 Sports News Search Classifieds Cougars extend win streak to 12
March 1, 2000 
Something is definitely different about Columbia College’s Jin Song Zhao. Whether it’s his improved conditioning, his inspired play as of late or — most shockingly — his new bleached-blond hair, Jin is changing for the better.The junior middle blocker proved to be the emotional sparkplug the Cougar men’s volleyball team needed to win a hard-fought 15-11, 15-10, 15-12 match against Park University on Tuesday at Southwell Gymnasium. Columbia (15-1, 15-0 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) is on fire, riding a 12-match winning streak, losing only three games during the stretch. The Cougars are undefeated in MIVA play. “We’ve been winning with what we have out here,” said Cougar assistant coach Craig Sherman, referring to the possible return of explosive scoring outside hitter Chen Feng next week. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Jin was not the Cougar’s statistical leader, but most of his 10 kills and four blocks came late in each of the close sets. Each block was followed by his trademark clenching of fists — except for one when he celebrated by blowing kisses to the fans. Another surprise was the unveiling of his new hairdo. “He’s the Dennis Rodman of MIVA,” said setter Mike Taylor, who had a match-high 59 assists. “He’s been doing a good job for us lately picking up his play. He’s getting back to his old form we need him in to compete in nationals.” Opposite Winder Montano, a former Venezuelan National Team player, was again the star of the match with 28 kills on a .412 attack average to go along with 10 digs. The freshman’s 268 kills currently put him on pace to break Jin’s season record of 378 kills in 1998 and his 5.6 kills per game are also better than Chen’s record of 4.7 set last year. “He’s our go-to guy for sure,” Sherman said. “When we get him on a roll, we really don’t need to go to anyone else for a while and he got really hot today.” The Pirates (8-4, 8-4) were led by India native middle blocker Amarpreet Cheema’s 20 kills and Brazilian setter Heber Cardoso’s 49 sets. “They were the two guys we really needed to worry about,” said Cougar middle blocker Kyle Green. “One was quick (Cardoso) and the other was tall (6-foot-6 Cheema). They gave our defense something to worry about.” Despite the offensive displays shown by both teams, this match was filled with sloppy passing, setting and poor communication. In several instances, players ran into each other, and several balls dropped due to miscommunication on both sides of the net. In one instance Cheema flew over Cardoso going for a spike, landing on top of the Park setter. In another similar play Taylor, going for a dig, wound up accidentally shoving outside hitter Ivan Toptichiysky out of the way. “I didn’t even see him,” Taylor said. “It was all about communication, something we need to work on.” The Cougars, ranked No. 1 in MIVA and No. 2 in the NAIA, will look to win their 13th straight match today as they take on Loyola University, ranked No. 16 in the NCAA, in Chicago. “It’s a game we definitely need to win,” Taylor said. “Before we take on California Baptist (the No. 1 NAIA team, which Columbia will play on March 17) we need to get our feet wet against a good team.”
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