1997_10 Insight October 1997

              Oct. 1,1997
Sports
Insight
Tough guy approach
part of Volek's appeal
■ Young quarterback
proves his worth in
Bulldogs' lineup.
by Ezra Danciu
Staff Writer
As Clovis West High School's
starting quarterback. Bill Volek
didn't have a playbook.
When he came to Fresno State,
the coaches handed him one that
was about two inches thick. When
Volek opened to the first page, he
thought he was reading a foreign
language.
When Volek led the Golden
Eagles offense his senior year, the
offense did not cater to his skills,
said Clovis West coach Randy
Blankenship.
"Our offense wasn't very pass-
oriented," Blankenship said. "I've
noticed that Fresno State is serious
about weight-lifting. Even when
Bill played at Clovis West he
worked hard in the off-season. We
don't just give that job to anyone."
Neither does Fresno State. Volek.
who redshined last season, beat out
sophomore David Carr for the
starting job and earned the respect
of his teammates.
"His first few practices were a
little rocky," said Lane Kiffin.
Bulldog offensive assistant and
ml Kibbles &
W F3ITS
jfjE
As the Bulldogs get ready for their
first conference game, practice is not
their only concern.
Coach Pat Hill is physically as well
as mentally preparing the team for the
Western Athletic Conference game
against Utah, scheduled for tomorrow
at 5 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.
The game is scheduled to be televised on all-sports network ESPN.
Through the first four games. Hill
said that the team's lop problem has
been low expectations by fans, stemming from the team being young and
inexperienced.
"Going into this game, the expectation level has gotten higher. We have
a lot of confidence to win." Hill said.
Aloha from Fresno State. The Dogs
began their first conference road trip
last Saturday, taking on Hawaii at the
Special Events Center in Honolulu.
The team lo?fJ15-8. 15-10. 15-5. resulting in a 0-2 record in the WAC.
Kara McKeown. who had led
Fresno State in blocking this season,
joined the injured list after a knee injury benched her for the rest of the
season. Barbie Wiborg. the 6-foot-4
freshman, has stepped in for
McKeown.
Freshman Jill Pearson took the final shot in the team's I -0 loss to Portland Saturday. Portland's goal keeper,
Angela Harrison, deflected the shot.
Fresno State split two games last
weekend, beating UC Santa Barbara
and dropping a game to No. 6
UCLA. The Bulldogs return home
Sunday at 1 p.m. against San
CROSS COUNTRY
The women's and men's team finished 15th and 16th respectively at the
Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto.
Kelly Jacobson placed 16th in the
5,000-meter women's course. She finished with a time of 17:59.
The Bulldogs' season hasn't started
yet, but competitive basketball will hit
Fresno soon. Today is the deadline to
register for the "Hoop It Up" 3-on-3
tournament, slated for Oct. 11-12.
Last year many students participated in Hoop It Up, as did former
Bulldog players. Team applications
are available at the University Student Union and all area Foot Locker
former backup quarterback. "Like
any new quarterback, he took a
while getting comfortable with the
speed of college football."
Volek wasn't intimidated by the
task that lay ahead. Now he can
open the playbook to any page, read
a sentence, and immediately
visualize the play.
"Bill works harder than everyone, leading by example," said Jeff
Tedford, the Bulldogs' quarterback
coach.
Playing the part
Volek spent countless hours
improving his footwork, speed and
drops, or practices in dropping back
to pass. He spent many more hours
memorizing game films.
"He learned not just what he was
supposed to do, but what everyone
else was doing around him," Kiffin
said.
Volek has repeatedly proven his
worth, especially since Carr
constantly strives to beat him out of
the top job. Although it's described
as a "friendly rivalry," the competition Carr provides is another
motivator for Volek.
"Me and Carr have a joking
relationship." Volek said. "When
one of us messes up, we just laugh
at it. When we make a good throw,
we'll tap each other on the butt.
"He got some playing time
against Portland State, which was a
really good experience for him, just
like it was for me," Volek said.
Comeback kid
All of this, and the responsibility
of leading a Division 1-A football
team as a sophomore, has increased
Volek's determination.
With Fresno State down 17
points in the fourth quarter against
Oregon, Volek led the Bulldogs to a
regulation tie, taking the Ducks into
overtime of the Bulldogs' eventual
heartbreaking loss.
"He did a great job." said his
mother. Vicki. "He never quit. In
my eyes, they won that game."
Reluctant to chat about himself,
Volek is more comfortable talking
shop.
"Coming from high school to this
level, I've noticed that the speed is
just tremendously different." he
said.
Tedford said that each game is a
learning experience for Volek.
Fortunately, he said, the Bulldogs
have a sturdy running game, making
the transition for a new quarterback
a little easier.
"We are able to keep other teams
off-balance because we have
runners like Jamie Kimbrough and
Michael Pittman, plus a veteran
offensive line," Tedford said.
Volek's determination will be
tested many times in his career,
most immediately tomorrow at
Bulldog Stadium.
"Baylor and Oregon were tough
games," Blankenship said. "There
have been a lot of times when he's
kept them in the game. He's already
been in the fire."
Always a competitor
Even in pick-up basketball games
against his older sister Heather,
Volek was the ultimate competitor.
"We never finished a game
because neither of us was willing to
admit defeat," Heather said.
Although he never coached his
son, John Volek said he has watched
Bill play football since his son was
in the fifth grade. Now football
coach for Sacramento State, John
said he marvels in Bill's spirit.
"Bill really has his head together," John Volek said. "People
really gravitate toward him; they
love his heart. I'd like to have him
in my huddle."
Volek still draws strong support
from his family. Although the
family moved to Sacramento when
Volek began his college career,
Vicki Volek traveled to Eugene for
the Oregon game and will watch her
son's ESPN debut in person.
"Bill has been a winner his
whole life because he has never
wavered taking someone on," John
Volek said. "He is very much a team
person, expecting everyone to give
100 percent"
Women's soccer earns
respect of region fans
The women's soccer program has built attendance
through young talent like that of sophomore Megan
McAlpin.
■ Female athletes attract
fans with mutual support.
by Derek Walter
Staff Writer
Peter Reynaud is pleased with'the
community support his women's soccer team gamers, but he still isn't quite
satisfied.
The team has started catching public attention due to rising soccer interest and the team's outreach efforts.
NCAA figures indicate that in its
third year, Fresno State women's soccer averages 997 people per game, the
fourth best attendance in the western
United States. Attendance at the men's
games averages about 1,500 per game.
Reynaud said while he still seeks
higher attendance, he has been pleased
with how the community has embraced
the infant team.
"I'm really impressed," he said.
Fresno State is the highest-rated
California team in regional soccer attendance, outranking Cal-Stale
Northridge and Santa Clara. Portland
leads in regional attendance with 2,337
fans per game, placing it second nationally. North Carolina leads the nation with an average attendance of
2,970 per game.
Reynaud said the team has gained
recognition in the community through
outreach efforts like girls' summer soccer clinics, which attracted a few hundred area youngsters.
Sophomore forward Cheryl Gano
said the clinics give little girls a chance
they might not otherwise have to leam
soccer skills.
"I think it's a great opportunity,"
Gano said. "We do a lot of clinics for
kids in the inner city. There is no place
for a lot of girls growing up to get exposure to soccer."
Senior forward Erin Barry said that
the clinics and other events, such as
putting on demonstrations at elementary schools and taking aspiring soccer stars on Fresno State tours, have put
the team in better touch with the city.
"The best part is being able to meet
the people out in the community,"
Barry said.
Reynaud stressed the importance
of giving young girls role models. He
said all members of the team participate in the clinics and summer camps.
"It's extremely important,"
Reynaud said. "There's no avenue for
[young girls) to learn, no NBA, no
women's soccer league; they can't go
there to leam."
Quality facilities remain critical to
help women achieve better status in
sports, he said. He cited softball as an
example, noting how the Bulldogs set
a national single-game attendance
record after Bulldog Diamond was
built.
Bulldog Stadium also has room for
more soccer fans. With a seating capacity of 41,000, it is the largest venue
used for women's soccer in the West-
em Athletic Conference.
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