KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010 / SPORTS
5B
VOLLEYBALL
Confident Jayhawks aim for 2010 NCAA Tournament
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
Junior outside hitter Karina Garlington said she had worked harder this offseason than she ever had before.
"It's a whole different mentality this year," Garlington said. "We're holding each other accountable. People are getting on each other. Our coaches are getting on us."
Coach Ray Bechard agreed the team had been working hard, and he said he was trying to instill some toughness into the team.
"The last nine days have been pretty tough, and we're going to continue with that." Bechard said. "We're just trying to set a mind-set of how we can flip a couple matches that were close last year that would've made all the difference."
Kansas got an opportunity to test out some of its hard work Wednesday night when it took on a trio of exhibition games.
"We played another preseason tournament, and this one was miles and miles better," Garlington said. "We clicked and played with tons and tons of intensity."
Kansas defeated Central Missouri (25-14, 25-18), Rockhurst (25-12, 25-12) and Washburn (23-25, 15-25) with relative ease. Sophomore setter Nicole Tate also said she was pleased with the way the team performed.
"We have little improvements here and there like any other team, but I think we played great overall." Tate said.
Other than the first sets against Washburn, none of the sets was in much doubt. Garlington said Washburn always got excited to play Kansas, and the team started to lose focus during that set.
"We hit a lull in the middle, and our energy kind of died as theirs picked up." Garlington said. "That can't happen with Big 12 teams."
More than half of the Big 12 qualified for postseason games last season. Kansas needed to work hard in offseason to be competitive in the Big 12. Tate said.
Tate said she had improved during the past seasons in her position, which is equivalent to a point guard in basketball or quarterback in football.
"We've got to get better and stronger so we can compete in the league," Tate said.
"I'm definitely getting more comfortable with the offense," Tate said. "The connection between me and the coaches and me and the players has gotten better, so that will help."
Getting ready for her final season, she said she had one goal on her mind: making the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
"I expect an NCAA appearance," Garlington said. "I'm not graduating without going. We were so close last year, but so far away."
Kansas has not made the tournament since 2006. Last season, Kansas had its best record since then.
"We feel some major RPI wins preconference will be important," Bechard said. "Then you have to be in the top half of the conference. If you do those two things, you have a great chance to be in the postseason."
Bechard said the team had been stacking the schedule with tough teams to prepare for the Big 12 and to improve its postseason chances.
Edited by Michael Holtz
Freshman defensive specialist Morgan Boub bumps the ball in an exhibition match against Rockhurst University Wednesday. Kansas went 2-0 against Rockhurst.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Climate-controlled soccer
David Zimmerman, a junior from Los Altoz, Calif., difflears the ball up past Mark Villarreau, a first year graduate student from Corpus Christi, Texas, in a game of futsal, a variant of soccer, Wednesday evening. Zimmerson and Villarreau both played soccer in their earlier years.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
NBA
Orlando keeps pace with win
ORLANDO, Fla. — Dwight Howard had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Washington Wizards 121-94 on Wednesday night.
J. J. Redick and Mickael Pietrus added 16 points apiece to pull Orlando within a half-game of the idle Los Angeles Lakers for home-court advantage in case of a possible NBA finals rematch, the only thing really left at stake for the Magic. They've already clinched a third straight Southeast Division title and are locked into the Eastern Conference's No. 2 playoff seed.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nick Young had 21 points, and Mike Miller scored 16 for the Wizards, who missed another
chance for their first three-game winning streak in two years. Washington finished 1-3 against Orlando this season.
Don't tell Magic coach Stan Van Gundy this game didn't have much meaning.
After James Singleton made a jumper over Pietrus in the second quarter, Van Gundy threw his clipboard in disgust, stomped his foot and called timeout. He railed his players on the bench before picking up the clipboard and drawing up a play.
Business as usual.
The Magic responded with 16-2 run capped by 3-pointers by Ryan Anderson and Pietrus to go ahead 46-33. The Wizards would come back quickly, trimming the lead to six at the half.
That wouldn't last.
The Magic went on a 16-4 spurt and ended the third quarter in dramatic fashion: Jason Williams made a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left. Then Matt Barnes stole a pass from Fabricio Oberto and batted the ball out to Williams, who converted a 26-footer at the buzzer to give the Magic a 19-point lead and throw the crowd into a frenzy.
A day after Cleveland coach Mike Brown said he intends to rest his players and is approaching the final regular-season games "as a high-level practice," the Magic are choosing to go full speed into the postseason. Orlando has won 16 of its last 19 games.
Van Gundy has said he won't sit players unless they're injured because the Magic, who use a deep bench, don't have anybody in the top 40 in minutes played.
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