Post by bigfan on Nov 30, 2006 11:17:23 GMT -5
NU to face some tall talent in match with American
By: Spencer Schubert
Sarah Pavan has been accustomed to looking down to her opponents this season. Come Friday night, that's all going to change.
Nebraska's 6-foot-5 junior will have to tilt her chin three inches upward to keep an eye on a pair of 6-foot-8 twin sisters in Ann and Claire Recht of American University when the Cornhuskers open NCAA Tournament play against the Eagles on Friday.
Pavan is on pace to break many NU records, but she will have the opportunity to see a world record right in front of her. According to Guinness World Records, the Recht twins are the tallest female twins in the world.
"It's going to be exciting," Pavan said. "I'm not usually the small one. I like playing against bigger players. It makes my job easier usually."
Since the freshman twins both play middle blocker, Pavan will be able to direct most of her attention to Ann, who starts.
In the regular season, Ann was able to notch 151 kills while adding 107 blocks through 102 games.
Nebraska Coach John Cook said the twins' height might be a staggering number, but their numbers on the floor aren't towering over anything.
"The 6-foot-8 twins don't have that many kills per game," Cook said. "We'll have to figure out how to neutralize that height. You do it by speed and making them move, and then they become small."
Before going to American University in Washington D.C., the Recht twins didn't have much volleyball experience. Four years to be exact.
Growing up in Canby, Ore., they were first exposed to the sport in sixth grade when they saw a local high school game, signing up for the team the next year.
They first discovered volleyball had positions when, at a volleyball camp the summer before their first season, they were told to go stand in the front row by the net.
The Rechts progressed enough through their high school years to be recruited by American Coach Barry Goldberg.
Many considered Goldberg's recruiting of the twins a big risk, with how little experience they had with the game. But according to him, they were just like any other recruits, if not easier.
"To me (recruiting the twins) was less of a risk than recruiting a lot of the other players that I have," Goldberg said. "We just saw two bigger players that didn't have a lot of experience. Yes, it was a risk, but it was a calculated risk."
Looking back on the season, Goldberg said he thought it was a risk that paid off well. The Eagles ride a 19-match winning streak into their sixth straight NCAA appearance.
The twins and the rest of the American team sat in a small room on Selection Sunday, when teams around the country find out where they will go for tournament. Goldberg said there were at least 150-200 people crammed in when the announcement was made his team would travel to the NU Coliseum for the second straight year.
"There was complete silence when we were put up on the screen," Goldberg said. "It was kind of shocking. For us, we felt that we were kind of disrespected in a way."
Goldberg said his team is excited to be a part of the NCAA Tournament and to be given a spot in the bracket is truly an honor, but there is definitely a bad taste left in his mouth having to face the nation's No. 1 team in the opening round.
"We really are a much different team than we were last year," Goldberg said. "All of our kids have signs on their lockers saying to get through the first round, and here they go and put us with the top team in the country. It was kind of disheartening."
A year ago, American was selected to start the NCAA Tournament in Lincoln with the Huskers being the No. 1 overall seed. American's first-round opponent was Duke.
Goldberg will have his chance to show the difference a year makes, considering he will be bringing seven freshmen with him on his roster, two of them being the Recht twins.
"Everyone here is excited to be in the NCAA Tournament," Goldberg said. "We don't take it for granted. We're excited to play and feel confident in the way we have been playing as a team, so we're looking forward to it."
By: Spencer Schubert
Sarah Pavan has been accustomed to looking down to her opponents this season. Come Friday night, that's all going to change.
Nebraska's 6-foot-5 junior will have to tilt her chin three inches upward to keep an eye on a pair of 6-foot-8 twin sisters in Ann and Claire Recht of American University when the Cornhuskers open NCAA Tournament play against the Eagles on Friday.
Pavan is on pace to break many NU records, but she will have the opportunity to see a world record right in front of her. According to Guinness World Records, the Recht twins are the tallest female twins in the world.
"It's going to be exciting," Pavan said. "I'm not usually the small one. I like playing against bigger players. It makes my job easier usually."
Since the freshman twins both play middle blocker, Pavan will be able to direct most of her attention to Ann, who starts.
In the regular season, Ann was able to notch 151 kills while adding 107 blocks through 102 games.
Nebraska Coach John Cook said the twins' height might be a staggering number, but their numbers on the floor aren't towering over anything.
"The 6-foot-8 twins don't have that many kills per game," Cook said. "We'll have to figure out how to neutralize that height. You do it by speed and making them move, and then they become small."
Before going to American University in Washington D.C., the Recht twins didn't have much volleyball experience. Four years to be exact.
Growing up in Canby, Ore., they were first exposed to the sport in sixth grade when they saw a local high school game, signing up for the team the next year.
They first discovered volleyball had positions when, at a volleyball camp the summer before their first season, they were told to go stand in the front row by the net.
The Rechts progressed enough through their high school years to be recruited by American Coach Barry Goldberg.
Many considered Goldberg's recruiting of the twins a big risk, with how little experience they had with the game. But according to him, they were just like any other recruits, if not easier.
"To me (recruiting the twins) was less of a risk than recruiting a lot of the other players that I have," Goldberg said. "We just saw two bigger players that didn't have a lot of experience. Yes, it was a risk, but it was a calculated risk."
Looking back on the season, Goldberg said he thought it was a risk that paid off well. The Eagles ride a 19-match winning streak into their sixth straight NCAA appearance.
The twins and the rest of the American team sat in a small room on Selection Sunday, when teams around the country find out where they will go for tournament. Goldberg said there were at least 150-200 people crammed in when the announcement was made his team would travel to the NU Coliseum for the second straight year.
"There was complete silence when we were put up on the screen," Goldberg said. "It was kind of shocking. For us, we felt that we were kind of disrespected in a way."
Goldberg said his team is excited to be a part of the NCAA Tournament and to be given a spot in the bracket is truly an honor, but there is definitely a bad taste left in his mouth having to face the nation's No. 1 team in the opening round.
"We really are a much different team than we were last year," Goldberg said. "All of our kids have signs on their lockers saying to get through the first round, and here they go and put us with the top team in the country. It was kind of disheartening."
A year ago, American was selected to start the NCAA Tournament in Lincoln with the Huskers being the No. 1 overall seed. American's first-round opponent was Duke.
Goldberg will have his chance to show the difference a year makes, considering he will be bringing seven freshmen with him on his roster, two of them being the Recht twins.
"Everyone here is excited to be in the NCAA Tournament," Goldberg said. "We don't take it for granted. We're excited to play and feel confident in the way we have been playing as a team, so we're looking forward to it."