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8A - Friday, September 18, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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STAFF PICKS
The Daily Football writers do their
best to predict what happens
in the 2009 football season.
Michael
Eisenstein
Ruth
Lincoln
Andy
Reid
Courtney
Ratkowiak
s
:;_
No. 25 Michigan (-24) vs. EMU
No.1 Florida (-29.5) vs. Tennessee
No. 2 Texas (-17.5) vs. Texas Tech
No. 3 USC (-20) at Washington
No. 4 Alabawa (-38) vs. North Texas
No. 5 Mississippi (NS) vs. SE Louisiana
No. 5 Penn State (-30) vs. Temple
No. 7 BYU (-26.5) vs. Florida State
No.8 California (-14) at Minnesota
No.9 LSU (-26.5) vs Louisiana-Lafayette
No.10 Boise St. (-7.5) at Fresno St
No.11 Ohio State (-20.5) at Toledo
No.12 Oklahoma (-17.5) vs. Tulsa
No.13 VA Tech (-5) vs. No.19 Nebraska
No. 14GA Tech (+5) at No. 20 Miami
No.15 TCU (-33.5) vs. Texas St.
No.16 Oklahoma St. (33) vs. Rice
No.17 Cincinnati (-1) at Oregon St.
No.18 Utah (+5) at Oregon
No. 22 Kansas (-22.5) vs. Duke
No. 23 Georgia (+1.5) at Arkansas
No. 24 UNC (-7.5) vs. E. Carolina
Last Week
Overall
Michigan
Tennessee
Texas Tech
Southern Cal
North Texas
Mississippi
Penn State
Florida State
California
LSU
Boise State
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Miami
Texas State
Rice
Cincinnati
Utah
Duke
Arkansas
North Carolina
13-9-0
29-14-0
Michigan
Florida
Texas Tech
Washington
North Texas
Mississippi
Penn State
BYU
Minnesota
Louisiana-Lafayette
Boise State
Ohio State
Tulsa
Nebraska
Miami
Texas Christian
Oklahoma State
Cincinnati
Utah
Kansas
Arkansas
North Carolina
13-9-0
27-16-0
Eastern Michigan
Florida
Texas
Washington
Alabama
Mississippi
Penn State
Florida State
California
LSU
Fresno St
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Georgia Tech
Texas State
Rice
Cincinnati
Oregon
Duke
Arkansas
North Carolina
14-8-0
27-16-0
Michigan
Florida
Texas
Southern Cal
Alabama
Mississippi
Penn State
BYU
California
LSU
Boise State
Toledo
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Miami
Texas Christian
Oklahoma State
Cincinnati
Utah
Duke
Georgia
North Carolina
10-12-0
21-22-0
Guest Picker:
Phil Rose
Eastern Michigan
Florida
Texas
Washington
North Texas
Mississippi
Penn State
BYU
Minnesota
LSU
Boise State
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Virginia Tech
Miami
Texas State
Oklahoma State
Cincinnati
Oregon
Kansas
Arkansas
North Carolina
12-10-0
26-17-0
0
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To apply to be a guest picker, e-mail lincolnr@umich.edu. If you're chosen and can beat at least two of us, you'll stay on for another week. The longest tenured guest picker will get a prize at the end of the season.
uge, season-openng upset of Nebraska
has vaulted Michigan into upper echelon
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"Th
per onet uteL Scar program to the next level," senior
program history, captain Megan Bower said.
The Wolverines (10-0) are cer-
olverines have a tainly on that path.
Michigan started the season
get on their backs ranked 16th, its highest preseason
ranking in program history after
back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16.
By RYAN KARTJE With higher national expecta-
Daily Sports Writer tions, Michigan's season opener
was the ultimate litmus test for
was the end of May, and the upcoming season - a rematch
gan volleyball coach Mark with Nebraska, the team that
gathered his team outside ended the Wolverines' season in
small bed and breakfast in three straight sets last December.
each town of Brzios, Bra- "Going into the match against
e Wolverines had spent the Nebraska, we knew from the
playing the best in Brazilian beginning by how we prepared
ball, including the Brazilian and how we played from point
National Team. one that we had a chance to beat
'as now dusk, and the Wol- this team," Zimmerman said.
s sat around the pool as Once again, the match only
focus turned to the forth- lasted three sets. But this time, a
g year. Michigan returned different team left the court vic-
it two players, including torious, and it rocked the college
i-team All-American setter volleyball landscape.
immerman and All-Big Ten "The Nebraska game shined a
san hitter Alex Hunt. big spotlight on us," Rosen said.
hink at that point, this team "The way we won: on national TV
started setting high expec- and everyone watching. You could
," Rosen said. "It was truly even hear it in the announcer's
what we saw in our team voice that they thought Nebraska
hat we felt we were capable was going to come back. But we
3g. just kept fighting. And then in the
wasn't about what everyone third game, we completely domi-
w in us." nated."
is team wants to take this Bower knew that the third set
was an important moment in the
Wolverines' short season, say-
ing it "broke a barrier" of being
hesitant toward embracing high
expectations.
"Walking away from the win,
we realized how good this team
could be," Bower said. "We can
beat good teams, and we can beat
up on top-5 caliber teams. We
could expect more out of our-
selves now."
Zimmerman said that last
year's seniors Beth Karpiak and
Kerry Hance, who played their
last collegiate match in the loss to
Nebraska, called her to congratu-
late her on the momentous win.
To receive those calls from
players who tried to elevate the
caliber of Michigan volleyball
for so long showed Zimmerman
that people truly "see where this
program is going" - in the right
direction.
A win on the national stage noti-
fied the nation that Michigan vol-
leyball posed a legitimate threat.
And now, the Wolverines have a
target on their back.
"Teams are really hungry to
play a team like (us)," Rosen said.
"We have something that they
want. And I've seen it this season
because these teams come out and
play like they have nothing to lose
when they come to play us."
The Wolverines are now ranked
sixth, the highest in school histo-
ry, which makes them the second-
highest ranked Big Ten school
prior to the conference season,
behind budding rival Penn State.
The Nittany Lions currently sit
atop the American Volleyball
Coaches Association rankings.
And it's no secret that Michigan
has circled Oct. 16 on the calen-
dar.
Penn State comes to Cliff Keen
Arena havingnotallowed the Wol-
verines to steal a set all last sea-
son. But the back-to-back National
Champions didn't lose many sets
last season.
"Whenever we're in practice,
we're saying things like, 'That's
not good enough to beat Penn
State,' " Zimmerman said. "We
understand where we need to be
for that, and I don't think we're
even there yet."
With high potential comes high
expectations, but when it comes to
having a target on their back, the
Wolverines wouldn't have it any
other way.
"Everybody really wants to beat
us," Bower said. "We looked at
it as an opportunity instead of a
burden. We want to see everyone's
best-game, so we can beat them at
their best."
4
SAID ALSALAH/Daily
Senior Megan Bower and Michigan are ranked a program-best sixth in the nation.
I
Sister, sister! Bowery and Siebert
sisters square off on the soccer pitch
Amanda and Brianna pert. Klippert finished the play
with a goal.
Brianna has played in four
Bowery compete games for Oakland this season.
duri OaklandgameShe made her first career start
d O gam Sept. 6, when the Golden Griz-
zlies lost 2-0 to New Mexico.
By TIM ROHAN Amanda said shehopes she and
Daity Sporto Writer her sister, who are from Roches-
Witer Hills, can continue the family
With 19 minutes left to play, feud next year when Michigan
junior forward Amanda Bow- plays Oakland again.
Pvcwnfamiia far Ptr the
I
4
ery saw a ramiar race enter me
Michigan women's soccer game
Wednesday night against Oak-
land.
It was her younger sister, Bri-
anna Bowery.
Brianna is a freshman defender
for the Golden Grizzlies and was
forced to defend her sister on a
few occasions during the game.
Michigan defeated Oakland
3-0, and although the Wolver-
ines' victory was nearly in hand
when the younger Bowery came
into the game, it was still a spe-
cial moment for the Bowery fam-
ily.
"I was kind of nervous,"Aman-
da Bowery said. "It's just awk-
ward, because I want her to look
good. But I want to look good. So
it's hard."
Amanda assisted on the Wol-
verines' third goal before her
younger sister entered the game.
Freshman Holly Hein chipped
the ball from the left side of the
field to Bowery wlI headed it to
senior quad-captana Amy Klip-
The sibling rivalry theme will
continue when the Wolverines
(4-5) take on Miami (Fla.) Sunday
at 2 p.m. at the U-M Soccer Com-
plex.
Megan Siebert, the younger
sister of Michigan sophomore
Kim Siebert, is a freshman for
the Hurricanes. The Sieberts hail
from Troy.
Michigan coach Greg Ryan
was aware of Wednesday night's
clash of family members and he
said, "It should be fun," when
he talked about how the Sieberts
would be playing each other on
Sunday.
But Ryan knows the Wolver-
ines will have their hands full
with Miami.
"They're going to be a really
good team," Ryan said. "They're
in the top conference in the coun-
try, (an) AFC team. They're going
to be very talented."
i
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junior Amanda Bowery can te4 sophomore Megan Siebert about sibling rivalry.