Page 12/The Battalion/Friday, September 27, 1985
Sports
Aggie spikers' home isn't sweet anymore
CHAREAN WILLIAMS
Sports Viewpoint
After two weeks on the road,
the Texas A&M volleyball team
returned home — well, it was sort
of like home, but not the prover
bial “home sweet home.”
Upon their arrival to practice
Monday afternoon, Terry Con
don’s Aggies learned that they
would not be able to practice on
their home court — G. Rollie
White Coliseum.
The Texas A&M Athletic De
partment had good intentions
when it decided to renovate the
28-year old facility. Everyone
knows “the barn” is one of the less
attractive gymnasiums in the
Southwest Conference.
However, the Athletic Depart
ment’s timing was bad — real
bad.
When the project was started
back at the first of September, the
A&M volleyball team was forced
to change its home dates with
Sam Houston State. So, on Sept.
9, the Aggies traveled to Hunt
sville instead of playing at home.
A slight inconvenience, but not
a major problem.
However, the Athletic Depart
ment’s part of the deal was to
have G. Rollie ready by Sept. 24,
the date of the second Bearkat
match.
But, it wasn’t complete and
workers said Tuesday that it
might not be ready for another
four to six weeks.
Although it was finally agreed
that the Aggies could play their
matches on their home court,
they were negated on practicing
there. In the process, the Aggies’
home court advantage has turned
into a disadvantage.
“Although it shouldn’t be an
excuse, we don’t have a home
court advantage anymore,” Con
don said. “We won’t be practicing
there; which hurts. A lot of peo
ple don’t even think we’re playing
here.”
So the big question is, why was
the project started now, when the
Aggie spikers are just starting
their 1985 season — starting a
season in which the Aggies have a
chance to not only win the
Does the Texas A&M volleyball team play here?
Indeed, although the Aggies aren’t allowed to
practice in G. Rollie White Coliseum, they are be
ing allowed to play their matches there.
Southwest Conference
championship, but to do well in
the NCAA tournament as well?
“We’re trying to get it done for
the basketball season,” said A&M
Associate Athletic Director John
David Crow. “I would have loved
to have been able to do it earlier,
but circumstances prevented that.
The money has to be there and
the availability of trades has to be
there to do the job. Our painters
and carpenters are very needed
during the summer.”
If a team earns respect at A&M
based on Final SWC standings,
overall wins and losses, rankings
in the Top 20, and upsets of Top
10 teams, the Aggie volleyball
team shoud rate at least as high as
the A&M basketball team.
However, in the decision-mak
ing process at A&M, the
scoreboard reads basketball 1,
volleyball 0.
Comparing the records of the
basketball team and the volleyball
team is not the issue at hand. Ev
ery Aggie is proud of every sports
team at A&M.
So, why would the Athletic De
partment bite a part of the hand
that feeds it?
“We have a volleyball team
that’s got a chance of being in
vited to the NCAA tournament,”
Crow said. “We don’t want to do
anything to hinder their chances,
but we can’t just look at one sport
when making these decisions.”
But the fact is, the department
did just that.
They looked at one sport, bas
ketball, and are, in fact, hin
dering the volleyball teams
chances of getting a NCAA bid.
The spikers have had to
change practice times from 11
a.in. to 4:30 p.m. They had to
change practice places from G.
Rollie White to the “lovely” con
fines of East Kyle.
They are no longer allowed in
G. Rollie until they warm-up be
fore their matches.
The ceiling has been painted
jet black, something the Aggies
must slowly become accustomed
to match-by-match.
The normally rowdy, big and
fun crowds that usually file into
the facility whenever the spikers
play, failed to show up Tuesday
night. Even the Dunn Hall
Bleacher Bums were not as rep
resentative as usual.
The reasons for that?'
The schedule said the Ags
would be in Huntsville, in fact
there were some Aggies who
showed up in Huntsville for the
match.
Many of the ramps leading to
the bleachers of the Coliseum
said, “Closed.”
Many saw the tarps, paint cans
and workers earlier in the day
and decided the game was going
to be played elsewhere — some
where like Bryan High School.
Yes, the Athletic Department’s
intentions were good. But. it
wouldn’t have been that big of a
deal to wait until the spring when
the gym will sit silent and unused.
Believe it or not, it’s not the fa
cility that brings the crowds to the
games — it’s the team.
The A&M women’s athletic
program is becoming one of the
strongest in the nation.
The softball team has been the
most successful team at A&M in
recent years.
Under Coach Bob Brock, those
Aggies won back-to-back Na
tional Championships in ’82 and
’83. In ’84 the team lost in the
championship game to UCLA by
a 1-0 score. In ’85, Brock’s Ags
were ranked No. 2 in the nation
for most of the year.
The volleyball team is the sec
ond most successf ul team at A&M
in the past couple of years. They
finished 33-4 and were ranked as
high as No. 12 in the nation last
season. When’s the last time you
heard about an A&M team win
ning .892 percent of its games?
Lynn Hickey was lured from
Kansas State in ’84 to become
women’s athletic director and to
turn around the flailing women’s
basketball team. With her ’85 re
cruiting class, Hickey has proved
she will do that just that.
Aside from the coaches and
players in the women’s program,
some problems still exist.
Have you seen the women’s
softball field lately? Do you even
know where it’s located? A&M
really pumped the money into
that sports facility. It looks almost
as good as G. Rollie White.
If they can spend $100,000
plus on a new track facility, they
can certainly spend that much to
create a real softball field that
isn’t used by the intramural pro
gram.
And, when’s the last time you
saw a “higher-up" A&M Athletic
Department member at a wom
en’s athletic event?
Until the women's program
can get the money and support of
the upper echelons of the Ath
letic Department, the women’s
program, as a whole, won’t rise to
the national prominence it seems
to deserve.
A&M will remain a second class
outfit, compared to the UCLA’s,
USC’s, the Louisiana T ech’s, and,
yes, even the Texas’, where the
women’s programs are first class.
And, come to think of it, those
schools’ football teams aren’t too
bad either.
Golfers Cl
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By DOUG HALL P ractice ’
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Sports Writer hard er i
It’s been a long four yearsst whole tw
Texas A&M Coach Bob EllisandF. The h
men’s golf team brought a Sott little fun
west (Conference Championship^; and Thu
phy back to Aggieland. running,
However, with six letlermem indswea
three upcoming prospects on 4
years’ team, 1985 may be the seas
the Aggies break that drought,
“We should have a pretty pi
season,” Ellis said. “We’ve gotapi
team. We had a pretty good la
last year, we just didn’t play it
well. We have every oneofth* the Ags t
players back that really helped. Lunar a
Wc Imm two to digibihty anooiBdiiie C<
one else is bat k.” t Rando
Headlining A&M's returrtf.kills pet
golfers are Paul Mayo, ajuniorfrtj 4 61
Wales and honorable mention 4® “She’s
American last season, and Joi said “Sh
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But lot the Aggies to be compel On L)i
itive, in a conference which muBocker J
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have solid play out of, at least,sin
the team's 1 I players.
“What we really need is to haw
people playing well (in every touts
meni),” he said. “That wouldbea
ideal thing. But there is just non
you can win it (the SWC title),ucki
you have at least three playingwt! 1
In addition to Mayo and Cogkk
Ellis hopes sophomore Flint Ndal
junior Randy Wylie and fifth-m I
senior David Jones provide theta |
with some additional depth. ®
“I felt like Flint, even thougb
was a freshman last year, wasgoM
to have a great spring,” Ellis sa*
“He was in contention to winock HOL S
tournament lie played in durinjitT 1115 bavt
fall" Hutch bm
Unfortunately, after finiskM Iheyv
third at last spring’s openingtouna^ 01100 L
ment (the Pan American Intercol(B easo, ) s ’I
giate), Ellis said Nelson began ® UT y i ts c
struggle with his game andfatWEB Um se
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