014.00**0•~4**0**
Maccabi Games Detroit
Detroit Tops
D.C. Team,
Goes
2.0 In Volleyball
RICHARD PEARL
Staff Writer
D
etroit spikers rallied
Tuesday to shut out
1988 gold medal
winner Washington, D.C.,
bringing its record to 2-0 in
the preliminary round of the
1990 Jewish Community
Centers North American
Maccabi Youth Games
volleyball competition.
On Monday, the all-male
Detroit team — believed the
first non-coed team in recent
Detroit Maccabi Club histo-
ry — defeated Northern
California, 4-1.
Tuesday's victory over
defending champion Greater
Washington at West Hills
Middle School set the stage
for Wednesday's showdown
with Chicago, which was ex-
"I wanted to see
how our
substitutes did
under pressure."
— Sam Skeegan
pected to go a long way
toward determining whether
Detroit or Chicago would be
seeded No. 1 in the final-four
volleyball playoffs.
"They're a big, tough
team," said Sam Skeegan,
Detroit co-coach with Ken
Bertin, as he looked toward
the Chicago game.
On Tuesday, the
Detroiters had to hold off the
scrappy Washingtonians in
winning the first four games
of the five-game match. But
the D.C. crew, playing the
first match of their '88
Chicago Youth Games title
defense, stiffened in the fifth
game and took a 14-12 lead.
At that point, Washington
needed only one more point
to win the game and keep
Detroit from sweeping the
match. - But the Detroiters
broke Washington's service
and, with David Serlin serv-
ing, scored two points to tie
at 14-all.
To secure a victory now,
either team needed two
points to win. Two service
breaks later, Detroit took a
15-14 lead, but Washington
came back to tie it. Mark
Storch, captain of the team
from the Potomac, had a
chance to give D.C. the lead,
but his serve went into the
net.
That paved the way for
Detroit's Serlin, who held
service as his team broke the
tie and won the game, 17-15,
to pull off the shutout.
"I wanted to see how our
substitutes did under
pressure," said Skeegan,
who moved players in and
out of the fifth game often.
He liked what he saw, par-
ticularly the set-ups by Jor-
dan Glass and Scott Aaron-
son's serves. He was also
pleased with regulars
Howard Krugel, who had
several service aces; Serlin,
for his floor play, and Jason
Zaks for his shot-blocking.
Washington coach Steve
Cohen was proud of his
players, none members of
the 1988 gold medal-
winners.
"We started off nervous
and got way behind in the
first game," he said of the
9-15 loss to Detroit. "Detroit
just blew us out. But we've
got great kids — they came
back and showed a lot of
spirit."
He complimented the
team's overall effort and
hustle, but said he told them
afterward to "just put the
loss behind them and go out
and have fun" in the next
match, scheduled for
Wednesday afternoon
against Northern Califor-
nia. ❑
Michael Joseph and Michael Kovari, both from Montreal, are staying
in the home of Detroit table tennis coach, Michelle Mantel, and table
tennis committee chairperson, Hedy Mantel.
Athletes Appreciate
Home Away
From Home
PHIL JACOBS
Assistant Editor
E
d and Rita Sitron of
Southfield proved just
how giving the 1,000
Detroit host families have
been to their Maccabi
guests.
The Sitrons knew they
were being good to their
guests, three female soccer
players from suburban
Washington, D.C. But they
didn't want to be that good
to them. Because when
Washington played Detroit
in girls'soccer on Monday,
the D.C. team trounced the
Detroit team, 7-0. The
Sitrons' daughter, Shari,
was playing for the losers,
leaving the three visitors
from the east at a loss for
words at the dinner table
that night.
Washingtonians Jessica
Nathanson, Rachel Cher-
nikoff and Marni Chaskin
all agreed, however, that
winning a soccer game took
on a much lower priority
than the friendships they
have made with the Sitron
family.
"The entire experience,
coming here to Detroit has
been really great," Jessica,
16, said. "Everything might
be different from what we're
used to at home, but what is
the same is that we're all
Jews and we're all together.
"Everybody is also a
good sport," Rachel, 15,
chipped in, adding that she
didn't get the feeling that
anyone was here to win at
all costs.
For the Sitrons, being able
The Sitron family and their Washington, D.C. guests. (From I.) Marni Shaskin, Jessica Nathanson, Rachel
Chernikoff, Ed, Rita, Vicki, Neil and Shari Sitron.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
27