SPORTS CALENDAR
The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, March 18, 1996 -- 2B
COMMLNTY SERVICE
ST'uDM-ATLETEOFTHEWEFK
Who: Tina Miranda Sport: Women's gymnastics
Eligibility: Senior Year: Senior
Hometown: Apopka, Fla. High School: Lake Brantley
Why: This week, Miranda joined Michigan teammates at Haisley
School to read in the SHARE program. She also volunteered with
student-athletes Gia Biagi and Rick Turner in a blood pressure
monitoring drive, sponsored by two Detroit churches.
Background: National Gymnastics Coaches Association All-
American in 1995 ... scored season best 9.775 at "Super Six" to
Mirandahelp team to best-ever second place national finish ... scored a
Miranda 9.775 on the uneven bars at the NCAA championsips ... Enrolled in
College of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in biology ---
born March 25, 1974
THLe £Fdfia TE 11
ATHLETE OF THE
WEEK
Who: John Madden
Eligibility: Junior
Hometown: Barrie, Ontario
Sport: Ice hockey
Year: Junior
Last team: Barrie Colts
Why: The junior left wing scored three goals, and assisted on another, over the
weekend leading Michigan to its second CCHA championship in three years.
Madden netted his nation-leading 10th short-handed goal of the season, and he
added an assist in the Wolverines' 4-3 victory over Lake Superior Saturday. Friday
night, he tallied two goals, including one short-handed.
Background: Madden is All-CCHA Honorable Mention ... second on the Wolverines
with 27 goals ... third in team scoring with 56 points ... netted a hat-trick against
Notre Dame Jan. 21, 1995 ... scored 163 points in 62 games to lead the Junior A
Central Ontario Hockey League ... Enrolled in school of Kinesiology ... born May 4,
1973.
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Madden
CHAMPIONSHIP
Cincinnati
Lack of focus plagues 'M' in loss to Spartans
JOSH WHITE/aiy
By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports Writer
How do you spell victory in volley-
ball? F-o-c-u-s.
-Why didn't the Michigan men's vol-
leyball team win Friday night? Because
of a lack of focus.
Once again, Michigan faced a road-
block, and once again it impeded the
Wolverines' progress. Michigan State
stopped the Wolverines cold Friday
,night in three sets, 15-5, 15-12, 15-12,
in East Lansing
Michigan has dropped two regular
season matches to the Spartans this sea-
son. To setter Justin Biebel, the result
,Friday night was reflective of the effort.
"(The Spartans) were ready to play and
we weren't," he said.
Although it may not be that clear-cut,
Michigan has struggled against the Spar-
tans in the past. The Wolverines have
yet to beat the squad from East Lansing
this season and psychological factors
may be creeping into play.
The questions of"can we beat them?"
and "do they have our number?" are the
thoughts that come into play after such
a long victory drought against one squad.
While the fear factor may create a sense
ofuncertainty on anotherteam,the Wol-
verines are more concerned with beat-
ing the Spartans and breaking the streak
of 'Ls.'
"It's not that we're intimidated, but
there is a lot of importance put on the
match because we haven't beaten them
in a while," Biebel said.
The encouraging aspect of the match
against Michigan State was the improve-
ment the team showed with each game.
What began as an old-fashioned runaway
became a closer contest once the Wolver-
ines tightened up their mistakes and stood
up to the Spartans.
"Things improved as everyone loos-
ened up andjust started playing the game,"
Biebel said.
The third game saw Michigan peak
when it held an 11-5 lead on the Spartans.
But after that, the team fell apart. The
Wolverines stumbled their way to a 15-
12 defeat in the deciding game, allowing
Michigan State every opportunity to get
back into the game - by not maintaining
focus.
"When we get a decent lead like that,
we have a hard time maintaining the
intensity to finish out the game," Biebel
said.
The Wolverines have talented players
who have grown together as a team, but
have yet to reach their full potential. The
reasons for their struggles are vague.
"A lot of (the problem) has to do with
keeping mental focus," Biebel said. "The
change (in improvement) has to do with
everyone taking care of what's wrong in
their own game."
By starting with the individual effort,
the team's fortunes should improve, and
getting offto a fast start would contribute
to that.
Against Michigan State, the night
started with no Wolverine taking care of
their own game or anyone else's.
The first set was characterized by all-
around poor passing and setting. These
simple mistakes in the basic components
of the game just made it more difficult for
Michigan to record the necessary kills.
Kills or not, Michigan was at a loss before
the match even began.
The distinct advantage that Michigan
State enjoys is its depth. The volleyball
program is far more developed on the
Spartan campus than the one that exists at
Michigan.
Michigan State fields four volleyball
teams at varying levels of skill, with three
of them competing as full squads. This
gives the Spartans a great deal more talent
to choose from when selecting its "A"
squad.
The Wolverines, on the other hand,
have only two teams that are in competi-
tion.
And Friday, that lack of depth, as well
as their lack of focus, doomed the Wol-
verines.
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PERSONAL VALUES:
In or Out of the Classroom
A dialogue on the place of personal values in the
academic community
PANEL
Prof. Frederick Neidhardt, Medical School
Prof. Larue Hosmer, School of Bus Ad
Prof. Gabriele Boccaccini, LS&A
Lisa De Boer, grad student
William Plevnn seninr. LS&A
The Michigan men's volleyball team dropped a three game set to Michigan State
Friday, 15-5, 15-12, 15-12. The Wolverines have not faired well against the
Spartans this season. Michigan State has won both regular season matchups
between the two schools.
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