10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 19, 1994
Spikers look to regain
pride against Spartans
THE SPORTING VIEWS:
Myths versus facts in
the topsy-turvy NFL
By RODERICK BEARD
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's volley-
ball team's theme so far this year has
been consistency - or at least the
quest for it. Once they find it, the
Wolverines may be able to turn their
season around and notch a few more
victories. But until then, they will
have to settle for pride.
Pride will be on the line when
Michigan (1-7 Big Ten, 5-14 overall)
travels to Jenison Field House to face
intra-state rival Michigan State to-
night at 7:30. This will be the first of
two "State Pride" matches between
the schools. The winner of the two
head-to-head matches keeps the State
Pride flag for the year.
The first of the State Pride battles
took place in 1990; the Wolverines
retained the flag each of the first three
years before losing it for the first time
last season.
After losing two home matches to
Minnesota and Iowa last weekend,
Michigan has to solve a few problems
before it faces the Spartans. The
Wolverines are riding a season-worst
five-match losing streak. Michigan
has had problems with consistency all
season, and recently has been trying
to find a dependable setter.
Michigan State (2-6, 10-9), after
beating the Hawkeyes and losing to
the Golden Gophers last weekend,
reached a milestone. This marks the
first time since 1989 that the Spar-
tans have won 10 matches in a sea-
son.
With the loss of fifth-year senior
Jennifer Jones -a preseason All-Big
Ten selection -- to a career-ending
injury earlier this season, the Spar-
tans need someone to produce. Sopho-
more Dana Cooke could supply some
of the punch.
For tonight's match, Giovanazzi
plans to get Sarah Jackson, Suzy
O'Donnell and Shareen Luze into the
lineup. Besides those three, he said,
the other three starting positions "are
up for grabs."
Michigan will no doubt have re-
venge on its mind because the Spar-
tans beat them in a close five-game.
match earlier this season in the Kaepa
Volleyball Challenge. In that match,
Morales pounded 24 kills and Wol-
verine sophomore Colleen Miniuk
blasted 23. Miniuk and senior Aimee
Smith notched career highs, each
making five block assists.
A win would lift Michigan out of
the Big Ten basement, or at least
bring Michigan State down to its level.
If the Wolverines don't work out their
problems, they won't even have pride
left; they'll just be left with ... an-
other loss.
By SCOTT BURTON
Daily Sports Writer
As mystifying as this NFL sea-
son seems to be - with mediocre
teams like the San Diego Chargers
and Philadelphia Eagles sporting
better records than the talented Los
Angeles Raiders and Kansas City
Chiefs - there really is consider-
able order to what is going on. That
is, just as long as you separate facts
from myths.
For instance ...
Myth: San Diego is the best team
in the AFC.
Fact: The Chargers are 5-0, but
there are a number of serious ques-
tions regarding their success. Obvi-
ously, one of them isn't running back
Natrone Means - he is a monstrous,
bruising, multi-talented back. In fact,
it's not Marshall Faulk or Chris War-
ren but Means who has replaced
Thurman Thomas as the premier back
in the AFC.
But Quarterback Stan Humphries
is not a man who can lead a team to
Super Bowl glory. He can be a mis-
take-free QB, but when the Charg-
ers are in the thick of a playoff
game, such attributes are not enough.
They'll need the exceptional and
they won't get it.
Equally problematic for the
Chargers is the lack of talent in the
receiving corps. Every Super Bowl
contender the last several years has
had a premier wideout, and the fact
that the Chargers don't will begin to
hurt them as the season wears on.
Myth: The L.A. Raiders, at 2-4,
are a mediocre team.
Fact: The Raiders will be in the
playoffs, and could still be a Super
Bowl team. Why? Namely, because
the weak spots are bound to
strengthen.
The defense, which has failed to
be a major factor, will jell as several
of the new ingredients become more
familiar with the system.
The running game, the worst in
the NFL the last two years, will grind
out more yards as the much-maligned
Harvey Williams continues his im-
provement.
And in accordance with the im-
provement of the running game will
be the opening up of the passing
game; the incredible speed of the
Raiders receivers will be freed up
once defenses are forced to guard
the run. (And don't worry about QB
Jeff Hostletler despite his recent
shelling. He knows how to deliver
the bomb).
Myth: This year it really matters
who wins the AFC and goes to the
Super Bowl, because the NFC is
weaker.
Fact: It doesn't matter. Just be-
cause Dallas lost to the perpetually
embarrassing Detroit Lions doesn't
mean the Cowboys have some ex-
ploitable weakness. Remember, they
lost to the Redskins last season, yet
dominated the NFL like no team in
recent memory.
Now, it is possible the 49ers can
outshoot the Cowboys come play-
off time - that is if the offensive
line starts creating holes again for
Ricky Watters and if Steve Young
doesn't continue to be a tackling
dummy. But either way, the AFC
champion will become an NFL
laughingstock after its NFC foe is
done with it.
Daily Sports.
I love you.
You love me.
Let's all read the
Michigan Daily.
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