The Michigan Daily - Thursdday, November 18, 1993 - 11 -Brownee 's athletic ability a cut above the competition Rookie middle blocker has shown enormous potential for Wolverines in her first season By BRETT JOHNSON DAILY SPORTS WRITER Awesome athletic ability. This is the first thing the Michigan volleyball coaches talk about when first-yearplayerShannon Brownlee's name is brought up. And why not? Throughout her life, she has com- peted in a variety of sports. "I played everything," Brownlee said. "I played basketball, and I played tennis a lot when I was young. I took lessons from age six to about 13 and played in a lot of tournaments. I come from a real tennis family. 0 "My favorite (other sport) is soft- ball. I've played softball every sum- mer of my life since I was five or six. I still play at a pretty high level at home. I'm looking forward towards the summer again and playing." In fact, Brownlee plays first-base and bats fourth for a junior softball team in her hometown of London, Ontario. They travel around Canada and the United States, including Michigan, to play in different tourna- ments. However, volleyball is where Brownlee truly excels, having made a major impact on the Wolverines in her first season. The transfer from Western Ontario has started in all but one match at middle blocker her one non-start was due to a funeral) and as shown glimpses that she can be- ome a dominant player in the Big Ten. What Wolverine head coach Greg Giovanazzi and assistant coaches Mora Kanim and Jennifer Dhaenens are trying to do is mesh this talent with more aggressive play. If this can happen, there is no telling how much better Brownlee can become. "It is absolutely unlimited in what she can potentially do as a volleyball player," Giovanazzi said. "She's got the right physique for playing the game. She has long arms and legs, a good arm swing, good hand-eye co- ordination and she's quick. If there is anything I want to see improve in Shannon is her determination. We want her to be more aggressive - a take-charge type of player." She may be in only her first season at Michigan, but Brownlee's connec- tion to the Wolverines started two years before she came to Ann Arbor. When she was a senior at Saunders Secondary School in London, Brownlee was being heavily recruited by many United States schools, in- cluding Michigan, Ohio State, Wis- consin and Washington. In fact, Michigan got its first recruiting tip on Brownlee from another collegiate coach. "Two years ago the assistantcoach at the University of Washington told me about Shannon and said 'We've talked to her and she wants to stay closer to home,"' Kanim said. "He said, 'If your looking for someone, you might give her a call and watch her play.' I followed up on that, and we started to recruit her." However, Brownlee eventually decided to stay at home and attend Western Ontario. "I don't know why but I chose not said. "He had never coached at this level before. It was sort of like high school all over again. I was living at home and going to school in the same city I grew up in. The caliber of vol- leyball was alittle higher, but it wasn't that much. I didn't improve much last year, which isn't supposed to happen. "There was a guy I got in contact with, that I had played for before, that knew Greg. It's illegal for Greg and me to talk without my release, so Ihad to get that, and finally I got to talk to (Greg). I got lucky because he had another scholarship available." So one year later than Giovanazzi had hoped, Brownlee finally brought her skills to the Wolverines. The tran- sition was difficult at first, she says. Just like any first-year player in any sport, she had to learn how to manage her study time, volleyball time and free time. "At first, I was sort of bummed out," she said. "It was hard. Once school started, I found that I was really busy with study table and liv- ing in the dorm. I wasn't used to not having time to myself." Now she says she is use to the routine and is enjoying herself. As for volleyball, Brownlee says that the transition was not that hard because of the team unity the Wolverines have. In fact, the team concept is one of the biggest reasons she decided to trans- fer to Michigan. "It hasn't been hard to mesh at all. One of the reasons I came here was that on my recruiting trip I liked the players," Brownlee said. "They were just so nice, fun and friendly. At a lot of the other places I had gone to, it wasn't like that. I looked at that as- pect, and it helped me make my deci- sion to come here." The team unity is something that the whole squad experiences. Erin McGovern, a setter and fellow first- year player, says that her relationship with Brownlee, both on and off the court, is very strong. "Shannon and I are pretty good buddies. We hang out a lot. Most of the freshmen hang out together," McGovern said. "On the court, we connect pretty well. We talk out there. She's always ready for the kill. She's up there talking to me and telling me where she's at." The coaches have been pleased with her progress but are looking for her to make even more strides. Brownlee has been a solid player and even spectacular at times, but her consistency has been a problem. In order for her to take a step towards a higher level of play, Kanim said she feels Brownlee has to become more consistent. "I think, at times, she is our best attacker and our best passer. At other times, she isn't," Kanim said. "We see glimpses of her being just awe- some. Right now, those are pretty sporadic. We're looking forward to her becoming more consistent. As she learns, she will consistently be a great player forus. She's gifted enough to be a focal point on this team." Her volleyball education has been an ongoing process throughout the year. Shannon said that she has learned alot this season but definitely sees the need for improvement, especially in her defensive play. "I'm learning a lot on the front row this year, and I think I've im- proved that way," Brownlee said."The one thing that I do want to improve on, that I haven't improved on that much, is my defense. I'm not really slow. I just need to learn how to play the balls better. That's what Greg gets on me a lot for. I think if I keep working on it, I'll get it." With improvement, Brownlee's play will continue to elevate, and this is what the coaches are waiting to see. If she stays determined, Brownlee can be a dominant player in the Big Ten. "I see her future impact being whatever she wants it to be," Kanim said. "From an athletic standpoint, the gifts that she has as a volleyball player are tremendous. The rest will be determined by how self-motivated she is to be great." "I think Shannon has the physical ability to be an all-Big Ten player, Giovanazzi said. "It's going to be an issue of how important it is to Shan- non." Brownlee to go to the states," Brownlee said. "I just wasn't ready to leave home, yet." After playing one year at Western, Brownlee decided that it was time to move on. Brownlee got her release from the school and was back in con- tact with Giovanazzi. "When Iwent to Western last year, there was a new coach," Brownlee MEN Continued from Page 10 anyone of them could win." The graduation of three world- . lass swimmers hurtMichigan greatly, specially in dual meet competition. "After we lost the three big guns from last year, (Eric)Namesnik, (Eric) Wunderlich and Brian Gunn, every- body thinks they have a shot at us," Urbanchek said. "I think that's great. We need a little wake-up call periodi- cally. "(The loss of the three swimmers) will make our dual meet lineup pretty nuch set. We don't have too many guys we can rotate around. So in a tough competition, everybody will know who will swim where. We can't pull too many surprises." In swimming his team in off events, Urbanchek hopes to discover some hidden talent. "It might be an eye opener for me, too," he said. "Maybe (I'll) find some- body for some of the weak spots we have." The Gophers surprised Michigan and exploited the team's weaknesses. But Urbanchek thinks his swimmers have learned a lesson from the en- counter. "I don't think we're going to take any other teams casually from now on, because of that," he said. "We actually had to dig down and come from behind. And that was good. It was agood wake-up call. Teams are not going to lay down for us." Badgers will stay in conference title hunt By MICHAEL ROSENBERG DAILY SPORTS WRITER If Michigan beats Ohio State and Wisconsin defeats Illinois Saturday, the Big Ten, that greatest of college football conferences, will have its championship decided in the heart of Middle America - Tokyo. That's where Michigan State and Wisconsin will square off Dec. 5. Oops. So much for scheduling. With this seemingly meaningless game becoming more important by the week, it looks as though the con- ference title will be won in front of a country full of people who actually understand complicated economic is- sues, like NAFTA or the NBA salary cap. On to this week's games: Wisconsin (4-1-1 Big Ten, 7-1-1 overall) at Illinois (5-2, 5-5) The Badgers have shocked the world (well, most of Wisconsin, any- way) with their superiorplay this year. Their twin tailbacks, Brent Moss and Terrell Fletcher, are each capable of rushing for over 100 yards and should test a tough Illinois run defense which has allowed a mere 85 yards per game on the ground. With a chance at Pasa- denastilllooming, Wisconsin doesn't figure to lose this one. Illinois continues to be the most unpredictable team in the Big Ten. Last week the Illini were knocked out of the Rose Bowl hunt in a 28-14 loss to Penn State. This week they should come closer to victory. Wisconsin 21, Illinois 20. Minnesota (3-4,4-6) at Iowa (2- 5, 5-5) The Battle For Mediocrity. Min- nesota lost a close 51-point nailbiter to Michigan last week, after which Golden Gopher coach Jim Wacker said, "Give Michigan credit. They whipped us like a goat tied to a post." (Insert your own joke here.) The Hawkeyes won't do that. Iowa couldn't even whip a post, let alone run one. After a decade of prosperity under coach Hayden Fry, the Hawkeyes have sunk so low Minne- sota actually has a chance to beat them. Fry is going for his 200th career win Saturday. He'll get it. Iowa 16, Minnesota 13 Purdue (0-7, 1-9) at Indiana (4- 3, 7-3) The Boilermakers are so bad they are banned in seven states. Unfortu- nately, Indiana isn't one of them. Purdue hasn't been within three area codes of first place since running back Mike Alstott ate Gerber. (I'm pretty sure he stopped several years back.) Here is all you need to know about Purdue: last week, with the Boiler- makers down by three against Michi- I I gan State and driving with 28 seconds to go, coach Jim Colletto elected to at least salvage a tie and sent kicker Brad Bobich into the game. Bobich missed. That's right. Purdue has given up on winning and focused on simply gaining a tie, and they can't even do that right. Indiana, on the other hand, is en- joying one of its best seasons in de- cades. The Hoosiers almostbeatOhio State last weekin Columbus, and they are headed for a bowl game, possibly even one that people care about. They' won't lose this one. Indiana 45, Purdue 13 Penn State (4-2, 7-2) at North- western (0-7, 2-8) If Northwestern and Purdue com- bined teams, Penn State would still beat them by two touchdowns. Northwestern's Len Williams-to- Lee Gissendaner pass tandemhas been- one of the most productive in the Big Ten over the past two years. Unfortu- nately,theWildcatdefensehasahabit of making other combinations look even better. The Nittany Lions came.into the league hoping to show the Big Ten how the big boys play. Then they found out that the big boys are in the Big Ten. Penn State is not as good as had been expected, but coach Joe Paterno has a fine backfield featuring Ki-Jana Carter and Mike Archie. This could get ugly. Penn State 42, Northwestern 10.' WOMEN Continued from page 10 When a team shaves and tapers, it is reducing yardage, and increasing intensity when preparing for a meet. This makes for a combination which Richardson describes as a good way to elicit fast times. There is a time change in the meet Friday. It will now be held at 4 p.m., but that shouldn't change anything. The coaches believe that no mat- ter what, there will be some events that will be, "totally out of hand," and others in which the Wolverines will fight "like crazy" to make it close. "My grandmother has no eligibil- ity left, so she can't swim in the med- ley," Richardson joked. __. I THURSDAY NO COVER AT ALSO FEATURING: 1 Any Taco Salad...$3.89 Long Island Ice Teas...$1.50 Pitchers of Coors Light...$3.25 z_ a. : . .a 4 .. . AND DON'T FORGET SATURDAY MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STETE __wof