Page 10- The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 15, 1986

Patient

walk-on: Hunter aims high and wins

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By CHRIS GORDILLO
Some people just never quit.
Luckily for the Michigan volleyball
team and Coach Joyce Davis, Carla
Hunter is one of those people.
Now a sophomore, Hunter tried
out for the team as a freshman but
was let go on the final day of cuts.
But she didn't give up. "I knew
eventually I was going to make the
team, it was just how was I going
to do it," said Hunter.
SHE CONTINUED to keep
her game sharp by playing for the
Recreational Sports volleyball club,
and kept a positive attitude by
doing volunteer line judging for the
varsity team. She tried out again in
January when Davis came in to
replace Barb Canning as coach.

Natural athletic ability, hard
work, intensity, and enthusiasm
helped Hunter finally earn her spot
on the squad. One of only two
walk-ons on the team, she has
started since the season opener. To
gain a place on a varsity team as a
walk-on is hard enough, but to
jump right in as a starter in her first
game as a Wolverine, is
"extremely difficult," according to
Davis.
But for those who don't quit, the'
odds might lessen - just a little.
COMING TO the team rather
inexperienced, with only a mediocre
high school program behind her,
Hunter had to alter her playing style
drastically. "If you saw her play
six months ago, you would never

even believe where she is now,"
said Davis.
"I have the potential. If you just
show me, I can pick it up," Hunter
said.
Hunter isn't just talking either.
Only weeks ago, she was the worst
defensive player on the team. She
worked non-stop a few practices on
defensive digs and ended up getting
14 of a team-high 15 digs in a
match against Indiana last weekend.
Of that feat, Hunter claims, "I was

in shock to find out."
AS A TEAM player, she
gives the more experienced
Wolverines an added lift in
enthusiasm and intensity. Many
team members, playing since
middle school and through three and
four years of college, enjoy and
benefit from Hunter's fresh attitude
and joy of simply being able to
play.
Failing to make the team as a
freshman, Hunter still has three
more years of eligibility for the
Wolverines. The potential of her
abilities and, her improvements
astound Davis. "She's going to be
one of the greatest athletes ever to
finish her career at Michigan. Carla
is a great natural athlete," said
Davis.
Hunter is a little more modest
about her possibilities. As far as
improving goes, "every game I
learn something new," said Hunter.
But she hopes to become the best
net blocker on the team. Beyond
that, her greatest goal is to make
the All-Big Ten team.
At the rate she's going, that
might not be too far away.

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Hunter
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Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
Carla Hunter keeps practicing the fundamentals that earned her a star-
ting spot as a walk-on with the volleyballteam.
Carter's sinle lf
in 12th,-

NEW YORK (AP) - Gary
Carter broke out of a 1-for-21
slump with a run-scoring single in
the 12th inning that gave the Mets
a 2-1 victory over the Houston
Astros on Tuesday.
The win moved New York
within a game of the National
League pennant.
THE GAME-WINNING hit
gave the Mets a 3-2 lead in the
best-of-seven playoff against
Houston and sent the series back to
the Astrodome for Games 6 and 7.
Carter, confused and distressed
by his lack of production after a
105 RBI season, had only a double
in Game 2 and had gone hitless in
his first four at-bats this time,
before singling home the winning
run off Houston reliever Charlie
Kerfeld.
Jesse Orosco pitched two hitless
innings for his second victory in
relief this series. Orosco now has
worked five scoreless innings in the
playoffs.
THE ASTROS scored their
only run off Gooden in the fifth
inning on a ground ball by Bill
Doran that well could have been a
double play.
Darryl Strawberry tied the score
for the Mets with a fifth-inning
homer, his second of the series.
This game, however, belonged
to Carter, who stayed on the field
well after the game, waving to fans

and raising his hands in victory.
NOLAN RYAN of the Astros
and Dwight Gooden of the Mets
dueled into extra innnings, Ryan
giving up only two hits as Houston
outhit the Mets 94 for the game.
When Wally Backman singled
off the glove of third baseman
Denny Walling with one out in the
12th, it was only the third hit of
the game for New York.
Kerfeld tried to pick Backman off
first base, but his throw was wild
for an error and Backman went to
second. The Astros then walked
Keith Hernandez intentionally,
bringing up Carter.
THE COUNT went to r2-and-0
on Carter, before Astros pitching
coach Les Moss came out to talk
with Kerfeld.
Kerfeld got back to 3-and-2,
Carter fouled off two pitches before
driving a clean single up the middle
that scored Backman easily.
As Carter rounded first base, he
raised both hands, the futility over,
and his teammates ran and embraced
him.
Bob Ojeda, 18-5, the Mets'
Game 2 winner, will face the Game
3 loser for Houston, Bob Knepper,
17-12, in Game 6.
Houston could have won the
game in regulation had it not been
for a hotly disputed double play call
that cost it a second-inning run.

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