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medsrud aims for repeat of excellent first season
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By Philip Leone
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rud just wanted to fit in and contribute,
leveral school records and Player of the
Week honors later, Smedsrud became the
first freshman to receive first team All-
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Not bad for someone who said she did not
fcel comfortable on the court until several
patches into the season.
“Being young and fresh out of high school,
I really didn’t know what to expect at first,”
medsrud said. “But after we played in some
|ight matches, I was able to relax and feel
omfortable with what we were trying to do
s a team.”
Besides being named SWC Freshman of
he Year and earning a spot on the confer-
nce all-tournament team, Smedsrud fin
ished the season with a team-leading .252
hitting percentage and broke the A&M
freshman record for kills in a season with
358.
Texas A&M Head Volleyball Coach Lau
rie Corbelli said she expects Smedsrud to do
even better this season, although it may not
be as apparent.
“I think you can expect another outstand
ing year from Kristie,” Corbelli said. “It
won’t be as noticeable because she won’t be a
freshman anymore.”
Smedsrud also excelled in the clutch for
Corbelli, setting school records for kills and
block assists in matches against the nation
ally ranked University of Texas and
Brigham Young University.
All of these successes came to Smedsrud
after she came out of San Diego’s Grossmont
High School, the 6-foot-1 inch Smedsrud was
heavily recruited by several of the nation’s
top volleyball programs.
She honed her skills and received valu
able exposure by playing for the prestigious
San Diego Volleyball Club, which competes
against high-caliber opponents from across
the nation. Despite all the California experi
ence, Smedsrud decided to leave the state to
continue her career.
“When I came to visit the A&M campus
my senior year in high school, I just fell in
love with the college-town atmosphere and
the school spirit,” Smedsrud said. “I’m still
not used to the heat, though.”
Smedsrud endured plenty of the Texas
heat this summer when she stayed on cam
pus for rigorous weight training and running
sessions. Smedsrud said she took on the gru
eling workouts to continue to live up to her
peers’ expectations.
“I realize everyone has set high expecta
tions for me this fall, and it’s going to be a
challenge to meet them,” Smedsrud said.
“I’ve been playing volleyball since the
eighth grade, so I know how much effort it
takes to improve and step up to a higher lev
el as a player,” Smedsrud said. That’s not
something that scares me.”
Now that Smedsrud’s first year is over,
Corbelli said her offensive star must step up
her game for several reasons.
“Sophomore year is difficult,” Corbelli
said. “The newness of college has worn off,
and expectations are higher from athletic
and academic standpoints.
“Other teams might scout her so much
that they’ll know a lot of her shots. She’s go
ing to have to raise her level.”
Sykora promises athletic attack
□ Head coach Laurie Corbelli
calls the freshman the best ath-
ete she has ever recruited.
By Lisa Nance
The Battalion
Outside the gym, A&M freshman out
side hitter Stacy Sykora comes across as
timid and a little embarrassed to be
talking about herself. But get her on the
volleyball court, and she is anything but
shy.
Sykora, an outside hitter from
Burleson has one of the quickest arm
swings in the nation and is expected to
make an immediate impact for the Lady
Aggies while competing for a starting
position. Sykora says that she is just
happy to be a part of the team.
“Starting to me is nothing,” Sykora
said, “It’s a team thing. If the team
wins, I’m still part of the team even if
a solid athlete and she has the mind of an
athlete. She’s really driven to be the best.”
With a 30-inch standing vertical leap,
Sykora is able to play high above the net and
left side, but could also work out of the mid
dle or hit from the back row because of her
explosive jump to the ball.
Sykora comes to A&M straight out of high
school where she was a three-year let
ter winner. She led her team to a 61-7
record and two consecutive district ti
tles.
She said she is working hard at
making the transition from volleyball
at the high school level to the colle
giate level.
“It’s a big transition but it’s mostly
in the intensity and in the form of the
game,” she said. “I thought I knew
most of the stuff about hitting and
passing. I never thought that I would
learn so much when I came here. I’ve
learned 100 percent more just in tech
nical stuff.”
Corbelli agrees that Sykora has
done well in handling the change from
high school to college volleyball.
“She has all the skills of the game,”
Corbelli said. “She has good attack
Tim Moog, The Battalion
I’m not out there playing. If I cheer from Freshman outside hitter Stacy Sykora grimaces while dig-skills. All the way around, she’s very
the bench, I still feel like 1 m part of it. gj n g during a recent A&M volleyball practice. prepared for the game.”
Aggies fans will have their first op
to hit over the opposing team’s block. She
possesses a powerful jump serve that allows
her opponents little time to see where the
ball is going.
Sykora is expected to play mostly on the
A&M Head Coach Laurie Corbelli said
Sykora is the most talented athlete she has
recruited in her coaching career.
“Physically, she is very versatile and has
so many tools,” Corbelli said. “I’ve recruited
and coached some fantastic athletes, but
none as athletic as her. She has the build of
portunity to see the high-flying freshman in
action on Friday when this year’s team faces
a squad of A&M alumni in an exhibition.
The match will be held at G. Rollie Coliseum
at 7 p.m.
Tim Moog, The Battalion
Sophomore outside hitter Kristie Smedsrud prepares to spike the ball
back over the net while preparing for the Lady Aggies' season opener.
‘Captain Suzy’ prepares for final run at SWC crown
□ Now a three-year
veteran, Wente wants
a SWC championship.
By Tom Day
The Battalion
When Lady Aggie volleyball
setter Suzy Wente sleeps at night,
one constant image dominates her
dreams — Earning a nice, gold
Southwest Conference champi-
I 3
3 The 1
♦Battalion:
* ^
onship ring.
Of course, Wente envisions this
scenario wide awake and on the
court, as well. For three seasons,
the senior setter has led the team
in work ethic while trying to lead
the Aggies to SWC glory.
Based on the past three years,
the choice was an easy one when
it came time for the team to elect
a captain.
“Suzy is their leader,” A&M
head coach Laurie Corbelli said.
“The players elected her captain
and given the time she has put
into this program already, she is
probably the most ready to win.”
“I’m aiming to keep the team
morale up,” Wente said. “Being
captain, you can’t just worry
about yourself.”
Entering her final year for the
Lady Aggies, Wente has proved
that hard work pays off. As a
freshman in 1992, she earned
SWC Newcomer of the Year hon
ors and followed that up the fol
lowing season with all-SWC sec
ond team and A&M MVP acco
lades.
Last season, Wente broke the
A&M career assist record with
4,130 and also led the conference
with a 12.63 assist average in
SWC matches. The Aggie captain
was named second-team all-South
Region and first-team all-SWC for
her efforts.
After accomplishing so much,
Wente won’t let fan and media for
this season pressure her.
Last season, Wente broke the
A&M career assist record with
4,130 and also led the conference
with a 12.63 assist average in SWC
matches. Wente was named sec
ond-team all-South Region and
first-team all-SWC for her efforts.
After accomplishing so much,
Wente won’t let fan and media ex
pectations for this season pressure
her.
“I don’t worry about what peo
ple are expecting,” Wente said. “I
just take each game individually
and run our plays the way I’m
asked to.”
Being the Lady Aggies’ setter
for so long, Wente is well-practiced
in handling responsibilities. That
experience has come in handy
since Wente gave birth to her
daughter, Taylor Renee Johnson,
last May. The new mother took off
from school during the spring to fo
cus on her newborn and staying in
shape.
“It was best for me to take the
semester off,” Wente said. “I need
ed to concentrate on keeping my
body in shape and grouping my
thoughts together.
“I want to come back to prove to
See WENTE, Page 16
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