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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1997)
The Battalion Thursday • December 4, 1997 FOR &M set to open tournament at home Hofstra first challenge as NCAA playoffs get under way fi I 1 \ "mm \ DEREK DEMERE/The Battalion sophomore middle blocker Amber Woolsey goes up for a block versus Kansas State. By Jason Whitcomb Staff writer It is that time of the year, when records and stats can be thrown out the window and the true test of one’s ability and will to win comes to the forefront. After months of vigorous conference play and hard practices, the No. 13 Texas A&M Volleyball Team will put everything on the line tonight in the opening round of the NCAA Championship Tournament against the Hofstra Flying Dutchwomen. “This is a brand-new season, where the past doesn’t mean anything and you have to take it one match at a time,” se nior outside hitter Kristie Smedsrud said. “Now, everything is on the line and their will be no holding back.” The Aggies, however, will have the benefit of playing in front of their home crowd for the first two rounds of the tournament. They will serve it up 45 minutes after the Michigan-Temple match, which begins at 6 p.m. at G. Rol- lie White Coliseum. “It is incredible the difference the 12th Man makes in big games like this,” Coach Laurie Corbelli said. “All these teams have said that they have heard about our crowd and about being in Ag- gieland, but they have never experi enced it firsthand. The minute the 12th Man stands up, I look over and notice the other team’s players and see that they are looking at the crowd and trying to figure out the yells. That can really be a distraction to them. There are several other crowds that are very loud, but our crowd is not just loud, they are very dis tracting, and the yells can ruin the oth er players’ concentration.” The Aggies are making their fifth appearance in the tournament since its inception in 1981. In years past, the highest the Ags placed was ninth (‘81 and ‘85). Last year, they were elimi nated in the second round. This year, however, the Ags have more experi ence playing in big games. They have an 11-6 record against the teams in the tournament and played in perhaps the best conference in the country. “We have learned a lot about our self and about the game this year,” Corbelli said. “There is a new style of play that is becoming prominent in volleyball with quick teams who do a lot running behind their center, which makes it tough to defend. With our competition we have learned to adjust to that style and have played against the best players in the country. Having played in those big games will really help us now when we will face that same competition every night.” With their season on the line, the Ag gies will once again look to junior Stacy Sykora and seniors Smedsrud and Cindy Lothspeich for leadership. Syko ra leads the team in digs and is second in kills. Lothspeich has built a reputa tion as the blocking queen of the court, sporting the all-time A&M record for to tal blocks. Smedsrud is known as one of the best killers in the country. She holds A&M’s all-time record for total kills and attack attempts. The Ags’ attacking offense will no doubt be tested against Hofstra. They are known for their blocking skills and defensive consistency. “Hofstra is just a good team,” Smed srud said. “They are big, and they block extremely well. They don’t make a lot of mistakes, and it is going to be interest ing to see how we can adjust to their size and defensive ability.” The Aggies are rolling into the tour nament with a lot of momentum. They recently returned from a tough road trip that ended with a marquee matchup against No.4 Colorado. Tired and down after a tough loss to No.2 Nebraska, the Aggies somehow man aged to rise to the occasion and beat the Buffalos 3-1. “It was a huge win, especially after not performing well against Nebras ka,” Corbelli said. “We had a long flight, and everyone seemed to be real bummed.Then, as soon as we got to the gym, they somehow bounced back and played a great game. I was really proud of them because it was more of a game against ourselves. They worked really hard and showed a lot of heart.” With confidence high and the play intense, the Aggies will no doubt put on quite a show tonight and in the re mainder of the tournament. “We just want to show evei'ybody how good and how talented we really are,” Corbelli said. Aggies will have hands full against second-ranked Nebraska NOTEBOOK Chris Ferrell Sports editor 'ebraska. Justthe mention of the word invokes visions of footoall power. It is a football powerhouse |// ( that has had unmatched success in the ‘90s. They al ready own two national championships this decade and have a shot at a third. They are famous for mammoth, corn-fed farmboy offensive linemen who pancake-block any defensive lineman who dares to lineup against them. And be hind those linemen are quarterbacks who run like tailbacks and tailbacks who can be 60 yards down the field before you realize what’s going on. They take so much pride in the running game, they publish wide- receiver blocking stats. And that’s just the offense. The defense is built around lightning-quick speed in the secondary and fast, powerful defensive line men who can usually be found somewhere around an opposing quarterback or wrapped around any run ning back who dares to run against them. Their following is so loyal that when they closed out their home schedule against Iowa State, it was in front of the school’s 220th consecutive sellout. They have played in 28 consecutive bowl games and have not suffered a losing season since 1961. But, believe it or not, they are human. We know this because of Colorado and Missouri. Missouri pushed the Cornhuskers to the limit. It took one of the most amazing receptions in college football history — a ball which bounced around like a pinball before being pulled in to force overtime against the Tigers. Last week Colorado almost pulled off a big upset in Boulder. The Buffaloes rallied, scoring two touch downs in the final minutes of the game and watched an onside kick go through the hands of one of their players which would have put them in position to win. They are human. Not Backing Down While the Aggies are admittedly underdogs this weekend, they are not afraid of Nebraska. They know that they will have to play their best game of the year but feel they have the talent to compete with the Cornhuskers. “We didn’t get up at 6:30 in the morning to run and lift weights to stay close to somebody,” junior running back Sirr Parker said. No Place Like Dome The Aggies will be returning to the Alamodome in San Antonio this weekend for the first time since the 1995 Alamo Bowl, a game which saw the Aggies de feat Michigan in the highest rated football game ever shown on ESPN. The crowd that day was a very Aggie-friendly crowd, as Saturday’s should be. The Michigan game from two years ago has also served as some motivation for A&M this week. Going into that game, the Aggies were without the services of All-American Leeland McElroy and were not given much of a chance to win. The Aggies pulled together and defeated Michigan despite being underdogs. Please see Ferrell on Page 9. Apply for The Battalion Today ' t i / Application due: Thursday, Dec. 4, by 5 p.m. §*> j gm m- i ^ " > f * In# J 4 J 013 Reed McDonald Building « Telephone (409) 845-3313 » FAX (409) 845-2647 •Staff Application . Name, Number of hours you will take in the Spring: Phone Number(s): Expected graduation (semester): Major; If you have another job, what is it? Classification: How many hours per week? E-mail Will you plan to keep it if hired? P least check the position(s) for which you are interested in applying. If you are interested in more than one position, number them in order of preference with 1 being your top choice. 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