DePaul University Athletics
Review the Chat With Volleyball Player Kara Jakusz
10/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Chat with Volleyball Player Kara Jakusz
Tuesday, October 17 at 4 p.m. CT
Hosted By Total Sports & DePaulbluedemons.com
| mark greenburg Asks: Question:I have recently heard through the grapevine that you were employed this prior summer at Fred's Camp. How did that experience working with young children prepare you for conference play? |
| Answer: It definitely kept me on my toes. It was a great environment to be around because it was on campus. It was always nice to have the competition from you, offering to play with me. |
| Karen Kerwin Asks: Question:Hi Kara, Just wanted to say congrads and keep up the good work, we are proud of you....... Your Mom said to ask if you are glad you are half way thru??? |
| Answer: It is kind of sad actually when I think about it. It has flown by. I will not be glad until I win a conference championship. |
| Jonathan Nelson Asks: Question:What is the most demanding aspect of Coach Dawn's coaching style? |
| Answer: Dawn demands 110% every day. Mentally coming in and having to deal with school and social life and then having to focus on volleyball 3-4 hours a day is demanding. She is a hard worker so as long as you are working hard she is happy with that. Probably the mental part is the toughest. |
| Shawnie Mitchell Asks: Question:What does it take to become a good v-ball player? I don't think most high schools have teams. Are there camps and leagues outside of high school that can help someone interested in becoming a player? |
| Answer: Every high school I know of has a team. But the best way to get noticed is to play club. The way I got noticed is through camps. I don't have the info on the club teams but I'm sure there is some information at your school. Or maybe check online. |
| Peter Jennings Asks: Question:Kara, what is your favorite DePaul memory on or off the court? |
| Answer: My favorite memory now is watching my sister in the world series. But it will be when we win the conference tournament. |
| Blaisie Johnson Asks: Question:Who do you think you will vote for in the presidential election? |
| Answer: Undecided. I have not looked into that completely yet. |
| Donnie Brasco Asks: Question:Kara, what is great about attending DePaul? |
| Answer: The location where we are. There is so much to do in Chicago. I love being close to my family too. They get to come to every single game. And my sister is here. |
| Darien Siddall Asks: Question:Hi, KJ...Congrats on your emotional victory over Houston , which was sweet after a tough loss against South Florida on Friday. What are your chances of making the NCAA tourney ? Are they good still ? |
| Answer: Yes, they are definitely good. Our chances are pretty high. I hope the Houston win will start a streak for us. We play Louisville and Cincinnati in a few weeks so hopefully we will play well. I think we are ranked 4th or 5th right now and the top four get a bye in the conference tournament. Top three in the tournament go to NCAA tournament. |
| cindy wesolowski Asks: Question:Hi Kara..... Lemont's proud of you!!!! I enjoyed watching you and your team play last year against Louisville and hope to see you again. What do you think your chances are in taking them this year? |
| Answer: We played them earlier in the season and we did not give them a game at all so we are out for revenge. So, I think we are going to come out strong against them. |
| Dibs The Demon Asks: Question:What do you think of the new arena? |
| Answer: I love it! It can be cold sometimes but I think they did a great job on it. It is very homey. |
| Joe Henry Asks: Question:I am friends with Sarah Bishop and she told me to write you...how is Stephanie doing? Where are you from? |
| Answer: I'm from Lemont, Ill., it is a suburb of Chicago. Stephanie is doing great. I'll tell her you said hi. |
| Bonita Snyper Asks: Question:Who is your favorite manager in the entire world? |
| Answer: Philip Wantoch, who is our current manager. Sometimes we get into it on the court but in the end I appreciate. He is our manager but he scrimmages with us sometimes. |
| C. Ryan Asks: Question:Kara- Great job on beating Houston and keep up the good work! My question: I heard that you were also a great softball player. Is there any truth to the rumor that you used to be better than a certain Center Fielder for DePaul University that just happens to be your sister? I don't want to be spreading rumors so tell the truth! |
| Answer:I used to play but it was a long time ago. SO the type of play and the competition is different in college I don't want to say that I am better than her now but maybe back in the day... |
| Bill Bradlee Asks: Question:Hi Kara, you and your sister are great athletes. How do you two become great players? |
| Answer:I will attribute that to my parents, especially my dad. We were in sports pretty young. We were lucky to be in a family that was very supportive and was there for everything, every match or tournament. They never put pressure us so we were able to enjoy sports. |
| Mike bracken Asks: Question:do you think you can become the all-time assists leader in DePaul history? Ad Michael says hi. |
| Answer: I don't really look at those kind of things. I just go out there and play my game. I don't know how many I have or how many I need so I don't know. It would be a nice honor though. Tomorrow night we play Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 7 p.m. at the athletics center. Hope to see you all there. I enjoyed chatting today hopefully we can do it again after the conference tournament win! Go Demons! |
Demon notes: Sister Dana is a senior on the softball team....she and teammate Mary Anne Flanigan both graduated from Providence High School in 1998...is currently second in career assists with 4,004
This season:
Kara ranks first in Conference USA in assists per game and is tied for 15th in the nation in the same category....She recorded the first triple double of her career against UAB with 10 kills, 39 assists and 15 digs in the 3-0 win...she just missed tying her school and conference record for single game assists (89) when she tallied 88 against Tulsa....has recorded 50 or more assists seven times this year...was named C-USA player of the week for September 25---she dished out 154 assists in 10 games during the team's three wins that week...she has helped DePaul rank 5th in the NCAA Midwest Region as of Oct. 3 and the team has been listed as high as third during the year...she is currently on pace to break the school's single season assist record of 1733--the mark was set in 1990 by Michelle Vonderheide.
1999: Conference USA Player of the Week on October 11 (first player in DePaul history to earn that honor)... member of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll... sixth in C-USA in assists per game... 1,629 assists is the third-best single-season assist total in DePaul history... only the second setter in DePaul annals to have 1,600 assists in a season... set a school and conference record with 89 assists vs. UIC... had 80 assists at Saint Louis... four matches with 70 or more assists and nine with over 60... second on the team in digs with 405... four matches with 20 or more digs... one of two players in DePaul history to have 1,500 assists and 400 digs in a season.
1998: member of Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll... assist total of 1,369 was the fifth-best single season total in school history... fourth setter in DePaul annals to have 1,300 assists in a season and the fifth to have 1,000... her season assist total was the most by a Blue Demon freshman since the 1989 season... third in C-USA in assists per game... season-best 68 assists in win over 22nd-ranked Louisville... followed that with a 66-assist performance at Cincinnati and then had 65 at Illinois-Chicago... 62 assists vs. Georgetown... 61 assists and a season-best 18 digs vs. UNC Charlotte... 16 matches with double figure dig totals.
