The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 28, 2005 -11 "~ Former high school teammates reunite to help spikers' defense By Bridget O'Donnell For the Daily It sounds like a dream almost too good to be true - two former high school teammates getting the chance to team up and play together again - this time at the college level. And for freshman Kerry Hance and sophomore Stesha Selsky, that dream has become a reality. Both Hance and Selsky - who played vol- leyball together at Marymount High School in California and have known each other for well over four years - now specialize in defense for Michigan (1-1 Big Ten, 7-4 overall). And so far, it seems to be working to the Wolverines' advantage. Selsky - who recorded Michigan's third-highest number of digs in a single game at 33 - was recently named the Big Ten Defen- sive Player of the Week. And in just 11 games, Hance has already recorded a total of 66 digs. "They play really well together," coach Mark Rosen said. "While most colleges recruit the big 6-foot-5 players or the powerful centers, we were looking for more defensive players. Andthe morelI watched them play, the more I noticed their good defense. Both started as freshmen, which is really hard to do, especially in this conference." Hance believes that going to the same school helped contribute to their defensive success. "We learned similar techniques in high school," Hance said. "We work really well in the same position. I'll know when she's getting the ball." Out on the court, Selsky started out as a defensive specialist her freshman year but was later asked to take over as the libero when the team lost former starter Sarah Allen to injury. Now just a year later, Hance has filled in for Selsky's previous role as defensive specialist. Together, they complement each other on the court. "During games when I mess up, she'll cover for me, and I'll just turn around and say 'Thank You,' " Selsky said. "If we were one person, we'd be really good." Hance said she believes that Selsky has helped in her transition to college-level volley- ball. On the court, she even asks Selsky ques- tions about defensive strategies. "The college level really has a much faster game," Rosen said. "Kerry's transition has hap- pened quickly - about two weeks - and she has adapted well." Even though Rosen thinks that their person- alities differ, he believes that it ultimately may be helpful for the team. "They are very different, but I think that different components make the whole team dynamic," he said. Though their relationship on the court has gradually grown stronger, Hance and Sel- sky believe that their personal friendship has improved even more. "When I found out that she had committed to Michigan, I was excited," Selsky said. "It's comforting on and off the court to know that I can turn to someone that I can rely on, gossip with and share past memories and future experiences with." Off the court, Selsky has become somewhat of a mentor to Hance. In fact, Hance says that Selsky not only showed her around campus, but also helped her choose classes also. "When I came to visit Michigan last winter, she took me around town, and we went sled- ding," said Hance. "There's no snow in Califor- nia, so I liked walking through it." Both girls have also been able to bond over the fact that they now live so far away from home. "I don't get homesick," Selsky said. "I just try to go with the flow. But I consider Kerry family. I visit her whenever I'm feeling upset." MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily Sophomore Stesha Selsky - reaching for a dig - has been a calming influence on freshman Kerry Hance during her introduction to Michigan volleyball. ยง, NOTES Today is last day to buy season tickets When the Michigan men's basketball team storms onto the court in Crisler Arena this season, the student section - featuring the Maize Rage - will be ready to cheer, but the real question is: How big will it be? Changing slightly from last season, the bleacher seats will no longer be free. As a result of the switch, numbers have been low for students signing up for season tick- ets. Just 470 students have registered as of last night. Season ticket prices have be set at $130 including a Maize Rage T-shirt. DAILY SPORTS. THE NERD NEXT DOOR - BECAUSE WE HAVE A Wolverines benefit from international tournament By Colt Rosensweig Daily Sports Writer The USA Field Hockey Under-21 team had just two days together, and only one chance to practice as a team, before begin- ning competition at the Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile. "(We wanted) a top-10 to-12 finish," said Tracey Fuchs, assistant coach of the Michigan field hockey team and head coach of the U.S. team. The team exceeded its hopes more than anyone imagined, finishing seventh. Previously, no U.S. Junior team had ever finished higher than 12th. The U.S. team compiled a 4-2-2 record, losing to a tough Australian team 1-0 in the final minute. The point the U.S. team would have earned for a 0-0 tie would have sent it into the semifinals. The team also played to a 2-2 draw with perennial power Holland, which entered the tourna- ment with a No. 1 ranking. "We played really well on defense, and our attackers were really consistent as well," Fuchs said. "Things happen when you can play together like that. We were in every game, which is all you can ask." Despite coming from such varied schools as Duke, Virginia, Michigan and Wake Forest, all the players set aside col- lege rivalries for the duration of the tour- nament, immediately bonding as a team. "(The team chemistry) was unbeliev- able. I have coached few teams that really clicked the way they did," Fuchs said. "That chemistry helped us be really suc- cessful. (At the end) they didn't want to leave each other." Another reason the United States fared so well was the players' intelligence. "We only had one practice as a team before the tournament started and they were able to see something on a board or video and carry it onto the field," said Fuchs, considered by many to be the best women's field hockey player ever. "That's the sign of not only a good player but a smart player." Going to the World Cup was a valuable experience for everyone involved, expos- ing them to different styles of play and allowing them to compete at the highest possible level in their sport. "Just listening to the anthem means something different now," said Lori Hill- man, tri-captain of Michigan's team and a member of the U.S. squad. "Being a part of the team was so special." Hillman played well throughout the tournament, improving and becoming more comfortable with each game. She and her fellow defenders allowed an aver- age of just 1.75 goals per game. Unlike in the previous Junior World Cup, this year coaches committed to send- ing their best players to represent their country, even though it meant losing their services for part of the season. Despite losing Hillman, Michigan won three of four games while she was in Chile. "Going down there during our season was mentally a very uncomfortable situ- ation," Hillman said. "It was very hard to leave this team behind and try to represent the country. But I think it really helped me grow mentally as a player." BLOG TOO. Senior tri-captain Lori Hillman helped propel the USA Field Hockey Under-21 team to a seventh-place finish Take our career path. At Jefferies, things move fast. We're building the #1 investment bank for growing and mid-sized companies. Join us, and we'll expect you to move and grow at the same pace. You'll have opportunity from day one. You'll get early exposure to clients. And you'll work alongside Wall Street veterans on a spectrum of complex transactions, across a vast range of industries around the world. But we don't expect you to succeed alone-we're a team, and we'll help you every step of the way. This challenging but collegial environment is one of the reasons why we top the league tables in so many of our disciplines, and why we've been named the #1 place to work on Wall Street* So, if you're looking to get ahead, come with us. 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