September 17, 2020
Moritz Baumann sat out of singles competition last weekend against OSU to rest for Iowa Thursday.[/media-credit]The No. 30 University of Wisconsin men’s tennis team will have to put their 7-0 loss to Big Ten rival No. 2 Ohio State behind them quickly as they prepare to face Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament this Thursday in Ann Arbor, Mich.The last time the Badgers faced the Hawkeyes resulted in a 5-2 win on April 11 in Madison. In that match, both the Wisconsin No. 3 and No. 2 doubles teams beat their counterparts on the other side of the net. Overall, the Hawkeyes finished the season tied with Wisconsin for seventh in the conference with a 4-6 record.“We’re looking forward to the Big Ten Tournament starting on Thursday,” head coach Greg Van Emburgh said. “We play Iowa in the first round. I think our conference this year has been really strong throughout, and we had a tough go at it at some matches. (We) finished tied for seventh, which is a little disappointing for us because I think we’re better than that. Our conference is real strong this year. We’ve lost, I think, four out of five 4-3 matches, and all of those matches were three sets. So, it’s kind of tough when you look at those stats and look at those numbers. You always kind of play the card where it could have been.”Players not playing to their potentialDespite a strong start to their season — including wins over No. 23 Wake Forest on Feb. 22 and No. 25 Notre Dame the following weekend, which broke a 10-year losing streak to the Irish — the Badgers have faltered down the stretch. They have lost their last three matches, including one at home against cross-border rival Minnesota and their final two on the road.Even though they were shut out last weekend against the Buckeyes, Van Emburgh is still confident his team will come together once the postseason starts.“You know, I think we’ve kind of run into some unfortunate times throughout our lineup,” Van Emburgh said. “I think the thing with our team is we’re strong at all our spots, and all of our spots haven’t really had the success that we might have thought that they would have. And there’s still some time left in the season, and you can’t really dwell on what’s happened in the past. You just got to kind of get through today and get through tomorrow, have a couple of good days of practice before we play on Thursday. And if we take care of Iowa, play loose against Ohio State, and, you know, we still have the NCAA team championships to look forward to.”Injury UpdateIn their loss last weekend to Ohio State, Wisconsin junior Moritz Baumann did not play in his usual role in the No. 1 or No. 2 singles spot, but still played No. 1 doubles with teammate Marek Michalicka. They were defeated 8-6.“He wasn’t 100 percent, so we didn’t feel like we should do that with him from the season that he’s had, as far as the success and the longevity that it’s been,” Van Emburgh said. “So I want to keep him fresh and healthy for the match on Thursday.”This season, Baumann has been essential to the Badgers’ early season success. He is currently ranked No. 31in the nation in singles and has had five wins over ranked opponents.
For the first time in Head Coach Kelly Sheffield’s seven years at the University of Wisconsin, the No. 6 UW volleyball team (12-4, 8-0 Big Ten) has won eight straight games. Ironically, the run comes after a 4-4 start to the season — his worst start to a season at Wisconsin. The Badgers took out the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini (9-8, 4-4 Big Ten) in a five-set thriller Friday night before sweeping Northwestern (9-11, 0-8 Big Ten) the following night. The Illini ended Wisconsin’s run in the NCAA Tournament last season in the Elite Eight. This time, the Badgers did enough to overcome the Illini in five sets. Wisconsin dominated the first set before dropping consecutive sets to Illinois. They ended the fourth set on a 9–5 run in a set filled with runs from both sides. That set up a final fifth set which the Badgers dominated from start to finish, 15–4. In that fifth set, UW notched nine kills on just 13 swings at a blazing clip of .692 while holding the Illini to a .000 hitting percentage. You read that right: a .000 hitting percentage.Volleyball: Badgers look to continue conference success against top hitters in Big TenThe Wisconsin volleyball team (10-4, 6-0 Big Ten) have ripped through their first six games of Big Ten play and Read…The Badger defense forced 31 hitting errors from the Illini — their highest total of the year. The following day, the Badgers swept Northwestern for the second time in this young Big Ten slate. This time, Wisconsin did so without their two-time All-American middle blocker Dana Rettke. Junior walk-on Nicole Shanahan started in Rettke’s stead and managed five kills, four blocks and an ace. Sheffield said there was no timetable for Rettke’s return.Volleyball: Badgers extend winning streak to six, sit alone atop Big TenFollowing back-to-back wins over top-five opponents, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team (10-4, 6-0 Big Ten) could have taken their Read…While the Badgers won in straight sets, the pesky Wildcats remained in sets late thanks to junior Alana Walker. Walker managed double-digit kills in consecutive games for the first time this season with an impressive .471 hitting percentage against the Badgers. Outside hitter Grace Loberg carried the Badger offense as the only player to have double-digit kills. The trio of Molly Haggerty, Madison Duello and Danielle Hart combined for just 19 kills at a .222 percentage as the Wildcat defense could feature a defensive plan without the fear of Rettke up the middle. The Badgers totaled eight aces against Northwestern — a constant theme in their run throughout the Big Ten so far. Volleyball: Badgers surge with pair of top-5 wins over Penn State, NebraskaIn a few of their early-season losses, the No. 7 University of Wisconsin Badgers volleyball team (8-4, 4-0 Big Ten) Read…Wisconsin leads the Big Ten with 1.89 aces/set in conference play as Izzy Ashburn, Lauren Barnes and Rettke all have double-digit ace totals. Their ability to serve efficiently has helped turn around their season and has improved dramatically from last season. Last year, the Badgers averaged only 1.3 aces/set with a .653 service aces/service errors ratio. This season, UW is averaging 1.75 aces/set with a .875 ratio.Wisconsin will look to extend their winning streak this weekend with matchups against Michigan State Friday and Michigan Sunday.
Dear Editor,When this People’s National Congress-led coalition Government came to office, it removed completely the $10,000 cash-per-child award given to parents on behalf of their children at school. It was an unconscionable, uncaring and downright low blow dealt to the children of this country; but no one said a word of protest, save the Opposition PPP/C, all others were strangely silent. They were well in agreement with their party and Government in that move because, as they claim, it was the Government’s way of punishing the PPP/C for a political gimmick to get votes.How asinine that assertion was, but the facts are clear that the parents were punished for the former Government doing something worthy and caring.Little did the teachers, who are also daytime parents of our children, realise that their day would soon come, when the demonic side of their Government would be unleashed on them in a “no grant of increases in salaries and benefits”. It was the bare facts of karma hitting them like an avalanche. Teachers were caught flat-footed when the beastly side of their Government was revealed.When the situation began to sink in that they were not about to get anything from this Government, it was only then that they rose up in condemnation. Now that the situation reached boiling point. The teachers are asking for all the support they can get, and from what I gather, the parents are about now coming out in support of the teachers’ cause.With the support teachers are getting from parents, they should be humbled and thankful for the help they are getting in their time of need, when they needed that supporting shoulder to cry on. I do hope teachers get the stern rebuke message that they deserve, and get the rude awakening that they should have been more sympathetic and understanding of the parents’ plight when they were so affected.But such is the harsh situation in a place called Guyana, where politics clouds the eyes so that even when the situation is more than obvious, folks turn the blind eye until the problem hits home. At that instance, they want everyone else to lend a helping hand. As the lyrics of the Old Anglican Hymn says, “O come and mourn with me awhile, O come let us mourn … together.” Fit and proper words for the situation at hand.Guyana is a doomed place with the PNC in Government, and the sooner the masses get the message the better. Sorry the teachers got theirs so late, but as the saying goes, “better late than never.” Another day is coming; that is, general elections. I wait to see their response to that litmus test also.Respectfully,Neil Adams
Cameroonian Ambassador to Liberia, Mr. Beng’Yela Augustine GANG, has urged his kinsmen residing in Liberia to become critical actors in the development and growth of their country’s economy, while contributing positively to the development of Liberia.Ambassador Augustine GANG also wants his compatriots to become key players in every sector of Cameroun governance, to especially move the country forward, thereby improving the lives of every Cameroonian.“I speak especially to my fellow Cameroonians especially those residing in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone to show your steadfastness and focus of development in dear Cameroon,” he pleaded.The Cameroonian Diplomat made these assertions at a dinner hosted in observance of his country’s national day.The day is celebrated on May 20 every year since it was first observed in 1964.The day was chosen to unite both the English and French-speaking people of that Central African nation, which has produced some of Africa’s best footballers, including Samuel Eto’o and Patrick Mboma.Tuesday’s celebration, staged under the theme, “The Army and the Nation: Building Synergy to Preserve Peace and Security, the Guarantee of Integration, Stability and Socio-economic Development,” was held at a local resort in Monrovia.According to the Cameroonian envoy, the economy of his country will only experience dramatic growth when its citizens play a pivotal role by uniting themselves as one people.In retrospect, Ambassador GANG noted that much of his country’s development has become a reality as a result of that country’s government’s focus on the social welfare of Cameroonians.The Cameroonian envoy indicated that since independence, the government has given to inter-ethnic, inter-cultural and inter-religious harmony and solidarity.Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Una Kumba Thompson lauded Cameroonians residing in Liberia, especially those who attended the just-ended occasion that marked the celebration of their 42nd anniversary.Minister Thompson noted that the harmonious relationships between the two countries are based on “deep sense of mutual respect for the interests and wellbeing of our people.”“Historically,” Minister Thompson said, “the first country to establish diplomatic mission at ambassadorial level with Cameroun was Liberia,” when she appointed Ambassador Francis Marshall in 1960 to that nation.By that, Minister Thompson continue that as far back in 1919, Liberia played a pivotal role at the League of Nations during a period when German-Cameroon was placed under trusteeship, and the 1960’s struggle for independence in Africa.“Our two countries began to enjoy the reassuring satisfaction of a friendship based not only on our African solidarity, but our shared aspirations for global peace and happiness.”“Our two countries,” she said, “endeavored also to foster the maintenance of world peace, security, unity, non-alignment, and free trade amongst the comity of nations.”Among those present at the occasion were United States of America Ambassador to Liberia, European Union Ambassador to Liberia, Ivorian and Ghanaian Ambassadors to Liberia, as well as an array of Liberian government officials. Among them were the Ministers of Gender and Development, Julia Duncan Cassell, Education Etmonia David Tarpeh and the Publisher of Daily Observer newspaper, Mr. Kenneth Y. Best.Others were representatives of the Chinese Embassy, President of the Liberian Business Association, Dee-Maxwell- Kemayah and the general secretary, M. Leelai Kpukuyou, and hosts of other dignitaries.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
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