Golf team claims victory in season opener
Nationally ranked Frogs edge past Clemson, S. Carolina

By Kelly Morris
skiff staff

After winning the third annual Ridges/Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate Invitational this past weekend in Johnson City, Tenn., the TCU men’s golf team not only started its fall season with a victory, it proved it could compete with the best teams in the country.

The team, ranked No. 13 according to the MasterCard Preseason Collegiate Golf Ranking, outplayed top-ranked Clemson and eight other nationally ranked teams.

“We had a lot of confidence going into the tournament,” said redshirt freshman Adam Rubinson. “If we continued to play as well as we were playing, we knew we had a chance of winning. The victory really jump-started us and added to our confidence.”

After the first 18 holes on Saturday, the team finished with a tournament-best round of 279. TCU followed it up with a second-round score of 280. This gave the golfers a six-stroke lead going into the final day of competition.

“After our first day of play, we were really happy to be where we were,” senior Scott Volpitto said.

Although a team can easily come back from six strokes behind, it was far better for us to have a six-stroke lead than a one-stroke lead.”

With a three-round total score of 851 (13-under-par), the team edged South Carolina by three strokes. The Frogs and Gamecocks were the only two teams to shoot under par for the tournament.

Rubinson and Volpitto tied for third place individually with three-round scores of 212. Senior Aaron Hickman finished 11th.

Hickman said hilly terrain and a tough course setup on the final day of play made finishing the tournament difficult.

“The minute you let the course affect you, you’re done,” he said. “Coach has told us before that we have to focus on the things we can control. We can’t control course setup or the weather.”

With their confidence level soaring, Hickman said the team should not forget this is the beginning of a long year.

“We need to keep in mind that it’s just the first tournament,” Hickman said. “Our victory needs to be a stepping stone, not a peak.”

Kelly Morris
k.l.morris@student.tcu.edu.

By Colleen Casey
Skiff Staff

Junior setter Lindsay Hayes marked her sixth assist against Morgan State on Saturday as the record-breaking 2,290 assist of her career. Hayes broke the all-time assist record for TCU volleyball, previously set at 2,289 by Annie Gant during the 1996-1997 season.

“It really felt good,” Hayes said. “Everyone on the team was cheering and my parents especially were very happy.”

Head volleyball coach Sandy Troudt said Hayes is not one for record-setting celebrations.

“Lindsay thinks about the team, she didn’t even know how close she was (to the record),” Troudt said. “Everyone else was whispering about it though.”

Hayes coupled her record-breaking weekend with a spot on the all-tournament team, along with senior outside hitter Amy Atamanczuk. She said she did not really remember about the record and added that getting all-tournament was an added surprise.

“Lindsay was phenomenal this weekend, especially considering she just had nose surgery,” assistant volleyball coach Barbara Kovacs said. “She has really developed mentally, and her technique has really improved, bringing our offense with her.”

During Hayes’ freshman season, she led the team with 9.92 assists a game, and ranked 14th in the Western Athletic Conference for assists per game. Hayes also set a TCU and personal record during the last regular-season match of 1998, tallying 75 assists during a 3-2 win over Tulsa.

At the end of Hayes’ sophomore year, she was the single-season and career leader in assists a game. Hayes ended her sophomore year with an 11.23 assists a game average — breaking the record set by Gant in 1997 (10.37).

Hayes is currently on pace to break Gant’s career assists a game mark. Gant averaged 9.9 assists a game for her career. After her sophomore year, Hayes was averaging 10.62 assists. This would push Hayes’ assist a game total to 10.62, which broke Gant’s all-time assists a game mark of 9.9.

In Hayes’ sophomore year, she also tied the 75 assists-a-game record in a four-game victory over Rice. She would go on to assist at least 50 times in five games that season.

“Lindsay has epitomized what we want a setter to be,” Troudt said. “The fact that she works so hard is a real tribute to the game.”

Colleen Casey
c.m.casey@student.tcu.edu.

By Matt Stiver
Skiff staff

TCU head football coach Dennis Franchione found himself in a precarious position Saturday — he is the coach of a team that must not only win, but win big.

His team defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack 41-10 Saturday. His Heisman Trophy-contending tailback rushed for three touchdowns. His defense recorded a school-record 16 sacks. His special teams returned two kicks for touchdowns. His fans grumbled.

“I guess now we have to grade a 31-point win,” Franchione said. “It wasn’t as pretty as some people may have wanted, but it was a win. I’ll take an ‘ugly’ 31-point win any day.”

TCU moved up two spots to No. 20 in the latest Associated Press poll. The USA Today/ESPN coaches poll placed the Frogs at No. 21.

Senior tailback and Heisman contender LaDainian Tomlinson, who rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns, said the Frogs played well, despite what some fans may say.

“We came ready to play,” Tomlinson said. “We wanted it, and we went out and took it.”

Sophomore quarterback Casey Printers ran his record as a starter to 9-2, despite throwing for only 53 yards on 3-9 passing. He found senior Cedric James for 33 yards on TCU’s opening drive to set up a touchdown.
Tomlinson compensated for a grounded passing attack, averaging 7.3 yards an attempt. On his final carry of the game, Tomlinson took a Printers pitch 42 yards down the sideline for his third touchdown with 7:32 to play in the third quarter.

Fans also could not complain with the play of TCU’s defense or special teams unit.

When Franchione pulled most of his starters after the third quarter, the Frogs led 41-10, and their defense had limited Nevada to 109 yards of total offense. Senior defensive end Aaron Schobel recorded three sacks before leaving with a hip injury in the second quarter. His status will be evaluated tomorrow.

A total of 10 different TCU defenders recorded a sack. Junior defensive ends Joe Hill and Chad McCarty each recorded three sacks.

A suspected weakness heading in to the season, TCU’s special teams proved itself a strength.

“I asked them during pregame not to mess it up,” Franchione said. “They played impressively.”

Senior LaVar Veale and sophomore LaTarence Dunbar each returned kicks for a touchdown.

Veale, named Western Athletic Conference special teams player of the week, averaged 17.8 yards per punt return. He wore an air cast after slightly spraining his ankle, but Veale said he will be ready to return to the practice field Wednesday.

With 10:22 left in the first quarter, Veale took Derek Jones’ punt 85 yards for TCU’s first punt return for a touchdown since 1995 and gave the Frogs a 14-0 lead.

Dunbar only returned one kickoff, but he made it count. After Nevada drew within 28-10, Dunbar took the ensuing kickoff and raced 95 yards into the end zone.

While some may grumble about the Frogs not scoring 50 points or Tomlinson not rushing for 300 yards, Franchione said he liked the only statistic that counted.

“I’ve never seen a win I didn’t like,” Franchione said.

Matt Stiver
mrstiver@student.tcu.edu.

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