Page 1OC-Thursday, September 6, 1979-The Michigan Daily
Tennis trump
Women defend state crown
. . 0
By GARY LEVY
As the University nearly empties
out during the last week in April, a small
but eager group of women stay around'
for another month to play tennis.
Winning tennis, that is.
Actually, the Michigan women net-
ters start practicing in the fall, inten-
sifying their workouts over the winter,
and then finally play their first match
before Spring Break in early March.
-UT THE REGULAR season, which
usually lasts through early May, is
usually only a prelude to further chap-
ters in their success story. The 1979
season was no different for the
Wolverines.
In Coach Theo Shepherd's first year,
the netters finished the regular season
with a record of 18-3, and then went on
to defend their state championship,
place second in the AIAW Midwest
Regional, and advance to the nationals.
And when all was said and done, the
Wolverines found themselves ranked
among the top 26 teams in the nation.
"The girls played a lot of tennis and
had no serious injuries," Shepherd
noted. The top of the lineup played well
all season long, and the bottom of the
lineup came through when we really
needed it, like in the Ohio State match."
AFTER LOSING to Ohio State in both
the Big Ten meet (which OSU won) and
a regular season contest, the
Wolverines repaid the Buckeyes in the
all-important regional competition.
SENIOR KATHY KARZEN was
Michigan's leader down the stretch,
successfully defending her state tour-
nament titles at first singles. Karzen's
season was a bit extended-she advan-
ced to the individual portion of the
nationals before bowing out in the con-
Tune in for
foitbaHmoflion I
And Eisner and Co.
win conference 1e
By MARK BOROWSKI
Some things just seem to last forever.
There are the natural wonders of the world-Niagara Falls, the Grand
Canyon, Death Valley ...
And then there are man-made wonders-the Taj Mahal, Mt. Rushmore,
the Michigan men's tennis team...
WELL, COACH Brian Eisner probably never thought ten straight Big
Ten titles would qualify his squad as a monument to the masses, but op-
posing squads are slowly being convinced otherwise.
Eisner's netters capped off another banner year in May, winning the Big
Ten title and finishing 13th in the NCAA championships. Individually, the
Wolverines fared just as well-graduated captain Jeff Etterbeek advanced
to the quarterfinal round before he was eliminated by Warren Farrow of
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.
"It will be difficult to replace two team veterans like Etterbeek and
(Peter) Osler," said Eisner of his two gradautes. The pair racked up six con-
ference titles between them during their Wolverine careers-Etterbeek cap-
tured two singles and three doubles titles, while Osler was this year's Big
Ten champion at fifth singles.
But there's no shortage of talent among the 1980 netters. At least recent
statistics sure don't point that way.
JUNIOR MATT HORWITCH will move from the second singles spot,
where he was conference champion his first two seasons, into the number
one position vacated by Etterbeek. Horwitch already has one match worth of
first singles experience behind him-he easily defeated Ernie Hernandez,1
last year's conference champion at that spot, 6-2, 6-2.
Horwitch won't sit atop the lineup without a challenge, however. That
challenge should come from sophomore Michael Leach, the conference
titlist at number three singles. Leach's 19-2 match record his freshman year
was the top individual mark on the squad.
Among the more notable preps signing letters of intent for Michigan in-
clude Mark Mes, a Sansville, Ohio product. The Ohio state singles champion
for two years running, Mes is ranked among the top ten players nationally in
the 14-18 year old age group.
Eisner dipped into the Buckeye state for another prep sensation, Don
McLaughlin from Cleveland's University School. "He has been concen-
trating on his doubles play and looks to give us some help in that area," said
the Wolverine mentor.
So the Blue netters once again appear to have locked themselves into
another conference title nearly seven months before the first serve whisks.
over the net. And that suits Eisner just fine, but the Wolverine coach wants
to go one step farther and grab a first-ever NCAA tennis crown.
Then maybe he'll nominate his team to be the Eighth Wonder of the
World.
Fall is in the air - and Michigan football is
on the airwaves!
WUOM/WVGR brings you precise, profes-
sional coverage of every game this season.
For the best in sports, tune to University of
Michigan public radio.
U-M Football 79
with Tom Hemingway and Tom Slade
Call 764-9210 for a free program guide.
MICHIGAN THIRD singles mainstay Sue Weber applies a little physics, tennis
style, in returning a topspin forehand. Weber returns as a senior this year, along
with Kathy Karzen at number one singles, and singles regulars Kathy Krickstein
and Whit Stodghill to pace a seasoned Blue net squad. Michigan finished the
regular season with a record of 18-3, then went on to win the state champion-
ship and eventually advance to the nationals.
I
I
Down 3-4 with two matches left,
Michigan's first and third doubles
teams scored third-set victories to up-
set the conference champions, 5-4.
Behind that victory and others were
several key performers, all but one of
whom will return to competition this
season.
Familius Michiganensis
/ 0
... usually native to North Americ
Behavior characterized by a
peculiar excitability in the fall, an
solation finals.
Junior Whit Stodghill was 24-8 at third
singles. Stodghill added a Big Ten title
and a second-place state tourney finish
to her fine record.
Karzen and Stodghill made up only
part of the successful singles corps.
Junior Sue Weber was 23-10 at third
singles, while another junior, Kathy
Krickstein, was 20-5. Lone graduate
Barb Fischley was 20-11 in singles play.
THE DOUBLES combinations were
equally successful. Karzen and
Fischley at first doubles went 25-6 and
qualified for the nationals. Their
teammates at second doubles, Stodghill
and Krickstein, compiled a 23-2 mark
en route to winning Big Ten and state
tourney titles.
With Fischley the only departee, one
would assume the Wolverines will field
an even better team in 1980. But
Shepherd isn't jumping the gun with
glowing predictions.
"WE'RE LOSING Barb Fishchley, so
we should be strong; but maybe not as
strong as last year, even though
everyone else is coming back."
HAIRSTYLING
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,WHETHER YOU'RE a Big Ten singles champ like Michigan's Mike Leach, or
just a happy weekend hacker, ya still gotta keep your eye on the ole' fuzzball.
Leach was an integral part of Michigan coach Brian Eisner's tenth straight
title team, winning top conference honors at third singles in his freshman year.
i
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ested
corduroy..
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for fall4
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