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WWW.GUILFOflDIAN.COM
By Jordan Alexander
Staff Writer
The high-flying Quaker volleyball team
hosted Roanoke College this past Friday in
their final conference match. Stakes were
high as a win would have given Guilford an
instant bid to the eight-team Old Dominion
Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament.
Adding to the atmosphere, this was
Guilford's "Dig for the Cure" match. The
women wore pink hair ribbons in an effort
to elevate breast cancer awareness. For each
dig, a donation was made to the Susan G.
Komen Foundation.
Following a tough first set, Guilford
bounced back strong in the second, claiming
six of the first seven points. As the set wore
on, the Maroons climbed the score-sheet to a
seven-point lead.
First-year Mary Moody ignited the Quakers
by serving eight straight crucial points.
Sensing the Quakers' fire, the Maroons coach
Blair Trail called a critical time-out. Upon
resuming play, Roanoke stole three quick
points to extinguish the Quakers' hot run
and barely seizing the second set.
Under pressure and now behind two to
none, the lady Quakes crafted their finest
set of the night. Capitalizing on several
Roanoke errors, sophomore co-captain Arina
Miller and senior Shanika Tunnell's strong
serves helped Guilford to a lead. Points
began to trade back-and-forth until Miller
and Tunnell combined for a timely block to
win the third set 25-23.
Unfortunately the Maroons overpowered
the Quakers in the final set thereby improv
ing their overall record to a conference-best
■23-3.
But although a tournament berth for the
Quakers is not secure, their chances still look
good.
"If Randolph College loses to the higher
seed Virginia Wesleyan, we would stay in
a two-way tie with them. Since we beat
SPORTS
Randolph head-to-head we have the upper-
hand right now," explained Gann.
Possibly adding to the confusion, a Sweet
Briar College win would place them into a
three-way tie with Guilford and Randolph.
"If Sweet Briar wins, it will go down to
the third tie-breaker, which was decided a
long time ago," said Gann. "Back in May
every team pulled a number out of a hat;
thankfully Tom Palombo pulled number one
for us."
With all of their conference games played,
the ladies can only hope to make the ODAC
tournament.
If given the chance. Miller is confident
they will get an upset as the number eight
seed.
"When we played Randolph-Macon (23-
7, 9-0 in ODAC) earlier this season we only
lost by three points in the 5th set. We are
right there. When we are on and playing
like a team, we can beat any team in this
conference," said Miller regarding a potential
rematch with current one-seed Randolph-
Macon.
As this season is coming to a close and the
youthful Quaker team waits for their tour
nament news, the prospect for 2009's team
looks bright.
"We are definitely going to be one of the
teams to look out for next season. We have
a lot of returning players and we are only
losing one senior next year," said sophomore
Courtney Kozar.
Asserting that several of her young play
ers have stepped up and filled major roles on
the team, Gann is noticeably thrilled with the
leaps the team has made this year.
"I try not to look to next season until this
one is finished, but of course seeing them
grow so much this season has got me really
excited for next season."
The team's last two season games are
home on Oct. 30 against Ferrum and Oct. 31
versus Salem. With a little luck, these two
matches will not be their last.
Guilford's Kimbrough joins the Washington Generals
By Sam Jenkins
Staff Writer
Graduating from his college basketball
career at Guilford, former varsity basketball
star Caleb Kimbrough '08 has become a
professional athlete. Kimbrough has signed
a one-year guaranteed contract with the
Washington Generals, better known as
the ineffective opposition to the Harlem
Globetrotter's comedic basketball routine.
In each "exhibition," the Globetrotters
consistently trump the Generals by using
incredibly complex and entertaining trick
shots and plays. The Globetrotters appear to
have effortless control of the ball throughout
the game, while the Generals try to keep up
with a game of heavily disciplined "straight
ball," which is ultimately unsuccessful game
after game.
Considering his track record with the
Quakers, helping the Quakers to a 76-36
record in his four-year tenure, Kimbrough
may have trouble getting used to losing
every game. After all, his college career was
impeccable and his fans and teammates all
know him as a dogged competitor.
First of all, there are the awards. These
little nuggets of honor include Guilford's
2006-07 Quaker Club Ideal Student-Athlete
Award, the 2008 Nereus C. English '26
Athletic Leadership Award, and the 2007
Richard Joyce Sportsmanship Award.
Throughout Kimbrough's Guilford career,
the 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound guard averaged
6.8 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per
game — righteous stats by anyone's terms.
He had 358 career assists and 130 steals,
which placed him third overall at Guilford
College.
"The man was a bailer," said die-hard
Kimbrough fan and third-year Guilford stu
dent Rachel McClure, "A true shot-caller. He
will be missed."
Kimbrough played his first Generals-
Globetrotters game on Oct. 8 in Harlem, N.Y.,
but only after a week of vigorous training.
"I played in the second quarter and scored
a couple lay-ups and a short jump shot," said
Kimbrough in his regularly updated blog.
"I also have been chosen to be the Generals
player that puts a glass covering over the
Globetrotters' basket (due to my height, ha
...ha) in the third quarter (by means of a lad
der)."
Kimbrough commented on the predict
able ending of the game with lighthearted
enthusiasm.
"Overall, our team did a great job in
the show and shot lights out," he wrote.
"Unfortunately, we came up on the short end
once again... losing to the darn Gllphetrotters
92-86! Maybe next time."
On Oct. 12, Kimbrough left with the
Generals and Globetrotters for Tel Aviv,
Israel, where they began their Mediterranean
tour. They will return Dec. 26 for a game in
Green Bay, Wis. The Generals play 110 games
in 115 days.
Varsity basketball coach Tom Palombo is
glad to watch Kimbrough reach success, but
still reminisces about their glory days.
"Caleb was an outstanding leader and
one of the hardest workers I have ever
said. "He was an unbelievably hardworking
player and left everything on the floor."
"He very much deserved that," said
Anderson in response to Kimbrough's recent
success.
"We were all excited about Caleb's oppor
tunity to continue his playing career," said
Palombo. "He loves basketball. He wants to
coach one day and this will give him experi
ences he can take with him as he gains valu
able experience."
To learn more about Kimbrough's experi
"Unfortunately, we came up on the short end once again...
osing to the darn Globetrotters 92-86! Maybe next time."
Caleb Kimbrough
coached," Palombo wrote in an e-mail. "He
was extremely competitive and did not like
to lose whether it was a practice, drill or a
game."
Former teammate and sophomore T.C.
Anderson viewed Kimbrough as a role model
for the whole tcanr.,, „, .
; ".Qn'arid *off the tjbibjc'
ence, read his blog at http: / / www.calebkim-
brough.blogspot.com for day-to-day updates
on his burgeoning basketball career.
"I check it everyday," said McClure. "It
makes me proud to know I have actual
ly touched, with my own hands, a real
,AV4shii\gtPA Qeqeral and that,the dude actu-.
^^ly went tp my cpllege."