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Show f . SPORTS Wednesday, October 25,2006 P a g e 9 ••" COMING UP Soccer Volleyball Football Cross Country Swimming Soccer Wyoming (7-7-3) @ Utah (13-4-0) BYU (18-2) @ Utah (19-2) UNLV (1-6) @ Utah (4-4) Utah @ HWC Championships Utah @ UC-San Diego MWC Tournament OtL 11.2006 Ule field 7:30 p.m OcL 27.2006 Crimwn Court 7 pm. Oct. 21. Z006 RiceEccles Stadium ?p.m. oci.ra.(006 Salt Lake City.Utah 10am. Del. n, 2006 San Diego, Calif. Noon HOT. 12006 Salt lake City. Ulati All Day Every which way but lose Versatile U offensive attack has opponents reeling Cody Brunner ents a threat to opposing teams. The freshman from Alta High is quite an oddity for her position, since not For a lot of volleyball teams in the many setters in the conference are as Mountain West Conference, there is aggressive as she is on the offensive one player that carries the team. At end of the court. BYU, it's Chelsea Goodman. UNLV's "Sydney is a very offensive-minded go-to is Maria Aladjova, while SDSU setter," Launiere said. "She is very agprefers Melanie Greene. gressive, and she's able to get us kills, Utah opponents are finding out that so that's just one more thing opposing this is not the case for the Utes this teams have to worry about." . year. When Anderson isn't causing head"We have so many people that can aches with her own offense, she is setget kills for us," U coach Beth Launi- ting a plethora of teammates who are ere said. "Not only our hitters, but perfectly capable of wreaking havoc Sydney (Anderson) attacks from her on opponents. setter position, too. I really feel like One of the many options Anderson any one of five players can lead us at has is out side-hitter Airial Salvo. The any time." sophomore averaged an impressive That versatility is very evident when 5.33 kills per game in two sweep victolooking at the U's stats, as four differ- ries last weekend. ent players have led the Utes in kills "The last few matches, Airial has over the last seven matches. come up huge for us," Launiere said. Anderson is just one of the many "We've been working on some sets to positional players for the U who pres- try to get her the ball more often, and The Daily Utah Chronicle LENNIE MAHLER/ Tht Daily Viah Chronicle Emillie Toone tips the ball over UNLV blockers Sunday as the Utes swept the Rebels 3-0 for their 17th-straight victory. There's a chance I have gone completely insane I I think she's making the most of her sets." Complementing Salvo on the right side is outside-hitter Whitney Webb. The junior is coming off her second consecutive Mountain West Conference Player of the Week Award after two notable all-around performances last week. Webb averaged 3.83 kills, 3.67 digs and 1.33 blocks per game for the U, while hitting a team-high .541. "We're getting the ball to Whit (Webb) in a lot of different situations," Launiere said. "A lot of teams aren't able to utilize their right side like we are able to with Whit, but she continues to be a huge threat for us." Also coming up huge for the Utes is outside-hitter Kathryn Lovell. The sophomore from Woods Cross High ranks second on the team in kills (3.05 kpg) and is gaining quite a reputation in the conference. See ATTACK Page 10 •a*, Long live the 'Queen' was trying to think of then, at the end of the night, an accurate analogy for ends up with decent stats the U men's basketball and you have no idea how team this it happened. season Tony Pizza ' Someand—go The Daily Utah Chronicle how, figure—I the cast was Queens are famous for getting CODY wouldn't drawing exactly what they want, when they be comBRUNNER a blank. want it. Whether someone is referplete Then, ring to a queen bee, Queen Elizabeth without like a I, the queen of hearts or the queen him. Last cheeseon a chessboard, it is safe to say that burger to Rick Majerus' fat queens rule. So it is fitting that the season coach Giac needed mouth, it hit me. "Queen" on the U's gymnastic team a young, steady contribuhas also been crowned captain of the The 2006-2007 Runnin' tor, and that was Green. His Red Rocks for the 2006-2007 season. Utes are kind of like the game doesn't always make cast of "Seinfeld" during sense and rarely blows you Although senior Nicolle Ford has the show's first couple sea- away, but he's a part of the yet to order any beheadings, she does sons. They have all of the main core and always conadmit that her queen-like desire to key characters necessary to tributes. have things a particular way conwin a Mountain West ConRounding out the main tributed to the nickname Queen, or ference championship and four in the cast is Cosmo Queenie, which teammates, coaches make noise on the national Kramer. I had an immense and fans at the U affectionately call level, but first they have to amount of trouble putting a her. mesh together and become name to this one, but finally "The summer before my fresha cohesive unit. They've came up with an answer: man year, I worked out with a difgot to get on the same page Ricky Johns. I came to this ferent coach than my own coach," and develop that on-screen conclusion because, just like Ford said. "I apparently asked him to chemistry for success to re- Kramer, Johns is a streaky move the mat one too many times or ally flower. player. He came up huge in something. It started out as Queen They have a potent lead several games last year, but and then Queenie... Now people here role that draws the major- at other times, he was nondon't even know my real name." ity of the attention in Luke existent. It's almost like durDespite the sarcastic reference to Nevill (Jerry Seinfeld). Ev- ing some shows/games, the the high-maintenance qualities that erything in "Seinfeld" runs script is just written around are typically associated with those through Jerry, and it is not him rather than through him. anointed queen, Ford's teammuch different with Nevill, True, it's a complimentary mates—both new and old—hold who was third on the team in position, but when played the newly appointed captain in scoring (n.6 ppg) andfirstin right, he can make all the the highest regard. • rebounds (6.6 rpg) last year. difference in the world. You "Queenie, first of all—she's In short, it's his show. He's might ask yourself, when is our only senior, so she's been the reason people will be Kramer non-existent? I have .here the longest with the absolutely no clue—it just drawn in. The 7-foot-i sophmost experience, and omore from Perth, Australia, seemed like a goodfit,so I from day one she has is hailed as the next Andrew went with it. led everyone, from Bogut, and he will surely be the freshmen to evThere are a few in the supthe go-to man on this year's porting cast that I can't go eryone in between," roster. said freshman without mentioning, as well. Much like Jerry, he may be First .off, Misha Radojevic is Sarah Shire. "She out there on his own some- Newman, if for no other readoesn't leave any times. He may go off on son than that he is twice as out...you need tangents, but he's the gold- tall and doubly skinny. The anything, you go en ticket—the established Serb should be a solid conto her." name. He's got to deliver or tributor this season. Although this show hasn't a chance. Next up is Lawrence Ford is the only The Utes also have a dy- Borha. Now, I couldn't come senior on the namic role player in point up with a catch line for LB, gymnastics guard Johnnie Bryant because I honestly have no (George Costanza). The ju- clue what he is capable of, nior from Oakland, Calif., so I'm going to go with Bob may be a bit more nimble Sacamano. Those of you I than George, but Bryant- lost by using Sacamano, I enlike our friend George—has courage you to watch more carried the team quite a few "Seinfeld," or just bludgeon times, and will undoubtedly me in the head with a solbe a vital piece in coach Gia- dering iron because there is coletti's puzzle. a solid chance I've lost it. Playing the part of Elaine Now, I'have no idea what is, of course, small/power the new guys can do, so forward Shaun Green. they don't have to deal with Green is one of those guys my incoherent crap yet, but who is always hanging there will be a time to do it. around and you're not really Actually, my insider sourcsure how or why. He just chills in the background and See CAST Page 10 Nicolle Ford leads the Red Rocks into action team this year, this is not the significant reason Ford was voted captain this year. It was her example that exalted her to the leadership role she has been entrusted with. "She's always really confident in herself and she's such a good example for everybody on the team," sophomore Kristina Baskett said. "I've looked up to her and she's set a good example for me of how I want to be confident in my skills, and she's just a great leader." Head coach Greg Marsden could not agree more. In fact, Marsden foresaw Ford's position as a captain well before the team voted her into that position. "To be honest, she was a leader from the be- ginning, just because of her personality and her character," Marsden said. "I knew that it was inevitable that she was going to emerge into (team captain)." Marsden also points to Queenie's • work ethic as a source of the example he wishes to see his captain set. ; "There's probably not a tougher competitor or harder worker. She's < very successful and is willing to do the work to accomplish ... -..._.—,^ things," Marsden said. • ^ "She's a leader by example." It is easy to see the type of poise, confidence and leadership Queenie possesses upon meeting her. The way she makes eye contact demands the same elevated attention her performances require on the mat Filling the role of moderator is not a particularly easy or pleasurable task, but Ford understands her role as captain well. "She's not afraid to get in your face if that's what it takes, and she's not afraid to confront me," Marsden said. "If the team has issues with what's going on...they (the gymnasts) are comfortable that she would come and represent them well." Queenie has also had a little bit of help stepping into the role of fulltime captain. Last year, she shared the captain responsibilities with then-senior Kristen Riffanacht, with whom Nicolle had competed since she was 10 years old. Ford credits RifFanact in helping her grow into the role she has taken for this year. .>• "I shared captainship with Kristen last year and that was really good," Ford said. "She's helped me every year that I've been here, and being co-captain helped me get to know the ropes and learn from her." Ford's example and dedication inside the gym are extremely contagious—after all, it is pretty easy for teammates to appreciate an all-around excellent athlete like Ford. The inside of the gym is not the only place Ford puts her allaround talent to use. Many teammates cite the fact that * • Ford is simply a great friend and confidante outside the gym. And this, they have said, is a poignant reason Queenie has been crowned team captain. 3 "She's a leader in the gym, but also out of the gym. She's there when we need her...so it was SeeQXJEENPageJO • . - . . , . ,;•.»_ ;=.-.!...-. 'II. |