THE UNIVERSITY JAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009
SPORTS
3B
VOLLEYBALL
Kansas optimistic about next season despite losing seniors
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
While Kansas didn't achieve its ultimate goal of making the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, the season was a success in the eyes of several players and the coach.
Senior defensive specialist Melissa Grieb, junior outside hitter Karina Garlington, and the rest of the team celebrate a critical point in the third set of Kansas' 3-0 win. Their defeat against Kansas State improved their record to 14-11, and 6-9 in the Big XII. Despite losing four key seniors, the team has signed four recruits and is optimistic about next kill
"We've progressed a lot in team ability and met a lot of our goals we haven't met in the last couple of years," junior outside hitter Karina Garlington said. "We're just a better team than last year and years before. Most importantly, we set a really good foundation for next year and the upcoming years."
Kansas finished 16-14 in the season including 8-12 in conference play and finished eighth in Big 12 Conference play. The season had many successes such as the most victories since the 2004 season and the first time Kansas has ever swept Kansas State twice in the same season.
Kansas will lose four key seniors, including defensive specialists Melissa Grieb and Katie Martinicch as well as middle blockers Paige Mazeur and Brittany Williams. Coach Ray Bechard said that Kansas will miss the seniors and their leadership.
"Not only did they provide lots of things on the court, but off the court they were extremely representative," Bechard said. "For the most part they all what we call 'drank the Jayhawk Kool-Aid' and
were committed to this program being the best it could be."
Sophomore setter Nicole Tate said Kansas has been a close-knit family this semester and it will be hard to part with the seniors.
"It's just like losing part of the family," Tate said. "It's going to be so different without them, but we are going to have to find a way to fill in those gaps, which is going to be really hard to do."
Kansas returns a good part of its offense including sophomore outside hitter Allison Mayfield, who led Kansas with 3.65 kills per set, and junior outside hitter Karina Garlington, who had 3.31 kills per set. Kansas' freshmen this year will need to step up next year, Bechard said.
"We'll have kids like Tolefree and Jarmoc that will have to step up in the middle and kids like Boub, Townsend and Manda fill the void that we'll have in the DS position," Bechard said.
While the team will center on the returning players, Kansas is also bringing in two top-100 recruits, Marianne Beal and Kara Wehrs, next semester, as well as two other recruits, Jessie Allen and Amy Wehrs, that could help the team next season, Bechard said.
"There will be a transition, but we do believe that group will have a pretty big impact." Bechard said.
Bechard said there is a lot of work in the offseason for Kansas.
He also said there is a positive outlook for next fall, but the team still has to have a group capable of competing right away.
gathered to watch the NCAA Volleyball Tournament selection show and hopes it will motivate Kansas for next year.
Garlington said the team
our name, and seeing teams we have beaten at in kind of leaves a sour taste in your mouth", Garlington said. "I want to see our name up there next year."
"It was disappointing not to see
Follow Zach Getz at twitter.com/zgetz.
Edited by Anna Kathaqnarath
FOOTBALL
Todd Reesing among 16 finalists for award
As a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, senior quarterback Todd Reesing will be an honoree at the annual National Football Foundation Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Reeing is one of 16 finalists, up for the award previously known as the Draddy Trophy. Candidates for the award must have a grade-point average of at least 3.2, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
Other notable finalists are Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.
As a finalist, Reesing will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner will receive a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship and a 25-pound bronze trophy. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.
Jayson Jenks
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NBA
Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young, right, passes off under the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green, left, in a game Wednesday. The Thunders handed the Sixers their eighth straight loss. 117-106. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thunder extend 76ers' losing streak to eight
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant scored 33 points, Nick Collson added 18 points in his first game back from an injury and the Oklahoma City Thunder handed the Philadelphia 76ers their eight straight loss, 117-106 on Wednesday night.
Word that 10-time All-Star Allen Iverson would be returning to Philly wasn't enough to keep the Sixers from suffering their longest losing streak since 2006.
Oklahoma City opened the second half on a 14-5 run to take a 68-61 lead on Thabo Sefolosha's 3-pointer from the left corner, and the Thunder led the rest of the way.
Jeff Green added 19 points, Sefolosha and Nenad Krestic scored 12 apiece and Russell Westbrook had a career-high 15 assists for Oklahoma City.
Andre Iguodalaled Philadelphia with 28 points. Thaddeus Young scored 16 of his 20 in the first half, Jrue Holiday added 15 points and Willie Green had 14. Elton Brand scored 13 points in his second game back after missing three games with a sore right hamstring.
Collison, who had missed four games because of a sore right knee, helped put the game away with a right-handed hook shot and a tipin in a string of six straight points for the Thunder that pushed the lead to 15 at 115-100.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
No.14 Connecticut routes Boston 92-64
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARTFORD, Conn. — Jerome Dyson scored 22 points and No. 14 Connecticut bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 92-64 rout of Boston University on Wednesday night.
Kenba Walker had 15 points and 10 assists for the Huskies (5-1), while Stanley Robinson added 16 points and nine rebounds. Gavin Edwards chipped in with 12 points and nine boards.
John Holland led the Terriers (2-6) with 23 points and Jake O'Brien added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
UConn, which was outrebounded by 13 in its 68-59 loss to No. 6 Duke last Friday, had no problems with the smaller Terriers, outrebounding the smaller 54-29.
Connecticut started slowly, hitting just three of its first 12 shots
and trailed 13-9 almost 8 minutes into the game. Behind 15-13, UConn went to a press and went on a 12-1 run that gave it a 25-16 lead.
The senior guard was dribbling across the top of the key just over a minute into the second half, when his left foot slid out from under him and he fell awkwardly to the court. He stayed down for several minutes, but returned to the court 4 minutes later. Connecticut was leading by 20 points at the time.
Boston University hasn't beaten a ranked team since March 13, 1959, when it topped then-No. 18 Navy 62-55 in the NCAA tournament. The Terriers lost 85-67 to then-No. 21 Georgia Tech in Puerto Rico on Nov. 22.
Dyson had 13 first-half points, and the first two of the second half before giving the fans a scare.
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Ebbett's OT rebound shot gives Wild a 5-4 victory
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The Predators — who had a seven-game winning streak stop in late November — have moved up in the Western Conference with tight defense.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Andrew Ebbett's rebound shot in overtime lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.
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Guillaume Latendresse, who scored for Minnesota during a five-goal first period, was stopped twice by Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne before Ebbett grabbed the puck and punched in the next try with a backhand
Brunette's crisp pass across the slot set up the tying score for Mikko Koivu, who high-stepped in place several times from his spot in the circle to celebrate his seventh goal this season.
from the slot. Both Ebbett and Latendresse joined the team in the past two weeks.
Jason Arnott scored twice, including the go-ahead goal early in the third period, helping Nashville's top line get back on track. Steve Sullivan, who had three assists, tied the game at three with his goal midway through the second period.
final two periods, holding a huge edge in shots until an uncharacteristic penalty gave the Wild a power play.
Two Wild shots hit the post in the first period, and Minnesota had a 3-2 lead after getting only nine shots on net. The Predators controlled the pace over the
Sullivan, Arnott and J.P. Dumont totaled nine points after a flat performance in a 5-0 loss to Calgary on Monday. They combined for four shots on goal
The Wild are rounding into form under first-year coach Todd Richards, with at least one point in their past five games, a season-long streak. They handed the Predators their third loss in their past four games, following a seven-game winning streak. Rinne was in net for all three of those losses, allowing 12 goals.
and a minus-5 rating.
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