KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2010 / SPORTS /
VOLLEYBALL
Kansas faces blocking leader No.5 Nebraska
BY IAN CUMMINGS icummings@kansan.com
Kansas will face the No. 5 Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lawrence on Wednesday, in a match with the Big 12's top team after the Jayhakws swept Texas Tech on Saturday.
Nebraska (20-2, 12-1 Big 12) and Kansas (14-10, 5-8 Big 12) are both 1-1 for the week. The Cornhuskers dropped a four-setter at Texas before sweeping Iowa State, and the Jayhawks dropped a match at Missouri on Wednesday before Saturday's win against Tech.
In the two teams' last meeting, the Cornhuskers extended their all-time winning streak against the Jayhawks to 85 matches in a four-setter at Lincoln.
Kansas reached a season-high .423 hitting percentage Saturday, with senior outside hitters Karina Garlington and Jenna Kaiser hitting for better than .600. Kaiser
scored 16 kills in the match without recording a single attack error.
be even more competitive," Kaiser said. "Because we need to step it up for Nebraska."
"But if we can continue to side out and hit at a high efficiency, we'll give ourselves a chance."
we can," Kaiser said.
On Saturday, Kansas had unusual offensive success, but, then again, Texas Tech has the worst record in the Big 12 and Nebraska has the best. Coach Ray Bechard said the Jayhawks would face a tougher challenge Wednesday.
The Cornhuskers have a 29-0 record against the Jayhawks in Lawrence and lead the nation in blocking with 3.12 blocks per set. They also rank second in kills per set with a 15.04 average.
Nebraska junior Brooke Delano ranks No. 2 overall in the nation.
A. 439 hitting percentage and her 1.47 blocks per set put her in the top 10.
"Delano in the middle is one of the best blockers in the Big 12, so that's something we're going to have to focus on — or avoid — if
But the Cornhuskers' blocking has been declining recently. After racking up double digit blocks in nine of their first 14 matches, Nebraska has reached double figures only twice in its last eight matches.
RAY BECHARD
Coach
Only three teams have hit better than a .200 average against the Cornhuskers this season: Illinois, Florida and Texas. Nebraska leads the Big 12 in limiting opponent hitting to .151.
"We know defensively, coming into Wednesday, that's a whole different set of circumstances with Nebraska," Bechard said. "But if we can continue to side out and hit at a high efficiency, we'll
give ourselves a chance."
Chris Bronson/KANSAN
K ans s a f r e s h m a n middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc leads the team with a .275 hitting percentage and .91 blocks per set and
Freshman defensive specialist Brianne Riley digs a serve during the first set against Texas Tech on Saturday night at the Horeysi Center. Kansas is riding a win against Texas Tech into a match against No. 5 Nebraska. The Jayhawks have never won at home against the Cornhuskers.
has stepped that up recently to average .391 and one block per set over the last three contests. Garlington continues to lead the Jayhawks in producing kills with an average of 3.55 per set and freshman Brianne Riley is leading the defense with 3.65 digs per set.
Edited by Dana Meredith
"We have a very good opportunity coming; it's at home," Jarmoe said. "We were able to take a set off of them at their home, last time, so if everyone is at the top of their game, we have a really good chance to beat them."
CLEVELAND — Marvin Williams scored 22 points, Al Horford added 16 and 12 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks remained the only undefeated team in the Eastern Conference by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-88 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.
Jamal Crawford added 16 points and Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby had 15 apiece for the Hawks, who improved to 3-0 on the road and snapped a six-game losing streak in Cleveland.
Hickson scores 31,but Hawks take down Cavs
NBA
Hawks are lone undefeated team in the East
J. J. Hickson scored a career-high 31 points and was playfully serenaded with "M-V-P" chants by Cleveland fans, who used to sing that to superstar LeBron James before he left for Miami.
Often overlooked in the increasingly tough East, the Hawks are showing early signs they may be able to stay up with the Heat, Celtics, Magic and Bulls this season. With a group that has grown together in recent years, Atlanta could be a dark horse in a crowded field.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mo Williams scored 12 in his season debut for the Cavs, who have dropped three straight since knocking off Boston in their season opener.
Cleveland had several chances to get closer, but with the Hawks paying extra attention to Hickson inside, the Cavs had to rely on their outside game and couldn't hit a big shot when they needed one. They went 1 for 8 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Hickson's layup got the Cavs within 91-87 with 3:49 left, but Marvin Williams made two free throws and Horford, with no one to pass to at the top of the key, buried a 20-footer to put the Hawks ahead by eight.
Anthony Parker added 10 points and Anderson Varejao had 12 rebounds for Cleveland, which was without injured forward Antawn Jamsion. He sat out with a sore left knee that has been bothering him for several weeks.
After leading by 17 in the first half, the Hawks let the Cavs back in it and only led 89-84 with 5:35 left on a dunk by Horford, who signed a five-year, $60 million contract extension on Monday.
BigSkiTrip.com
Down by 13 after one, the Cavs limited the Hawks to 19 points in the second quarter. Unfortunately, Cleveland gave up 40 in the first quarter when Atlanta, shooting better than 70 percent for much of the period, threatened to blow the Cavs out.
After Sacramento was able to easily penetrate the heart of Cleveland's defense for easy baskets in a comeback win on Saturday, Cavs coach Byron Scott put an emphasis on his team cutting off driving lanes to the Hawks, one of the league's most athletic squads.
Cleveland succeeded in doing that early on. Trouble was, the Hawks hardly missed a shot. Atlanta went 15 of 21 (71 percent) from the field in the first 12 minutes.
NBA
Rondo stars in Celtics' victory
Charlie Villanueva scored 17 points for Detroit, which played without Richard Hamilton, who was out with a sore right foot.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and Paul Pierce added 21 for Boston, which won easily despite Shaquille O'Neal's absence because of a bruised knee. The Celtics hardly missed him against the undersized Pistons, who are off to their first 0-4 start since November 1999.
Rondo had a triple-double with 24 assists Friday night against New York.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.
— Rajon Rondo had nine points and 17 assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 109-86 rout of the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.
His big night Tuesday gave him 67 assists through Boston's first four games.
O'Neal, who didn't make the trip, missed two straight practices since bruising his right knee against the Knicks. Jermaine O'Neal started and scored 12 points, and rookie Semih Erden made his debut. The Turkish 7-footer entered in the first quarter and quickly blocked two shots. He then scored his first NBA points on a breakaway dunk in the second that led to a Detroit timeout and put Boston ahead 39-28.
The Pistons were competitive in their first three games, but fell behind 16-5 early in this one. Rondo made a 3-pointer to end the first half, giving Boston a 57-44 lead, and the Celtics poured it on in the third quarter. At one point, Pierce was so open in the left corner he paused, as if daring Dajuan Summers to come out and guard him. Pierce then made a 3-pointer to put the Celtics up 86-66 and went back down the court shaking his head.
Detroit lost forward Jonas Jerebko in the preseason to a torn Achilles' tendon, and 6-foot-11, 205-pound Austin Daye has been playing power forward. Daye scored 16 points, one of five Pistons in double figures, but Detroit's defense couldn't contain Rondo. The Boston point guard helped his team shoot 52 percent from the field, and the game was never really in doubt in the fourth quarter.
Pierce needs 23 points to reach 20,000 for his career and will have a chance at that milestone when the Celtics host Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
BIG 12 BASKETBALL
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Preseason All-American Jacob Pullen scored 15 points to lead No. 3 Kansas State past Newman 83-56 on Tuesday night in an exhibition game.
Pullen leads KSU to exhibition win
Sophomore Wally Judge added 14 points and 11 rebounds and transfer Freddy Asprilla had nine points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats.
Chip Steven and Tommy Brumbelow led the Jets with 13 and 12 points, respectively. No one from Newman had more than six rebounds against the taller Wildcats, who were picked in the coaches' poll to win their first Big 12 championship.
Kansas State coach Frank Martin used the opportunity to play everyone on his roster.
Associated Press
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