12 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 13, 2004 I T ankers reek of good work ethic New coaches to adjust formula By Dan Ketchel For the Daily The most noticeable aroma in Canham Natatorium on any given day is undoubtedly chlorine. As expected, the smell hits hard when one enters the building. But after taking a moment to inspect the scent that saturates the air around the pool, there's an inkling of some- thing else combined with the chlo- rine: work ethic. One can sense its presence accom- panying the other chemicals loom- ing about the facility. It isn't even fresh. It's genuinely stale. Take a good hard whiff, and it's apparent that the odor is about 20 years old. It is the attitude women's swim- ming coach Jim Richardson has implemented in his 20-year tenure. He sat at a table yesterday with one eye on his athletes and one eye on the task of fastening together piec- es of equipment for the swimmers to use during dry land training. If doing that menial task didn't prove his willingness to humble himself, it showed when he played down the Big Ten Coach of the Year honor he received at the end of last season. "The kids swam really, really well, and we managed to win the (Big Ten) meet." Richardson said. "And more often than not, the coach whose team wins the meet is cho- sen." But the kind of work ethic that Richardson displays in motivating his swimmers is echoed in the atti- tudes of the swimmers themselves. "The freshmen class is so enthu- siastic, and they're working really hard," junior captain Abby Seskev- ics said. "And they're willing to work really hard, so I think we're not going to have a problem with making up for what we lost. We're trying hard not to compare this year's team to last year's. We had such a great season last year, and with a huge new group of girls, we need to work towards being great with them." hILE PHOTO Women's swimming coach Jim Richardson instills solid work ethic in his swimmers. The women's swimming and diving team will have a chance to gain some experience Saturday in Canham against a talented Florida squad. As the season's first scored meet approaches, everyone in the natato- rium is optimistic and anxious for the competition to begin. Richard- son sees this year's team as being equally formidable as last year's, despite its inexperience in the lanes. The 2004-05 group features 16 freshmen who have yet to become acclimated to NCAA competition. "We learn a lot about our new swimmers everyday in workout when we watch them train," Rich- ardson said. "When they put the hammer down, something happens and hopefully something special happens. Throughout the season we can see how they race. Do they race the way they train? Do they race better then they train? These are the kinds of things we evaluate." By Scott Bell For the Daily Mediocrity is not a word in most Wol- verine fans' vocabulary. However, for those following Michigan men's tennis team the past few years, it was a word they were beginning to have to settle for. The once-proud Michigan squad, which at one time pumped out professionals such as Malivai Washington, was find- ing itself constantly in the middle of the pack. Something had to be done in the offseason for this once-proud squad to regain its fire. Enter Bruce Berque. The Wolverines' new coach brings a winning attitude to Ann Arbor and hopes to instill this passion in his players. Along with Ann Arbor native and former pupil Michael Kosta as his assistant coach, Berque feels that this could be the beginning of some- thing special. "We plan to be constantly readjusting early on to find that winning formula," Berque said. "We hope to, at worse, settle for a top-four finish in the conference." Settle is not a word Berque likes to say. His long-term goals for the team exem- plify nothing less than excellence. "Becoming a national powerhouse is certainly a long goal," Berque said. However, turning around a program is much easier said than done. Hav- ing been a part of successful programs at both Illinois and Florida, Berque believes he has the formula to conquer that seemingly impossible task - prac- tice, practice and more practice. "We certainly hope to show much more professionalism in practice than in years past," Berque said. "Early on, I think our main goals are more process-orientated than result-based." Michigan lost just one player from its previous squad. and with four returning seniors, improvement seems eminent for the Wolverines. "David (Arving) shows great leader- ship with his intensity at practice while Vinny (Gossain) does his part with a lot of off-the-court events," Berque said. "The seniors all have different person- alities, but each does their share in their own way." Every team has its own extrovert who seems to steal the show. However, most don't have an assistant coach who takes that distinction - Michael Kosta is that exception. Kosta, a graduate of Ann Arbor Huron High School, has come to help coach after playing professionally for two years. He enjoyed success at Illinois, where he played under Berque. So when he got a call from Berque in the off-season, his decision was easy. "I attribute most of my success to (Ber- que)," Kosta said. "It was an honor for him to ask me to coach, so I jumped at the opportunity to coach under him." On the surface, the two seem like can- didates for a remake of "The Odd Couple." When you ask Kosta, though, he finds it no surprise that these two opposites attract. "From day one at Illinois, we had very good chemistry," Kosta said. "We com- pliment each other very well. He is much more reserved, and I am more outgoing. But we both share a love for tennis." This coaching duo and its love for tennis will be put to the test this week- end as the Wolverines open their season with the Wolverine Invitational - a six- team, three-day marathon of tennis that is sure to be a good measuring stick for Michigan. Potential BCS shakeups this weekend By Mark Glannotto For the Daily Saturday's college football action is highlighted by three games that could have major BCS implications. Top- rated Southern Cal. battles undefeated Arizona State, Virginia travels to Talla- hassee to face perennial power Florida State and West Virginia plays Connect- CRpS Jul 1 A icut in a game that might decide the Big East title. No. 19 ARIzONA STATE (5-0) AT No. 1 SouTHERN CAL. (5-0) - 3:30 P.M., ABC After taking a giant step towards the BCS title game last weekend with its 23-17 win over Cal., Southern Cal. will look to take another big step troward the Pac-10 title by beating Arizona State this Saturday. The Cal game was the second straight close call for the Trojans, who barely beat Stanford two weeks ago. Led by Heisman candidates Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, the Trojans' offense is one of the best in the nation. Teams cannot focus on the run or the pass in the balanced attack. The Sun Devils are the surprise team in the Pac- 10 this season. Led by senior quarterback Andrew Walter, Arizona State has racked up impressive wins against Big Ten foes Northwestern and Iowa. Walter has been particularly impressive, throwing 15 touch- downs passes this season. As good as Arizona State has played so far this season, it has not faced a team like Southern Cal. The Trojans' talent level will be too much for the visiting Sun Devils to handle. The Sun Devils will make things interesting, but Southern Cal. will continue its Pac-10 dominance this weekend. Southern Cal 31, Arizona State 17 No. 6 VIRGINIA (5-0) AT No. 7 FLORIDA STATE (4-1) - 7:45 P.M., ESPN This ACC showdown between top-10 teams will be a defining game for both sides. The Cavaliers are looking for respect since they have yet to defeat a top-25 team this year. The Cavaliers' run-oriented offense has been nearly unstoppable, and talented running back Wali Lundy has emerged as a touchdown threat on every play. The Cava- liers' defense has been equally impressive, holding oppo- nents to just under of almost 14 points per game. Perennial ACC power Florida State is in danger of fall- ing out of the conference race with a loss to Virginia. The Seminoles enter this showdown without having played their best football, with a close victory over an average Syracuse team last weekend. Coach Bobby Bowden has already announced that Wyatt Sexton will start the game at quarterback, as Chris Rix is still not healthy enough to play. Despite all of these issues, do not underestimate the Seminoles. Their defense has been suffocating, and the game will be played at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tal- lahassee. This game will be dominated by the defenses, with nei- ther team being able to move the ball on each other. The game will come down to special teams, and the Seminoles have been atrocious in that department so far. The Cava- liers will take a big step toward the ACC crown as they will go into Tallahassee and beat Florida State Virginia 13, Florida State 10 No. 16 Wksr VIRGINIA (4-1) AT CONNECrICUr 4-1) - 7:30 P.M., ESPN This game goes to show how far the Big East has fallen: A team three years removed from playing 1-AA football is in the running for the conference championship. With the move of Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC, Con- necticut has established itself as a contender in the Big East this season. The Huskies are led by sophomore running back Cornell Brockington, who is averaging more than 100 yards per game. West Virginia is coming off a loss to former Big East foe Virginia Tech two weeks ago. The Mountaineers may also be without star running back Kay Jay Harris. This is undoubtedly the biggest game in Connecticut football history, but expect the Mountaineers to get the win. The Huskies, while West Virginia has been inexperi- enced in many pressure-filled games like this before. West Virginia 24, Connecticut 14 No. 17 LoUISvILLE (4-0) AT No.3 MIAMI (4-0) - 7:30 P.M., ESPN This nonconference game of unbeatens matches a mid- major school on the cusp of breaking through against a perennial power seeking another appearance in the BCS title game. The Cardinals have a high-flying offense led by running backs Eric Shelton and Michael Bush. Quarterback Stefan LeFors has played spectacularly with a completion rate of 75 percent. Miami is once again in the mix for the national title. The Hurricanes have not played for three weeks, so they may be a bit rusty. The defense is lightning fast and has not allowed more than 13 points this season, while the offense has been improving. Quarterback Brock Berlin's play has improved since he led the Hurricanes to a comeback win against Florida State to start off the season. Although Louisville has looked impressive this season, it will be no match for the Hurricanes. Add in the fact that the game is at the Orange Bowl, and it spells disaster for the Cardinals. Miami 31, Louisville 10 David Anving and the tennis team are adjusting to new head coach B r Freshman improves kills EAT RESPO SI BLY By Stephanie Wright Daily Sports Writer In her collegiate debut Sept. 1 at Val- paraiso, Michigan volleyball freshman Katie Bruzdzinski played like a savvy veteran. But in the Manhattan College Invita- tional two days later, her play returned to first-year level. After her 14 kills and nine digs against the Crusaders, Bruzdzinski struggled at the invitational, recording just three kills and five digs in two matches. Senior Jennifer Gandolph - her room- mate for the tournament - remembers Bruzdzinski being "really worked up and stressed out" about her play in the match. Understanding her frustration, Gandolph talked to her, telling her not to worry about it - that it was just one match and she shouldn't dwell on it. Bruzdzinski hasn't looked back since. "I think she's really come back from that," Gandolph said. "Every day since then she's been improving." Bruzdzinski got back on track at the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge the following week, recording 13 kills and seven digs in her home debut. Six days later, she broke a nine-year school record for service aces with eight in the match. But in the past two weeks, she emerged as a key contributor for the Wolverines. Bruzdzinski has led Michigan in kills for the past four matches - setting a career high of 20 against Illinois last weekend - and is currently third on the team with 2.54 kills per game. She also leads the Big Ten in service aces, averaging 0.46 per game. Bruzdzinski's steady improvement has not just helped her teammates, it has also impressed them. "You never know sometimes with first- year players, but she's been very consis- tent and someone we can rely on to get kills," Gandolph said. "And that's huge for someone to come in their first year and do that." Bruzdzinski already has the ability to contribute, but it's her work ethic that really sets her apart. In high school, she competed for sports performance in West Chicago, Ill. - a club that is known for producing disciplined and hard-working players. Bruzdzinski said who drilled into her the importance of not taking short cuts and always putting in that extra effort. It's a lesson she heard so many times that she internalized it and carried it with her to Michigan. "I'm always pushing myself because I know it will pay off in the end," Bruzdz- inski said. "It doesn't matter if I feel like I'm going to die in practice that day. If I'm dying in practice, I'll be good in the game. I know it's just going to make me better." Gandolph says that willingness to come into practice and work hard everyday is something Michigan focuses a lot of atten- tion on. The fact that Bruzdzinski already had this mentality only accelerated her improvement. "It's cool that we didn't have to teach that to her," Gandolph said. "She already had it." I I ALEXANDER DZIADOSZ/Daily Freshman Katie Bruzdzinski has steadily improved since the season began. ~Ramadan ALTERNATIVE MEAL OPTIONS