Too many times this season the Wichita State volleyball team has allowed opposing teams to hang around and steal sets.

Southern Illinois was looking like the next team to give the Shockers problems, tying the score at 19 in the second set after losing a tightly contested first set.

Instead of giving up momentum to the Salukis, Wichita State seized control of the game winning six of the next seven points to win the set in its 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-16) victory on Saturday night at Koch Arena.

LUBBOCK, Texas — By the time they emerged from the locker room, the Kansas State Wildcats were no longer talking about their frustrations. That emotion had left their psyche long ago.

No, after losing to Texas Tech in humiliating fashion 66-14 on Saturday night at Jones AT&T Stadium, they needed a much stronger word to describe their feelings.

Coach Bill Snyder and his players tossed around more than a few in the aftermath of their worst defeat of the season, but to put it simply they felt disgusted.

LAWRENCE — Fresh off another career day that saw them trade the school's career receptions record in the span of a few minutes, Kansas wide receivers Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe entered the locker room after No. 16 KU's 41-36 victory over Iowa State and began trading jokes.

"Just about who's on top right now," Meier said.

Elsewhere in the room, the Kansas defensive players sat silent. Defensive end Jake Laptad said nobody spoke up after the Jayhawks gave up 512 yards.

PHILADELPHIA — It happens in the NFL almost weekly: A veteran gets hurt and a younger player gets his chance.

Sometimes the veteran returns to assume his spot, other times he does not and the change becomes "the moment when one player began to descend and the other started to rise.

Last week, might have been that moment for Kevin Curtis and Jeremy Maclin, the University of Missouri product. For the second straight game, Maclin will start at wide receiver in place of the injured Curtis.

The Wichita Thunder's feel-good preseason continued with a 3-2 shootout victory over the expansion Missouri Mavericks on Saturday night.

After last season's 20-41-3 showing, second-year coach Brent Bilodeau seemingly improved recruiting efforts dramatically, signing several players who have excited the fan base.

The enthusiasm likely only increased with the Thunder's 3-0 victory on Friday, followed by the shootout win in front of a standing room-only crowd of more than 700 fans at the Wichita Ice Center. It marks the first time since 1992-93, the franchise's first year, that the Thunder has won two exhibition games.

Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford wasn't sure how his injured shoulder would hold up to a full day's work.

After 49 throws in No. 19 Oklahoma's 33-7 win against Baylor on Saturday in Norman, Okla., Bradford is ready for next week's rivalry game against No. 2 Texas in Dallas.

"I think that's something that we were all curious around here is how I would react to 3 1/2-4 hours in my pads, on and off, not throwing the whole time, kind of sitting on the bench, coming back and making some throws," Bradford said. "I felt like my arm responded great, and I felt good out there."

ARCADIA, Calif. —Zenyatta did it again, running her record to 13-0 with a victory in the $300,000 Lady's Secret Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

The stellar mare tied Personal Ensign's record streak of 13 consecutive wins set 20 years ago.

Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Zenyatta covered 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface in 1:42.89. Sent off as the 2-5 wagering favorite, she won by 1 1-4 lengths and paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10.

PITTSBURG — The analogy is simple.

Imagine Pittsburg State University as a house.

The students and alumni are, of course, the foundation.

ORLANDO, Fla. —The Orlando Magic did not draft a shooting guard and sign another two-guard like they did the season before.

No, this season the Magic just made a trade to acquire an eight-time all-star who plays shooting guard (Vince Carter).

Welcome to J.J. Redick's world.

Simply put, Friends' Doug Pierce doesn't belong in the KCAC. At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, with hands like flypaper and the fleet, long strides of a gazelle, it only takes one glance to ask why he isn't playing against tougher competition.

Certainly coaches within the NAIA ranks wish he was playing in another league.

Pierce torched another opponent Saturday, catching six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons defeated Sterling 30-6 at a windswept and chilled Adair-Austin Stadium.

Senior wide receiver and Garden Plain product Kendall Fisher scored touchdowns on each of his first three receptions on his way to a record-setting day in Pittsburg State's 44-14 rout of Emporia State on Saturday in Pittsburg.

Fisher scored from 60, 92 and 23 yards out — all in the first half — and finished with a school record 238 yards receiving on six receptions.

Emporia State (1-6, 0-5) 0 7 0 7 — 14 Pittsburg State (4-3, 2-3) 17 13 7 7 — 44

Dario Franchitti's return to IndyCar racing couldn't have gone better. He's the IRL champion once again.

Franchitti successfully emerged from one of the closest points races in series history Saturday, winning the season-ending Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the first caution-free IRL race ever.

The 2007 champion — who skipped 2008 to explore NASCAR — held off Target Chip Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon and Penske Racing's Ryan Briscoe.

ST. LOUIS — Unemployed in August, Vicente Padilla kept the Los Angeles Dodgers going in October.

The second-chance pitcher shut down Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals, putting the Dodgers back in the National League championship series with a 5-1 victory on Saturday night.

Andre Ethier missed the cycle by a single, Manny Ramirez had three hits and two RBIs and the Dodgers didn't need help this time from another St. Louis fielding blunder to sweep their division series opponent for a second straight season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Dave Pear can't remember the sweetness or the relief. He can't picture the anxious final moments on the field or the party in the locker room. Time and his flickering memory won't let him.

Pear was a Tampa Bay defensive tackle 32 years ago, when the Buccaneers beat New Orleans and snapped what is still the NFL's longest losing streak. It was the first of two consecutive wins for the Bucs. Too bad Pear can't recall much about the day his team's luck changed.

"I just remember that our record was oh-and-26," he says now.

LUBBOCK, Texas — Remember, Kansas State football players said they wanted this challenge.

The Wildcats entered Saturday night's game at Texas Tech sporting a defense that was statistically one of the best in the country and an offense that was coming off its most promising game of the season.

Going up against a respected Big 12 South team, this was their shot at validating their recent play.

LAWRENCE — Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud overthrew a wide-open Darius Darks in the end zone on fourth-and-9 from the Kansas 31-yard line with a minute left, and the Jayhawks held on for a narrow 41-36 homecoming victory this afternoon.

The KU defense gave up 512 yards of offense to the Cyclones, who couldn't put the finishing touches on an upset of No. 16 KU.

The Jayhawks offense, led by quarterback Todd Reesing's 449 passing yards and four touchdown passes, did just enough. Wide receiver Kerry Meier had 16 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns, setting a school record for receptions in a game. Dezmon Briscoe wasn't far behind with 12 catches for 175 yards and two scores.

The spotlight never appears to bother Bishop Carroll quarterback Blake Bell, who has played with the poise of a veteran since his first start in 2008. Even he admitted, though, to feeling pressure Friday night when the Eagles played Kapaun Mount Carmel in a game televised nationally by ESPNU.

The hype, the crowd of around 5,000 fans, the national TV audience, a huge rivalry, the scrutiny on Bell, who is one of the country’s top-ranked quarterbacks — it was a lot to handle.

“This was crazy,” Bell said. “I felt the pressure, but I tried to let it all go.”

There is no point to downplaying this season for the Wichita State men's bowling team. Senior Josh Blanchard won't bother.

"I think this could be the best team ever assembled in college bowling history," Blanchard said. "Talent-wise, this is the most credentials of any team we've ever had and the best work ethic I've ever seen in any group of guys in my entire life."

WSU's women's team is in the same place. Both teams are defending national champions and both return most of their lineups. Both added talent with international credentials. The Shockers open their season this weekend in the Mid-States Tournament at Northrock Lanes. When the season ends at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships in April, both expect to be No. 1.

Wichita State volleyball coach Chris Lamb isn't sure why the Shockers struggled to handle Evansville's serving early in Friday's match.

The whole serve-and-receive thing might be in his team's head. The Shockers are trying to avoid service errors, so they aren't serving as aggressively in practice.

"When you're pressing on the service line, you don't serve as tough," Lamb said. "So maybe we're not facing the same kind of heat in practice that we need to be."

Wichita State softball coach Mike Perniciaro is trying many lineups this fall. Topping the list of encouraging items is his belief that three freshmen are ready to contribute.

"We've seen some people in different roles, in different spots than they're accustomed to," he said. "We're loaded with talent from an athletic standpoint. But finding the right pieces of the puzzle to put together is always a challenge."

WSU wraps up fall practices with two scrimmages against Emporia State beginning at 6 tonight at Wilkins Stadium. Perniciaro will get another look at infielders Sammie Shook and Hayley Temple and pitcher Katie Armagost, freshmen who are playing well.