Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Kelly previews the ft has USC/Florida game. South Shawn returns footb from his one-week Game hiatus. State Women's soccer in onty the NCAA tourney. 'Campaign' highlights WCW NITRO MICHAEL STRICKLAND | Jesse "The Body" Ventura shocked the political world last week by becoming the new governor of Minnesota. "The Body," the greatest wrestling color-commentator of all time, has already stirred up things in the political arena. With his victory, now everyone and their cousins want to run for office. WCW has a man in their ranks who is no different. "Hollywood" Hogan's ego is so big that he kicked-off his "campaign" for the presidency in 2000, highlighting Monday NITRO this week. * "I, want to serve and protect my country," said Hogan, who entered the WCW ring to "Hail to the Chief." With Eric Bischoff serving as his campaign manager, Hogan said he plans to lead this country and world into the new millennium. A sad statement, this rtAII 1 / } kft ArvA A^ IlAfrnn'o mAof AT* tuuiu uc uiic ui nugaii o uiuot mici esting and entertaining angles in a while (anything to keep him from actually wrestling), as he gave one of his better interviews to Mean Gene. When Gene asked Hogan if he liked cigars, Hogan responded with a smirk, "I don't smoke." For you gullible humanoids out there, remember, this is just an angle. However, if WCW really sells this, it might get interesting. In other action on NITRO, Eddy Guerrero fought a great match with Rey Mysterio, Jr. Eddy dominated the match, but a distraction by nephew Chavo cost him the win. The LWO, hardly a factor in WCW, is having problems as they try to convince Chavo he's not welcome. Rick Steiner challenged his brother Scott and Buff Bagwell to a tagteam title match at World War III, with the condition that Judy Bagwell, Buffs mother, be Rick's partner. All I can say is that this fiasco proves the demise of tag-team wrestling in WCW. Remember when The Outsiders ruled the ring? NITRO featured a double main event to close the show as Konnan fought Bret Hart, while Lex Luger and Kevin Nash faced Scott Hall and Giant. Hart added another name to his hit list as he, wielding a steel chair, ravaged Konnan's leg, much like he did to Sting and DDP. It will be interesting to see where Hart's rampage goes in the coming weeks. In the battle between nWo Wolfpac and nWo Hollywood, Hall and Giant were looking really good in the ring until Bret Hart came in and took over for them. Hart took out Nash's leg to end the match in a no-contest. All in all, a good show and a good night for nWo Hollywood. News and Notes: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair has stated in the past that he plans to retire from wrestling within three years. As sad a day as that will be, it may just be the start ot a whole new career for the 13 time World Champ. Flair has mentioned that he will run for governor of North Carolina in the year 2000. With no clear-cut candidate, the Republican Flair could even be considered a public favorite. "I'm doing it. I'm not kidding you," Flair stated in an interview with The Charlotte Observer last Friday. Flair has campaigned for high-profile North Carolina Republicans in the past, so no one should take him lightly. However, there could be one hitch in the Flair 2000 campaign, as Flair stated himself: "There's always the worry about the skeletons INSIDER page 9 Women's s staff writer JEREMY TOUZEL Just four years since the inception of the program, the South Carolina women's soccer team is having a season that older programs must envy. So far, the Gamecocks have beaten a ranked team, been nationally ranked themselves and have qualified for both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments ? all firsts for the young program. With 11 wins going into its tournament match Wednesday, the team also has the most wins in the four-year history of the program. Regarding their season and their invitation to the NCAA Tournament, midfielder Lexi Tourtellotte said, "It's ; been 66 days since M \ i Carolina has won a all game. The xocks beat Ball on Sept. 5 for their ^ win this year. I Walvieball staff writer CHHRUE WALLACE The Lad -1 1.. rru? 81UWl)f. 1I1C The future of South Carolina's to an early women's basketball was on display utes of the j Monday night. With four freshman get- Jocelyn Pe ting extensive playing time, the Lady throws, fellc Gamecocks defeated TTT-Riga Latvia Gortman hi 89-76 in the team's final exhibition top of the k< warm up before the start of the regu- then Gortm; lar season. But it was junior forward later, anothe Annie Lester leading the team in scor- hit a two-fo ing 17 points from 30 minutes of play- nine, ingtime. After the This win, coupled with the 109-67 Carolina we blowout of an Australian team on Nov. take a 19-1 ] 4, gives the Lady Gamecocks positive nior Lisa W momentum heading into their season baseline jui opener at Florida A&M Friday. Al- ter a timeoi though the team played well enough a 10-foot jiu to win, coach Susan Walvius believes After fo they can play better. Penn and fi "I was really unhappy with our per- made conse formance tonight," she said. "I think Lady Game we are capable of playing much better The teams then we did." foul line, ar 'Big Red' bat . 111 BBV U lAUUCTAkl -1 $puru> tuuur pnmn Junnoiwn ai nit The scar is about three inches long and raised just slightly. It's hard to notice unless pointed out. As you rub your fingers over it, you feel three eqridges, a result of the permanent anchors placed elt in the ankle to hold the ligaments in place. For senior Cindy Robarge, this scar on her re< right ankle is a subtle reminder of a difficult wa junior year and an incentive for a successful senior year. cai For Robarge, the road to success has had me many potholes, but she's found a way through g0] all of them and is now having a great senior sea- Rq son. go, The Columbia native has had to deal with a iag career-threatening ankle injury and an unusu- Ra I ^ Cindy Robarge has battled back from reconstm leyball team. Above right, Robarge and Ashley I occer team mal amazing, especially being [the senior's] For Tourte last year. We'd like to go out with a one to remen bang." the All-SEC ? The Lady Gamecocks (11-6-1) trav- man Lydia Bi el to North Carolina to face the 49ers athlete nerh of UNC Charlotte tonight at 7 p.m. The accompushm two teams met earlier tins season in a season was h scrimmage, playmg to a 2-2 draw. Car- All.A?H.mil, olina has played a much tougher schedule, with six games against ranked Also name teams. The Gamecocks are confident were that they can advance. Gina Iacovell "We've played them before," Tourtel- 'ow seniors L lotte said. "They probably got better, Crain. just like we got better during the sea- "It just sh son, but I think we can definitely take We know nov them." teams that ar I IPOR1 victorious y Gamecocks started out and a basket by Lester Latvian team jumped out cocks had taken a 34-2 7-2 lead in first five min- to play in the half. *ame, but after freshman Getting the ball ir nn sank one of two free Walvius stressed. >w freshman Shaunzinski "Our offensive sys it a 17-foot shot from the mary entry works froi jy. Riga Latvia answered, so we are always lool in made a layup. A minute said. "We have taken ? ;r freshman, Chrishna Hill, in the past, and w< ot shot to tie the game at tonight." After the timeout,] ! two teams traded baskets, and Gortman hit a loi nt on another small run to raise the lead to 38-2 L lead. During the run, se- Miars then fed Segres Williams hit an eight-foot to give the Lady Gar nper to take the lead. Af- lead at halftime. it, junior Casie Key made In the second half, mp shot. tack continued for Can rcing another turnover, the ball up after a pas eshman Shannon Segres and Williams hit two icutive layups to give the keep the lead in checl cocks an eight-point lead, non Segres then mad( then traded turns at the shot, stole the ball on id after many free throws sion and made a la] ties back frc heart condition to make it back for her sett1 year. of Injuries are part of athletics, but for a vol- sh rball player to lose the use of an ankle is the st: aivalent of a pitcher tearing ligaments in his m >ow or a soccer player breaking his foot. In April 1997, Robarge elected to have total go constructive surgery on her right ankle. It to isn't an easy decision. sa "When I first got the news, I was so mad be- pc use I was supposed to go to Brazil that sum- I \ ir to train with Jackie Silva [the 19% Olympic or Id medallist in beach volleyball] and her coach," to barge said. "I cried and begged them to let me ed , but they said there was no way I would have >ted. I wouldn't be walking today if I hadn't th d the surgery." sq m ? 2 ?1,1 M V,, % * * ID . Si SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK fe ictive ankle surgery to help lead the vol- la idlund goof around at a photo shoot h< kes NCAA Toi illotte, the season has been tion," said Greene abou iber. She was named to gression. Second Team with fresh- When Greene spot enias. But, as a student- 10 teams, she was ma aps the most significant SEC rival Florida, wl ent for Tourtellotte this coc^s playe(l twice. US eing named to the SEC's their flI'st1 meeting>4" ^eam received the second se ,, ,. . , Tournament, lost onh id to the prestigious team ,, , wCr. i mg the regular seasoi ? Moore, Mrndy Sanders, North CaroUna (20-u), a, Jennie Ondo, and fel- Gamecocks wiU piay i Jnda Greene and Emily nous over UNC Charl Carolina's potency < ows how far we've come, to its balance. First < v that we can hang with must stop Gamecock e in the top ten in the na- scorer, Ondo, who 1 7 p.m. Tonight Women's soccer NCAA Tour nam 7 p.m. Thursda Volleyball vs. Geoi L J in exhibii , the Lady Game- the lead to 53-37. That margi 23 lead with 3:56 be the largest of the game. With 15 minutes left in tl iside was a goal this would prove to be a crucij the contest. Riga Latvia, w: stem on the pri- Kvanica at 6-foot-6-inch an si the inside out, Rezmaite at.6-foot-4-inch, trie dng inside, she ^he inside and wear tl idvantage of that Gamecocks down. That stra i did in spurts notwork. rr . * . "We got them [Rezmaite aj y a jumper, n^caj jn^0 foui trouble, but v lg two pomter to ,. , . >o cpn^nr Nikki time boxmg them out, but ot LdX ala^ that, we did good," said fresh necocks a 42-28 ce enn' Penn played well agamst the balanced at- centers- With Carolina leadi ilina. Miars layed Points with 14 minutes lei s from Gortman blocked Kvasnica shot and shots in a row to ball down the court. She wa i at 47-36. Shan- and made both free throws. Fre ; a five-foot jump proved to be key down the sti the next posses- though ifs something that doe: jrup to increase easy to Penn. >m injuries Robarge had the surgery because every one +Vic lirromonfc in oniric woe frvrn AlfVimirrh U1V tllllvliMJ XXX XXUX UXXXXiV TTUU W/X XX. ilXVXXUUgil ie's back to 100 percent now, she ill remembers how difficult it r-~? ade playing last season. / "^Sfi "When I had the surgery, my / al was to make it back in time / JSpf * play my junior year," Robarge / iid. "But I wasn't near 100 / srcent until the postseason. / / . ^ vas scared every time I went / jf i the court that I was going / Ap ^ I re-injure and that affect- ? % [myplay." / fi Robarge was named to / ! ^ 1 x All CT?n / Hi flfl e seconu-ieani /yii-oejV^ j jr , [uad following her sopho- / ore year after recording / fl $9 kills and 74 blocks. / ffl it after the surgery, Ro- / irge's playing time and / 4V JH oductivity went down. / IgS JBF 3 a junior, she had on- / V jHP 50 kills and 19 total / V flT ocks, leaving many / rnbts about whether / Le would ever return her old form. ? Trying to recapture that form of 1996, Roirge went through a vigorous summer workout ogram to improve*her strength and conditioning, be result has been a revitalized Robarge, ho, through 25 matches this year, has 200 kills id 81 total blocks. She was also named SEC ayer of the Week on Oct. 12 for her play against labama and Auburn. "Now, when I look back on the decision, I alize it was a good one," she said. "I don't have ly pain and haven't had any problems this year." But the ankle injury isn't the only problem te's had to deal with. Robarge was diagnosed ith mitral valve prolapse (MVP), which causi pain in her chest. MVP is a condition where valve in the heart doesn't close entirely, and ood seeps through, causing pain. When she gets ressed out, she experiences anxiety attacks and is difficulty breathing. At 6-foot-2, "Big Red" came to USC to play iddle blocker, but was moved to right side earand played the position for three years. But ith Cally Plummer coming in, coach Kim Hud>n-Christopher asked Robarge to make the ipreme sacrifice ? give up her position at right de for the team. . "I/"; ? ?U ? A ni xvLiii appiuciLiicu me at uui pieseasuu lcucat id asked me to move to middle blocker," she tid. "I said yes because I knew we were short i the middle, and I wanted to do what was best r the team. Every day I learn something new. t the middle position, you have a lot more things i think about and a lot more movements. My ial is to just keep getting better every day." When not on the court, Robarge enjoys watchig professional wrestling, water and jet skiing, lopping, and playing beach volleyball. A perct day off for her, she said, would be to get up te, go to a movie with friends, hang out with ir two nieces, Lindsay and Lauren, eat dinner irney, faces 1 t the team's pro- with 11 goals. Following her outstanding freshmen, Morgj :e of playing top tyre and Bienias, each with eig inly referring to Senior Amy McBrair has alsc bom the Game- tal, scoring four goals off th 5C barely lost in Despite its lethal offense, i 2. Florida, who the team's strength is its defe ed in the NCAA by the Angela "Tex" Austin, th r one game dur- has given up a goal or less in 1 i: to top-ranked es. With tough defenders like I whom the Lady ray and Melinda Carter along f they are victo- Austin and the defense won't otte. opposition many opportunity :an be attributed For a team that is only in i )f all, the 49ers year of existence, the charact all-time leading year's team is amazing team i eads the team said. Nate says the South @ UNCC Carolina volleyball team en* received 10 votes in the latest USA Today/AVCA ^. Top 25 poll. The 10 votes r?ia tie Carolina for 34th place. don game in would 1 just have to work hard on my free throws," she said. "I need to go up there le game, and do the same thing I do every time." d part of Penn finished eight-of-12 from the ith Inga line for a total of 16 points. For the rest d Diana ?f the game, the Lady Gamecocks maind to take tained the lead thanks to junior Annie le Lady Leste1"- With nine minutes to go, Lester tegy did Lit two shots in a row and sank two free throws, raising the score to 70-54. nd Kvas- Penn finished off the scoring, mak, , ing a jump shot and a layup, receiving a a the ball both times from Williams. Comer fn bined, the four freshman accounted for Lman Jo- 44 ofthe 89 points. . , Now, the team travels to play a very Latvia s competitive Florida A&M team, ng by 13 "They are a great basketball team ft, Penn wh0 won 19 games last year, has everytook the body back, and playing at their place is fouled it will not be a walk in the park," ;e throws Walvius said. "We are going to have to retch, al- play well, and I think play much betsn't come ter than we did tonight to win that game." 1 ?1 tor success at Monterrey Jack's with one of her next door neighbors, and then watch television all night. But with a hectic volleyball schedule, that day is only a dream, r-?Robarge, along with fellow se? ~ nior Ashley Edlund, 7 will play her final regjK .ri*. jpFm / ular-season hoftie match |P\ ' / tomorrow night (7 p.m. \ \ OB at the Volleyball Compe Uk ^ tition Facility) against |j Georgia. When the two seW Mjk **? niors step onto the court, fl ? it will mark the end of the Njf? mos^ success^ era i11 Car's*; / olina volleyball history. Both - Jjm Robarge and Edlund said it will be an emotional night MKkq for them, but they knew it was 5 it s going to be sad, Edlund said. "All of the hard work I've put in the last four years I can see coming to an end. IH be blinking about it, but hopefuly it'll affect my play positive"It's definitely going to be jgh, and I'm going to be upset," Robarge said. "I've been thinking about it for two weeks, but I can't think about it Thursday night." This year's senior class has numerous accomplishments to its credit. It's only the second class ever to win 20 matches in all their four years (last year's class was the first). The class also has the highest winning percentage in USC volleyball history. Heading into the UGA match, USC with Robarge and Edlund is 84-32 for a .724 winning percentage over the players' four years. The group needs five more wins to eclipse the 1997 class for most wins ever. Last year's class went 88.-39 over their career. The team is currently 20-5 overall, 8-4 in the SEC and battling for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. If they make the tourney, it will mark the third time in four years Robarge and Edlund have made the tournament ? another first. "This senior year has been a great one," Robarge said. "It's been like a dream year. I feel very good about the attitudes of this team and our team chemistry." The tandem of Robarge and Edlund, although great on the court, is an even better show off the court. The two are a laugh-a-minute when they get together and could write a couple of books on the memories they've shared. "I love Ash to death," Robarge said. "She's one of my best friends, and I hope I never forget her. These past four years with her have been both a learning and a wonderful experience. I couldn't ask for a better teammate to play with or ask for a better friend." Edlund had equally nice things to say about Robarge. "Cindy and I have been through a lot together in four years, and we've formed a close friendship," Edlund said. "She's a great person." JNCC tonight are two "There's always been a lot of heart in Mcln- and determination, but I think this year jht goals, especially, we're stronger talent-wise," ?been vi- Greene said. "We're playing prettier e bench, soccer. Whether it's getting us the renany say su}ts or not( it's definitely nicer soccer." snse^ Led "[In the upcoming years] they're just e e ense g^g ^ get better and better," senior 2 match- ? . ., dm Mur Emily Crsin s&id. 'side her Crain has shown vast improvement ' give the herself, earning shut-outs in three of ;s the past five games. She continued, its fourth "When this freshman class are seniors, er of this they're going to be unbelievable. Espemembers cially if [coach Kelly] keeps recruiting the way she's been the past four years."