8A - Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Rosen reaches new
heights as he nears
all-time wins record

Coach uses unique
exercise to help
team build trust and
attain goals
By RYAN KARTJE
Daily Sports Writer
Each season, Michigan volley-
ball coach Mark Rosen takes his
players out of their comfort zone
to help them achieve new goals.
This year, he took them to
extreme heights.
Rosen took the team to a high
ropes course in Dearborn before
the season. It forced many mem-
bers of the team - and himself,
to conquer their fears of height.
But the main goal was to improve
communication in a taxing envi-
ronment.
"Whentheytgeetuncomfortable
like they did, they really have to
rely on each other," Rosen said.
"And trust is the key to success
on the volleyball court."
While teamwork will help the
volleyball team reach its goals,
Rosen is about to achieve a mile-
stone of his own.
Coming into this weekend's
matchups with Purdue and Illi-
nois, Rosen is tied with legend-
ary coach Sandy Vong for the
most victories in program his-
tory with 177. That puts him one
victory away from becoming the
winningest coach in program
history.
"I want us to win a game to
move up in the standings and
help us in the postseason, not
for my own record," Rosen said.
"The record really doesn't mean
anything to me."
Rosen shares that philosophy
with Vong, who Rosen hired
three years ago as a team advi-
sor.
Watching from his corner
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bleacher seat, Vong sends the
team his "words of the day", vol-
leyball wisdom that aims to bring
the team together while promot-
ing a competitive attitude.
"Sometimes he'll tell us that
we really need to pick it up com-
petitively," senior Kerry Hance
said. "And listening to him and
(Rosen), it's hard not to respect
them because they're so knowl-
edgeable about the game."
Along with his wife and assis-
tant coach, Leisa, Rosen has
focused on creating a tight-knit
family dynamic with his team.
"We respect (Rosen) as more
than just a coach," junior Megan
Bower said. "We respect him asa
dad, really. You can tell every day
that he truly cares about each
one of us."
Fourteen years of coaching
experience, nine at Michigan,
has made Rosen calmer while
dealing with his players' ups and
downs.
In the Wolverines' five-game
loss to Wisconsin last week,
Rosen entered a locker room
full of players waiting for a ver-
bal beating. But instead, Rosen
calmly stressed the fact that this
team was one of his strongest
he has coached at Michigan and
that he had no doubt they would
bounce back the next day.
That confidence will be cru-
cial in the next three games as
the Wolverines take on three
ranked opponents, including the
defending National Champion,
No. 1 Penn State. The Nittany
Lions knocked Michigan out of
the program's first NCAA Sweet
16 last season.
"There are six of us out on the
court, and all of us have to trust
each other," Bower said. "He's
instilled a confidence in us as a
team that gets us to play at the
highest level every time we're
out there. We're not six players,
anymore, we're a team."

0

FILE PHOTO
Senior Brandon Naurato, seen here in 2006, spent three years on the third and fourth lines. But this week, the coaching staff moved Naurato to the second line.
Naurato surprised by lineup promotion

By GJON JUNCAJ He's got great hands. He's able to
Daily Sports Writer feed the puck very well."
Turnbull and Naurato have
Brandon Naurato may not have played on the same line before, so
been able to explain it, but his new it shouldn't take long for the two
linemates had all the answers. housemates to get reacquainted
After three years of bouncing on the ice. Turnbull said Naurato's
between the third and fourth lines, assets are his hockey IQ and shot
and even the scratch list, the senior accuracy.
forward approached his locker "He's a smart player," Turnbull
before Tuesday's practice to find a said. "He's got one of the best shots
red practice jersey, signifying his around. I think ifeverythingcomes
promotion from the third line to together, he's going to be areal good
the second. He has spent the last player for us. It's important for him
two practices skating with senior to convert his (scoring) chances."
Travis Turnbull and sophomore Lineup shuffling is common
Louie Caporusso. early in the season and the coach-
Naurato said he wasn't sure what es maintain that no decision is set
he did during the preseason to earn in stone. They promoted Naurato
his new assignment, but Caporusso largely because of his offensive
offered a number of reasons. potential and expectations that
"I love playing with him," Capo- he'll improve upon last season's 18
russo said. "He's able to find the ice point total.
and he's able to make great passes. The Livonia, Mich., native
He's got an unbelievable one-timer. showed flashes of what he can

bring to the second line after
Wednesday's practice, refining his
shootout technique and firing one-
timers against sophomore backup
goalie Shawn Hunwick. Naurato
said his development as a two-way
player will determine whether or
not he'll keep his spot on the sec-
ond line.
"I need his work ethic to be
higher than it's ever been," coach
Red Berenson said. "If he's work-
ing hard on the puck, winning the
races to the puck, winning the
races coming down to our zone, if
he's a better working player, he'll
be fine."
Berenson said he hasn't always
been pleased with Naurato's
"game-to-game work ethic" or
consistency throughout his career,
but bumping him up to the second
line shows how highly Berenson
regards his offensive skills. While
the coaching staff may be banking

on Naurato's scoring potential with
this lineup change, Naurato's role
on the team will ultimately depend
on his versatility.
"He knows he needs to practice
his skating and his endurance, the
other parts of the game," Berenson
said. "So if you just worry about
one part of your game, you have
a one-dimensional player. And if
you're not a So-goal scorer, I can't
afford to have a one-dimensional
player. So that's a bit of a knock on
him, and he's trying to overcome
that."
INJURY UPDATE: Freshman
defenseman Brandon Burlon is
day-to-day after twisting his ankle
Tuesday during a drill. Berenson
said the coaching staff will have
more details today. ... Sophomore
defenseman Tristin Llewellyn is
also day-to-day with concussion-
likesymptomssuffered aftertaking
a check during Tuesday's practice.

0'

Dan
Feldman

Courtney
Ratkowiak

Ian Nate
Robinson Sandals

Liz
Kiefer

Michigan (17) vs. Toledo Toledo Michigan Toledo Toledo Toledo
-N.) Oklahomas(-7.5) on. No.5 Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Oklahoma
No.3 Missouri(14)vsNo17Qklahoma St, , Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Missouri Oklahoma State Missouri
No4..Lo.usiana.State.6,5)at.No,11Florida ... Florida Floida Florida Florida Lousiana State
No.6 Penn State (-5.5) at Wisconsin Wisconsin Penn State Penn State Wisconsin Penn State
No.7 Texas Tech (-21.5) vs. Nebraska Texas Tech Nebraska Texas Tech Texas Tech Nebraska
No.8 Southern Cal (-27.5) vs. Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State
No. 9 Brigham Young (-23.5) s. New Mexico' Brgham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young New Meico
.NoiQ10eorgia(t2.S)s.Tennessee Georgia Tennessee Georgia Georia Tennessee
No2.0hi.State(-9) atPrdue.Ohio State Purdue Purdue Ohio State Ohio State..
No.13 Vanderbilt (-321atMississippiState Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Mississippi State Vanderbilt
No.Utah (-24) at Wyoming Utah Wyoming Wyoming Utah Wyoming
No.15 Boise State(11.5)vs. SouthernMiss Boise State Boise State Boise State Boise State Boise State
No.16Kansas(-14.5)vs.Colorado Colorado Colorado Kansas Coloado Kansas
SNo.20 Auburn (-19) vs. Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas Boise State Arkansas
No. 21 Wake Forest (2.5) vs. Clemson Wake Forest Clemson Wake Forest Virginia Tech Wake Forest
No. 22 North Carolina (-) on.Notre Dame North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina Texas A&M North Carolina
No 23 Michigan State (2.5) at Northwestern Michigan State Michigan State Northwestern Fresno State Michigan State
No.25 Ball State (-6.5) at Western Kentucky Ball State Ball State Ball State North Carolina Ball State
Minnesota (+11) at Illinois Illinois Illinois Illinois Michigan State Illinois
Iowa (5.) at Indiana Iowa Indiana Iowa Minnesota Iowa
Best Bet North Carolina Penn State Toledo Texas Tech Wake Forest
ecord Last Week 1-10-0 (1-0) 9-12-0 (1-0) 1011-0 (1-0) 9-12-0 (1-0) 9 -20 (0 1)
Overall Recrd B4-59-2 (4-2) 8 1-2-2 (5-1) 2-1-2 (5-1-1) 3-0-2 (3-3) 72712(15
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