Sports
Page 9
Tuesday • September 10, 1996
idy Ags
icking up
cords
At
the
toss Hecox
eyball Notebook
I n n t o w e r
Invitational
Tournament
last week
end, the Lady
a Aggies led all
w%.,. t j iree of their
matches 2-0
going into
the third
e, but proceeded to drop the
game of each match. Only
team Wisconsin was able to
come A&M’s early lead, win-
the final three games of their
:hup with A&M to win the
npionship.
t was disappointing not to
| (the match),” Head Coach
fie Corbelli said. “But our
did not drop. We hit a few
ial errors, and [volleyballl is
much a momentum game.”
Helping Hand
mior setter Farah Mensik’s
ssists against Wisconsin was
hool record, breaking Suzy
ite’s mark of 79 set in 1995. ;
izik moved into seventh
e in career assists on the all-
:A&M list during the Loyola |
Chicago match, surpassing
ty Frederick’s total of 417.
iensik currently has 580
ier assists, while Wente leads
tggie setters with 5,511.
Smashing Away
unior outside hitter Kristie
edsrud also broke an A&M
ord against the Badgers.
[35 kills surpassed the old
mdard of 34, which she set
fa freshman.
[Smedsrud has a .313 hitting
rcentage this season, and
;r recording 74 kills last
ikend, she has 141 total for
year.
he has reached double fig-
i in kills in all six matches
■ season, averaging 23.5 per
test, and she has led the
n in kills in each match,
oth Smedsrud and Stacy I
>ra were named to the j
lower Invitational All-
mament Team. Sykora
rded42 digs and 53 kills dur-
hetournament, including 22
ist Wisconsin.
See Hecox, Page 11
Setting the Stage
Junior setter Farah Mensik makes Redshirt freshman Chandra
a name for herself with stellar play Robertson waits in the wings
By Matt Mitchell
The Battalion
F ollowing in the footsteps of a
legend is never easy. San
Francisco 49er quarterback
Steve Young faced high expecta
tions after Joe Montana jumped
ship. Likewise, Texas A&M quarter
back Corey Pullig had the pressure
of following Bucky Richardson.
The same situation looms this
year on the Texas A&M Volleyball
Team, as Farah Mensik takes over as
starting setter, following the depart
ed All-American Suzy Wente.
The comparison of the setter
position on the court to a quar
terback on the field is an accu
rate one. The setter is the focal
point of virtually any offensive
scheme in volleyball and she is
expected to direct the offense
much like the more famous field
generals of the gridiron.
A team’s success depends on
the setter’s quality of play, which
will certainly be a major factor
this year for the Lady Aggies.
Mensik, a 5-foot-8-inch junior
from Katy, acknowledges the
expectations and the pressure.
“My coaches and teammates
have really helped me a lot, and
not put a lot of pressure on me,”
Mensik said. "I put a lot of pres
sure on myself to perform well
and help the team as best I can.”
It did not take long for the team
to get used to its new setter, as evi
denced by its early-season suc
cess with wins over Loyola
Marymount University, Auburn
University, Loyola-Chicago and
the University of Maryland.
Senior middle blocker Page
White does not see that many differ
ences between Mensik and Wente.
“They’ve both had the same
coaches and have trained the
same way,” White said. “Farah is a
little bit taller, which is nice for
blocking purposes. The biggest
change has been getting use to a
different person. Obviously she’s
different, but it hasn’t been that
much of a transition.”
Mensik waited patiently for
two years before inheriting the
starter’s role. One might have
expected her to get a little antsy
backing up an All-American.
However, that was not the case.
“It was a transition from high
school, but I knew how great
[Wentej was when I got here,”
Mensik said. “We competed hard
on the court, but that helped me.
We’re very good friends, and I
learned tremendously from her.
She was a great mentor.”
Now that her opportunity has
at last come to fruition, Mensik is
confident she has the skills to lead
the Aggies to another NCAA
Tournament appearance. In addi
tion to the aforementioned height
advantage, Mensik cites her work
ethic among her finest attributes.
“I always work hard and try to
give 100 percent,” Mensik said.
“I’m obviously not the tallest or
quickest player, so I think my hard
work has really helped me get to
where I am today.”
A&M Head Coach Laurie
Corbelli says there are many other
characteristics that make Mensik
an exceptional player.
“She’s extremely strong and
has trained in our system for two
years,” Corbelli said. “She’s very
intelligent and understands the
concepts and style of play that
we use.”
All of these skills were on dis
play two weeks ago when Mensik
was named to the All-Tournament
Team at the University Park
Holiday Inn Classic.
She averaged 13.83 assists and
2.42 digs per game in the three
matches, including a 72-assist
effort against No. 20 Loyola
Marymount, the second best sin
gle-match total in A&M history.
Last weekend, she followed up
See Mensik, Page 11
By Jamie Burch
The Battalion
A s the Texas A&M Volleyball
Team continues its tuneup
for the inaugural Big 12
Conference season, backup set
ter Chandra Robertson has
become one of the pistons aim
ing to drive the team back to the
NCAA Tournament.
Recruited by numerous col
leges as a senior in high school,
the redshirt freshman said she
chose A&M because she liked the
environment and
because she liked
the greater level
of competition.
“When I came
here, I fell in love
with the school,”
Robertson said.
“I loved the tra
ditions, the peo
ple, and I felt
that A&M would
give me more of
a challenge vol-
leyball-wise.”
A&M Head
Coach Laurie
Corbelli said when
Robertson redshirt-
ed last season, she
had the opportuni
ty to observe two
talented players,
Southwest
Conference Player
of the Year and All-
American setter
Suzy Wente and her
replacement this
year, sophomore
Farah Mensik.
“Suzy was a
natural,” Corbelli
said. “She was able to see the
whole court, where the ball was
coming from, who to set it to,
and where the ball was going.”
Mensik said Robertson profit
ed from both her and Wente’s dif
ferent styles.
“I learned a lot from watching
her (Wente) with the team, and
when I was sitting off on the side,”
Mensik said. “Suzy and I have two
different styles of play, so I feel
that I have something to offer
Chandra too.”
Now that Robertson has
observed the team for a year, she
will fill the role of backup setter
this season. Corbelli said
Robertson’s 6-foot frame will give
her a competitive edge.
“This game is getting bigger,”
Corbelli said. “Any time you can give
the starters a rest and fill their spots
with size, you’re at an advantage.”
As the heir apparent to Mensik,
Robertson said she was glad she
had the opportunity to redshirt
her freshman year.
“I wouldn’t trade it for any
thing,” Robertson said. “It gave me
the opportunity to
concentrate on
school and get used
to college without
any pressure.”
Robertson said
one day she hopes
to be a starter.
“I think that’s
every new recruit’s
dream — to come
in, start and play
well,” Robertson
said. “But I’d like to
say that I’m not a
selfish player, and
that during games,
whether I’m on the
bench or on the
court, I’ll give it all
I’ve got.”
Robertson said
her desire to start
has only improved
the relationship
between herself
and Mensik.
“We are both
very competitive,”
Robertson said.
“We push each
other uncon
sciously. It’s a
good relationship because we
push each other, but not to the
extent that it makes either of us
uncomfortable.”
Corbelli said she enjoys the
fierce competition between the
two setters.
“We’ve talked about it a lot,”
Corbelli said. “Since they’re
both playing to be the team’s
setter, they push each other to
perform. It’s a coach’s dream for
healthy competition.”
See Robertson, Page 11
Tim Moog, The Battalion
Replacing former All-American Suzy Wente, junior setter Farah
Mensik has already set an A&M record with 80 assists in one match.
Tim Moog, The Battalion
Setter Chandra Robertson
works out Monday afternoon.
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ROYAL OPTICAL
During the months of September
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See optician for details.
Post Oak Mall
764-0735
f^?exo& /f<pyce\
'Voltey&z/t
Tournament
Fri. & Sat.
G. Rollie White
7exo& /fyyte
Socc&i
Friday 5:30
vs.
U. of Kansas
Aggieland
pictures
Texas A&M Seniors, Juniors,
Sophomores and Freshmen:
This is your chance to have
your class picture in the
’97 Aggieland yearbook.
Pictures will be taken
9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Monday - Friday
at 4 17 Photography
707 Texas Ave. (next to Taco Cabana)
Call 693-8183 for an appointment,
or for more details