8B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 2, 1998 Spikers two-sided in Big Ten matches I I 1} By Jon Zemke Daily Sports Writer It was wear-a-costume-and-get-in- free night as the Michigan volleyball team beat up Northwestern in front of a costumed crowd at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines were busy wearing their own costume of Dr. Jekyl as they put the Wildcats away in three straight games after losing the first game, 15-13. The second game was a different tale, as Michigan rose to the occasion to win 15-8. Sophomore outside hitter Sarah Behnke was the go-to player, providing 12 kills in the first two games, as well as the kills to put the second and third games away. "I just felt really good going into the match" Behnke said. Game three was not even close, as Spartans, baby! ESPN announcer and college bas- ketball guru Dick Vitale pro- nounced Michigan State top five material in his recently released preseason rankings. Dick Vitale's top five NCAA teams: 1. Connecticut 2. Duke 3. Stanford 4. Kentucky 5. Michigan State Michigan buried Northwestern, allow- ing just three points in the game. Northwestern refused to die, taking Michigan down to the wire in the fourth game. The teams traded points through the whole game while neither team pulled ahead by more than four points. Sophomore setter Alija Pittenger served the final two points, including an ace, to finish off the Wildcats 15-13. "I thought we played really loose," Behnke said. "I thought we played with a lot of confidence, something that we haven't necessarily done in the past. Everybody contributed, and I think that's what we need. We need people doing their job when they're in there. It was a great win." Pittenger did all of the setting against Northwestern, allowing the offense to really open up. The team finished with 73 kills on a season-high 172 kill attempts, including Behnke's 25 to lead the team and 24 by team kill leader Karen Chase. Chase, a senior outside hitter, also finished with season-high and team-leading 14 digs. Leading the team with a career-best 56 assists, Pittenger had a career night, playing every minute of the match. She also contributed a personal season-high three serving aces. "I was just trying to get it up there so Karen and Sara could swing at it," Pittenger said. The win was the second against Northwestern, bringing Michigan's record to 4-8 in the Big Ten, 12-10 over- all. Friday night, on the other hand, was without a doubt Devil's Night, as the Wolverines put on their Mr. Hyde cos- tume and were swept by visiting Indiana. The scene was horrific for Michigan, as it lost 15-8 in the first game. The Hoosiers scored eight straight points in a second-game runaway, and finished off Michigan 15-7 to close out the match and series. The difference in the game was Michigan's 22 attack errors and .194 attack percentage. Indiana committed just seven attack errors and posted a .471 attack percentage. "Some people say mental break- downs and some people say lack of focus, but I think it just comes down to character," junior defensive specialist Maggie Cooper said. -~ t . DAVID ROCHKIND/Daiy Michigan's Anne Pogilts spiked this Indiana offering, but the Wolverines fell to the Hoosiers on Friday.4 0 Cleaves leads Spartan hoops into 'virgin territory' By Andy Latack Daily Sports Writer Michigan State point guard Mateen Cleaves sighed and pushed himself away from the table. He grabbed a piece of candy from a nearby bowl, and watched the departing members of the media that had been hounding him for the last hour. "I'd better get used to this," Cleaves said. "I guess this is what it's going to be like this season." Indeed, much of the talk at last week- end's Big Ten media day centered around Cleaves and the Spartans. The media and coaches both have picked Michigan State, last year's co-Big Ten champion, to finish atop the conference in their preseason pools. And with good reason. After advanc- ing to the Sweet Sixteen in last year's NCAA Tournament before losing to a stacked North Carolina team, the Spartans return all five starters on a dubspot.daily@umich.edu squad that shocked the college basket- ball world a year ago. Picked as middle-of-the-pack confer- ence finishers at this time last year, the Spartans went on to amass a 13-3 Big Ten record, tying for the conference title with Illinois. Cleaves was instrumental in that run, averaging 16.1 points per game and dishing out a conference-leading 7.2 assists per contest. The Flint native was named Big Ten player of the year, and is the preseason pick for that honor again this season. But Michigan State isn't going to sneak up on anybody this year. With expectations soaring both in East Lansing and nationwide, the Spartans must now deal with preparing for the season under an intense spotlight. "This is a little bit of virgin territory, since we've never been in this position as a team," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "And I have to admit, I've never been in this position as a coach" And what a position it is. Michigan State is picked in the top 10 in virtually every preseason publication, and the media simply couldn't get enough of the Spartans on that day in Chicago. Fueling the green-and-white fever at media day was the fact that Michigan State almost didn't show up, making the new-look Spartans even more of a mys- tery. Izzo's flight was canceled, forcing him to miss the event entirely and par- ticipate via speakerphone. Cleaves and teammate Antoniq Smith were late themselves and, upon arriving, were mobbed like the Backstreet Boys at a junior high. "There's a lot of excitement going around campus," Cleaves said. "You hear a lot of people anxiously waiting for the season to start." Cleaves had been playing the waiting game himself in the months leading up to practice, having been sidelined most of the summer due to a series of injuries. The Spartans' junior floor leader sprained an ankle while practicing with the USA Team for the World Championships in June, and then suf- fered a separated shoulder after falling down a flight of stairs outside of his apartment complex in August. Cleaves returned to the court just more than a month ago, having missed two crucial months of offseason workouts. "I was disappointed, because the sum- mer is where you get better and work on the things you don't have time to work on during the season," Cleaves said. "But I can't sulk about that, because it's something I can't bring back." Izzo is confident Cleaves won't be hampered by his time off, but was look- ing for Michigan State's captain to work on his game in the offseason. "I believe he is mature enough to not let it affect him," Izzo said. "But players are made in the summer. Before he can be considered the best player in the nation, he needs to improve his shooting and consistency." Even if Cleaves gets off to a slow start because of his injuries, Michigan State has plenty of other scoring threats. Backcourt mate Charlie Bell was the team's third-leading scorer and rebound- er as a freshman last year. Senior swing- man Jason Klein is a deadly shooter who drilled a team-high 69 three pointers last season. With so many weapons, it's easy to get carried away about Michigan State's prospects this year. But Cleaves knows that all the presea- son hype is just that, and that the acco- lades are about as useful as his shoulder was a month ago. "I'm a hard guy to satisfy, because I believe once you're satisfied, you're in trouble," Cleaves said. "If we're ranked this high after the year, then I'll be very happy." I Staff Picks - all picks made against the spread. Correct selections appear in bold. I Bigger Fresher * Better j Any 2 12 inch subs $7.99 Not valid with any other discount. Valid at participating stores only I Please present coupon before ordenng One offe er opnpr es ubo I Subs anar Ssex edOfer expires 113098 . m im..m - rAny 2 8 inch subs $5.49 Valid at participating stores only Please present coupon before ordenng Subs and Partysubs excu ded Offe expires 11/3098 Free order of fries with any 8 inch or Nt12 inch sub purchase Notvalid with an other discount 3Valid at participating stores only Pleasepresent coupon before ordening, I offer per coupon per person. Offer expires 11/3098. 4 SHARAT RAJU ROSE Game (HOME TEAM IN CAPS) Michigan (-12.5) vs. MINNESOTA MIAMI (FLA.) (-15) vs. Boston College PENN STATE (-36) vs. Illinois Ohio State (-21.5) vs. INDIANA NEBRASKA (-17.5) vs. Texas Louisiana State (-8.5) vs. MISSISSIPPI NOTRE DAME (-15) vs. Baylor FLORIDA (-11.5) vs. Georgia SOUTHERN CAL (-5) vs. Washington UCLA (-27) vs. Stanford FLORIDA STATE (-25) vs. North Carolina PURDUE (-15) vs. Iowa Best Bet Last Week Overall (best bet) Minnesota Miami Illinois Indiana Nebraska Louisiana State Baylor Florida Washington 4JCLA North'Carolina Purdue Washington 5-7 (0-1) 53-43-1(5-2) Michigan Boston College Illinois Indiana Nebraska Louisiana State Notre Dame Florida Washington UCLA North Carolina Purdue Purdue 4-8 (1-0) 41-55-1(3-5) MARK SNYDER Michigan Miami Illinois Ohio State Texas Louisiana State Notre Dame Florida Washington UCLA Florida State Purdue Washington 8-4(0.1) 45-51-1(4-4) -- Guest Selector GEORGE WASHINGTON* Michigan Boston College Penn State Indiana Texas Louisiana State Baylor Florida Southem Cal UCLA North Carolina Iowa Michigan 2-10 (0-1) 47-49-1 (2-4) I0 800 SOUTH STATE 747-9555 MWN~I4SAL' MICHIGAN( REC@RDS real music, scheduled for (WABSaay> 311 Nwi t3 it oF * S f1~AIJIUIN~hsooin4+k 4' V- re4g ilie M o 0 Come... e release dates subject to change without notice, sorry. =m~m==m==mCU SWILLING To Go iFTO WI PFFERENCE? !, [o' a e ne-to dthers, a sense of adventure ;d ~dn indbi imrarit work that could challenge :a Ceorps service can offer you a -4 v dof rtu i "00 ries worldid 7ic'e than2,500 assignments are nusiness, , agriculture, public health, and 6m1talcow ti Benefits include skills and train- in , ur M allowance and health care, deferral on qua g loans, international experience, and memories for a lifetime. (800)424-8580 * WWW.PEACECORPS.C.OV The PeaceCorps does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. I * Former President Washington's picks were determined during a seance via a U.S. quarter-dollar. Heads symbolized the favorite, while tails was interpreted as a pick for the underdog. Previous guest selectors have been: English Prof. Ralph Williams History Prof. Sidney Fine Former Michigan kicker Remy Hamilton Radio announcer and former Michigan football player Jim Brandstatter Daily columnist James Miller Michigan alum and ESPN anchor Rich Eisen Michigan men's basketball coach Brian Elierbe We will have a guest selector each week for the staff picks. Most times it will be someone famous, but if you think you deserve to pick, e-mail us at dailyfootball@umich.edu and tell us why. Friends and family of Daily staffers are not only not excluded, but are welcome to apply. '4 Rob Van der Voo Professor of Geological Science and Director, LS&A Honors Program The Pulse of the Earth SMALL MOVES WORLDWIDE MOVING SYSTEMS CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE 888.949'6683 ICC#MC282234 ___ MPSC L-25540 WE SPECIALIZE IN * SMALL MOVES " Local, Long distance International " No minimum weight restrictions " One piece of furniture to a house full - Professional packing & crating *Shortand long term storage * Fully insured r WE PARTICIPATE IN THE 'CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL MOVER" PROGRAM 10% Student Discount until January 1 b 0tA r ea It'vC u (I've :p iz ------- T t,.'10,0n( S.6tow1u it 1 UTRI -AV NMWIIIMMIMMMMI:11 IMMMM, WRIN - I