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Page 8 - The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition - Thursday, September 7, 1989
1989-90
MICHIGAN
SPORTS
Steve Blonder
The 1988 women's volleyball season can be described in two parts -
the beginning and the end.
The Wolverines began 1988 with a 10-3 record against non-conference
opponents before opening the Big Ten schedule, and looked ready to turn
1987's ninth-place, finish around. That year they finished 20-20 overall,
3-15 in the Big Ten.
However, the early success did not carry over into the second part of
the season. Michigan finished with a sole Big Ten victory against 17
losses, including a 16-game losing streak, before defeating Iowa on
November 12.
"(Our first conference win) raised our level of play," head coach Joyce
Davis said. "We just weren't able to turn (our practices) into wins," Davis
added, referring to the many good practices the team had.
But the Wolverines were unable to keep up the level of play they
demonstrated against the Hawkeyes, and finished the season with a four-
game losing streak to end up with an 11-23 overall record.
Senior Marie Ann Davidson was expected to take on the team
leadership and offensive roles this season after leading the Wolverines in
every offensive category last season. But an early knee injury which forced
her to miss several Big Ten games did not help the Michigan cause.
Davidson returned after her injury and placed her name in the record
books, moving to the top spot on the Michigan career block assist,
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Karen Marshall and the rest of the team have to reach higher to compete.
service aces, kills and total hit attempts categories.
Despite the loss of some key players, the Wolverines return fifth-year
senior Carla Hunter, seniors Kim Clover, Laura Melvin, and Karen
Marshall, junior Julia Sturm, and sophomores Autumn Collins, Kristen
Lang and Jennifer Paulson. w
-David Hyman
Michigan field hockey, after a dis-
appointing 1988 season, will enter
the 1989 campaign as part of a brand
new conference. Because only five
Big Ten schools had squads last year,
the conference discontinued sponsor-
ship.
This fall will feature the birth of
the Midwest Collegiate Field Hockey
Conference, which will sport the five
remaining Big Ten teams - Iowa,
Michigan, Michigan State, North-
western, and Ohio State - plus
Northern Illinois.
"It'll be just as challenging, if not
more so," Michigan head coach
Karen Collins said. "We played
Northern Illinois last year in a tough
4-3 game.
"By entering this conference the
teams have said they're committed to
it," Collins said.
The Wolverines (6-10-4 overall in
1988, 1-6-1 in the Big Ten) feel they
have the necessary tools to improve
this season. "We had a great winter
practice and have lots of experience,"
Collins said.
Although they are losing four
seniors, including the team's co-
leader in assists and co-captain Robin
Ives, six seniors with three years of
experience behind them should step
forward as the new leaders.
Most important among these
veterans are Sharon Cantor and Judy
Burinskas. Cantor, who led the team
in assists with Ives, broke Mich-
igan's all-time career assist record
last season. Burinskas is the Wolv-
erines' other main offensive threat,
having led the team in scoring with
12 goals and three assists for 27 total
points.
Also returning as a senior will be
goalkeeper Joanne Green, who tallied
two shutouts last season to go with
an .873 save percentage. "We're still
scrambling to find a backup goal-
keeper for Joanne," Collins said.
But the team isn't scrambling to
find much else, as its four new
recruits aren't confined to any one
position. "We tried to get a balance,"
Collins said -Gs
-Andy Gottesman
Out of the fans'spotlight,
minor sports still shine
Everyone knows Michigan knocked off Southern Cal 22-14 last year ii
the Rose Bowl. And by now, the Wolverines winning their first-ever
national basketball championship under an interim-rookie coach is old
news.
But how about the field hockey team? Or the women's golf team? How
did they do last season?
Athletics at the University of Michigan involve more than just the
"major" sports (i.e.. football, basketball, hockey, and baseball). The
athletic department sponsors a full range of competitive varsity sports for*
men and women.
And under the regime of athletic director Bo Schembechler the athletic
department has begun looking into promoting these "other" sports and
getting more fans involved.
For example, the old swimming pool has been converted into Varsity
Arena, which will open in the fall and be used to house the women's
volleyball squad, the wrestling team, both gymnastics teams, and even a
few women's basketball games.
No longer will these teams have to play in Crisler Arena, where the
fans are so far from the action that the atmosphere resembles a county
morgue more than a major college athletic event. In the new arena,
spectators will be closer to the action, and more tightly packed together in
order to create a true home court advantage.
The athletic department has also been looking into holding a number
of "gimmick" nights to increase interest in revenue-raising, as well as
non-revenue producing, sports. "Scout nights" last year brought in nearly
6000 spectators on a Thanksgiving weekend which is traditionally a bad
draw for Michigan hockey.
In the fall, several women's volleyball games will be on PASS and
WAAM radio. Last year, the experiment was a success, as Michigan had
more volleyball matches broadcast than any school except for the
University of Iowa. Also, a high school night brought in the second
largest crowd ever for volleyball in the state of Michigan.
All this and the team finished in the Big Ten cellar.
College athletics nationwide is being faced with monetary concerns
Schools are cutting back the athletic teams they sponsor, along with
decreasing the amount of support each team receives. The only teams that
produce excess revenue are football, basketball, and hockey.
The Michigan athletic department, which does not receive money from
general University funds, is predicting it's first-ever deficit this year.
However, Michigan has no plans to cut back the varsity sports offered, or
stop providing resources for the existing sports..0
In fact, a proposal is currently being made to elevate men's and
women's soccer to the varsity level. Moreover, those teams which do not
fly have begun taking buses instead of vans on the road, despite the
increased cost, so that team members have a better opportunity to study.
The athletic department has begun to adapt to the changing world of
intercollegiate athletics. And plans are being to developed to ensure that
Michigan retains its high standards and its place atop the intercollegiate
world.
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