November 2, 1998 - SportsMonday - The Michigan Daily - 3B
Volleyball falls to Minnesota in rematch
-9
By Jon Zemke
Daily Sports Writer
-Fast starts ensure nothing. Solid
pray through out the entire match is
the most dependable formula for win-
ning, and even that is not a guarantee
for success.
A fast start was all the Michigan
volleyball team could muster against
Minnesota. The 23rd-ranked Golden
*Gophers, who fell earlier this season
to; the Wolverines in three games,
beat Michigan 3-1.
'"We started out really fired up for
our first game, and we were really
pumped up going for the win,
Michigan outside hitter Jane Stevens
said. "I think that fire kind of burned
out in the second and third game.
"We may have gotten a little dis-
couraged, and that carried over into
the fourth game."
Senior outside hitter Karen Chase
led an impressive first-game wallop-
ing of Minnesota, 15-5. Hitting was
the story of the match as Michigan
r,
registered a .290 attack percentage the match. Minnesota nearly doubled
and an all-around exemplary perfor- the Wolverines' kill total with 54 to
mance. Michigan's 29.
Games two and three were differ- "They were just running a lot more
ent all together as Michigan lost its plays as they got warmed up, and
momentum and both games, each by their passing improved, which
a 15-6 score. The fourth game was allowed them to make more difficult
nothing the Wolverines want to plays," Stevens said. "We made some
remember as they succumbed to the errors in our hitting, and they blocked
Golden Gophers for their final game well, too."
loss of 15-2. The loss lowers the Michigan spik-
"They got warmed up and they ers to 4-10 in the Big Ten and 12-12
started passing a lot better and run- overall. The Wolverines' record
ning more plays, which we obviously against ranked teams has dropped to
didn't see in the first game and 1-8 with its only win coming against
caught us off guard a bit," Stevens Minnesota early this season.
said. "We lacked in the ability to This is the first time the
make adjustments to what they were Wolverines have fallen to .500 since
doing." Sept. 6 of the 1997 campaign, leaving
Just as great hitting defined game the chance for a postseason NCAA
one for Michigan, poor hitting was tournament bid in great doubt.
the Wolverines' downfall for the rest The all-time Michigan kill leader,
of the match. - Chase - was the only Wolverine
After accounting for 12 kills in the with an impressive match. She led the
first game Michigan could only come team with an solid 14 kills and a .414
up with 17 for the last three games of attack percentage.
restjin kck seaso
Freshman setter Shannon Melka
also led the team with 13 assists and
tied for the lead in serving aces (two)
with Stevens. Stevens also had a
team high in digs (13) and recorded
four blocks, her second highest block
total of the season.
In her first start in Michigan coach
Greg Giovanazzi's ever-changing
lineup, freshman Annie Maxwell col-
lected four blocks to improve on her
career high.
"Maxwell came in and did a really
good job of starting her first game,"
Stevens said. "She did a really good
job middle blocking."
Six of Michigan's 10 blocks were
registered by sophomore middle
blocker Joanna Fielder. Blocks was
the only category in which the
Wolverines outscored the Golden
Gophers, 10-8.
Michigan will hit the road again
next weekend to take on Illinois in
Champaign. The match will kick off
at 8 p.m.
n at State
JIM
ROSE
, . 7i ' Y V
Corey, Otto take home individual titles in season opener; Warren finishes second
*By David Mosse
Daily Sports Writer
The fourth-ranked Michigan wrestling team
opened its campaign over the weekend as it com-
peted in the Michigan State Open.
The competition, held in East Lansing, was not
a team tournament and therefore, no team scores
were tallied. But that did not prevent the
Wolverine squad from making some noise over the
weekend.
Several individuals impressed in their respective
ompetitions as 10 Wolverines placed. The perfor-
mance set the tone for a potentially strong season.
Two Michigan wrestlers captured titles in their
weight class. Corey Grant led the way in the 149
pound weight class and Otto Olson was crowned
champion in the 174 pound class. Olson went a
step further as he was named the Michigan State
Open Outstanding Wrestler.
Michigan coach Dale Bahr, entering his final
season at the helm, had high praise for his two
champions.
"Corey and Otto have really worked hard in
practice and it's nice to see it pay-off," said Bahr,
who has been the Michigan coach for 21 years.
The victory by Grant was especially satisfying,
since he is not expected to be one of the stars. If
Grant emerges as a major force, the Wolverines
may be better than anticipated.
Heading into this season, the Wolverines faced
some questions concerning their inexperience. The
Wolverines feature 11 freshmen on their squad.
The Wolverines' performance in the Michigan
State Open, helped answer many of their skeptics.
The squad is deep. In addition to Grant and
Olson's victories, Joe Warren and Andy Hrovat
finished runner-up at 133 and 184 pounds, respec-
tively. Warren, expected to be one of the stars of
the squad, fell to Pat McNamara of Michigan State
by a 6-2 score.
With Warren emerging as the standout most
expect him to be, and Olson and Grant maintain-
ing their level of performance, the Wolverines
should challenge in the Big Ten.
In spite of the strong opening to the season,
Michigan must guard against being overly opti-
mistic.
"We still have long way to go," Bahr said. "The
key is to build on what we started this weekend."
Warren, Olson and the rest of the Wolverines
squad will return to practice this week as they gear
up for the Ben McMullen Open.
The Wolverines' preparation will be much
smoother with their first competition under their
belt. Michigan now has a better idea of what kind
of team they have. Judging from this weekend's
results, they seem to have a solid one.
Afootbal ame' or the ages
--al becai'9o aweddiJn
T hey say you shouldn't mix business with pleasure. I say it's too late. I've
been doing it for years. And I don't mean the whole lucky-to-be-sitting-
in-the-press-box thing. I'm not talking about sports journalism as 'busi-
ness.'
When I say 'business,' I mean everyday business. Daily life. Everyday
business has a way of getting tangled up with everyday fun - business
mixing with pleasure - and more often than not, there's nothing we can do
about it.
It happened again for me this weekend.
Saturday was a big day in the sports world. The Michigan football team
pounded Penn State, reclaiming a stake in the national picture in the
process. Ohio State lost, too, which means the Wolverines have a legitimate
shot at going back to Pasadena for New Year's.
Now, that was reason enough for lots of people to enjoy the Michigan
football team's victory. Fans and players will likely remember it for years to
come. And so will I. But for different reasons.
It just so happens that on the same day, my former high school - mid-
sized and relatively plain Novi High - won a pair of state championships.
The boys soccer and boys cross country teams bettered the rest of the state
in their respective fields.
But beyond even that, this past Saturday was the day that a pair of my
closest friends got married. Like a lot of people - even the groom and
most of the other groomsmen - I watched the football game in the after-
noon. And yes, the win was exciting. But were it not for the wedding taking
place a few hours later, I have to admit - Saturday's game would've even-
tually faded from memory.
But now, it's forever linked with a much bigger event. Michigan's win
over Penn State, along with Novi's two seemingly improbable state titles,
will always occupy their own special level in my mind. They'll always seem
a little bit better than they really were. They'll always be remembered with
a smile. And the actual games have nothing to do with it.
This weekend was a reminder that we view the world through colored
glasses. Sometimes that's good, sometimes it's bad - but always, the activ-
ities of our everyday lives color the events of the world around us. For
some people, Saturday was a great day because Michigan won. For me,
Michigan's win will be remembered only because Saturday was a great day
to begin with.
This would all be less surprising, I suppose, if the lucky couple's
engagement wasn't equally memorable. Consider how it happened: On one
amazing afternoon last December, the Michigan men's basketball team
shocked then-No. 1 Duke at Crisler Arena; Michigan's Charles Woodson
won the Heisman trophy; and, in an unrelated, slightly less publicized news
event, two of my best friends were engaged.
Later that very evening, I told the happy couple that their engagement
was the third-best event of the day.
I was kidding, of course, but to this day, that's the running joke - the
engagement was nice, but honestly, how often does someone like Woodson
win the Heisman? I told them the same thing again this weekend: Nice
wedding, good food, great conga line on the dance floor - but how about
those Wolverines!
And so it is that this year's Penn State game - even without a postgame
presidential street party - will always rank ahead of last year's, at least in
my mind. Without the wedding, it still would have been a great win for
Michigan fans; thanks to the wedding, to me it became one for the ages.
It's funny how sports seem to wind their way through the rest of our
lives. In all honesty, the Michigan football team's fortunes have approxi-
mately zero bearing on my personal happiness. Had the Wolverines lost this
weekend, Saturday still would've been one of the better days of my life.
But because the final gun sounded just minutes before I threw on my
tuxedo and headed to the church - on to bigger and better things - I'll
always remember how Michigan fared on Nov. 7, 1998.
Not that it matters in any real way. But somehow, good things seem to
happen in sports when my newlywed friends make life-altering decisions.
Hopefully, it's a good omen for them.
Either way, I just hope Michigan's playing when they start having kids.
- Jim Rose can be reached atjwrose@umich.edu.
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