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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1984)
Sports Friday, November 9, 1984AFhe Battalion/Page 9 Volleyball Ags vs. Pepperdine G. Rollie White — 7:30 p.m. nanfw solute!' ory. All has ad- trol tit uss ait' : undn s afte: ae cani- in bii, I bodf : to re- lot bei it adeniic, expen- put to ue, she gs good irkshop lechan- paper 1. i [bred- e offer- iuxilatj id pro ring SO; f’eoplt ile the' e, Zair' ;n verf nt said- storajf zen th ( :l bylo vll'-T' ilso ^ ladcasif: t said- of any /ant t° eifthf the a»' on th ( irruff ere ao ■ /estif ring 1(1 iking* in ^ ll1 ’ >n, sp f ' : \ pas« att°| et »' aS harg^ - a cy l<) spirad intif' Ag swan shares pond with frogs Once upon a time, Texas A&M had a team. A team shunned by everyone (except the Dunn Hall Bleacher Bums). She was the “ugly duckling” on the A&M campus. Fewer' than 200 fans showed up to see her play and the media paid her little attention. Learning as she went, she be came better with each passing year. Finally, the calendar turned its pages to 1984. At Texas A&M, everyone thought '84 would lie the best year ever'. The Aggies had only one sports team. “Cotton” be came synonymous with their am bitions. Then fate frowned upon the College Station campus. Several student deaths, two controversial court decisions and a losing foot ball team created something worse than even George Orwell could have envisioned. Meanwhile, the “ugly duck ling” celebrated her 10th birth day in August. She was still shunned, but she began to win- .Music to any Aggie’s trained ear. She won the first game, the sec ond game and, slowly, she was transformed. No longer was she an “ugly duckling”. She had 3 i victories against only 3 losses, a No. 14 ranking by the NCAA News and an upset win over No. 8 San Diego State. She became a swan in a pond of minnows and frogs. Yes, indeed, the Fexas A&M volleyball team has become a light at the end of this campus’ t unnel. A winner, in a semester filled with disappointments and losses. The word on campus has changed from Cotton to “Natio nals." i CHAREAN WILLIAM. Sports Writer L/fSl “We’re the best team in the na tion, when we want to be,” Aggie: middle blocker Chemine Doty said. The A&M volleyball team be gan in 1975 as an ugly duckling. With time and ef fort, it has been transformed into a swan. This year, A&M is tied for first in the Southwest Conference with Texas. The Ags play the Horfis in Austin on Nov. 14 for the SWC championship. Ultimately, the Ags have a legitimate shot at the national championship. However, one small problem still exists — the students and fac- ulity at Texas A&M, ; excluding the “Bleacher Bums”, have not taken note of the Ags’ accom plishment. With two home volleyball games left in the ’84 season, you have a chance to feel the excite ment of winning. As the “Seventh Man,” you won’t find yourself yelling till your hoarse, only to be let down with a loss. The team plays Pepperdine on Nov. 9 and Texas Tech on Nov. 12. Both matches are in G. Rollie White Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. You can’t expect good things to happen without going out and searching. Waiting gets you no where. If more than 1,500 people can show up to protest something like SWAMP, at least that many can show up to support a long lost Aggie tradition — winning. To the swan I say, “Congratu lations on a job well done.” I can only hope others will stand up and admire your beauty before it’s too late. A&M’s back in action 1984-85 C a m: 4* ft is A % By JEFF GRAUNKE Sports Writer Get ready for some high-impact, high-intensity basketball excitement. They’ll be hanging from the rafters at Ck Rollie White Coliseum tomor row night, when the Aggies host the Continental Flyers from Houston. Tomorrow night is the first show down on the basketball court for the Aggies, and they’re coming out shooting. Yesterday, in practice, the Ags broke into two teams and scrim maged. The guys are are looking tough. This year the Ags have a little more height and size to work with, although it not the biggest A&M has ever seen. 1984’s players are physical and I believe it’s going to be a good year for Aggie basketball. The Continental Flyers are an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team comprised of former collegiate players, most of whom were drafted by the NBA, but then waived or cut from the roster. Michael Young, a first round draft choice of the defending World Champion Boston Celtics, is playing for the Flyers. Young’s played against A&M before with Houston, so he’ll be ready. The Flyers are coming to town with some big boys. The AAU fran chise sports former TCU Horned Frogs’ Brian Christensen (6-foot-10) and Nick Cucinella (6-8), along with former A&M player Steve Sylestine and Texas’ (6-8) Bill Wendlandt. “They’re a class outfit,” said A&M Coach Shelby Metcalf of the Flyers. The competition will be tough for the Ags because most of these play ers have played against A&M before and are familiar with their playing style. Starting in the middle for the Ag gies is Jimmie Gilbert (6-9), who looked real strong in yesterday’s scrimmage. Metcalf will start three guards — Don Marbury, Todd Hol loway and Kenny Brown. Winston . '•'(Tilt- will start at forward- .'HKutf jiSl ftiWWWBjl is- at*. te. ? I a. Metcalf is confident about this year’s squad. “We’re going to be improved,” Metcalf said. “We’re playing with a lot of intensity and we’re real physi cal. We have speed, quickness, shoot ers and rebounders. Weil be a better offensive team.” The Ags play a continuity offense with a lot of movement off the ball. It worked fairly well in scrimmage yesterday, but the first test will come against the AAU Flyers. On defense, the Ags basically play man-to-man, “and we like to press,” Metcalf added. At times, A&M moves into a match-up zone. Metcalf said the Southwest Con ference is loaded with basketball tal ent this year. He said 33 out of 45 starters return from last season. Also, three out of the 1-2 members of the 1984 Olympic basketball team were from the SWC, comprising .25 percent of the team. The conference sent three first round draft picks to the NBA last year. Packed with that much talent, the SWC should produce some of the best basketball in the nation. It be gins tomorrow night at 7:30 pm. Be there. The Flyers’*game will be physical. Both teams have a lot of strength and size. The Flyers played last week and are already in the playing mood. A&M has been working hard and it shows in practice. The Ags came back from the sum mer quicker, stronger and more ex perienced. Crite, Holloway, and Mike Clifford are sophmores this year. Last season, the Ags were young and finished fifth in the SWC. With more experience, the Ags should be contenders for the SWC title in ’84-85. If you’re tired of seeing the Ags losing week after week, come on out tomorrow night and watch a differ ent A&M team take to the floor and really make things happen. Photo by JULIE COKER A&M starting center Jimmie Gilbert makes a reverse slam dunk look effortless, during workouts Monday afternoon. ’ ■ . .. . '4.5^1 IS lis ill . ,7-i mi v 11 < 4 imi - H © c t o '-Ip mm n ■ j ii! m v- *•; \ Vc ■■ Available Now in Room 230 Reed McDonald 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students MUST bring their fee slip. They also are for sale over the counter for $3.50 each. Departments which already have placed their orders will have them delivered, if they aren’t already. They need to sign for them when they arrive. If departments want more than ordered, or have failed to order, they too can pickup at 230 - and they must sign a fund transfer slip when they pickup. Texas A&M University