By Paul Freelend Skiff staff For most freshmen, playing the first game of their collegiate career would be nervewracking enough and starting that game would only intensify the pressure. But freshman outside hitter Steph Watson can now say she knows all about that pressure, and she learned about it in front of her home town fans in Denton. "I was kind of nervous, like most freshmen are their first game," Watson said. "When we got here, though, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be. "I knew I'd have a lot of support and I was excited about all the people seeing me play. I'd say there were maybe 20 or 30 people I knew in the stands." Head coach Sandy Troudt said she was aware of Watson's added pressure. "We knew that it would be hard on her," Troudt said. "It's hard to go back to your own town and play match number one. "We talked to her on Monday about it and she told us that she'd be ready to go." Watson's 10 kills the Volley Frogs' led to a three-game, 15-7, 15-7, 15-4 sweep over the University of North Texas Eagles Wednesday night. At the beginning of each game, the Volley Frogs got off to quick starts and they never looked back. TCU finished off the Eagles with solid performances at the end of each game. In front of a crowd of more than 200 people at the North Texas' Snake Pit, the Volley Frogs took advantage of numerous net violations, hitting errors and timing errors by the Eagles' offense and converted their opportunities into valuable points. Throughout the match, the Volley Frogs were diving for balls and making digs that lesser teams would simply have let hit the floor. In the second game, sophomore setter Lindsay Hayes took over, serving up an ace to put TCU up 6-1 and a key ace block that pulled the Volley Frogs out of constant sideouts at 7-2. She also proved to be a force in the third game, serving up another ace and teaming with sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Sebastian on ace blocks that put TCU up 3-0 and that closed out the match at 15-4. Senior co-captain outside hitter Jill Pape and sophomore middle blocker Allison Lynch complimented Watson's play with seven kills of their own. "I really didn't know I would be such a big part of our offense tonight," Watson said. "I am willing to step up and accept that role, though." Senior middle blocker Jessica Rangel led the defensive effort with 12 defensive digs. Hayes paced the Volley Frogs with 30 set assists and senior co-captain defensive specialist Stacy Olson served up three service aces. Despite the 10 kills by North Texas player Jessica Folmar Brown, TCU finished off the Eagles in one hour and 20 minutes. The Volley Frogs accomplished this win without the help of junior outside hitter Amy Atamanczuk. "Amy sprained her MCL (medial collateral ligament) in practice," head coach Sandy Troudt said. "We expect her to be out for another week. It's a grade one injury, but anytime one of my players is out for more than 20 minutes, I'm concerned. She's one of our best blockers and we look forward to having her back." As is the case with most games in the early part of the season, TCU approached the match not knowing much about their opponent, choosing instead to focus on the play on their side of the net. "It's the first game of the season so we didn't know a whole lot about their strategy," Watson said. "North Texas' team is almost completely new this year so it was hard to tell what they would do. We just worked on our part of the game for most of our practices." Troudt attributed part of the Volley Frogs' success to an improvement in a number of basic areas. "During the last couple of practices - in fact during all of the spring and fall practices - we really focused on our ball control, our serving and our blocking," Troudt said. "Of all of the areas we have improved in, those areas are the most radically improved that can be noted." Watson said the team's state of mind was evident on the court. "We knew that we could come out here and win tonight," Watson said. "If our passing is on then our offense is on, so we should be able to run with a lot of people this year." The Volley Frogs' next matches will be at the Oregon State Volleyball showcase against NCAA Tournament qualifier Northern Iowa, host school Oregon State, Portland State and Big 12 mainstay Missouri.
By James Zwilling Skiff staff Veteran transfers will lead both the TCU men's soccer team as well as the University of Wisconsin Badgers in tonight's match up at the Rocky Rococo University of Wisconsin Soccer Classic. The Badgers will introduce Mount Ida Junior College transfer Narciso Fernandes as a forward. Fernandes, who transferred as a junior, scored 52 goals and tallied 27 assists in his two seasons with Mount Ida. "He has speed and he is a team player," Wisconsin head coach Kalekeni Mtalika Banda said. "That is what we are looking for." Fernandes brings with him an abundance of honors accumulated since he relocated to the United States in 1997. Those honors include All-state selection as a senior in high school, second-team NSCAA all-America selection in 1997, and two-time first-team all New England and Region 21 selections. He also led Mount Ida to back-to-back Region 21 and Northeast district titles in 1997 and 1998. Wisconsin coaches are confident about Fernandes's ability. "He's a star," Banda said. "Even at his size (6 feet, 3 inches) he can play the ball with his feet." Fernandes received his first assist of the year in a season-opening 1-4 defeat Wednesday, in Evansville, In. Fernandes will not be the only transfer forward taking the field this weekend in hopes of securing goals for his team. Leading the Horned Frogs, in what coaches say is potentially their best season ever, is forward transfer Matt Groves. Groves, a junior transfer from Coastal Carolina University, has already impressed his coaches. "Matt has been a real nice addition to our program," head coach David Rubinson said. "He has the ability to create all kinds of trouble for the opposition." Groves joins TCU after playing in 30 games, 24 of which he started at forward for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. In his two seasons at Coastal Carolina, Groves accumulated three goals and five assists, while taking 40 shots at the goal. In 1998, Groves's goals and assists helped him to gain confidence on the field. He contributed as his team finished with a seven-win season. "He's a pretty hard-nosed player," Rubinson said. "He will help (the team) improve, and he will make us a little better." Groves has already began showing signs of talent. He made the first goal of the season for the Horned Frogs in a scrimmage game against the University of Incarnate Word on Sunday. The Horned Frogs will play in the Rocky Rococo University of Wisconsin Classic tonight at 7 p.m. and face off against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at noon Sunday. Former detective keeps order on green gridiron Yale travels country with athletes to act as mentor, peacekeeper
By Victor Drabicky Skiff staff He's been everywhere from Utah to Florida and done everything from arresting murderers to making drug busts. But as coordinator of security for the TCU sports program, Detective J. J. Yale isn't making too many arrests anymore.
While Yale was working for the Fort Worth Police Department, he accepted the job of coordinator of security for all TCU athletics, a position he has held for 15 years. As head of security, Yale - along with retired Fort Worth Police Officer John Carter, TCU Police Chief Steve McGee and TCU Police Assistant Chief J. C. Williams - travels to all of the team's away games, a tradition that started with ex-football coach Pat Sullivan. "Sullivan always wanted us to travel with the team," Yale said. "Before (Sullivan's tenure), we didn't travel too much." Over the years, Yale has gotten to travel all over the United States. But, Yale is quick to remind everyone that the trips are for business, not pleasure. "I don't get too much free time," said Yale. "Usually, I stay up late at the hotels to help the kids out if they need anything, and just try to keep an eye on things. If the kids just need someone to talk to, they know I'm there." Even when he's not on official TCU duty, Yale acts as a mediator between officials and players should a situation arise. Yale's presence was felt this summer when basketball player Lee Nailon and football player LaDainian Tomlinson had a run in with the police. "I tell the kids how to respect an officer when they talk to one," Yale said. "I believe that their respect for the officers helped out in an intense situation this past summer." But Yale and the rest of the officers that travel with the football team do more than just keep an eye on things. "I act as a liaison between the team and the local officers," Yale said. Yale, a commissioned Texas police officer, said if a problem occurs, he relays the message to one of the officers on duty. However, if Yale senses a breach of peace, he can make arrests. "My jurisdiction actually ends off campus," Yale said. "But I can assist other officers if they may need it." Even though he can make arrests, Yale said that a majority of the time it isn't necessary. "Most of the time, people get in trouble for either throwing stuff on the field, or cursing at the other team," Yale said. "When that does happen, they get to listen to the rest of the game from a radio in the parking lot." When asked about this football season, Yale isn't making any predictions. However, this season Yale will get a chance to broaden his spectrum as the team travels to Hawaii. But like his trips to Florida and Utah, this trip will be strictly business. |
Yale has become somewhat of a legend around campus, because
he has worked security for TCU athletics since 1968. Yale also worked as
a homicide, sexual assault, robbery and narcotics detective for the Fort
Worth police for 17 years.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |