Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 3, 1996)
raye tember 3,1 lue »al! Sports Page 11 Tuesday • September 3, 1996 it on to win, on day in >11 results." 1 m — overco: A new era for A&M volleyball and soccer [he De Peret the largestc '1 inton has\i g0\! iis budgetk w n the rial one was kvith the tax id. p, he said, > have (a tax ax duf o hte n*re mone)’. the deficit?" soight to poit mtre respons luation. thtSt. Louis iddh-classtat ougi. “Whati ; selected tax asktd Dole, e defeit while! one\back. ;in wis aimet will lave tot he dtclared veener arg« ig the;'could' ) regrets for w e and watch 1 ftfter making it to the Sweet teen in 1995, the Texas A&M leyball Team is driving into Big 12 with the possibility of ming a championship. Last year was a record year the Lady Aggies, who ked 15th in the final 1995 A Today/AVCA Coaches )25 Poll — an all-time high. M made its third consecu- trip to the NCAA Finals rposting a 23-7 record. The Lady Aggies are ranked land return three starters i eight letterwinners from year’s squad. The starting up features a sophomore, ijuniors and a senior. This year, the team hopes improve on last year’s suc- s. To reach its goal, A&M have to compete — and sibly defeat — talented ms in the new Big 12 nference. a? has sime imes ^ends ig his taugtf 1, Abba;, also inbrestl ars. ent, Boven 2ss. The job ;ton fives last year, teer around ■ opening n an Aggie ja the bad a reminds football H ty of Teiasl score o cam's/ when it c allege Stan students her admi md enjod Tot oil' in stuff,” h e Lady Ags are hoping to start off on the right ot in the Big 12 with the first championship The eighth-ranked Aggies will accept nothing but success By Ross Hecox The Batealion The University of Nebraska, which won the NCAA Championship last year after defeating Stanford in the final, is ranked fourth in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25 preseason poll. The University of Texas is ranked fifth, and Colorado finished 22nd. Either the Huskers or the Longhorns are project ed to win the conference. Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Kansas State should also be solid teams. Fourth-year Head Coach Laurie Corbelli said she believes the competition will be tougher this year for reasons other than the opposition. “We have our sights set on Corbelli finishing in the top 3 (in the conference),” Corbelli said. “We are no longer the under dog in our matches. We are a top 20 program. We have to change the way we approach matches now because we are the team to beat.” Corbelli said the team is working on building better team chemistry on the court. “We’re trying to get our team chemistry and get real set in our offensive system,” Corbelli said. “We’re young teamwork-wise, but I think our players are very capable and very talented individually." Last weekend the Lady Aggies played in the University Park Holiday Inn Classic in Fort Collins, Colo, and went 2-1. Senior middle blocker Page White said the tournament was a good learning experi ence for the team. See volleyball, Page 12 FILE PHOTO Junior Bryn Blalack slips past a defender in last season's game against Texas Tech. By Nicki Smith The Battalion With hopes of repeating its year of success in 1995, the eighth-ranked Texas A&M Soccer Team is gunning its way into the Big 12 as a veteran team with extraordinary talent. Not only have the Aggies set their sights on capturing an inaugur al Big 12 title, they are also the preseason favorite with 18 out of 24 players returning. “We are flattered to be getting so much preseason respect, but we view the rankings as a double- edged sword,” Head Coach G. Guerrieri said. “It can feed our confidence, but it also fuels the fire in our opponents to upset us.” Although their season opener against Texas was postponed another week due to rain last Friday, the Aggies traveled to Plano on Sunday to take on Tulane University. The Aggies routed the Green Wave 8-0 with junior forward Bryn Blalack leading the way with four goals. The Aggies will not open Big 12 play until Sept. 13 when they face the University of Kansas at the Aggie Soccer Complex. Senior goalkeeper Sunny McConnell said the team has an optimistic outlook about the new conference play. “It is a compliment that we are favored to take the conference,” McConnell said, “But we need to focus on one game at a time and think of every game as a confer ence game.” The Big 12 is featuring five first-year programs including Baylor University, the University of Colorado, the University of Missouri, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. The University of Nebraska, the University of Texas and Texas Tech University have two seasons of experience, while Iowa State University and KU have one season See Soccer, Page 13 Leading By Example As the only senior on the A&M volleyball team, A&M senior soccer forward Koop has 'age White has taken on the role of leader gone from walk-on to team captain D By Jamie Burch The Battalion she’s not spending time flying kites, (lie VV 1 - i ¥ * Texas A&M senior mid blocker Page White is soaring bove the net, quickly becoming me of the most versatile and dan- ;erous players on the Lady Aggie olleyball team. However, White has not always ieen the feared player she is today. Vhite did not start playing volley- until she was a sophomore in ligh school. Until then her pre erred sport was basketball. As the lone senior on this year’s quad, A&M Head Coach Laurie lorbelli said White will be called ipon to lead the Lady Aggies, who tfe looking to make an impact in e inaugural Big 12 season. “It’s clear that we do need a spir- leader — a confidence type ader — and I think she’s ready to irovide that,” Corbelli said. In her freshman season, White saw limited playing time, Jut showed signs of promise bth nine kills and three aces in tual just 13 games. As a sophomore she played in 122 games, reach ing double figures in kills in 13 matches and ranked ninth in the Southwest Conference, averag ing 0.35 aces a game. Corbelli said her vast improve ment was due to her hard-work ethic and ability to immediately respond to instruction. “It doesn’t take her any lag time for things to kick in,” Corbelli said. Another reason for the improvements in her game may be the close knit relationship between player and coach. White said she sees Corbelli as more than just a coach. “Laurie has a special place in my heart,” White said. “She pushes us hard but really cares about us as individuals. It's kind of like a dual relationship. It’s a friend and a coach.” This give and take relationship is also evident in Corbelli’s description of White as a player. While watching an ESPN inter view with University of Tennessee See White, Page 13 FILE PHOTO By Matt Mitchell The Battalion F ive years ago, Texas A&M senior forward Kristen Koop thought her soccer career was over when she was not highly recruited out of high school. At that time, A&M fielded only a women’s club team, so Koop decided to concentrate on her engi neering curriculum and came to A&M to pursue her academic career. However, things changed when A&M soccer became a Division I team the next year, and Koop decided to try to walk on the team. Three years and a several records later, Koop has become the captain of one of the most prolific teams in the country. Koop is one of 17 lettermen returning from a squad that surged to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. The Aggies finished as one of the top teams in the country and the Aggie strikers are highly touted again this year, with top 10 rank ings in both major preseason polls. Koop said the team members will try not to let the rankings go to their heads. “It's a big compliment to us, but it is also some thing to take in stride because teams are definitely going to be out to get us,” Koop said. “It’s going to be a fight the whole game.” Koop’s success began at age 6 and continued through her club team play in both California and Page White goes for the set against Texas last season. Stew Milne, The Battalion Senior Kristen Koop is looking forward to the See KOOP, Page 13 new challenges of the Big 12 Conference. Sign up while you still can for these fun Fall ‘96 noncredit programs and workshops. Register now! 845-1631 The date of the earliest class session is L shown after each class title. Stop by our convenient location on the lower level of the Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M. Creative activities designed for you! The * identifies new classes we have added to our program this semester. ig*i 'lass Work [tained Glass I • Sept 19 [tained Glass II • Nov 13 Itched Glass • Dec 5 saded Glass • Oct 28 'oitery & Shop [eginning Pottery Wheel Throwing • Sept 9 atermediate Pottery Wheel Throwing • Nov 4 (land Built Pottery • Oct 12 Woodworking • Sept 17 latting & Framing • Sept 16 iiiilar beginning Guitar • Sept 10 itermediate Guitar • Oct 10 Health & Safety S.elf Defense I • Sept 9 Self Defense II • Oct 21 Tae Kwon Do • Oct 21 Yoga I • Sept 9 Yoga II • Oct 28 CPR & First Aid • Sept 16 Danee Beginning Country & Western Dance • Sept 23 Jitterbug • Sept 23 Ballroom Dance • Nov 4 * American Ballroom Dance • Oct 2 ^ Latin Ballroom Dance • Nov 6 Bellydance • Sept 10 Languages Chinese • Sept 16 Japanese • Sept 16 Russian • Oct 29 Italian • Oct 15 French • Oct 21 German • Oct 21 Spanish I • Sept 16 Spanish II • Sept 16 English as a Second Language (ESL) • Sept 23 Sign Language I • Sept 17 Sign Language II • Oct 22 Wines American Wines • Sept 17 International Wines • Oct 15 Jewelry & Flowers Jewelry Making • Oct 5 Purchase an Engagement Ring • Sept 25 Wedding Bouquets • Nov 20 Flower Arranging • Oct 16 Potpourri • Nov 13 Photography Photography I • Sept 25 Photography II • Oct 23 Travel ^ Work Your Way Around the World • Oct 28 * The Best Travel Discounts • Oct 29 Art Drawing • Sept 19 Figure Drawing • Sept 17 Painting • Sept 16 Watercolor • Sept 18 Cake Decorating I • Sept 17 Cake Decorating II • Oct 24 Gingerbread Houses • Dec 2 Sewing «V Quilting Sewing I • Sept 19 Sewing II • Oct 31 Quilting I • Sept 12 * Four Patch Quilts • Sept 30 * Double Irish Chain Quilting • Sept 12 * Cathedral Windows Quilting • Sept 13 Do you have a special interest that you can teach? If so, call us about our spring semester. Writing with Style Greeting Cards • Sept 17 Calligraphy I • Sept 12 Calligraphy II • Nov 7 Personal Management Home Organization • Sept 16 Basics of Investing • Oct 1 Driving & Biking Defensive Driving • Sept 14 Bicycle Maintenance • Nov 7 Outdoors Intro to Falconry • Oct 3 Astronomy • Oct 8 lours: Monday - Thursday 12 noon - 10 pm Friday - Saturday 12 noon - 5 pm Just for the FUN of it! Discounted rates are available to students currently enrolled at Texas A&M! (except for Defensive Driving as set by Texas state law)