Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 29

FOR' Journal Star Friday, November 14, 2008 STARS' HENRY FINDS SECOND H0ME2D Sports news tips? Call Todd Henrlchs, 473-7320 Oeutfn: Clartt On 3EE -Mil -j 4 4 IS More coverage on Pages 4D-5D Photo galleries at JournalStar.com Players benefit from more rest Southwest goes on offensive in the deciding set BY RON POWELL Lincoln Journal Star A meek attack attempt into the net wasn't what Lincoln Southwest coach Mary Schropfer wanted to see with her team behind 11-8 in the fifth set Thursday at Pershing Center. She wanted rips, not rips, and middle blockers Stacie Hansen and Whitney Mason responded. They combined for four kills down the stretch to lead the fifth-ranked Silver Hawks to an exhilarating 14-25, 23-25, 25-19, 27-25, 16-14 victory against No. 4 Millard North in the first round of the Class A State Volleyball Tournament. Southwest (25-9) advances to a 9:30 a.m.

semifinal match today against defending state champion and No. 1 Papillion-La Vista, a 25-12, 25-15, 25-18 winner against Omaha Bryan in the first round. During a timeout with her team trailing by three points, "1 told them they've got to be aggressive, that if you're going to go down, you're going to go down swinging," Schropfer said. The only thing that went down was the ball. Back-to-back kills by Hansen, followed by a Nikki Expanded tourney schedule gives teams more time between matches.

BY BRENT C. WAGNER Lincoln Journal Star Shejumped and landed. Then Jamie Straube did it again, and once more after that. In a span of, oh, 10 seconds, the Johnson County Central volleyball player jumped three times to attempt blocks, and another time on an attack. On the final time she jumped during the rally, Straube was rewarded with an ace block.

Phew. While not baseline to baseline like basketball, a volleyball match can still be 60-plus minutes of agony, for both those playing and those watching. The State Volleyball Tournament began in Lincoln on Thursday. After being a two-day event, the tournament has changed to a three-day format this year. It was a welcome move for many teams, especially after matches were expanded four years ago to best-of-five sets with rally scoring.

Several teams faced tough roads last season. In winning the Class D-l state tide, Bancroft-Rosalie played matches at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

In Class Grand Island played two five-set matches Friday in less than six hours. Although he has mixed emotions because of the success that Columbus Scotus has experienced at state, Shamrocks coach John Petersen feels a three-day See EXPAND, Page 4D HEIDI HOFFMANLincoln Journal Star Lincoln Southwest players celebrate their come-from-behind win against Millard North in the Class A first round Thursday at Pershing Center. Plus wins in straight sets Natalie Braun leads the Thunderbolts' attack in a sweep of No. 6 Hastings. Lincoln East eliminated in A Omaha Marian sweeps the Spartans; Cambridge moving on in C-2 The Trojans continue hot streak, knock off No.

2 Aquinas. Clay Center rallies in D-2 Clay Center breezes through first set, but struggles to finish off Coleridge. See SOUTHWEST, Page 4D East finishes season at 25-11. fl NEBRASKA (6-4, 3-3) Al KANSAS S1A1E (4-6, 1-5) I Manhattan, Kan. I TV: Pay-per-view tj p.m.

Saturday Knights overcome adversity Elmwood-Murdock has found a way to bounce back from setbacks on and off the field. fY--ivp rF I A----' fl- :,7 f' -PH -N I I BY RYLY JANE HAMBLETON Lincoln Journal Star It is a whole lot easier to have success when everything is going your way. The real test comes when a team faces adversity and is still able to come out on top. The Elmwood-Murdock football team has had its share of both this year. The Knights won their 11th game of the season with a 20-12 quarterfinal victory against Laurel-Concord, the first time the team has reached 1 1 wins.

Now the Knights, rated No. 2 in Class C-2, will travel to Fremont on Saturday to take on Archbishop Bergan at 6:30 p.m. at Memorial Field. "One of the things we told our kids was that there are going to be times things don't go our way," said Knights coach Leigh Schmale. "We've gotten behind in some games and then proven we can make plays.

We can come back. We had some tough games we played Bergan early, which was a good test and the fact we were able to win gave us a lot of momentum. "Consistency has been the key. In the first half against Laurel-Concord, we made more mental errors than in the whole season. But we were resilient and controlled the second half, holding them to minus 7 yards.

The momentum shifted and we played a lot smarter defense in the second half." See KNIGHTS, Page 6D HEIDI HOFFMANLincoln Journal Star tile photo Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler (leaping) has been known to show plenty of excitement on the sideline, including on this punt return by Nate Swift in the third quarter against Kansas last Saturday. Griffin's absence forces Huskers to get creative BY CURT McKEEVER Lincoln Journal Star Uh, no, Connie Yori isn't the least bit excited knowing that she'll need to tap all of her coaching knowledge and might have to get especially creative with Kelsey Griffin unavailable to start the basketball season. And don't try suggesting that could provide a refreshing change for Yori, who knew ll Wf ,,) 3 Ekeler's exuberance for the game is constantly evident. exactly what she had with the two-time, first-team All-Big 12 Conference forward. "With our Yori asked.

"We are going to be chal- lenged with everybody heal thy. We don't need that challenge, OK? I don't need that torture." Well, unless the versatile, 6-foot-2 Griffin has a miraculous recovery, she's a ways away from returning to action, possibly even until next season. And, so, beginning with tonight's season opener WOMEN TODAY Weber State at Nebraska, 7 p.m. RADIO: 98.1 your personality," Ekeler said Thursday. "I enjoy what I do and that was part of my personality when I played.

And that's kind of my personality when I coach. All I try to do is teach our guys the best I can and put them in the best position possible. "I get a thrill when Farmdog (Colton Koehler) gets a safety and Wart (Wortman) makes a 10-yard tackle for a loss on second-and-1. That's the stuff that makes it worthwhile for me." Ekeler returns this week to his alma mater, Kansas State, where he played from 1991-94. The Blair High School graduate walked on at KSU, winning hearts with his fearlessness on special teams and, of course, his personality.

Bill Snyder thought enough of him to name him a team captain in 1994. And there are funny stories of purple mohawks and a pet piranha that Ekeler kept in the K-State locker room. He named the piranha Carl Spackler after Bill Murray's character in "Caddyshack." Those were fun years, but Ekeler isn't looking at Saturday's game any differently because of his past allegiances. Asked what it would be like going back to Manhattan, he said: "I think See EKELER, Page 60 More inside In the latest installment of Cram Session, Steven M. Slpple takes a look at Pelini's handling of the redshirts.

Page 3D Red Report Page 3D Turner Gill's Bulls outlast Akron in four overtimes to take the lead in the MAC East Division. Page6D BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON Lincoln Journal Star. He's called everything from Ek to the Knergizer Bunny to Coach Red Bull. Mike Ekeler runs up and chest bumps players after big tackles. He crashes into linebacker mosh pits in pre-game warmups.

"He's been dinged up after a cou- Ele of games," Husker senior line-acker TylerWortman said. Wortman once caught a peek of Ekeler's office fridge. It was full of Red Bull. As if Nebraska's linebackers coach needed the energy drink. "I believe that you have to coach to against Weber State at the Devaney Sports Center, NU's seventh-year coach best be prepared to have her pain threshold tested.

Griffin didn't participate in fall conditioning and hasn't practiced because of an ankle bone bruise the I luskers never imagined would linger as long as it has. But without their leading scorer and reboundcr from last year, it'll be up to a group of 1 1 players who See WOMEN, Page 2D V' New England tied the game at 31-31 with one second remaining, but Jay Feely's 34-yard field goal on the first series of overtime gave the Jets a big win against a division rival. Page 6D Jets win crucial AFC East game.