0 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, , a. 0 O W Z W W 4oe hn wU < . ; ,< _r L xs 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. CHAMPION REVERSE WEAVE SWEATSHIRTS AT Stein &CGoetz SPORTING GOODS I; ":ZU Ride, walk, or crawl, but visit ANN ARBOR'S OLDEST BIKE STORE YOUR ON-CAMPUS BIKE SPECIALISTS V Y Y" Y+ Y V s =f FUJI - TREK - RALEIGH SCHWINN - SPECIALIZED KUWAHARA *One on the largest selections of parts and accessories in the state. One block off State, 514 E. William - 662-0035 01 CAMPUS LOCATION 1229 S. UNIVERSITY 996-0588 MAIN ST. OUTLET 315 S. 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