Sports Shorts

By Ryan Huber

Published Nov. 28, 2006

Daniel named Player of the Week

Sophomore quarterback Chase Daniel earned his second Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award after a career day against Kansas. He is the first Tiger quarterback since 2001 to throw for 350 yards or more and just the sixth in school history. He completed 26 of 38 pass attempts for 367 yards and had no interceptions. Had Daniel's 75-yard touchdown pass to Brad Ekwerekwu in the third quarter not been called back on a penalty, Daniel would have been the third Tiger ever to throw for more than 400 yards.

Daniel became the first Missouri quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a single season, as his total topped at 3,197 yards. His second record on the day came as a result of four touchdown passes giving him 26, a new school mark.

Daniel joins teammates Marcus Bacon, Brian Smith and David Overstreet with Big 12 Player of the Week honors this season.

Two Tigers named to All-Big 12 team

Senior volleyball players Jessica Vander Kooi and Nicole Wilson were both named to the All-Big 12 team, with Vander Kooi returning to the All-Big 12 first team for the third straight year.

Vander Kooi, a native of Hinton, Iowa, finished in the top 10 in the conference in kills per game, aces per game and points per game and was twice named Big 12 Player of the Week. She is one of five outside hitters named to the first team, joined by Oklahoma's Joanna Schmitt, Texas's Destinee Hooker and Sarah Pavan and Jordan Larson of Nebraska.

Wilson, a middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., finished fifth in the conference in hitting percentage and tenth in kills per game. This is her second straight appearance on the honorable mention portion of the All-Big 12 team. She is the all-time leader in MU hitting percentage with a mark of .350.

Softball signs five for 2008 season

MU softball coach Ehren Earleywine announced that five high school athletes had signed letters of intent to play for the Tigers in 2008, including three from Missouri.

Megan Christopher of Wright City, Marla Schweisberger of Raytown and Lisa Simmons of Boonville, as well as Rhea Taylor of Buford, Ga., and Abby Vock of Morrison, Ill., will make up Earleywine's first recruiting class at MU.

Of the five incoming players, Christopher and Schweisberger are mainly catchers, Taylor is an outfielder, and Simmons and Vock are both pitchers. Vock is also the younger sister of current Tigers infielder Michaele Vock.