6B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 28, 2005
Daily has issued its report card to 11 of Michi-
gan's teams based on their fall performances.
Summary: First-year coach Nancy Cox started off with three-
straight losses, but the team won 10 of its final 12 games. In the
end, Cox had a tremendously successful rookie season, coaching
Michigan to a Big Ten Championship. Senior defenseman Lori Hill-
man controlled the middle of the field, and junior goalie Beth Riley
anchored a strong defensive group. Freshman forward Erin Dallas
led the team with 31 points
Biggest win: No. 6 Penn State (2-1): In the second round of
the Big Ten Championship, Michigan upset the top-seeded Nittany
Lions to advance in its quest for the title.
Biggest Ioss: No. 3 Old Dominion (3-2): The loss to No. 3 Old
Dominion in the second-round of the NCAA Tournament ended the
Wolverines' season.
STEVEN TAI/Daily Grade: -
Katie Morris and the Michigan field hockey team were one of Michigan's two Big Ten Champions this fall.
Summary: The Wolverines never
missed a beat this fall season. After
opening the season with a win at the
Great Meadows Invitational, the Michi-
gan women's cross country team went
on to dominate its next seven races,
eventually winning a second consecu-
tive Big Ten title. During the post-
season, the Wolverines claimed the
NCAA Regionals in dominating
fashion. But when it came time
for the NCAA Championships in
Terre Haute, Ind., Michigan came
up short, finishing in sixth place,
just like the year before.
Biggest Place: NCAA Regionals
(First place): Led by sophomore Alyson
Kohlmeier, who finished fourth, Michigan
won the Regionals for the second consecu-
tive year.
Biggest Loss: NCAA Championships
(Sixth place): Although the Wolverines ran
well, the sixth-place finish at the NCAA Cham-
pionships in Terre Haute, Ind., was the only
time the team failed to win a race this year.
Team MVP: Sophomore Alyson Kohlmeier
Grade:
VOLLEYBALL
Summary: Coming into the season, expectations were high for the men's soccer
team, which featured a top-15 recruiting class. Winning six of its first eight games, Mich-
igan initially looked like a young team eager to prove itself as a contender. But this streak
of victories in the first half of the season turned out to be a tease. The Wolverines ended
their season with a loss to Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten Championships
held in Evanston.
Biggest win: Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2-1, 20T): On Oct. 20, the Wolverines kept
with the 25th-ranked Panthers and tied the game 1-1 in the 82nd minute. In the second
sudden-death overtime, forward Trai Blanks hit the game-winner, and Michigan pre-
vailed with the upset.
Biggest 1088: Michigan State (1-0): The loss to the intra-state rival Spartans in
the first round of the Big Ten Tournament ended the Michigan season
Team MVP: Senior goalkeeper Peter Dzubay
Grade:
Summary: Michigan earned a team title at the Wolverine Invitational, but the
season ended on a disappointing note with consecutive llth-place showings at the
Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational and The Landfall Tradition.
Best Finish: Wolverine Invitational: Michigan captured the team title at its
home tournament, placing five golfers in the top-16.
Biggest Loss: The Landfall Tradition: In a field made up of many of the top
teams in America, the Wolverines placed one golfer in the top-20.
Team MVP: Amy Schmucker
Grade:
Summary: The volleyball team entered this season with hopes of
going further in the NCAA Tournament than any volleyball team in
Michigan history. But after losing eight out of 10 in the heart of the con-
ference season and four straight to end the year, the Wolverines' season
ended without an NCAA Tournament bid.
Biggest win: No. 7 Wisconsin (3-2): The high point of the sea-
son occurred Oct. 22 at Cliff Keen Arena when Michigan upset
the No. 7 Badgers 30-24, 18-30, 30-28, 25-30, 16-14. The
only other time Michigan defeated a team ranked that
high was when it defeated BYU in 1999.
i
Biggest loss: North-
western (3-0): A day before
the Wisconsin win, Northwest-
ern swept Michigan at home (29-31, 27-
30, 31-33).
Team MVP: Sophomore Stesha Selsky
Grade:
A
Summary: The men's cross country team did not have a season to remember, but it was
a season with growth. The Wolverines were forced to depend on young runners to step up
and place well. Michigan finished fifth in the Big Ten and eighth in the Great Lakes Region,
failing to qualify for the NCAA Championships as a team. Sophomore Mike Woods made
nationals, where he finished 55th, 129 places better than last year. Expect a bright future for
the underclassmen, who gained valuable experience this year.
Best finish: Pre-Nationals (Sixth place): The biggest triumph of the year for the Wolver-
ines was in mid-October at the NCAA Pre-Nationals. They finished sixth in the 34-team field,
placing four runners in the top-50. Seven Wolverine runners ran personal bests.
Worst finish: Regionals (Eighth place): With its eighth place finish, Michigan failed to
automatically qualify for nationals, before it fell short of an at-large bid.
Team MVP: Sophomore Mike Woods
Grade:
MEN'S GOLF
Summary: The team tied the Michigan record for low round
of 275 multiple times. Michigan also hoisted a team title trophy for
the first time since the 2000-01 season.
Best finish: Michigan Intercollegiate (First place): Michigan's
best tournament was its victory at the Wolverine Intercollegiate in
September's final weekend. It was the Wolverines' first team title
since the 2000-01 season, and Vozza's first-place finish was the
first individual title since that season.
Worst finish: Memphis Intercollegiate (Ninth place): A week
following the Michigan Intercollegiate, the Wolverines posted a
disappointing ninth-place performance in a 15-team tournament.
Team MVPs: Christian Vozza and Brian Ottenweller
Grade:;: -
FILE PHOTO
Michigan finished a disappointing eighth at NCAA regionals this year. Without a the
automatic bid, the Wolverines failed to qualify for nationals.
MEN'S TENN S>>
Summary: Following defeats at the 2005 Polo
Ralph Lauren All-American Championships, the1
team improved significantly at the 2005 Wilson/
ITA Midwest Regional Championships, claim-
ing three doubles victories in the qualifying
round. At the Big Ten Singles Championships,
freshman Andrew Mazlin moved onto the
semifinal round of the consolation bracket.
Best finish: Midwest Regionals: The clas-
sic saying that good things come in three's played
Summary: After a disappointing
seventh place finish at Nationals last year,
the rowing team came back this year with
a young crew, a brand new training plan
and a fresh attitude. Their performances
this fall, although very preliminary, have
proven that these women are capable
competitors.
Best finish: Head of the Charles:
The Wolverines had a successful trip
WrOME~N'S SOC2ER
Summary: The season started off bright, as the Wol-
verines began the season by tying two top-25 teams and
defeating Texas. But the campaign took a turn for the worst
and a 3-6-1 record in the Big Ten left the team with a sub-
.500 record. A miracle run during the Big Ten tournament
was not enough to get the Wolverines over the .500 mark
and into the NCAA Tournament.
Biggest Win: No. 1 Penn State (4-3): Michigan beat
undefeated Penn State in the opening round of the Big Ten
Championship with a 4-2 victory in a shootout after the
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Summary: The women's tennis team start-
ed off the season strong with freshman Chisako
Sugiyamo capturing the singles title at the Wol-
verine Invitational. That fast start could not be
duplicated a week later at the Riviera/ITA All-
American Championships in Los Angeles, as the
doubles pairing of Kara Delicata and Nina Yaftali
could not escape the first round. A bright spot for
Michigan came in the ITA Midwest Regional with
several doubles pairings advancing deep into the
tournament.
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