1987_09 The Daily Collegian September 1987

              Collegian Sports
California Stale University, Fresno
Friday, September 11,1987
Bulldog spikers
set on Sliester
By Kendall Kerr
Sports Writer
Although Tracy Sliester may very
well be Fresno State's all-time best setter,
she believes she has yet to reach her
potential.       V.
"Nobody is ever perfect,"said Sliester,
"There's always more to learn."
Sliester, a 20-year-old junior from
Prather, received the vote last year for
the team's Most Valuable Player, Taco
Bell Co-Player of the Year, and the
team's student-athletic Academic Ex-
' cellence award.
Playing Volleyball has been a major
part of SIiester's life since elementary
school. She played competitively all four
of her years at Sierra Joint Union High
School (Prather) and is beginning her
third season at FSU. Sliester has enjoyed
every team she's been on, especially the
present one.
"Everyone is so intense and wants to
win. The entire team is working hard to
accomplish this," she said.
Bulldog Coach Leilani Overstreet is
going with a 5-1 offense instead of the
traditional 6-2; a main reason being that
she's confident Sbester can\handle the
setter's chores alone. >k.
"I don't have any doubt about her
ability to play a 5-1, because she ran the
5-1 extremely well in USVBA," said
Overstreet Sliester prefers the 5-1 over
the two-setter formation because there is
no interruption in the momentum.
"With this offense, there is one train of
thought working against the opposing
team also different setting techniques
sometimes throw the players off," she
said.
Sliester is a leader. She is intent on
keeping her head in the game and
playing intensely so the other players
will do the same. Motivating her team¬
mates is a key job and to do so, she might
make a set that doesn't look possible or a
tremendous save.
She believes volleyball involves a lot
of positive mental thinking. The night
before a game, the team will concentrate
and visualize the game that is ahead.
Her high-spirted attitude is a definite
plus for the Bulldogs.
Sliester hopes to get better each prac¬
tice and each game this season. Her
ultimate goal is "to lead the team to the
final four."
Throughout   her   years   of  playing
volleyball, Sliester has looked up to a
see SUESTER, page 7
Photo cajlmsf at Buktog Sporti *tomatton/G*er*\ Moot*
Junior Traci Sliester is the lone setter in Fresno State's new 5-1 offense. Last year,
she was voted her team's Most Valuable Player.
'Dogs meet Leathernecks in home opener
By Jon Matsune
Sports Editor   '       A
The Fresno State football team will be
out out to make amends tomorrow night
when it takes on Western Illinois in
Bulldog Stadium Saturday night at 7:00
p.m. i,
•In their season opener last Saturday,
the Bulldogs let a close game slip away
as they allowed 21 fourth-quarter points
and lost to Washington State 41-24. A
loss to Western Illinois would mark the
first time the Dogs lost two straight
games since 1984, and break a 15-game
winning streak at Bulldog Stadium.
Western Illinois, a member of the little -
known Gateway Conference, won its
opening game with Arkansas Tech last
week in impressive 48-9 fashion. Dir¬
ecting the Leatherneck assault in that
contest was quarterback Paul Singer
who threw for 207 yards and three
touchdowns
Fullback Brett Grimshaw (95 yards
and a touchdown in just nine caries last
ek) and tailback Mike Cox (48 yards
six carries) are the mainstays of the
Leatherneck running game. Depth is
added by Claude Milsap, who gained 36
yards on seven carries versus Arkansas
Tech.
Western Illinois' receiving corps gets
most of its punch from tight end Jeff
Prentice (three catches for 27 yards and
two touchdowns) and flanker Don
Beebe (one reception for 54 yards). The
Leatherneck offensive front,
spearheaded by guard Keith Blue (6-
foot-3, 265 pounds), and tackles Russ
Bal (6-foot-4, 285) and Tim Harper (6-
foo^6,295).        '
The Leatherneck defense has just one
starter back from last year's 6-5 squad (6-
foot-0, 250-pound tackle Rick Renner),
but this didn't appear to blunt its
effectiveness versus Arkansas Tech — it
gave up just 118 yards yards in total
offense.
Standouts include linebacker Marty
Lomelino (6-foot-0, 225), free safety.
Maurice Smith (6-foot-3, 190) and
strong safety Lorenzo Taylor (5-foot-ll,
185). Lomelino piled up six unassisted
tackles and 14 assisted stops last week.
on 13 of 22 for 164 with no interceptions.
"Anybody that has seen Dave Telford
at Spokane Falls Community College
and now can say that they can recognize
him would have to be the biggest liar in
the world because I can't recognize him,"
said Sweeney, "He played extremely
well. He showed a lot of poise. He has
zero game experience. And, I think he's
going to be an outstanding quarterback."
"I don't think we have a dilemma in
the quarterback situation. I think
we've got two guys that can play."
Jim Sweeney
The loss of these two players will
make it a bit more difficult for the 'Dogs
to improve from a sub-par performance
that saw them give up 503 yards in total
offense to Washington State.
Standout' defenders for the Dogs
include safety Rod Webster, who
returned an interception 63 yards for a
touchdown last week, defensive end
Jethro Franklin and linebacker Chris
Rinehart
All-America candidate Barry Belli will
handle both the kicking and the punting
chores. He hit three, of four field goal
attempts versus Washington State
(barely missinga 62-yarder) and av¬
eraged 42.8 yards in five punts.
Belli now has 57 career field goals and
is now just 23 shy of the record held by
Washington's Jeff Jaeger. He has also
kicked at least one field goal in 28 of his
30 career games.
Smith, the squad's top punt returner,
averaged 18.5 yards on four returns.
The kicking chores for Western
Illinois will be handled by placekicker
Layne Bennett and punter Mike Krause
(39.3 average on four punts). WIU head
coach Bruce Craddockis in his fifth
season with the Leathernecks and sports
a record of 21-22-1.
Fresno State is still not set on a
starting quarterback, but both Eric
Buechele and Dave Telford proved
played with effectiveness last week.
1 don't think we have a dilemma in
the quarterback situation," FSU Coach
Jim Sweeney said after the game, "I
think we've got two guys that can play."
Buechele started the game and
completed nine of 16 passes for 110
yards with two interceptions. Telford hit
FSU receivers Brock Smith and Ron
Jenkins were both impressive versus
Washington State. Smith caught four
balls for 86 yards and Jenkins grabbed
five for 59.
The running game will put forth a
two-headed monster consisting of
tailback Kelly Skipper and fullback
Dean Collins. The pair shredded the
Washington State for 167 yards last
Saturday and will be looking to do
something of the same tomorrow night.
Bulldog defensive starters Brian
Greer and William Brown were' both
knocked out of the Washington State
game.'Linebacker Greer, who suffered
torn ligaments in his right knee, will
miss the rest of the season. Brown, who
was sidelined with bruised nerves in the
neck, is out indefinitely. \'.'.w
Soccer 'Dogs in
SF for Met Life
By Jim Proulx
Sports Writer
The undefeated Fresno State soccer
squad travels to San Francisco this
weekend where it will attempt to earn
its second consecutive title in the Met¬
ropolitan Life Classic soccer tourn¬
ament at Balboa Stadium.
FSU will be going after its fourth
straight victory on Saturday when it
"Jsquares off against the University of
Connecticut. *The Huskies have a
record of 3-0-1 this-year, earning them
some votes in the International Soccer
Association of America polls. Their
wins include a 3-1 dust-off of Stanford,
'. '  see SOCCER, page 7
>
J