The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, November 1, 1994 - 11

Jb4en
*S pikers
a MSU
tourney
By JAMES GOLDSTEIN
For The Daily
Preseason is usually a time to com-
mandeer the troops, work them into
shape, and to prepare them for the
upcoming battles. This wasn't the
case, however, for the Michigan
Men's Volleyball team this weekend.
Playing into the wee hours of the
orning, the Wolverines defeated the
nemy and came away with first place
in the annual Back to the Hardwood
Tournament, held at Michigan State.
Not even time could slow Michi-
gan down. The team fought until 2
a.m., ultimately triumphing over Illi-
hois in the finals, 15-7 and 17-16.
In addition to beating Illinois, the
Wolverines accomplished tough vic-
ries over Ohio State and Michigan
tate - the favorites coming into the
start of the tournament. As a result,
Michigan has claimed its own terri-
tory, making a strong statement to the
Big Ten conference and the nation
how good it really is.
"(This tournament) proves to the
team that they are able to play on this
level," coach Jennifer Slosar said.
Team president Kevin Urban said,
This should open everybody's eyes
nationally. We should be No. I seeds
in upcoming tournaments because of
the results (in the tournament)."
Coach Slosar, in her first season
with the Michigan volleyball team
after being coach at Notre Dame, be-
lieves that everything is clicking.
The Wolverines were led by the
powerful jump-servingofcaptain Stan
riand the dominating hittingof All-
merican Ernesto Rodriguez. Their
defense was not too shabby either.
"I take my hat off to the defense,"
Urban said. "Chad Engel, Ernesto
Rodriguez and Gun Unluer had cat-
like reflexes during the whole tourna-
ment."
The players attacked at the net and
defended their grounds, not letting
any shots get past their army.
* An army can only get by if each
member performs the tasks of his job.
It is the same with volleyball and
Michigan proved that this way of life
really works.
"Every player was a MVP in this
tournament," Coach Slosar said. "All
the players stood out, wanting it just
as much as everyone else.
"'That's how you win tourna-
wnts."
Blue crew
takes first
and second

By MICHAEL JOSHUA
Daily Sports Writer
In what might have turned out to
be the last weekend of good weather,
the Michigan women's crew team
made the best of what they had.
The Wolverines went to East Lan-
Ong on Saturday to face Michigan
State and Grand Valley State Univer-
sity. The regatta was a match-up of
teams on different ends of the spec-
trum.
Whereas Michigan possesses a
number of veterans, both MSU and
GVSU are fairly young and inexperi-
enced.
Michigan used that experience to
is advantage and won by a signifi-
ant margin. The times for the races
were not available, but the story can
be told without them.
The team sent three boats to East
Lansing. The first boat was comprised
of the strongest rowers, the second
boat with the next strongest and soon.
The race wnet very well for the Wol-
verines with their top two boats fin-
ishing in first and second.
* The first boat pulled ahead of the
field and won convincingly. It was a
little tougher task for the second boat.
It had to come from behind two other
teams to place second.
"We did a lot better than we ex-
pected,"senior Carrie Hoag said. "We

K0
Kickers si
By TIM SMITH
Daily Sports Writer
Freshman defender Jamie Ross of
the Michigan women's soccer team
probably described her team's week-
end trip to Austin, Texas best when
saying, "it was no ordinary road trip."
It definitely was not a normal trip
for the Wolverines who are accus-
tomed to staying close to home and
playing in the typical midwestern fall
weather for most of their contests.
The Wolverines instead headed to
the foreign atmosphere of the south
where even the "grass was fluffier."
The Wolverines defeated Arizona 6-1
on Saturday and Nebraska 2-0 on Sun-
day in the round robin tournament.
"It was definitely fun," Ross said.
"It was fun to get out of the midwest

weep Husk
and go down to the south to the warm
climate and play teams nobody knew
much about."
Nebraska and Arizona are by no
means household names in women's
soccer circles, because like Michi-
gan, they are first-year programs.
While Nebraska entered the week-
end with an 11-3 mark and a previous
2-0 victory over Arizona, the Wild-
cats were struggling in their inaugu-
ral campaign with a 2-8 mark.
Ross, though, was impressed with
the efforts of both teams.
"I don't think they were bad teams
by any means," Ross said. "Even Ari-
zona was good. Even though we beat
them 6-1, they weren't bad. It's just
that we played well."
Michiganclungtoaslim 1-Oleadafter

ers,

'Cats

the firsthalfagainst Arizona, but exploded
for five goals in the second. Freshman
forward Kim Phillips led the Wolverine
barrage with two goals while Whitney
Ricketts, Alicia Treadway, MariaMarcis
and Karen Jones each added one.
Against the Cornhuskers on Sun-
day, Michigan once again needed a
strong second half effort before claim-
ing the win.
"(Nebraska) was areal physical and
emotional game in the first half," Michi-
gan coach Debbie Belkin said. "It took
us a couple ofminutes in the second half
to get into a groove, but it was just a
matter of time before we scored."
Tied at zero at the half, Wolverine
forwards Karen Montgomery and
Ruth Poulin scored in the second to
complete Michigan's weekend sweep.

MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
The Michigan women's soccer team went to Austin, Texas this weekend and
came back with two wins. The Wolverines defeated Nebraska and Arizona.


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