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Show i BACK PACE Monday, August 22, 201 -- - L l f nf' ,J rr, I 0 r i'r i h i com The Summit League No. 4 volley ball team is optimistic about its chances in its linal season with the conference. TheT-Bird- s finished the 2010 season with a 5 overall. conference record of 12-- 6 and Last season the qualified for the Summit League tournament in its second year as a program. The team was eliminated by North Dakota State, w'ho went on to take the conference title. Saturday night SUU held its annual Red White Preview. White won the exhibition Head coach Debby Baker, who is in her said it really fourth season with the showed her where the team sits heading into the first games. We didn't pass as well and didnt hit for a very high percentage tonight, she said. A lot of the girls were nervous, and I like this because it helps us get used to the crowd and the nerves of a real game. Baker said they will focus on passing and 15-1- Middle blocker Hailey Moore spikes the ball while middle blocker Lusia Angilau goes up for the block during Saturday nights RedWhite scrimmage. 586-548- 8 V, L pre-rank- heRnTIjNIVERSITY journal Brooke Cersosimo, flI Q bcersosimosuunews " " u. By BROOKE CERSOSIMO " EDITOR A V 1 A Jt 1 It will be a chance for us to find out what will be by the time our starting line-up- s conference games come around, Baker said. Right now, I havent decided who will be the starting setter or libero, but the scrimmage really helped me rank them. Defensive specialist Caitlin Jensen said she likes battling for a starting spot. I really want to play, but the more we battle the better each person and the team will get, Jensen said. I like having an extra person pushing because I know Im not going to get playing time if I dont play really well. In the long run, this will only help the team. led the Analaine Pelaez-Mailot- o and league in kills per set with 4.07, which ranked her No. 32 in the nation last season. Mailoto said she is taking a different role on the team this year. The way 1 perceive things is different, so I can help others in situations rather than being absorbed in myself and what Im doing, she said. It has helped a lot, and I think it will benefit the team. See PREVIEW, Page 11 other details to prepare for the start of the season, which is this weekend. In practice we have actually been passing a lot better, and I was really disappointed by how w'e passed tonight, she said. We will practice a lot of out of system where were not passing great balls and trying to hit and keep them in play." Baker added the team needs to become more mentality tough at this point in the season. She said she is excited about the freshman class and what they bring to the team. If youve seen in the last three years, this is the most skilled class that weve had come in. Baker said. Theyre still young, but their skills and the level that theyve played at is much higher than any incoming freshman class w'eve ever had. Im really excited about what they bring. Those freshmen include libero Davia Lee, middle blocker Annie Stradling, outside hitter Eden Van Orden and setter Gabi Mirand. arent set in stone Baker said the line-up- s for another couple of weeks. Football preparing for new challenges By BROOKE CERSOSIMO bcersosimosuunews.com football team The looks to build from last years success in the 2011 season. were the Great The West Conference champions in 2010 making them the first team in SUUs history to win that title. SUU finished the season with a perfect conference record of 0 and an overall record of 4-- 6-- 5. Quarterback Brad Sorensen said the team is ready to leave last years success behind and focus on the new challenges ahead. (Head coach Ed) Lamb really hit it home that last year is over, to put the championship rings away and focus on this year, Sorensen said. We felt like we could have been so much better than our record last year, so that has kept us hungry. Weve got a huge challenge ahead of us. Lamb said he was looking forward to having Sorensen back for two consecutive seasons, which is the first time this has happened at the since position quarterback Lamb took the helm in 2008. Our offensive coaches are very good at putting together plans that are appropriate for our team, Lamb said. We really havent been able to turn over the calling of the game to the quarterback, and were excited to be able to do that more this year. In the 2010 season, Sorensen passes completed for a school-recor- d 3,163 yards and 21 touchdowns. offense returns The most of its core starters with the exception of wide receivers Tysson Poots, Fesi Sitake and Robert Ah Sue. Lamb said the coaches are still trying to figure 261-of-3- r i out who will best replace these key players. We do have some guys on offense that were counting on. and were anxious to see how the first few games of the season play out, he said. We want to see who steps up and is the guy who starts hauling in those passes consistently. said he feels Sorensen comfortable with the teams new receivers. I think that we have picked up right where we left off, he said. Weve got great receivers that have jumped in and are different in their own ways. It helps to have a guy that you can go to and bail you out in tough situations, and I think Cameron (Morgan) can be that guy for us. Hes only been in the offense for a week and is adjusting well. He said the offense as a whole is working well together and has great chemistry this early on in the season. Having our running backs and offensive line back makes it easier to mesh together because we know how each person plays, Sorensen said. Running back Austin Minefee led the with 764 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 133 carries, while running back Deckar Alexander rushed for 420 yards and a touchdown on 77 attempts. Linebacker Tyler Osborne led the defense with 18.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks last season. Linebacker Blake Fenn led the team in tackles with 97 total during the 2010 season and will return for the defense as well. Osborne said the defense has looked strong during camp. We lost four starters on defense, but we return everyone on the defensive line and a majority of players in the he said. The secondary, See SEASON, Page 11 ASHER SWAN Forward Stacey Brinkman kicks the ball during Fridays soccer game against Idaho State, in which the defeated Northern lost 0 to the Bengals. The 2-- UNIVERSITY JOURNAL Sunday afternoon for their first win of the season. SUU lost a pair of exhibition games heading into the season before splittling the first two games. Arizona 3-- 1 ' Y T-Bir- pick up first win against Northern Arizona ds CERSOSIMO bcersosirnolsuunews.com soccer team beat The No. the Big Sky 1 team Northern Arizona 1 Sunday afternoon. The win moved SUUs record on the season. to came out The aggressive from the start by doubling their opponent's shots on goal in the first half. SUU outshot the Lumberjacks 14-- 9 in the game. Forward Shelby Ostler put the pressure on NALT with a header that just missed the net, and defender Allyson Duda continued the aggressiveness with a boot that hit the top crossbar and barely sailed over pre-rank- 3-- BROOKE CERSOSIMO UNIVERSITY JOURNAL Quarterback Brad Sorensen hands the ball off to fullback Henna Brown in Saturday afternoons scrimmage at Eccles Colliseum. Although SUU was kept couple minutes of the game. That was tremendous icing on scoreless, they outshot the ISU Forward Stacey the cake, Stock said. That was Bengals 17-midfielder Elyse Osborne giving her moment. Shes been looking Brinkman led the team with the lead in the for that one for a long time, so I seven shots, two of which were the was really happy to see that go to on goal. 39th minute of the game. had several The Within minutes of the second the back of the net. an take to chances answered when early lead. NAU half, Bassett took a shot on goal that forward Sarah Tarver headed the Idaho State 2, SUU 0 ball into the back of the net from just missed and hit the crossbar. Minutes later, Brinkman had a lost 0 against The a pass by forward Katie Tribbey. took the 1 lead Idaho State in its first regular look at the net and barely missed The when midfielder Morgan Bridge season game Friday evening in as the ball rolled past the net. In a tight first half, forward passed the ball on a free kick to a game of missed opportunities. Rachel Strawn put the ball into the said Stock midfielder Missy Lazcano, who headed the ball to make the goal. accomplished both goals, which the right side of the net to score Bassett were to be more aggressive and the first goal for ISU with an Midfielder Riley assist from midfielder Ashley a long work on team chemistry. the with off win capped That was one of the most Jones in the 29th minute of kick to the top left corner of the net over the goalkeeper's hands beautiful futbol games weve the game. Late in the second half, to bring the score to a final played within the past few had a goal opportunity, We Brinkman have said. Stock the had assist. Osborne years, Head coach Brian Stock said to give these kids credit. Its a but her shot just sailed over the shame that the luck and chances net. Shortly after Ostler headed he was excited to see the See SOCCER, Page 11 get that final goal within the last didnt fall our way. first with a goal by forward Sabrina Hernandez with an assist by board By BROOKE the net. SUU was able to get on the one-on-o- 9. 2-- 2-- 3-- 1. |