he Battalion
Sports
Page 7 • Friday, October 1, 1999
Ags set to open Big 12 conference play
Bfth-ranked Texas A&M travels
to Lubbock to take on Red Raiders
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BY REECE FLOOD
The Battalion
mWliile the Texas A&M Football
Team spent the week preparing
iorits first Big 12 game of the sea
son against the Texas Tech Uni
versity Red Raiders in Lubbock,
[haAggies kept one thought in the
hack of their heads: anything can
happen on the plains of West
Texas.
will take on Tech in Lub-
bolk for the twenty-third time
Saturday, and the Aggies are ex-
—^^Wting a rowdy crowd in Jones
Stauium.
■'I think it’s one of the best kept
m lOBrets in terms of a hostile envi-
jiiment,” A&M offensive coordi-
|*i inalor and wide receivers coach
Cnllftteve Kragthorpe said. “The fans
are fired up. Anytime the Aggies
J10(AP)-|>r the Longhorns come to Lub-
ition ' bock, it’s a big game.”
s pilot ptKgjA&M has an 11-11 record
d the nuBinst the Red Raiders in Lub-
with adcp Bk, where weird things seem to
trove inct happen to the Aggies. They were
echildren defeated in their last two trips to
the deni Jones Stadium, 16-13 in 1997 and
dbytheD 14 7 in 1995.
! Human B'We kind of described going
wsetherf out to Lubbock as the Bermuda
doptivefaMangle,” junior offensive line-
villprovii man Chris Valletta said. “Weird
for thead;:B n g S just happen out there.”
chvecusttM y0 ar ’ S Aggie team is try-
decreasetM, no( l0 ^well on what has hap-
istnpstnatMjjgd j n t i le p ast anc j seems to re-
t seoietary» ze j t j las no e ff ec t on i low the
game will go on Saturday.
hfcft I m P rett V sure P t 1 * 16 8 ame ]
'■ill be wild,” senior running back
, Jante Hall said. “But the way you
i/thhiiemir se ‘ iat 15 to 8° out an ° exe '
;esent this iP 1 "®-
ss to ha though A&M is 3-0 and
Ian ked 5th in the nation, and Tech
I s only 1-2, including a loss at
erdent," against the University of
\North Texas, the Aggie coaches
players are not overlooking
Red Raiders and are expecting
A 0, bugh game.
“It’s [going] be a dog fight
m start to finish,” Valletta said.
Tech seems to always play the
Aggies close, especially in the last
five contests between the two
teams, in which the games were
decided by seven points or less.
Tech has won three of the last five
games.
But the Aggies won last year at
Kyle Field by a score of 17-10,
breaking a three-game Tech win
ning streak in the series.
Because of its close loss last
year to the Aggies, A&M coach
R.C. Slocum said he is expecting
the Red Raiders to be ready for the
game. In addition, Tech was off
last weekend allowing it to have
two full weeks of practice to pre
pare for the Aggies.
“The Tech team that we play
will not be the Tech team any one
has seen so far this year,” Slocum
said. “I know that from experi
ence, having been in this situation
before. We’re going into a very
challenging situation.”
The A&M offense is planning
on taking control of the game by
utilizing this year’s improved
passing attack to help open up the
running game and keep the Tech
defense guessing.
“Our focus is take what the de
fense gives you,” Kragthorpe said.
“Make them play both the run
and the pass, where as maybe in
the past they just played the run.”
The Aggie defense plans on
shutting down the Tech offense
with the help of speedy senior
cornerback Jason Webster, whb
leads the team with three inter
ceptions and 25 tackles.
The Aggies will also look to ju
nior inside linebacker Cornelius
Anthony and junior outside line
backer Jason Glenn to have big
games. The two have combined
for 41 tackles, 10 of which were
behind the line of scrimmage.
“We’re not a big physical de
fense, but we’ve got pretty good
quickness,” Slocum said.
Injuries should play a major
role in this weekend’s game for
both teams.
Tech’s biggest loss is junior
GUY ROGERS/The Battalio
Sophomore cornerback Jay Brooks heads toward the endzone after an interception in last Saturday’s game against the University of Southern
Mississippi. Brooks returned the interception 41 yards for a touchdown.
running back and preseason Heis-
man candidate Ricky Williams,
who reaggravated a knee injury in
practice this week and is out for
the season.
But the Red Raiders are hoping
true freshman running back Shaud
Williams will be able to pick up
where Ricky Williams left off.
Williams produced impressive
numbers in Tech’s last game
against North Texas with 151
yards on the ground and two
touchdowns.
Tech senior fullback Sammy
Morris is working off a bruised
shoulder and is questionable for
the game.
For the Aggies, senior offen
sive lineman Shea Holder tore
his right anterior cruciate liga
ment in last week’s game against
the University of Southern Mis
sissippi and will miss the rest of
the season.
Holder’s backup, sophomore
Tango McCauley, is nursing a sore
ankle but is expected to play
against the Red Raiders.
Senior fullback D’Andre
“Tiki” Hardeman will not start
this weekend’s game due to an
ankle injury but is expected to
see some playing time. Sopho
more fullback Ja’Mar Toombs
will start in his place.
Softball set to kick off preseason
BRADLEY ATCHISON/The Battalion
A&M Volleyball Team players celebrate after defeating Santa Clara University 15-10,15-5,16-14.
o. 16 Ags host Cornhuskers
BY BREANNE HICKS
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Softball Team will swing into the
preseason Saturday when it hosts an exhibition tour
nament at College Station’s Central Park. The Aggies
are scheduled to play three games
throughout the day on Field 1, open
ing against Galveston at 9 a.m. They
later meet Centenary at 10:45 a.m. and
Northwestern State at 2:15 p.m.
A&M softball coach Jo Evans
said the Aggies have been working
diligently in the offseason to fill the
cleats of last season’s successful
team, which appeared in the
NCAA tournament.
“Our practices have been productive,” Evans said.
“We are learning about our strengths and weaknesses
and making adjustments in order to be ready for this
weekend’s games.”
Highlighting the Aggies’ lineup this season are
sophomore standout Lisa Klam, who was named to the
1999 Softball All-Midwest Region second team; and
pitching ace junior Amy Vining, who led the team last
season in wins with 22 and an ERA of 1.26.
A total of seven seniors return to this year’s squad,
including shortstop Jamie Smith, a member of the All-
EVANS
Regional team at the NCAA regional tournament.
Evans describes the team as a mix of experience
and youth.
“It should be a great year for our team,” she said.
“We are more talented and have more depth than our
past teams, and we have a good team chemistry.”
Saturday’s exhibition will feature a mix of junior Col
lege and Division I teams. Evans said the tournament
will her an opportunity to evaluate the team’s strengths
and weaknesses in order to better prepare for the indi
vidual workouts during the offseason.
“Our game plan for the tournament is mainly to give
our players some playing time and test them in a game
situation,” she said. “These games are a measure of
what we need to work and improve on in the offseason. ”
Evans said she is eagerly awaiting what she predicts
to be the best year since she has been at A&M.
“Our team is very anxious to compete, and we are
looking forward to the challenges we will face in this
weekend,” she said.
Other team participating in the 16-team exhibition
are Abilene Christian University, Alvin Community
College, Blinn College, Incarnate Word University,
Lon Morris College, Navarro College, Northwood
University, San Jacinto College, Stephen F. Austin
University, Tarleton State University, the University
of Texas and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Admission to the
tournament is free.
Soutf
oenV'
BY BREE HOLZ
The Battalion
The Texas A&M Volleyball Team
will have its hands full tomorrow
[light when it clashes with the
phth-ranked Nebraska University
■rnhuskers at G. Rollie White Col-
Bum at 7 p.m.
i.jP The Aggies have “repeat” on their
Bi nds after last season’s shocking
■dory over the defending Big 12
Imference champions. A&M last
pet then-third-ranked Nebraska at
(D.Rollie White Coliseum on No-
jember 20, 1998. The Aggies
Banned the Cornhuskers by defeat-
Igthem 8-15,15-12, 8-15, 15-6, 16-
14, and handing them their only Big
12 Conference loss.
I “Last year it was really exciting to
jlay them because they hadn’t lost
| game yet,” senior middle blocker
tmber Woolsey said.
Senior outside hitter Celia Howes
laid the crowd was extremely sup-
Jortive in last season’s victory over
(he Cornhuskers.
“Our crowd was really pumped
ip,” she said, “and it totally
lumped us up.”
Howes added that crowd sup
port is always an advantage in big
matches.
“Whenever we go to Nebraska
they always have these huge
crowds, and it’s really intimidating,”
she said.
“It’s a good thing when people
are against them [Nebraska] instead
of always for them. ”
Nebraska leads the all-time series
between the two teams, 10-5.
The Cornhuskers return four
starters from last season’s squad that
finished 1998 with a 32-2 overall
record. Their near-perfect season
came to an end with an NCAA tour
nament loss in the Final Four semi
final to Penn State University.
A&M volleyball coach Laurie Cor-
belli said Nebraska is successful be
cause their team is so well-rounded.
“Nebraska has their own
style,” she said. “They’re really
strong in all positions and overall
they have some of the best play
ers in the nation.”
“They have a really good right
side attacker and two experienced
middles,” Woolsey added.
“Out of the teams that we’ve
seen, we haven’t seen a really good
middle attack,” Howes said. “Ne
braska, with their strong middles,
that’s definitely gonna be something
that we need to defend.”
Nebraska is currently 10-3 overall
and 2-1 in Big 12 Conference action.
The Cornhuskers were upset 3-2
by 24th-ranked Kansas State Uni
versity in their first Big 12 match of
the season.
Senior outside hitter Summer
Strickland said the upset by Kansas
State University shows that Nebras
ka is a beatable team.
“It makes us know that we can
definitely beat them,” she said.
“This is our chance to show that we
can win the Big 12.”
Corbelli said that because Ne
braska was defeated by a lower-
ranked team, their play is now more
vulnerable.
“Nebraska knows that there is
more pressure on them now to
maintain their ranking and their po
sition in the nation.”
“I think that Nebraska is now
susceptible to losses,” Howes added.
“We are very ready to maximize on
that.”
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Sth-ranked Soccer
takes on Nebraska
The Texas A&M Soccer Team will
host two Big 12 games this week
end when the University of Nebras
ka and Iowa State University come
to College Station.
Tonight the eighth-ranked Ag
gies (9-1) will take on the 4th
ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-
1-1) at 7 p.m. at the Aggie Soccer
Complex. Nebraska will be A&M’s
highest ranked opponent so far
this season.
The Aggies will take on Iowa
State University (8-1-1), Sunday,
at 1 p.m.
The Aggies look to improve on
the already impressive stats they
have produced this season.
Right now A&M has a goal-per-
game average of 3.50, which is
one spot above Nebraska who
has a 3.40.
Leading the way for the Aggies is
junior forward Nicky Thrasher with
nine goals in ten games. She also
has five assists and leads the team
in points with 23.
Thrasher is not the only scoring
threat for the Aggies. Thirteen
players of the 26-person roster
have scored goals for A&M, giving
the Aggies a total of 35 goals on
the season.
The Aggies have also been
stout on defense and are fourth in
the nation with a 0.50 goal-per-
game against average. Nebraska
is the only other Big 12 team in
the defensive rankings with an av
erage of 0.67.
Tennis teams head
to co-ed tourney
Five members from Texas A&M’s
Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams
will join forces today as they join 15
of the nation’s top college teams in
the first-ever co-ed Wingspan-
Bank.com/World Team Tennis Na
tional Collegiate Championships at
Stanford University’s Taube Family
Tennis Center.
Making the Aggies’ team are ju
nior Shuon Madden and sopho
more Jarin Skube from the men’s
team, and senior Lisa Dingwall,
sophomore Martina Nedorostova
and freshman Olivia Karlikova from
the women’s team.
Madden is ranked No. 12 in the
nation in singles and No. 1 in the
country in doubles with partner Du-
mitru Caradima.
Nedorostova is No. 43 in singles
and is the defending Big 12 No. 1
singles champion.
Dingwall and Nedorostova
teamed last season to earn All-Big
12 honors in doubles.
The Aggies will be in the cham
pionship’s featured match with the
host team Stanford tonight at 7.
The Cardinal men’s team won team
national championships from
1995-1998.