8 - The Michigan Daily SPORTSMonday - Monday, October 3, 1994
Women spike Boilermakers after losing to lini
By RODERICK BEARD
Daily Sports Writer
When ababy learns to walk, its first
steps are critical. If the child stumbles,
it has to stand up and try again, if it is
ever to walk.
The Michigan women's volleyball
team may have taken those first few
steps in the long journey to success in
the Big Ten this weekend.
The Wolverines (1-3 Big Ten, 5-9
overall) struggled at times and showed
promise atothers, as they splitapairof
home matches. Michigan dropped the
first match Friday against Illinois, 15-
7, 15-9, 15-13.
However, the Wolverines bounced
back Saturday to end their three-match
losing streak with a victory over Pur-
due, 15-9, 15-7, 11-15, 15-6.
"We need a consistent effort out
there," Michigan coach Greg
Giovanazzi said. "We're talented but
we can't sustain that level of play."
An oversized, quick Fighting Illini
squad jumped out to an early lead in
every game against Michigan. In the
first game, Illinois (2-1, 10-5) capital-
ized on several Wolverine errors and
started out 10-4, allowing Michigan
only three more points before closing it
out. Game two featured more errors
and longerrallies, as theillini got out to
another 10-4 lead and coasted to a 15-
9 victory.
"Our confidence level took a beat-
ing in game one," sophomore Colleen
Miniuk said. "It hurts when you're
working hard and things don't go your
way."
Giovanazzi said that the Wolver-
ines were immature as athletes, be-
cause they could not forget about past
points.
"You can see the effect of losing
long rallies," he said. "We're still bat-
tling the demons of past points."
The third game was the most excit-
ing, as Illinois took advantage of the
nervous Wolverines once more and
darted out to a 10-2 lead, and to an
apparently easy victory. Then, Michi-
gan strung together a series of kills by
outside hitters Miniuk and Kristin
Ruschiensky to bring the score to 11-6.
Two Illini hitting errors, a Miniuk ace
and a mishandled block tied the score
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at 12. The Wol verines added another
point to take a 13-12lead, but couldn't
hold it, as Illinois pulled out game
three, averting a miraculous Michigan
comeback.
"We're fortunate to win here," Illi-
nois coach Mike Hebert said. "It's not
easy to win on the road in theBig Ten."
Outside hitters Erin Borske, Amy
Brickley and Julie Edwards led the
Illini attack. Borske, a freshman, tied
with Edwards for the lead in kills with
15; Edwards contributed 14 kills and a
match-high 16 digs.
Saturday's match with Purdue (0-
4, 2-11) promised to give either team
its first conference win of the season.
The Boilermakers were coming off a
loss to Michigan State Friday, and the
Wolverines were looking for someone
to step up on the court.
Michigan played well in the third
game of the Illinois match, and
Giovanazzi decided to reward the play-
ers in that game with starting positions,
putting senior Aimee Smith and fresh-
man Linnea Mendoza into the lineup.
That chemi stry proved effective, as
the Wolverines started out well in the
first two games against the Boilermak-
ers, hustling for loose balls and playing
with the intensity and focus that
would've helped against the Illini.
Michigan took advantage of sev-
eral Purdue errors to easily win the first
two games. Then, the Boilermakers
jumped out to a lead and took the third
game. The match seemed in limbo at 4-
4 in game four, until middle blocker
Sarah Jackson entered the match.
Jackson made her presence known
with a kill and block. Later in the game,
she contributed another kill and block.
By the time the smoke cleared, the
Wolverines were ahead 10-4 and well
on their way to victory.
"Sarah came in with a spark,"
Giovanazzi said. "To have a sub come
in with that kind of impact is good."
The change in the starting lineup
added Smith's experience and consis-
tency and was a key to victory.
"All of heraskills are solid and it
gives up stability,"Giovanazzi said.
"It gives us someone to depend on
out there," Miniuk added.
Playing well against Illinois and
beating Purdue are definite first steps
to finishing well in the conference,
but the Wolverines have more steps
to take before they can walk with the
elite of the Big Ten.
They won't have too much time to
learn. They face three nationally-
ranked teams in the next eight days:
Ohio State, Penn State and Notre
Dame.
0
0
KHIS EN SCHAEFEH/Daily
Michigan's Suzy O'Donnell sends one over the net this weekend.
VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK:
House not full for Promotion
By RODERICK BEARD
Daily Sports Writer
0
Friday night's match featured contests and giveaways, as Michigan pre-
sented its "Rock the House III" promotion. The evening featured free T-shirts
for the first 1,000 fans, football ticket, compact disd giveaways, a $1,000 Dash
for Cash and two round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines. "Rock the House"
packed Cliff Keen Arena with 5,000 total fans combined the first two years,
but only 1,612 showed up this year.
"It was an awesome crowd," Michigan coach Greg Giovanazzi said. "It was
the highlight of the match."
UNLUCKY COLOR: The Wolverines donned yellow jerseys for the first time
everin the Illinois match. Obviously, they didn't work, becausetheFighting Illini
won the first two games handily. Michigan changed into white uniforms before
the third game, and came back from a 10-2 deficit to lead 13-12, before losing,
13-15.
"It was a superstition to fire them up," Giovanazzi said. "We'll definitely be
in white (against Purdue)."
The whitejerseys must have been the key, because the Wolverines wore them
Saturday night and beat the Boilermakers in four games.
MINIUK MENACE: Sophomore outside hitter Colleen Miniuk, who transferred
from Stanford, totaled a team-high 25 kills and added 26 digs and two service aces
for the Wolverines this weekend. She leads the team with a 3.60 kill average.
"(She) will be a pain (to defend) for the next three years, just like (junior
Shannon) Brownlee," Illinois coach Mike Hebert said.
FEELING THE 'RUsH': Battling injuries for the past six months, sophomore
outside hitter Kristin Ruschiensky made a successful return this weekend with
her first career start against Purdue. She responded with 16 kills, 20 digs and
a team-high five service aces in two matches. She set career highs with 14 kills,
16 digs and five service aces in the Purdue match.
INTRAMURAL
SPORTS
4
9
PROGRAM
0l
FUN!
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
GOLF Entry Deadline: Thurs 10/6 4:30pm IMSB Main Office
(Two person Entry Fee: $10.00 per team (excluding Course Fee)
Scramble) Tee Times: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Tournament Date: Sunday 10/9 at U of M Golf Course
FLAG Entries Taken: Mon 10/10 - Thurs 10/13 11am-4:30pm
FOOTBALL Entry Fee: $35.00 per team
(Pre-Season) Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Thurs 10113 6pm IMSB
Tournament Dates: Fri 10/14 & Sun 10/16 at Mitchell Flds
TRACK & Entry Deadline: Mon 10/17 4:30pm IMSB Main Office
FIELD MEET Entry Fee: $5 for individuals/$35 per team
Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Mon 10/17 7pm IMSB
Meet Location: U of M Varsity Track beginning at 4:45pm
FLAG Instant Scheduling: Mon 10/17 11am - 5:30pm IMSB
FOOTBALL Entry Fee: $59.00 per team
(Regular Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Mon 10/17 6pm/9pm
Season) Play Begins: Wednesday 10/19 at Mitchell Field (Fuller Rd)
The entry deadline for the CROSS COUNTRY RUN is Monday
November 7 while WRESTLING entries are due
Thursday November 10.
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