusts her spike to land in the middle of the opponents' side, where, as Dorsey predicted, no Pioneer was able to defend. Point Jayhawks.
to tolerate. In the Jayhawks' system, the libero is instrumental in each stage.
stage.
She makes the first hit, backs up hitters at the net and
watches the other team's movements.
ment.
"I am basically the defensive-specific role on the court," Dorsey said. "But also, I'm kind of a start to the offensive play. My main focus is service reception."
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said, ideally the libero would always have the first hit.
She would pass to the setter who feeds to the middle, outside and opposite hitters, who hit the ball over the net.
It doesn't always work that way. Tuesday night against Missouri-Kansas City, Rozum was forced to make several digs as UMKC frequently tapped the ball just over the net, Bechard said.
Regardless, Dorsey led the team in digs, as she has in every match this season.
"I'm not allowed to jump." Dorsey said. "I can't attack, meaning I can't play the ball above the plane of the net."
The libero does not score points; she only prevents them.
Dorsey's career high for kills is one. She reached the mark twice during her freshman year before college volleyball installed the libero.
The NCAA adopted the libero from international rules in 2002. Now the position is changing again. For the first time, the libero is allowed to serve, and Dorsey is taking full advantage. She is second on the team with 11 service aces.
She started during the 2001 season as a defensive specialist.
But her most impressive statistic, naturally, is digs. She has 123 in eight matches, bringing
usually say lie-bear-o. Others say
"
li-bro. Different countries have different pronunciations."
different pronunciations." Jill Dorsey Kansas libero
her career total to 978, eighth on the all-time Kansas list. She needs 348 more digs to reach the top of the list, presently occupied by Adrian Powell, who played for Kansas from 1988 to 1991.
To do so, Dorsey will have to surpass her 2003 total of 455.
"As long as we keep playing in December, I'm happy," Dorsey said. "Besides, more matches means more digs."
But she is modest about her impressive totals.
means more ups.
She could surpass the 1,000-digit mark Friday when No. 24 Kansas takes on No. 12 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, at 7 p.m. The Jahawks return home Sunday to conclude the non-conference season. They face North Dakota State at 1 p.m. Sunday at Horeisi Family Athletic Center.
Volleyball Notes
Much of the credit for Kansas' 8-0 record goes to improved blocking. The Jayhawks are currently ranked second in the country in blocks with and average of 3.57 per game.
Senior middle blocker Ashley Michaels is first in the countrv
Steven Bartkoski/KANSAN
Jill Dorsey, senior libero, grins after a ball falls in favor of the Jayhawks during last weekend's game. In her position as Libero Dorsey plays a critical role on the Jayhawks defense.
with 2.07 blocks per game. Texas A&M's Melissa Munsch is second at 2.00.
— Edited by Ashley Doyle
Family donates to build hall and show love
today, he said.
His parents, Gilbert and Betty Booth, were also huge fans of the University of Kansas. That is one of the reasons that their children and grandchildren committed more than $4 million for the Kansas Hall of Athletics at Allen Fieldhouse.
David Booth remembers one of the first Kansas football games ever televised. Kansas played Syracuse in the fall of 1960, and as a high school player, he got to watch his idol, former Kansas quarterback John Hadl.
quarterback john "He was one of my heroes growing up, and he still is today" he said.
The donation will help fund the construction of the Hall of Athletics, which will be built on the east side of the fieldhouse.
It will contain memorabilia from 100 years of Kansas athletics and recognize the accomplishments of former Kansas athletes. The hall, expected to be complete in 2005, will also include a ticket office and a store.
BY MIRANDA LENNING
milning@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITER
The family came up with the idea about a year ago as a way to show its love for the University, David Booth said. The Booths moved to Lawrence in 1959, when they lived down the street from the fieldhouse at 1931 Naismith Drive. All three Booth children attended college at the University.
Booth said he wanted the family's donation to inspire other alumni to make contributions.
"When you look at KU, we have loyal fans, but we don't have a lot of financial support," he said.
In order for the University to have competitive athletic facilities in the Big 12 Conference, more alumni have to contribute, Booth said.
"We wanted to have a big plaque up in the Hall of Athletics for our parents," Booth said.
Booth said his parents would have given money to the University, but they did not have the financial capabilities.
The plaque will hang inside
the hall. Booth said all of the family members and their children would come back when the hall opened.
David and Suzanne Booth and children, who live in Los Angeles; Mark and Lauren Booth and their children, who live in London; and Mark and Jane Booth Berkley of Tescott and their children.
There are three Booth families making donations to the Kansas University Endowment Association.
David Booth, whose children are ages 7 and 14, said he hoped his children would follow in the family's footsteps and attend college at the University.
FLAG FOOTBALL: Sigma Nu get three touchdowns in last half
- Edited by Bill Cross
Team Kearney 04's next possession, which included another flag-guarding penalty, was unproductive and the team punted the ball away.
time training. Sigma Nu-1 started with the ball in the second half and began by almost throwing an interception. Team Kearney '04 sacked Sigma Nu-1 quarterback Nick Nemer, Omaha, Neb., freshman, but Nemer came back, completing four passes to advance to the 8-yard line. He then faked a pass and ran the ball in for a touchdown. After quickly earning the extra point, the game was tied, 7-7.
Sigma Nu-1 took control of the football with about 3:30 left in the half. Tempers started to heat up as Sigma Nu-1's Jason Bueker, Springfield, Mo., junior was also called for flag guarding. Sigma Nu-1 called a timeout to regroup, then succeeded in drawing Team Kearney '04 offsides during the next play. Team Kearney '04 blocked a pass into the end zone, but the referees called illegal contact. Sigma Nu-1 couldn't make anything happen and left the field at halftime trailing 7-0.
CONTINUED FROM 10A
Sigma Nu-1 began its drive by passing all the way down the field to within 10 yards of the goal line. The team survived a quarterback sack and another flag-guarding penalty only to have Team Kearney '04 break up a fourth-down play in the end zone. However, Sigma Nu-1's luck held in long enough for the refs to call Team Kearney '04 for holding and it got another chance. On the ensuing play, two different Sigma Nu-1 receivers bobbled the ball in the end zone and fell before one finally grabbed the slippery thing. It was a play worthy of
SportsCenter, whether for talent or sheer humor value. The touchdown counted, and so did the extra point. Sigma Nu-1 took a 14-7 lead.
Sigma Nu-1 is hoping the game will give them momentum for postseason tournament play.
With 1:30 remaining, Team Kearney '04 began an ill-fated drive that ended 30 seconds later.
The team scored an uncontested touchdown as time ran out, making the final score Sigma Nu-1 20, Team Kearney '04 13. The last two minutes of the game took almost 20 minutes.
Most of the players assumed the play was over and stopped, but Nemer pressed on to an uncontested touchdown. After the dust cleared, the touchdown stood, and after earning the extra point, Sigma Nu-1 extended its lead, 21-7.
Sigma Nu-1's next possession was even shorter, taking a mere 15 seconds, but ended differently. Quarterback Nemer broke free of defenders as penalty flags flew.
With 45 seconds left, Kearney tried valiantly to move the ball down the field, stopping the clock as often as possible.
practice
"We're undefeated so far," said team member Mitch Runco, Omaha, Neb. sophomore. "We don't practice; it's all about having fun."
Many members of Team Kearney '04 played football together in high school, but are playing Kansas intramurals together for the first time.
"We had a lot of penalties, but we just have to get used to the fact that you can't do that here," said Euston.
— Edited by Ashley Doyle
INTRAMURAL SCOREBOARD
FLAG FOOTBALL
Wednesday's scores
Phi Delt A-2 def. SAE 2 12-0
Phi Delt A-2 def. SAE 2 12-0
Beta A-1 def. Oliver Crackers
21-13
Phi Kappa Theta def. Theta Chi 2 33-18
DU Freshman def. DU 2 12-7
WOMEN
Tri Delta def. DG 3 14-0
Kansas athletics
TODAY
calendar
p.m.
Volleyball at Texas A&M, 6 p.m.
Soccer vs. Mississippi at home, 5
Volleyball at texas A&M, 6 p.m.
Tennis at Wilmington, N.C., all day
TOMORROW
**Volleyball vs. North Dakota State**
at home, 1 p.m.
Football at Northwestern, 1 p.m.
Tennis at Wichita, N.C., all day
SUNDAY
Soccer at Auburn, 2 p.m.
Tennis at Wilmington, N.C., all day
B es h key gam play tota nem
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