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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1995)
The Battalion Wednesday October 11, 1995 Conference lead on line tonight for A&M, UT Sophomore middle blocker Cindy VanderWoude spikes the ball against the Red Raiders during Saturday night's win at G. Rollie White Coliseum. Texas Tech Lady □ The Lady Aggies will be attempting to keep their unbeaten home and confer ence records intact. By Lisa Nance The Battalion The University of Texas has already called to ask if our fans will be hostile. “We’re not going to be mean,” A&M Head Volley ball Coach Laurie Corbelli said. “But, we’re going to be loud.” Tonight the Lady Aggies and the Lady Longhorns will face off in a match that will decide who will be the front runner in the conference. Both teams are 4-0 going into tonight’s game. Corbelli said tonight’s match will be against one of the biggest blocking teams the Lady Aggies have played against all season. “They’re going to be the sec ond- biggest block we’ve seen all year (Stanford being the first).” Corbelli said, “They have two outside hitters who are very successful and powerful, so well really have to contend with those two.” If anyone should know about how A&M and Texas match up, it is Stanford. Last year’s national champion, the Cardinal’s only two losses this season are to the Lady Aggies and the Lady Longhorns. The Lady Aggies are 12-1 for the season, the best start in school history. The 4-0 conference start is the best start since 1986. They are ranked 19th in the nation, while the Lady Longhorns settle in at No. 11. “I think my team is aware of how capable they are,” Corbel 1 i said. “I think they see the weaknesses in Texas that we must take advantage of in order to beat them. I think they’re ready to get out there and play them instead of thinking about playing them and waiting to play them.” This matchup marks the third time the two teams have met at G. Rollie White Coliseum in Cor- belli’s tenure. Corbelli said she is amazed at how the big the Aggie crowds have always been for the matches with Texas. “I don’t think there is anywhere in the country where there is a match like this.” Corbelli said. “I was amazed the first year and had goosebumps the entire evening. Last year, it was the same thing, a little more because I expected it, so it was more fun for me.” Thus far in 1995, the Lady Aggies have been very successful at home, compiling a perfect 6-0 record. They will try to build upon that mark tonight while making a run at the 1982 team which won 16 straight matches at home to begin its season. Although winning the game is foremost in the players’ minds, plenty of eyes will be on senior setter Suzy Wente as she continues her assault on the Southwest Conference record books. Wente now has 4,642 career as sists, 205 short of the SWC career record of 4,846. Last season, Wente broke the A&M career record held by Yvonne Van Brandt. Texas comes into the match with a six-match winning streak, includ ing a four-game win over then-No. 7 Notre Dame. The Lady Longhorns are led by freshman outside hitter Demetria Sance, who leads the team with 4.3 kills and 3.66 digs per game. In their most recent outing, Texas defeated SWC rival Baylor 15-2, 15-7, 15-12. The loss dropped the Bears to 0-4 in SWC play. A&M is coming off a three-game sweep of Texas Tech Saturday night at G. Rollie White Coliseum. Outside hitter Kristie Smedsrud led the Lady Ag gies with 17 kills, and senior outside hitter Andrea Williams contributed 15 kills and a match-high .591 hitting percentage. The Lady Aggies and the Lady Longhorns will face off at 7 p.m. "We're not go ing to be mean, but we're going to be loud." — Laurie Corbelli A&M Volleyball Coach Re-signing Biggio a must A&M soccer team ready for a bright Astro future H ouston Astros owner Dray ton McLane, Jr. has a little problem. It seems his high- priced, underachieving baseball team isn’t quite turning a major league profit. In fact, the Astros have been losing millions since McLane purchased the team over three years ago, including $22 mil lion in 1995. Now, after another disappointing season, McLane and the Astros have another problem to deal with. The contract of team leader and fan fa vorite Craig Biggio has expired, and the second baseman is due to become a free agent following the World Series at the end of this month. Adding fuel to the fire, Biggio was nothing short of amazing this season. The team’s most consistent and versatile player hit .302 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs. He stole 30 bases, and his 123 runs scored led the league and set a team record. Biggie’s last contract paid him an average of $3.5 million a year from 1993-1995. However, his esti mated worth for next season is around $5 million, and McLane may not have enough spare change hidden beneath his couch cushions to foot the bill. The man upstairs is handcuffed financially, and the Astros’ bloated payroll has a lot to do with the problem. McLane already has $16 million invested in 1994 National League MVP Jeff Bagwell and the kings of underachievement — pitchers Doug Drabek and Greg Swindell. Also, in wake of last season’s labor strike that canceled the postseason, gate receipts in Major League baseball parks were down, and the story was no different at the Astrodome. This lack of income may spell doom for Big gio and his future with the Astros. But if McLane knows what’s good for his team and the well-being of the franchise, he’ll do whatever it takes to re-sign Biggio. Last season, the Astros were just a half game behind the Cincinnati Reds when the strike interrupted the season. Then, management gutted the team, trad ing Steve Finley, Ken Caminiti and Andujar Cede- no to the Padres for Derek Bell and a couple other players. The new-look Astros couldn’t get the job done this season, and to lose their best player in 1995 would be devastating. Bagwell has already voiced his discontent over losing Biggio and said he would request a trade if the three-time All-Star leaves. That wouldn’t do much for team unity. More importantly though, team ownership and management can expect waves of fan backlash if Biggio bolts. He’s the last player connected to the good old days when players like Nolan Ryan and Billy Doran graced the Houston baseball diamond. Like Doran before him, Biggio is a sentimental Tom Day to extend SWC win streak □ The team travels to Austin this af ternoon for a matchup against the 4-9 Lady Longhorns. By Philip Leone The Battalion With an overall record of 9-3, the 13th-ranked Texas A&M Soccer Team will travel to Austin this afternoon to test their spotless 2-0 conference mark in a 4 p.m. showdown with the University of Texas Lady Longhorns. The Lady Aggies jumped up two spots in the na tional polls after last weekend’s pounding of Texas Tech University and the University of New Mexico at the Aggie Soccer Complex. Head Coach G. Guer- rieri believes his squad is headed to Austin play ing at the top of their game. “We’re riding a nice winning streak where our defense has really come together,” said Guerrieri. “So we’re confident now that we can play anybody and attack at will and stop any counter attacks thrown at us.” The Lady Longhorns come into today’s action sporting a black-and-blue 4-9 overall season record; however, eight of those losses were to teams ranked in the nation’s top twenty. Texas stands at 1-1 in Southwest Conference play, de stew Milne, The Battalion Texas A&M's Bryn Blalack gets physical during the Aggies' win over Texas Tech Sunday. feating Texas Christian University and losing to the Central regions’ No. 1 team, Southern Methodist University. Even though Texas’ record is less than impres sive, Guerrieri is still concerned with the unique See Day, Page 10 See Soccer, Page 10 MSC COMMITTEE for the AWARENESS of MEXICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE and BALLET FOLKLORICO CELESTIAL presents: FRIDAY OCTOBER 13, 1995 5PM - 8PM HENSEL PARK AREA 2 atudeitte $5 $6 c6itc0ie*t 4-J2 $3 For more info, contact Omar Barrios at 696-8480 or 845-1515 7^en&<**t4- coitAc eU&ei6ilitte& fctecide c<n£t %45-1S15 to- uo o£ tfoew afiecicit tteeda,. "TLJc rieque&t Hotc^icatco** tAtaec (3) ov<vi6i*uy cOzyi, fruon- to tAe eve*tt to e*uz&Ce U4- to odaLit tfocc to t£c 6eat <%£ oun. atsitity,. JJU ^fr We’re having a really big show. It’s so big that we had to break it up into two nights. Come see Freudian Slip this Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. in Rudder Forum. Tickets are $3 and they go on sale at 8. Doors open at 8:30. So, get there early! improvisational comedy- It’s never the same show twice. I 1 !' I I * si*