Detering has since earned the starting spot.Penn State pr

CINCINNATI -- It looks as if Ben Zobrist might be rounding into postseason form, just in time for the Chicago Cubs.Zobrist homered twice and drove in three runs, helping Chicago beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 on Friday night.Im feeling a lot better than I felt in June, July and August, said Zobrist, who helped Kansas City win the World Series last year. Hopefully, that translates into October.The Cubs have the majors best record and clinched the NL Central title with plenty of time to spare, giving Joe Maddon the luxury of resting his regulars. The 35-year-old Zobrist didnt play on Monday or Thursday, and he is 11 for 22 with two homers and eight RBI in his last seven games.Hes rested, Maddon said. With guys like that, thats why you want time off, and (Friday) is what it can look like.Jake Buchanan (1-0) pitched five shutout innings as Chicago improved to 14-3 against Cincinnati this season with two games to play. The right-hander allowed two hits in his first start since 2014 with Houston.Outstanding, wasnt he? Maddon said. He controlled his emotions and threw strikes. He was very efficient. He threw strikes. We caught the ball -- a typical formula for us.It was Buchanans first appearance since he pitched one inning on Sept. 5. He didnt know what to expect when he took the mound.Once I got past the first batter, it felt really good to be back in a ballgame, Buchanan said. I was just hoping to throw strikes and compete.Anthony Rizzo also drove in two runs for Chicago, which was coming off a rare tie in Pittsburgh due to rain.Joey Votto hit a two-run homer in the ninth for last-place Cincinnati, which announced before the game that manager Bryan Price would return next season. Josh Smith (3-3) was charged with two runs and three hits in five-plus innings.Price and the Reds agreed to a one-year contract with a team option. The entire coaching staff also has been offered contracts for 2017.There is a mutual desire to stay connected, Price said. For me, its an unbelievable opportunity. It is a storied franchise. I have really enjoyed my coaches and my team.The Cubs, headed for the playoffs for the second straight year, announced contract extensions for general manager Jed Hoyer and player development director Jason McLeod. Their new deals run through the 2021 season, mirroring president of baseball operations Theo Epsteins contract announced on Wednesday.Smith retired his first 12 batters before Zobrist led off the fifth with a drive to right for his first homer since Sept. 12. The All-Star also connected for a two-run shot in Chicagos four-run eighth, No. 17 on the year.It was good, Smith said. I challenged hitters early and got a lot of early contact to pitch pretty deep in the game. The ball to Zobrist, I missed my spot.Chicagos first three batters reached in the sixth, chasing Smith, and Addison Russells RBI double made it 3-1.HISTORIC HOMERSZobrists homers were Chicagos 38th and 39th against the Reds this season, the most by one team against Cincinnati pitching in one season. The 1954 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1957 Milwaukee Braves previously shared the record with 38.FRIENDLY CONFINESKris Bryants eighth-inning single gave him a least one hit in each of Chicagos eight games at Great American Ball Park so far this season.EARLY WARNINGVotto, who left Thursdays game at St. Louis in the eighth inning with a cut on his chin that required seven stitches, texted Price at 3 a.m. Friday saying that he would be ready to play.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: OF Jorge Soler (discomfort on his right side) will be re-evaluated on Saturday, Maddon said.Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips, sidelined by soreness in his left wrist and hand, was being examined Friday by members of the Reds medical staff, Price said.UP NEXTCubs: LHP Jon Lester (19-4) seeks his first career 20-win season in his last start. He is 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA in four starts against Cincinnati this season.Reds: RHP Tim Adleman (3-4), who set a career high with seven innings in his last start on Monday, will try to close out his season with back-to-back wins. Cheap Nike Sb China . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. Nike Sb Clearance Sale . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. http://www.cheapnikesb.us/ . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. Nike Sb China Wholesale . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Cheap Nike Sb Sale . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. NCAA volleyball has a new No. 1 yet again and plenty of story lines to dig into with teams in the thick of conference play.A first for WisconsinThree weeks, three No. 1 teams.Wisconsin takes over the top spot in this weeks American Volleyball Coaches Association poll -- a first in program history.Minnesotas reign at No. 1 lasted just a week; the Golden Gophers were upset by Penn State last Wednesday. Two weeks ago, Ohio State ended Nebraskas run at the top, defeating the Cornhuskers in Lincoln.Behind arguably the best setter in the game, Lauren Carlini, and perhaps the best freshman, Molly Haggerty, the Badgers are 14-1, the best start in program history. Their lone loss is a five-setter at North Carolina when starting outside hitter Lauryn Gillis was sidelined with an ankle injury.Wisconsin, which beat Rutgers and Illinois last week, heads into the most brutal stretch of its schedule, starting with Wednesdays date against No. 3 Minnesota. The Battle of the Border match in Madison is sold out; the Badgers have won 18 straight Big Ten matches, dating back to last years loss on Oct. 17 to Minnesota.The Badgers have also won 14 consecutive at home, and that dates back to, you guessed it, last years Oct. 14 loss to the Golden Gophers.Thats among the reasons why the talk wasnt about the No. 1 ranking in Mondays practice. When youve got Minnesota in front of you, a final four team that returns six of seven, a team that won the Big Ten, you better really be spending very little attention on that, Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. Its a nonfactor because of whats in front of us.A Wisconsin win would give Sheffield his 100th coaching victory at the school.After Minnesota, dates with No. 18 Michigan (Saturday) and No. 2 Nebraska (Oct. 21) are on tap.Nittany Lions back in the huntAlong with Wisconsin, the other undefeated team in the Big Ten is Penn State (14-3, 6-0), which moves up to No. 10 this week.The Nittany Lions dropped out of the top 10 after going 2-3 through their first five games, their worst start to a season in 36 years. Since then, Penn State has won 12 in a row, avenging last seasons loss to Minnesota when the Nittany Lions were the top-ranked team.Wednesdays match was a five-setter; Penn State trailed 11-3 to start but regrouped for a tie at 22-22. Fending off a pair of sets points, the Nittany Lions forced another tie at 24-24. Finally, kills by Simone Lee and Ali Frantti put Penn State on top 29-27.After Minnesota snagged the next two, Penn State dominated the fourth and fifth, 25-14 and 15-10.Lees 30 kills were the most by a Penn State player in the 25-point rally-scoring era.Coach Russ Rose credits part of Penn States improvement with solidifying its lineup, particularly at setter. Abby Detering and Bryanna Weiskircher shared time early; Detering has since earned the starting spot.Penn State pride kicked in along the way, too.We were disappointed in how we lost some of the matches earlier, Rose said. Were competing a little harder, and while that doesnt necessarily make you a better volleyball player, it makes you tougher as a group.Penn State showed off its versatility against Minnesota. Junior middle blocker Haleigh Washington logged a season-best 14 kills without an error to go with three blocks. Frantti had her second double-double of the season with 13 kills and 13 digs; Detering had 61 assists and 10 digs. Junior middle blocker Heidi Thelen also had 14 kills, a career high, with five blocks.Freshman Kendall Whites 21 digs were a match high.The season is young, Rose reminded, and the Nittany Lions still have nine opponents in the Top 25 left on the slate. First up: No. 22 Purdue on the road on Friday.Not the usual suspects leading Pac-12 raceThe regulars are still in the mix in the Pac-12, but the top two spots belong to No. 13 Washington State (15-3) and No. 16 Oregon (12-3). Both teams are 5-1 in conference.Oregon had won 11 straight prior to losing on Friday to Washington. But the Ducks sit atop an unpredictable Pac-12 after sweeping a streaking Washington State team on Sunday.The Cougars have been the surprise team in the nation thus far, with wins over No. 7 Washington, No. 20 UCLA and No. 12 Stanford. They had won five straight and 14 of 15 pprior to falling to Oregon.ddddddddddddDropping the first set 25-21, Washington State managed just 10 and 14 points in the next two, hitting a mere .056 for the match.We arent sneaking up on anybody, Cougars coach Jen Greeny said.Oregon coach Jim Moore was happy to see his team rebound so well after being swept by the Huskies.There was a different feeling before this game. We felt like we were protecting something, he said. We have to learn to be the top team. We have to stop wanting to be the underdog. We have to start accepting the fact that were good and people expect you to win.Four teams are tied for second place at 4-2 in the Pac-12, and one of them is Utah (13-4), which moves into the poll at No. 21. The Utes four-set victory over Stanford was their second in program history and first since 2000. The Utes have three wins over top-25 opponents. In addition to Stanford, Utah topped Colorado and Brigham Young in September.None of this is according to plan in the Pac-12. Washington State was picked ninth in the conferences preseason poll, Utah was eighth and Oregon was fourth.Stanford (10-4, 4-2) was picked to win the league and UCLA (12-4, 3-3) was second.Also in the Pac-12 last week, USC won its 1,000th program match with Fridays defeat of Arizona State. The Trojans are the 17th Division I program to achieve that feat.Gritty Baylor making a roar in Big 12Two seasons in, and coach Ryan McGuyre is making a splash with a Baylor program that continues to overachieve despite a plethora of injuries.After a 3-2 loss at Florida State a month ago, the Bears were 4-4. Since then theyve gone 11-1, a stretch that includes three wins over ranked opponents (Kansas State, Washington State and TCU). Prior to this season, Baylor had not upset a ranked team since 2012.The Bears are 15-5 behind a group that expected to be sitting more than playing, a plan that changed starting in preseason.A phone call from the Baylor trainer delivered disappointing news to McGuyre. Senior middle Tola Itiola would be out due to a knee injury. She was a big part of the plan, McGuyre said.So was 2015 kills leader Shelly Fanning, who is nursing a stress fracture in her foot.In the absence of Itiola, redshirt freshman Jaelyn Jackson anchored the middle and led the Bears in blocking, but then she was lost to an ACL tear sustained at Kansas State.That leaves Baylor with a reshuffled lineup that relies heavily on senior setter Morgan Reed and redshirt junior Katie Staiger, averaging a team-best 5.54 kills per set.Shes having an All-American season, McGuyre said of Staiger.No. 4 Texas awaits on Wednesday; the unranked Bears are 2-77 against the Longhorns. Texas has won 28 straight with Baylors last win coming in a five-setter on Oct. 27, 2001.On paper were the underdogs, McGuyre said. Were trying to play fast, trying to play aggressive. You have so many girls playing that were backups, and theyre cherishing the opportunity to play.Theyre surprising me. Theyre keeping the standards high. Theres no guarantee we win a match the rest of the year. The Big 12s tough, but we fight hard and things have been working out for us.Long Beach State unbeaten in the Big WestLong Beach State (12-7, 6-0) sits alone atop the Big West after Saturday nights defeat of then-No. 12 Hawaii in five. After trailing the entire final set, the 49ers tied it at 11-11 and pulled ahead behind a Hawaii hitting error and kills from Ashley Murray and Nele Barber.The 49ers won their sixth match in a row in front of 3,212 at the Pyramid, the largest home crowd in 15 years. It was teams first win over a top-15 opponent since 2010.The victory snapped seven straight by the Rainbow Wahine (12-5, 5-1) and was Hawaiis first loss in the Big West in 27 matches. The last conference opponent to beat Hawaii prior to Saturday? Long Beach State on Nov. 7, 2014.Tonight was what Long Beach State and Hawaii have been doing forever, 49ers coach Brian Gimmillaro said. It was great volleyball. What you saw is what volleyball is supposed to look like.Hawaii dropped from No. 12 to No. 17 in the poll; Long Beach State remains unranked. ' ' '