August 30, 2013
5B
The News
Sports
Sports Editor: Ryan Richardson Assistant Editor: Taylor Crum Phone: 809-4481 Twitter: MSUSportsNews
Throw Like a Girl
Volleyball hits road to open season
Dirt in the Skirt
Yes, I’m a girl. I wear makeup, and I occasionally wear dresses and heels. My nails are painted hot pink and I wear lipstick, but don’t let that fool you. Taylor Crum Nothing bothers Assistant me more than Sports Editor being looked at as a female with no knowledge of the sports world. A man once told me that if he saw a woman’s name as the writer of a sports article, he would most likely not read it. As a female member of the sports section at The Murray State News, I took great offense to that. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like listening to a girl, or anyone, ramble on about sports when they have absolutely no credibility. So I thought I would take up this space to explain my background in athletics and my love for sports on and off the field. Athletics were thrust upon me from the day I was able to say the word “ball.” Growing up in a home filled with St. Louis Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys fanatics, I caught on pretty quickly. Yes, I love the Cowboys, and think what you want, but a good fan is a fan during the good times and bad. Cowboys fans are the best fans in the nation by this standard. Besides my love for watching sports, I loved playing them even more. I know what it’s like playing a double-header in 100-degree heat, getting floor burn diving for a volleyball and smelling the aroma of fresh-cut grass before playing a round of golf. I know all the time commitment and pain that comes along with being an athlete. Competition has always run through my blood, and sports were my way of getting it out of my system. I had about a 12-year, love-hate relationship with fastpitch softball. It took a lot of commitment, but nothing felt better than hitting in that winning run during a championship game of a tournament. Few things can compare to the feeling of sliding in at home plate before walking into the dugout with a mixture of blood and dirt on your left hip. Volleyball was my one true love, though. Although I only stand at about 5-feet 4-inches, I couldn’t get enough of the game. Putting up that perfect set for a hitter to spike in an opponent’s face is the best feeling in the world. Helping bring home a regional championship title to my high school for the first time in 14 years was a highlight of my sports career. Golf, on the other hand, I mostly just played for the love of the game. I’ll admit, I’ve tried that infamous Happy Gilmore swing, and may have just become a member of the country club so I could drive around a golf cart. Nonetheless, I played the game and I still love going to the driving range to swing a club every now and then. No, I’m not a collegiate athlete. I’m just a journalist who loves sports. However, I believe that when you play any sport on a competitive level, it makes you truly appreciate those who play at a collegiate or professional level. To be able to dedicate your life to playing one sport every day takes a true athlete. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into playing a sport, but that’s why I love reporting on it. I know how it feels to cry after a tough loss. I know how it feels to be on the field and block out every scream in the crowd to flawlessly complete one play. I know what it feels like to get angry with a coach or fellow teammate. So if you ever pick up the sports section and see a female’s name as the writer of an article covering your favorite sport, take the time to read it and block out the fact that a girl wrote it. Sometimes we girls actually do know what we are talking about. tcrum3@murraystate.edu
Taylor Crum Assistant Sports Editor tcrum3@murraystate.edu
Emily Clark/The News
Members of the Racer Band drumline entertain students passing by outside of Price Doyle Fine Arts Center.
Band still stands strong Taylor Crum Assistant Sports Editor tcrum3@murraystate.edu
Just when Racer Band couldn’t get any better, Director John Fannin has something else up his sleeve. After having the highest recorded membership last year at 300 members, most of them being upper classmen, the Racer Band wowed crowds with its musical abilities. Although this year’s group is smaller with 269 members, Fannin’s enthusiasm is high for the upcoming season. “It’s been great so far,” Fannin said. “We’re young and very, very talented. It’s a very smart group.” Fannin and the group must be doing something right. This year, Racer Band has managed to retain 70 percent of last year’s members. The band has one of the highest retention rates across the country, Fannin said. This year, Fannin strategically picked arrangements of songs that appeal to audiences of all ages. The first halftime show for Racer Band, which is at the Sept. 9 home football game, will feature songs from the ‘70s. “It’s really fierce and there are really cool sound effects,” Fannin said. “You haven’t heard some of the sounds that are going to come off of Racer Band this year, so it’s really exciting.” During the second halftime show this year, which happens to be family weekend, the crowd will see a rockpop show. They will combine songs from groups like ACDC with some
more contemporary pop groups like Imagine Dragons and Fun. Fannin said he is currently waiting on the copyright to Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” so that it can be added to the show as well. One of the many reasons that Racer Band has such a strong impact on Murray State’s campus is the leadership behind it. Not only is Fannin a huge component of that leadership, but several students are as well. “We have a great leadership team this year,” Fannin said. “It always tickles me that they are so concerned about all the details of how we run things. It blows me away how great they are. Everyone is really proud to be a part of this organization.” Former Racer Band bass guitarist and this year’s sound technician, senior Tyler Burch said his favorite part about Racer Band is the community it builds. “From the minute I step on campus for band camp to the last note of the season, I’m surrounded by some of my closest friends,” Burch said. Burch also said all the time he has spent with Racer Band during practices and performances has taught him a few things. “I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is how to work with a group to accomplish something great,” Burch said. “Last year we had a very intense practice schedule due to our performance in Indianapolis at the Bands of America Grand Nationals.” He said they all worked extremely
hard to pull together an amazing performance. “After performing in front of a crowd of nearly 10,000, I can say that the work was worth it,” he said. Aside from working hard for its own performances, Fannin and the band diligently put together an event called Festival of Champions, where 24 different high school bands compete for the title of top band. “It’s the highlight of our season every year,” Fannin said. Racer Band is also going to a high school festival in St. Louis on Sept. 21 at the St. Charles West High School band competition. Fannin said the competition is one of their biggest recruiting areas. Fannin’s tactics make him an inspiration to Racer Band. He even had his own “Take Your Place in the Murray State Racer Band Tradition” motto before the University came out with “Take Your Place in the Murray State Tradition” as this year’s tagline. “Mr. Fannin is a fantastic instructor,” Burch said. “I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that at all points during the season he is working as hard, if not harder, than any of his students to create a great end product. Seeing him exemplify the same work ethic that he asks of us is very inspirational and admirable.” Overall, Fannin said he is pleased and excited to start the new Racer Band season. Said Fannin: “I think you’re in for a real treat.”
This weekend, the Murray State volleyball team will kick off its season at the North Carolina Central University Invitational tournament in Durham, N.C. At the tournament, the Racers will face Evansville, Hampton and North Carolina Central. Although this is a new tournament for the Racers, Head Coach David Schwepker said he hopes the team will make a big statement on the floor this weekend. Schwepker has been working with the players all week to prepare them for the tournament, which begins today and ends Saturday. He said he hopes the team’s lack of height won’t affect its ability to bring home a win. “We spent a lot of time on our skills and being very good at ball control,” Schwepker said. “We can’t afford to make silly mistakes that other teams can because they make up for it in their size.” Schwepker said every team the Racers face this weekend will ultimately be big competition. Since this tournament is the first match of the season for the team, Schwepker said he wants to use this weekend as a tool to see where the team stands, competition-wise. “We just take one team at a time,” he said. “Evansville is our first competition, and we’re just going to go after them and kind of evaluate us after that match.” The Racers faced Evansville during this year’s spring season and they pulled through with a narrow win. Schwepker said this game against Evansville could go either way. Schwepker said about seven or eight of the girls will be doing most of the work this weekend including three of the freshman players. “You’re going to see the returning sophomores,” Schwepker said. “Then you are going to see Katlyn Hudson, Scottie Ingram, Kamille Jones and Ellie Lorenz.” Schwepker said he would be satisfied without the overall tournament win as long as the team shows promise in its gameplay.
Soccer season begins with win, draw Tom Via || Contributing writer tvia@murraystate.edu
The Murray State women’s soccer team kicked off the 2013 season with a 1-0 victory at Evansville and followed up its performance with a draw at Northern Kentucky. Head Coach Beth Acreman said she believes this road trip will help the team later in the season. “We went on the road and came away with two shutouts, and that's very encouraging to have two clean sheets this weekend,” Acreman said. She said the weekend belonged to freshmen Savannah Haberman, who recorded the two shutouts in her first weekend as the Murray State goalkeeper. “Savannah made some great saves and is playing extremely well for us,” Acreman said. Haberman faced 23 shots this weekend, saving all 10 shots that were on the Murray State net. In the season opener at Evansville, who happens to be last year’s Missouri Valley Conference regular season champion, the Racers overcame the referees’ whistles to win the opening game 1-0. The whistle blew 16 times for Racer fouls compared to the Purple Aces’ seven. The action started off with the Racers playing aggressively, putting the first three shots of the game on the Evansville goal. In the 28th
Torrey Perkins/The News
Sophomore Alexa Hosey fights for possession in last weeks game against Southern Indiana. minute, the aggressive style would land senior midfielder Tasha Merritt in the referee's book with a yellow card after a hard challenge on an Evansville player. Just before the first half ended, the Racers earned a corner kick that would provide the only offense the team would need. Junior forward Pavlina Nepokojova served the ball from the corner and connected with senior midfielder Shauna Wicker, who pushed the ball past the Evansville goalkeeper in the 42nd minute. In the second half, the Racers would call upon Haberman in her collegiate debut to protect the lead and
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win the game. Haberman made three saves in the final 45 minutes, including two in the 65th minute to hold on for the 1-0 victory. The victory for the Racers was their first at Evansville in four appearances and just their second all-time against the Purple Aces. The Racers’ road trip continued to Northern Kentucky as they played the Norse to a 0-0 draw after 110 minutes of action that saw both teams get numerous chances to score. “Our play today was very much a grind-it-out game,” Acreman said. “With this being the opening weekend, you could tell fatigue was playing
a role today. We’re excited that we got so many shots off, but we just could not get that goal for the win today.” The first half saw the Racers come out of the locker room shooting and dominating the beginning of the game, generating eleven shots on the Norse goal compared to four at the Racer net. The second half saw the Norse attack the Racers’ defense as they dominated possession and put the pressure on Haberman. She recorded her first save in the 55th minute of the game. The Norse continued to fire shots into the area, but couldn’t get one past the keeper. In overtime it was Haberman holding strong as the Norse got three shots on net in the opening minutes of extra time. The save of the match happened in the 92nd minute as Haberman dove to her left to keep the game tied. The Racers’ best opportunity for a goal came with two minutes remaining in the first overtime period as junior Julie Mooney broke free on a run, but wasn’t able to score. The second overtime period saw Northern Kentucky get another opportunity to win, but Haberman made the diving saves to preserve the draw. The Racers continue their road trip today when they travel to Alabama A&M, which the Racers defeated last year 5-0. The Racers return to Cutchin Field for their home opener at 1 p.m. Sunday.
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