• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1988-11-03_Vol54_No12_13

The Western Carolinian Page 13 Thursday, November 3, 1988 Volleyball team coming into their own Mark Metzger: Mr. AH South 1988 'He has what it takes' by Tom Moriarty Carolinian Sport. Writer Western's head volleyball coach Trish Howell has said along that she has a young team and that they would be working together around the end of the season. Watching their practices you see just how hard they really have to work. This young team is just starting to turn the corner on a tough season as they have won three of their last four matches, improving their record to 7-21 overall, 4-5 in the Southern Conference. Just last week, the Lady Cats lost one tough match to Georgia Tech on Tuesday (1-15, 8-15, 15-12, 4-15), before coming home for a wild fire set match with Marshall (15-8, 8-15, 15-8, 7-15, 15-9). With this win, the Lady Cats were able to average an earlier 3 set loss to Marshall on October 8. The Lady Herd were tied for record place in the conference before Saturday's upset. "It was a real good win for us over a strong Marshall team," said Howell. "We played well and showed more confidence than in our earlier meeting with them, and it proved that we are getting better." Eye-opening performances were put in by several of the Cats against Marshall, with a superb showing by front line people Regina Brown and Kim Spruill. Brown had 15 kills, five blocks and 17 digs, while Spruill added 13 kills, three blocks, and 18 digs. Defensively, Missy MukHjukMl photo Kim Spruill spikes in one of the Lady Cats matches Morton lad the team with 20 digs. The teams freshman combination of Kris Parker and Katherine Thomas added 15 kills together to push the Cats over the top to victory. Western gets another shot at the Lady Yellowjackets on Wednesday and by now everyone should know how they did. Due to last weeks win, Howell thinks that maybe this time will have been more encouraging." Last week against Georgia Tech we never really got into the match," she noted. "We didn't receive serve well and because of that we couldn't get into our offense. Hopefully Wednesday will be totally different for us," she added. At press time, WCU was Emotion continued statement again was written out of context. Due to the financial limitations that the coaches have to work with, Western recruiters have to work twice as hard >ri the recruiting battles and deserve all the credit in the world for their success. For example, since entering the conference in 1977, Western has produced ten professional football players that have either played or are still playing (See page 14). That is an accomplishment that most Division l-AA programs only dream about. Western's 2-6 record so far this season has been somewhat a disappointment, but the coaches and players have given 100% since day one and have played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, and by far the most difficult in comparison to the other programs in the Southern Conference. For example, N.C. State, South Carolina, The Citadel, Eastern Kentucky, and Furman have all been nationally-ranked this season. Furthermore, the Cats have yet to play Appalachian State and Marshall, both of whom join the above list as Top-20 teams. The football players are a great bunch of guys, and this season has been one of hard knocks against tremendous odds week in and week out. It would be hard to dispute that Western could be the best 2-6 team in Division l-AA football. I bet some of you are scratching your head, but wait a minute check out the facts. Off en si vely , Western's line is the best unit in the conference, if not the nation in their division. Statistic number one, the Cats offensive line has allowed only seven quarterback sacks in eight games against all those nationally-ranked opponents. Other bright spots on the offensehas to be the play of wide receiver Otis Washington and tight end John Reed. Washington, a senior from Dillon, SC is a legitimate All-American candidate this season and ranks fourth in the nation in all-purpose yardage. Reed, a sophomore from Greensboro has blossomed in to one of the conferences best at his position. Defensively, the Cats may have given up some points this season, but their defensive line is among the most physical in the nation. Size, strength, and versatility characterize two legitimate All-Southern Conference performers in Scottie Arant and Geno Segers. Furthermore, Derrick Harrison and John Stewart have proven that they are also two forces not to be taken lightly. This season Western's defensive line has become quite a discussion among opposing coaches and it very well should be. But, if one has to pinpoint a factor in many of the Cats losses this season, injuries and depth seem to be the reason. Linebackers Wayne Parker and Calvin Gist, and cornerback Ceasar Hunt were key figures in preseason and their season ending injuries have hurt the Cats defensive severely. This remarkable trio all have projected All-Southern Conference ability and their loss for the 1988 season has shown considerable impact. Just wait till they come back from injury and see how many points are scored against the Cats defense. Lastly, I would like to say that everybody knows that Western has had problems when it has come to consistency at quarterbacks. In Todd in fourth place in the league, behind E. Tennessee State, Appalachian State, and Marshall. Western will close out its regular season schedule at home on Nov. 8 when they host Appalachian State, before the Southern Conference Tournament Nov. 11-13. "We have made some changes and are trying to get ready for the stretch run," concluded Howell. "We are starting to put together some wins, and having three of our last four matches at home should be real positive for us." Admission for the volleyball matches is absolutely free to students and they play in Reid Gym. Hope to see you at the next match. Cottrell and Mark Smith, Western probably has the best one-two punch in the conference, but bad luck in close games have made a considerable difference. In Cottrell's case, confidence seems to be the biggest factor in keeping the junior from Cullowhee from exploding on to the national scene. With Smith, Western has tried to take some pressure off of a struggling Cottrell, and it has helped at times, but the situations are not always ideal. It will be so important in Western's last three games, that the team can pull together and put some confidence back into their quarterbacks. Under difficult circumstances, the football coaches have done a super job this season and are worthy of much credit. The fans understand that this is an up and down season, but no matter what happens in the last three games, the students will be behind them. The Cats are currently ranked 6th in the always rugged Southern Conference at 1-3, but in the season's last three contests anything can happen and records can be thrown out the window. Victories at Appalachian State and VMI on the road and a home game with Marshall on November 12 could very well put the Cats in the upper half of the conference. At this point in the season, the role of spoiler can be quite exciting. One last thing, good luck Cats on your road trip to Boone this weekend, and show those Boone Goons that they are not the only team in the North Carolina mountains. Furthermore, bring that mountain jug back to where it deserves to be and that's in the trophy case at the Ramsey Center. by Tripp Foltz Contributing Sport* Writer for the Carolinian Many people go to the gym and workout. Some go to tone up and others to help support a particular sport. Then a few go to bodybuild. Bodybuilding is not just have large muscle mass, but rather a competitive sport which requires hard and long training periods, a strict diet and very strict discipline. Very few people have what it takes to be a competitive bodybuilder. Mark Metzger, however, does have what it takes to be competitive in this sport. Mark, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, makes time in his daily schedule to train 1 1/2 to 2 hours each day six days a week, while taking a full class load and being an active member in his fraternity. How does he do it? The answer is simple. He is up at 7 a.m. every morning studying and preparing for class. After class he heads for Reid gym to work-out. Then he returns to the fraternity house where he rides an exercise bike for 30 to 45 minutes. After a small rest period he is studying once again and then takes time to work for the fraternity. This schedule might not sound too bad for some, but then add that Mark is on a 1,500 calorie-a-day, high carbohydrate, low-fat, low- sodium diet and try to figure out where all of his energy comes from to last throughout the day. When I asked Mark about how his diet affects his life he replied, "Sometimes it is really difficult to sit in a room with your friends while they are eating pizza and Mark Metzger flexes for the judges all I can eat is rice cakes, but I just try to keep my mind on winning and try not to think about it (the pizza)." Well, the strict discipline and hard work proved to be worth the effort on Saturday night October 22nd at Booker Auditorium in Columbia, S.C. Mark took first place honors in the Men's Open Middleweight division at the All-South Bodybuilding Championship. His performance on stage was astounding and the crowd really loved his routine. He then placed second in the Men's Over all Division. By winning the All-South, Mark qualified to go the the Nationals for the next two years. Mark has a new goal now, "I know now I have what it takes to win a major competition, and if I stick to my diet and training routine, I'm sure I will be a factor at the Nationals in May." Well, Mark does not have to prove he has what it takes to be a winner, he has the first place trophy to do that for him. Congratulations, Mark, and good luck in the Nationals. Pi Lamda Phi participates in Cats Trek by Holly Wheatley Carolinian Entertainment Editor Would you like to make a difference in someone's life with little effort? The Cats Trek to Appalachian State is such an opportunity. The Trek, sponsored by Pi Lambda Phi, is a fun- draising marathon of 150 miles that will take place across Western North Carolina starting in Cullowhee, N.C, and ending in Boone, N.C. Runners will carry the game ball for the Western Carolina University and Appalachian State game on November 5th. All money raised will be divided evenly between the Bob Waters Leadership Fund and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The Bob Waters Leadership Fund was created to honor Bob Waters for his outstanding service and inspiration to Western Carolina University.. The fund will provide for a student assistantship in football at the university. Matt McKee, a senior from Shelby, N.C, who is a Pi Lambda Phi, says the idea for the fundraiser was born at an October meeting of the executive officers of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. The officers wanted to plan a fund raising event and relate it to Western, says Matt. "Our brotherhood felt that we wanted to make a difference and to show that, we felt we had to do something big enough to really have an impact. As a united effort from the whole brotherhood, we feel that there is no limit to how far we can go." The Trek will take place over November 2,3, and 4. The fraternity will receive the game ball at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, from coached Bob Setzer and Bob Waters. The whole fraternity will be running. They hope to average 6-7 miles and hour, and they hope to arrive at Appalachian State Friday afternoon. The runners will run the football onto the field at Appalachian State, and group contributors will be recognized. The fraternity will present a check on November 12 at the Marshall game. You can contribute by sponsoring a runner in the See FUNDRAISER, page 14 + PLEASE COME OUT & SIGN THIS "THANK YOU" BANNER TO BE PRESENTED TO THE COACH AT THE FOOTBALL GAME ON "BOB WATERS APPRECIATION DAY", NOV. 12. THE BANNER WILL BE AT: DODSON CAFETERIA NOV. 8 & 9, (lunch and dinner hours), AND BROWN CAFETERIA NOV. 10. (lunch and dinner hours) SPONSORED BY THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University’s student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1988-11-03
  • Date digitized: 2019-09-05
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 14.25"
  • Pages: 14 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1988-11-03_Vol54_No12
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library