Wednesday, August 15, 2007

SU soccer, volleyball end two-a-days today


Photo: Sophomore Lady Jaguars midfielder Charmaine Jones is pushed to the ground by a University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff defender during the Lady Jaguar's 2-0 victory in '06. Media Credit: Joshua L. Halley

Advocate news services

The Southern University soccer team will end their two-a-days training sessions today and coach John Knighten said he is pleased with the team’s progress.

“I am real pleased with the way training has been going,” Knighten said. “We have been mostly concentrating on being able to keep an intense pressure on the ball all 90 minutes.”

One player who has stood out is Amanda Soto-Ortiz, a native of Hopemills, N.C. The sophomore has been a leader off the practice field, by coming in early and assisting in preparing equipment for players and helping the newcomers with adjusting to Southern life.

“Amanda has been a real help to not only me but the entire team,” Knighten said. “She along with her sister Almarie and Jamika Pugh have been an extreme comfort for the new players in registering for school, learning the campus and adjusting to collegiate soccer.”

Jamika Pugh and Almarie will be going into their junior seasons on the field and will serve as team captains for the year.

The team will have their pictures taken at 10 a.m. today in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Volleyball

JAGUARS SET FOR FINAL TWO-A-DAY SESSION: The SU volleyball team will end their two-a-day grind at 5:30 p.m. today with their final preseason practice at 5:30 p.m. in Seymour Gymnasium.

“We have been practicing hard, working on a number of things,” associate head coach Carthenia Clark said. “We have numbers (which is) something we haven’t had in two years and we expect to use everyone.”

With two juniors, three sophomores and eight freshmen the Lady Jaguars are young but more experienced than in recent years. The team has also returned healthy.

“The injury bug has been with us for a long time,” Clark said. “Latoya Bean injured her ankle on the first day she hit the court but she will be back and ready before the first game.”

With such a young program, the coaches have realized they can mold this team into a unit that they are comfortable with.

“A lot of players are still learning each other, so that’s something we need to make happen as soon as possible,” Clark said. “Once that’s done, we will be able to choose six young ladies who we feel comfortable with to start for us.

“With the numbers. The front six will have an extra incentive to perform at their highest level because we can go, right now, 10 deep,” Clark said. “As the season progresses and players mature we look to see all 13 in action at some point in the game.”

The team will their pictures taken at 11:30 today in Seymour Gymnasium.
The event is free and open to the public.

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