Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Katie Zak
Contributing Writer
The women’s volleyball team tacked two more wins onto their record last week as they defeated Atlantic 10 rivals Charlotte and George Washington in two important road games. The wins brought the Muskies to 2-0 in conference play and 8-7 overall.
On Friday night, the ladies faced off against the Charlotte 49ers in the big conference opener for both teams.
The ladies took the first game 30-24 before falling to the Niners in the second game 21-30. They bounced back and came out fighting in the third game, winning 30-23, and went on to take the match with a game four score of 30-24.
Junior middle blocker Jill Quayle recorded a career-high 18 kills in the match and ended with a .412 hitting percentage, while fellow junior outside hitter Jenni Horvath posted a career-high 16 kills and 11 digs in her second double-double, with a hitting percentage of .481.
Senior outside hitter and A-10 player of the week Danielle Skrajewski recorded her third consecutive and 42nd career double-double on the match with 18 kills and 11 digs.
Skrajewski was one of five Musketeers with 10 or more digs on Friday night.
The Xavier defense was led by freshman outside hitter Lauren Kaminsky, who doled out 13 digs and five block assists along with eight kills and two aces. Sophomore libero Megan Hellmann posted 10 digs and an ace while sophomore setter Jenn Welsh finished the match with 62 assists and nine digs.
The Muskies then traveled to the nation’s capital to take on the George Washington Colonials in a Sunday noon time match-up. Xavier faltered initially as GW took game one by a score of 23-30.
The Musketeers shook off the early loss though, and came back to win the next three games 30-24, 30-23 and 30-19 as they held the Colonials to a .149 combined hitting percentage. The victory was the ladies’ second conference win of the weekend and the season.
Freshman outside hitter Kelly Ruth recorded her second career double-double with 14 kills and a team-high15 digs and also contributed an ace and two block assists to the Musketeer victory.
Skrajewski posted her fourth consecutive and 43rd career double-double with a team-high 22 kills and 11 digs, and Horvath had her third double-double in four matches with 16 kills and 12 digs. Welsh handed out 61 assists on 69 kills for the Muskies.
The Muskies will return to A-10 play as they take on I-75 rival Dayton on Friday at Dayton. The Flyers are 2-0 in conference play and 11-5 overall so far this season.
The Musketeers finally return home to Cintas Center on Tuesday to take on Wright State in one of three home games that week. Come support your ladies as they look to add a few more W's to their record.
John LaFollette
Sports Editor
The Xavier men’s basketball team will appear in a record of 10 nationally televised games this season, more than doubling their four appearances last season.
The programming schedule, released last Thursday, features five games on ESPN2, four games on ESPNU (including the Crosstown Shootout against Cincinnati) and one game on the Atlantic 10’s partner network CSTV.
The deals with ESPNU and CSTV have drawn some criticism because of their availability to viewers.
While ESPN2 is a standard channel through most cable providers, CSTV is only available in Cincinnati on satellite television or as a premium channel through Time Warner Cable.
ESPNU, on the other hand, is only available in Cincinnati through satellite; Time Warner Cincinnati does not carry the network, even as a premium offer. Xavier University subscribes to DirecTV for on-campus residence television; ESPNU is channel 74.
Of the four ESPNU games, two will be played at Cintas Center, allowing fans to see the action from the stands instead of on their television screens.
But the two road games that Xavier fans will have to watch on television are ones they’ll definitely want to see: at Dayton and at Cincinnati.
This means that unless they have satellite, Xavier students living off campus and Xavier alumni will have to watch those games away from their living rooms.
“I think it’s a little ridiculous to have a game as big as the Shootout on ESPNU,” said sophomore Chris Haas, who will still be able to watch both games from his dorm room. “It seems like it should be on a local station or a station that fans living off campus can get.”
Xavier alumni also object to the plan. “It concerns me that most of the fans in this city, from both schools, won’t be able to watch the Crosstown Shootout,” says Matt Kendall ‘95, “Especially since this is going to be such a big game for UC this year.”
Still, 10 nationally televised games will bring exposure to Xavier in parts of the country that do have access to ESPNU. “This level of national exposure is great news for our basketball program,” said Athletic Director Mike Bobinski. “It also gives us an opportunity to spotlight Xavier at a very exciting time of growth for the university.”
The Musketeers will still appear on ESPN2 back-to-back in two other major games that will certainly gain national attention. In a rematch of last year’s near-win over Illinois, the Musketeers will take on the Illini on Dec. 29 at U.S. Bank Arena.
Xavier will also meet with former Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins in a televised game against Kansas State on Jan. 3, 2007 at U.S. Bank Arena.
Xavier’s regionally televised games, including the Musketeers’ 10-game package with FSN Ohio, will be released when plans are confirmed.
It is possible that games from the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands could be added to the television schedule in addition to the regional packages already offered on FSN Ohio and CSTV.
The men’s basketball team begins its season with an exhibition game against Tusculum on Nov. 1 at Cintas Center.
Jimmy Byrnes
Asst. Sports Editor
The Xavier University men’s soccer team fell 3-1 against Western Kentucky last Friday. The loss puts XU’s record at 3-6 for the season. The story of the game was the ability of WKU to get shots on goal, winning the battle 18-7. Five of the seven shots for the Musketeers were off target and one was saved by the WKU goalkeeper.
The bright spot for the men was when freshman Doug Dalton recorded his first collegiate goal with an assist from fellow freshman Dico Hanycz. Each notched their first points for their short careers at Xavier. The goal came in the 74th minute, and made the score 3-1 in favor of WKU.
The first half ended in a 0-0 as neither team was able to get moving offensively. The Hilltoppers had five shots on goal to XU’s four.
The assist by Hanycz made him the ninth player on the XU roster to record an assist this season. Dalton was the sixth player to score a goal for the Muskies this fall.
The story of the game was XU being out-shot by WKU 13-3 in the second half. Three of the shots went in for goals.
Xavier goalkeeper senior Liam Curran was given a red card in the 63rd minute of play. The card also gave the Hilltoppers from WKU a penalty shot which was punched in for the second WKU goal of the evening.
New Musketeer goalie, sophomore Adam Sokolowski, replaced Curran after he was ejected with a red card.
Sokolowski played just over 28 minutes in the game, and didn’t face any on target shots by the trigger happy WKU offense.
The men next play host to the University of Dayton Flyers at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Nick DiFrancesco
Contributing Writer
Buckeye Insider
Last Game: Defeated Penn State, 28-6
Must be Said: The Buckeyes got off to another sluggish start last week, getting shut out in the first half. The Penn State defense was flying around, but the Bucks were downright sloppy on offense. Troy Smith looked human for the first time all season, but again showed us why he is a Heisman candidate early in the fourth quarter.
He dropped back to his right, avoided a pass rush, reversed the field by sprinting to his left, then finally tossed a strike to wide receiver Brian Robiskie in the back of the end zone. Also impressive was RB Antonio Pittman, who rushed for 110 yards, as well as the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
What to Watch for: The Buckeyes face a tough test this week, traveling to Kinnick Stadium to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. The last time the Buckeyes made this trip, they came away licking their wounds from a 33-7 defeat. This will also be the first time this season that OSU will be facing an experienced quarterback, Iowa’s Drew Tate. ESPN’s College GameDay crew will get things started at 10 a.m., live from Iowa City.
Polls: No. 1 in both polls
Next Game: Iowa, 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 on ABC
Irish Insider
Last Game: Defeated Michigan State, 40-37
Must be Said: When the weather turned horrible, the Irish turned up their game. It was a monsoon in East Lansing, and Notre Dame turned in one of the most memorable comebacks in recent history. Trailing by 16 going into the fourth quarter, the Irish capitalized on three Spartan turnovers in the final period. I stated in this space last week that Brady Quinn was no longer in the Heisman race, but he re-entered himself with his performance on Saturday (319 yards, 5 TDs). The defense looked porous through the first three quarters, but came up big when it mattered most. The one thing the Irish still need is a running game: they’ve been outrushed on the season 645-299.
What to Watch for: The Irish now begin the second phase of their schedule. After a tough initial four weeks, Notre Dame should now have time to fix most of their problems against sub-par competition.
Purdue does come in this weekend as an undefeated squad, but their schedule has been very easy so far. The Domers should be favored in each of their next seven games.
Polls: No. 12 in the A.P., no. 14 in USA Today
Next Game: Purdue, 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 on NBC
John LaFollette
Sports Editor
The Spectator begins this week across the pond at the K Club, Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland (what a name!), the site of the latest Ryder Cup loss for the United States. The Europeans trounced the Americans with a score of 18 ½ points to 9 ½ points, tying the record for the most lopsided victory in a Ryder Cup, which was set two years ago by Europe.
In the aftermath, golf analysts like the Spectator have been scratching their heads about how to win this thing. The United States is 1-4 in the last five Ryder Cups and has now lost two straight. Things don’t seem to be looking brighter, and everyone seems to have a different take.
The idea endorsed by most, and the easiest to accomplish, is to tweak (or revamp entirely) the qualifying system. Under the current system, players started qualifying at the end of the 2004 season, accumulating points based on their finishes in tournaments, with more points awarded for major championships. Point totals increased as the Ryder Cup drew nearer, theoretically fielding a team of the 10 best golfers at the time of the Cup, with two captain’s picks. The problem with this is that it rewards streaky play and first place finishes too handsomely (a first place finish is worth nearly twice the points as a second place finish).
Tiger Woods thinks that the Americans need a better crop of young players, and he is partly right. The youngest player on this team was the 30-year-old Woods, while the Europeans had three players all in their 20s. Youthful exuberance from the United States was certainly lacking in this Ryder Cup, but the Spectator doesn’t think the issue is all about youth.
The Americans looked like they were trudging their way around the course, trying too hard and not having any fun. When a European team won a hole, the teams celebrated with animated high-fives and back slaps. The Americans just pounded knuckles and walked to the next tee. The United States needs to loosen up and have some fun! The Europeans laughed it up all over the course, and they don’t even all speak the same language!
The Cincinnati Bengals had the latest laugh in their ongoing rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. The teams combined for a sloppy eight turnovers in what seemed like a battle of who wanted the ball the least. Quarterback Carson Palmer played the hero for the Bengals, throwing four touchdown passes, including two to T.J. Houshmandzadeh only 54 seconds apart.
Most people now agree that Cincinnati is one of the top two teams in the league (and most people agree that they’re still behind the Colts), so the big surprise in this game was the egg laid by Big Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger completed just 18-39 passes for 208 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns in a game in which many expected him to shine.
The win over the Steelers, for whom the Bengals have a deep and self-proclaimed hatred, does not excuse the behavior of Cincinnati players. The Bengals’ character woes continued early last Monday morning when middle linebacker Odell Thurman was arrested on charges of drunken driving. Thurman was already serving a four-game suspension for missing an off-season drug test, and head coach Marvin Lewis thinks that he will now be suspended for the rest of the season.
Lewis has habitually drafted problematic players, and Thurman’s latest breach of the rules only highlights this point. So far this year, six Bengals have been arrested, and players don’t seem to be getting the point, despite a visit by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week urging them to better represent the league. Chris Henry, who was a passenger in Thurman’s truck Monday morning and who could allegedly be seen vomiting on the curb as Thurman was arrested, has himself been arrested four times on allegations varying from marijuana possession to gun charges. To avoid becoming Cincinnati’s NFL version of Bob Huggins, Lewis should do everything he can to make his players straighten up.
On a brighter NFL note, football is back in New Orleans! It may not be the neighborhoods, businesses and hospitals that many people want, but it’s something. And that’s what the crowd at the Superdome seemed to be cheering for on Monday Night Football: something.
The Saints made their return all the more triumphant with a big win over the previously undefeated Atlanta Falcons. But the football took a backseat to the event itself; the Spectator remembers all too clearly the scene at the Superdome 13 months ago after Hurricane Katrina. In the darkest, most heart-wrenching exhibit of human suffering that the Spectator has seen on live television (including 9/11), the Louisiana Superdome became a symbol for both the horrible devastation wreaked by Katrina and for the inexcusable mismanagement of the storm’s aftermath. It is only fitting, the Spectator thinks, that nearly 11 million Americans tuned in to watch worthy competition return to a playing field on which so many suffered.
John LaFollette 
Sports Editor
On another day of less-than-perfect weather, the Xavier women’s golf team improved their overall position to finish eighth on the final day of the Lady Irish Invitational.
Once again, junior Diana Torry led the Musketeers with a final round team-low 77 (+5), finishing tied for 16th overall at the par 72, 5,965 yard Warren Golf Course on the University of Notre Dame’s campus.
Torry’s first-round 76 (+4) was the lowest of the tournament for Xavier. Senior Kara Manis shot an 81 (+9) in her final round to finish tied for 31st at 240 (+24).
Finishing four strokes behind Manis at 244 (+28) were sophomore Lindsay Cornell and freshman Tracey Clarke who both tied at 44th place. Both matched their first round scores from the day before, Cornell carding an 80 (+8) and Clarke an 82 (+10).
Mary Beth McKenna rounded off play for the Musketeers with a final-round 82 to finish at 245 (+29), earning her 48th place for the tournament.
The Musketeers hit the road again next weekend for the Great Smokies Collegiate Championship in Waynesville, N.C.
Cross country races well in Minn.
The Xavier University men’s and women’s cross country teams finished their fourth meet of the season at the 2006 Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota. The XU women’s team took home a 25th place finish in the 6K race while the men recorded a 34th place finish in the 8K race. This was one of Xavier’s toughest fields as they competed against over a dozen nationally ranked teams.
Senior Kelly Sraj led the women for the third time in four meets this season. Sraj finished 82nd in a field of 288 with a time of 23:09.
Following Sraj was sophomore Becky Clark with a time of 23:36. XU’s No. 3 and 4 finishers were freshman Danielle Meiners in 23:49 and junior Amanda Brown in 24:02. Rounding out the women’s side was sophomore Ashley Stick in 25:02.
Junior Ben Milroy also led the men’s side for the third time in four meets finishing 164th in a field of 301 at 26:59. Sophomore Luke Beuerlein finished next for the Musketeers in a time of 27:17. Following Beuerlein was junior Tony Matheus in 27:35. Rounding out the men’s squad were freshman Drew Kaiser and sophomore Clinton Womack in 28:24 and 28:33, respectively.
The Xavier men’s and women’s cross country teams will compete again on Saturday, Sept. 30 in the Rocky Mountain Shootout in Boulder, Colo.
