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Thursday
September 16, 2004
sports. michigandaily. com
sports@michigandaily.com
SPb r id i i]jan ? u iv
PORTS
12A
w . ... ............ .
eG
Sophomore
shines in
starting role
By Bob Hunt
Daily Sports Editor
When Michigan free safety Ryan Mundy was
asked what he liked most about his position, the
true sophomore starter didn't hesitate at all.
"Getting interceptions," Mundy said. "Being a
post safety, I can sit back and read the quarterback
and break on the ball."
The Wilkins Township, Pa., native - who
comes from the same high school as Michigan
wide receiver Steve Breaston - has had his oppor-
tunities to catch the football in the secondary in
his first two games as a starter.
In the season opener against Miami (Ohio), Red
Hawk quarterback Josh Betts had a pass bounce
off a Miami receiver's chest, fly backward and fall
into the hands of Mundy. Mundy then proceeded to
run the ball back 38 yards, setting up Michigan's
first points of the season.
During last week's game against Notre Dame,
cornerback Marcus Curry tipped a pass that Mundy
laid out for and picked off, temporarily halting the
Notre Dame momentum.
Two games. Two picks. Not bad.
Mundy hasn't spent much time in Ann Arbor
sitting on the bench. When Michigan kicked off
last season against Central Michigan, Mundy was
there on the kickoff team.
Now, after playing a year on special teams,
Mundy is a young star on one of the most experi-
enced units on the Michigan team - the second-
ary. The unit includes Curry and likely future NFL
first-round draft picks Marlin Jackson and Ernest
Shazor.
"They're a great group of guys," Mundy said.
"They try to guide me throughout the way."
Mundy says that Jackson, also a Pennsylvania
native, has been a great mentor to him ever since
he's been at Michigan.
"We had that special bond because we're both
from Pennsylvania," Mundy said. "He's really
been a big brother to me ever since I got here. He's
shared his experiences with me in how he got in
trouble in everything. He's guided me in what I
should do."
Mundy impressed the coaching staff with his poise
and has fit into the position with relative ease.
"One of the reasons we played with him is that
we liked his maturity," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr
said. "He's a smart guy, and it was obvious that he
didn't have to wait. I can say this - it's unusual for
a guy to step in and start as a free safety and play
as well as he has in the first two games. I can say
what he has done has really been impressive."
Mundy also considered going to North Carolina
Wolverines lucky to
have great fight song
BRIAN SCHICK
Schick Happens
Admit it. You have one, too.
Everyone has some quirky
hobby that they keep hidden
from everyone else. C'mon, I know
that you like to save Happy Meal
toys or collect sugar packets from
restaurants or something equally
eccentric. If it'll help, I'll go first.
I love college fight songs. No, I
really love college fight songs. It
might have something to do with
playing hour after hour of NCAA
2005, with the endless loop of fight
songs blaring in the background.
But somewhere in my colorful past,
I decided it'd be worthwhile to learn
the fight songs of all the schools the
Big Ten.
But first things first. To me, the
fight song is the one thing that gets
fans excited for their teams. While
each individual fan's knowledge of
his or her squad will vary consider-
ably, each fan can unite celebrating
a touchdown with the chorus of the
school's fight song - it's the ulti-
mate unifier between fans; young
and old, students and alumni, casual
fans and die hards.
Players may come and go from a
school, but the fight song remains
constant. In the era of marketing
taking precedent over tradition,
school logos may change to increase
jersey sales (I'm looking at you,
Miami). You don't often hear of a
school changing their fight song.
One of the things NFL players often
require rookies to do is croon their
alma mater's fight song on the first
day of training camp.
As you can see, this is something
I take pretty seriously. So can I
make a public service announcement
for a second? I always get annoyed
when the Big House crowd boos the
band playing the opposing team's
fight song during the pregame intro-
duction. I'm not saying I'm pulling
for the opposition, but, as a fan of
fight songs, I would at least like
to hear it during pregame. Then
I'll boo with you after they score a
touchdown. Thanks.
So anyway, with a critical eye,
I've decided to settle all arguments
by ranking the fight songs in the
Big Ten. I probably could do all the
117 division 1-A schools (bringing
up the rear: Temple), but that might
be a little scary. So, without further
ado:
No. 11: Penn State
The I I"' team to join the Big Ten
also brings up the rear with "Fight
on State." When you listen to it, it
has no rhythm; the first half has a
slow tempo, then suddenly speeds up
half way through. And any song that
uses old English ("victory we pre-
dict for thee") needs to get the axe.
No. 10: Michigan State
As former Daily sports editor
Brady McCollough once said, their
fight song sounds like a carnival
song. The "Falcone Fight" (what's
up with that title, anyway?) sounds
like something you'd hear on the
merry-go-round. After numerous
discussions with my friends who go
to Michigan State, I've never gotten
a decent answer to what a "vim" is
("Spartan teams are bound to win /
they're fighting with a vim").
Another gripe I have is that their
fight song doesn't have a chorus -
it's just one long running story about
how the Spartans "specialty is win-
ning." The chorus is a must for fight
songs, because who wants to spend
two minutes singing the entire fight
song after a touchdown? Also, why
does it seem that the only word that
Spartan fans know from this ballad
is "weak" ("see their team is WEAK
/ we're going to win this game")?
No. 9: Minnesota
I'm not from Minnesota, but I
have no clue what "Ski-U-Mah"
means. It sounds like some lame
attempt at an inside joke. Also,
I'm not a fan of using cheerleader
shouts in fight songs ("rah for the
U of M"). It sounds like some lame
1950's version of a high school
cheer. Rah-team, shish-boom-bah!
In addition, Minnesota is too long
of a name to spell out at the end of
"The Minnesota Rouser."
No. 8: Illinois
Continuing with the "what-the
heck-did-they-just-say?" category,
Illinois comes in with "Oskee Wow-
Wow Illinois." This might be anoth-
er thing that every student learns at
freshmen orientation in Champaign:
("OK freshmen, you must guard the
secret of our fight song with your
lives! No one must know it's just
gibberish!") It's not all bad; I like
the notion of a team "trotting out
before you." Women might be a little
upset when the song asks that "every
man stand up and yell."
See SCHICK, page 18A
44
Sophomore free safety Ryan Mundy picks off a pass against Miami (Ohio) in Michigan's
season opener. The first-year starter has two interceptions in as many games.
State and Pittsburgh, near his hometown, but it of town."
was the allure of the Big House that brought him Instead, Mundy is part of an ever-growing
to Michigan. contingent of players from Pennsylvania that are
"This place is like no other," Mundy said. "(At playing at Michigan. In addition to Jackson and
other places), I can't play in front 110,000 people Breaston, linebacker Scott McClintock and tight
every home game." end Tim Massaquoi also hail from the Keystone
Mundy also added that he never seriously con- State. Mundy is just trying to enjoy what he calls
sidered playing for what used to be the biggest "the time of his life."
football power in the northeast, Penn State. "I think the sky's the limit for him, because he's
"I did (consider Penn State) early on," Mundy got good size, he's got good athleticism and he's
said. "But (State College is) really not my type smart," Carr said.
Newcomers excited to compete for Michigan
By H. Jose Bosch
For the Daily
During its first game of the sea-
son, the Michigan volleyball team
traveled to Indiana to face Valparai-
so. As the crowd roared and the band
played loudly, freshman Lyndsay
Miller just soaked it all in.
"It was pretty cool to be on the
floor and have everyone watching
you play," Miller said. "To see all
the people loving the game of vol-
leyball - it was just awesome."
Miller, along with fellow freshmen
Katie Bruzdzinski, Stesha Selsky,
Sarah Draves and Mara Martin, isn't
just satisfied with being at the game
- these girls are ready to play.
The class of 2004 is the strongest
recruiting class Michigan volleyball
has had in its history, ranking sixth
in the nation according to one prep
magazine. The class consists of two
state Players of the Year - Selsky
(California) and Bruzdzinski (Illi-
nois) - and four of the five recruits
ranked as top-100 preps in the
nation. Though the season is young,
four of the girls - Martin has been
red-shirted - have already contrib-
uted to the team, and the future looks
bright for Michigan volleyball.
But the girls aren't feeling pres-
sure.
"I don't know if there's necessar-
ily pressure," said Bruzdzinski. "It's
just more testing yourself to see if
you can step up to the challenge of
college volleyball."
Martin agreed.
"You're here for a reason," the
Monroe native said. "You're not here
to show off your high school skills."
This kind of attitude makes these
girls a force to be reckoned with.
They understand what it takes to be
a Michigan volleyball player.
"I feel you have to work extremely
hard to represent the 'M' that you
wear," Selsky said. "You work hard
and you will strive to make sure that
Michigan gets recognized as a great
academic and athletic school."
Said Draves, "I think it's some-
thing that I'll be able to hold my head
high for the rest of my life knowing I
played for such a good school."
The new fab five isn't all business.
Each girl has her own personal favor-
ite moment of the young season.
"(Michigan senior) Sarah Allen
slipped really hard on the floor
and we had just changed shirts so
it shouldn't have been wet and the
whole gym just started laughing so
hard," Draves said.
Miller also had her own personal
favorite moment.
"I love it when we'll be playing
in practice, scrimmaging hard and
everyone's sweating like crazy and
Sarah Allen makes a great diving dig
and tries to get up and her legs just
fly out from under her," Miller said.
"She gets back up and she's ready to
go again and it's just awesome."
Aside from being role models
and providing comic relief, the
seniors have been a major help to
the young guns.
"I think the seniors have been
great," Bruzdzinski said. "Honestly
... they always make sure that we
know what we're doing. They've
just been really good at taking us
in and showing us what Michigan is
about."
During that first match at Val-
paraiso, with each Crusader kill
the crowd and band got louder and
louder.
"That crowd just makes me want
to dig every single ball and do the
best I absolutely can to let no balls
hit the floor," Selsky said.
0
ALEX DZIADUOy/ Daly
Freshman Katie Bruzdzinski hits
the bail over the net against Oakland.
Fans celebrate a touchdown over Miami (Ohio) during Michigan's opener.
University Musical Society
Half-Price Student Ticket
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Sat, Sept 18
9 am
12 noon
For one day only at the beginning of each semester, UMS offers HALF-PRICE TICKETS to
students. This extremely popular event draws hundreds of students every year - last year,
students saved over $104,000 by purchasing tickets at the Half-Price StudentTicket Sales.
Some perfomances have a limited number of tickets available, so get there early!
How does the Half-Price Sale work? It's easy! Just make your way to Hill Auditorium that
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