5{
F 1A,
k
a .
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, September 26, 2013 - 7A
The ichgan ail - mchiandalycm Tursdy, epteber26,-013-L7
Former greats win tournament
PATRICK BARRON/Da
Redshirt sophomore guard Graham Glasgow could be switching over to center during the bye week.
Change at center
not ruled out yet
By JASON RUBINSTEIN
Daily Sports Writer
It was tough to foresee that,
when Michigan men's tennis
coach Bruce Berque was mix-
ing and matching doubles pairs
in 2009, he would create a team
strong enough to win at the pro-
fessional level just a few years
later.
During the season, then-
Michigan stars Evan King and
Jason Jung were the Wolver-
ines' best players. However,
many coaches are hesitant to put
the team's top players together
because they have to field three
teams. But King and Jung were
an exception and ever since pair-
ing up, they haven't skipped a
beat at the futures level - one
level below the ATP Tour. The
duo recently won the ITF Pro
Circuit Tevlin Futures Tourna-
ment in Toronto.
"Sometimes you just have to
try out a pair and see if it works,"
Berque said. "And this one did."
Despite graduating just a
few months ago, King made it a
point to pair up with his former
partner after leaving Ann Arbor.
And once the former Wolverine
greats came back as one, it was
like they never stopped playing
together. It's safe to say King and
Jung have formed a chemistry
better than many pairs at the
Futures level.
During the tournament, they
defeated the No.1 and No. 2 seeds
en route to their title. King and
Jung defeated the first-ranked
pair of Milan Pokrajac and Peter
Polansky, 7-5, 6-2, in the final.
King stressed that beating
Polansky was a big confidence
boost. Polansky is ranked in the
top 250 and went on to win the
singles draw of the same tourna-
ment.
King and Jung both played in
high-pressure matches at Michi-
gan, which is proving beneficial
already - especially for inexpe-
rienep-rofessionals.
By MATT SLOVIN to go to the outside. The Huskies'
Managing Editor strength likely was up the middle
anyway, so it didn't completely
The Michigan football team's alter the Michigan game plan.
coaching staff has not shied away But Big Ten teams will present a
from saying that the offensive new set of challenges. Hoke also
line is a work in said that, despite the struggles
progress and, NOTEBOOK the younger offensive linemen
as such, there have experienced through a third
are moveable parts. of the season, he is confident in
Almost all of those possible their ability to improve, calling
changes, however, are in the them "tough-minded guys."
line's interior. Attackle, fifth-year "They're fine," Hoke said.
seniors Michael Schofield and "They're pretty resilient guys."
Taylor Lewan have performed Whether a change at center
admirably through the first four would succeed in giving redshirt
games with fewnoticeable lapses. junior quarterback Devin Gard-
But the center and guard posi- ner more time to throw the ball,
tions are another story. Tuesday, and Toussaint more room to run,
coach Brady Hoke hinted that the remains to be seen. And unless
most pressing issue right now is suitable replacements at guard
with redshirt sophomore center present themselves, Hoke might
Jack Miller. When asked if mov- not have the luxury of making a
ing redshirt sophomore guard switch.
Graham Glasgow over would be RYAN REPORT: Hoke said that
an option, Hoke far from ruled it the recovery of redshirt junior
out. linebacker Jake Ryan from ante-
"I think the only way we'd be rior cruciate ligament surgery is
hesitant (to do that) is if we didn't still going smoothly. During the
have a guy we thought could do as Connecticut game, the Michigan
good a job or better," Hoke said. Sports Network radio broadcast
Because of the problems inside, crew said that it was possible
many of the runs called for fifth- Ryan could return in time for the
year senior running back Fitzger- Minnesota game, which follows
ald Toussaint during Saturday's the bye week. Hoke was quick to
scare against Connecticut needed dispel that possibility, however,
saying, "I don't think that would
be the game."
He added that Ryan, a team
captain, is still slated for an Octo-
ber return and that he began
practicing this week.
NO BALLS IN CLASS: Last sea-
son, the coaching staff made play-
ers who were having fumbling
problems carry footballs around
campus.
Hoke said that a similar strat-
egy to reduce fumbles won't be
necessary this season, but that
certainly doesn't mean the team
is without a turnover problem.
This year, it's interceptions, not
fumbles, that are plaguing the
offense. The vast majority of the
Michigan turnovers have been
Gardner's fault - he has thrown
five interceptions in the past two
games against weaker opponents.
"Ithinkwe'vegotalotofconfi-
dence in him," Hoke said. "But at
the same time you have to point
out those flaws and the things
that we haven't done as well as
we need."
NOTE: Hoke also said that
Toussaint is getting some extra
rest over the bye week. As a result,
freshmen running backs De'Veon
Smith and Derrick Green have
taken on increased workloads in
practice.
Former Wolverine Evan King has been on a roll in the professional doubles circuit.
"You have to walk on the court in 2011.
believing you can beat anybody," And it all started with a
King said. "I don't have a ton of change of his routine. Instead of
pro experience, but I was suc- working on his shots and funda-
cessful in a lot of matches in col- mentals, Jung put his attention
lege tennis, which helped me. to the off-the-court skills. Jung
But getting a win against (Polan- has switched his diet and exer-
sky) in singles or doubles is defi- cise routines.
nitely a confidence boost." This was no surprise to his
Beating Polansky and Pokrajac former coach and King.
showed that putting two highly "He has a mature outlook
ranked singles players together to anything he does," Berque
means less than forming a bond said. "For those types of play-
with your partner. After all, it's ers, sometimes slow and steady
the chemistry that wins doubles. wins the race, slow meaning just
"We have a really good com- continuing to put the work in day
fort level together," King said. after day and slowly but surely
"I know what his tendencies are, getting better. He does every-
and he knows mine. We both are thing well."
usually at the right place at the Added King: "He has
right time. improved a ton since getting out
"Sometimeswewillbuttheads of school. He is extremely pro-
and he will light the fire up from fessional with the way he goes
under me, and then same for him about being a pro. He is always
but it's always a good time." stretching, and his diet is out of
Aside from his doubles suc- control."
cess, Jung recently cracked the Jung and King may have been
top 400 in the ATP Tour. The put together by chance, but it's
former All-Big Ten honoree has clear the duo is making strides
seen an incredible improvement and will look to break onto the
in hiseanmo eince he irnainead ATP Toursoo- .
'M' opens Big Ten play
By ERIN LENNON
Daily Sports Writer
For the No. 10 Michigan vol-
leyball team, this weekend the
stage gets a lit-
tle, well, bigger. Michigan at
The Wolver- Ohio State
ines will meet
their first Big Matchup:
Ten opponents Michigan
of the season in 10-1; Ohio
Columbus on
Friday before When: Fri-
taking on No. day 8 P.M.
1 Penn State in Where: St.
State College John Arena
on Saturday. TV/Radio:
The 2012 BTN
season will be
remembered
for a seven-game winning streak
that brought Michigan past No. 2
Stanford in the Elite Eight and to
its first-ever Final Four appear-
ance. But what Michigan coach
Mark Rosen hasn't forgotten is
the five-game Big Ten winning
streak that made it all possible.
"This team has a lot of ambi-
tion in the Big Ten," Rosen said.
"It's something that we feel
like we've lacked in the past.
We haven't played as well as we
should or would like to in the Big
Ten, and that's been a focus of
this team."
Following three lay-down
losses in late October with post-
season aspirations on the line,
the Wolverines blew past Indi-
ana before taking four straight
matches - including wins over
then-No. 4 Nebraska and No. 10
Minnesota - to start Novem-
ber. The run earned Michigan
a respectable 11-9 conference
record - tied for sixth in the Big
Ten.
In a conference that boasts
eight Top 25 teams, the challenge
this season will be as formidable
as years past. Despite general
success over the last 13 years -
including double-digit NCAA
Tournament appearances - the
Wolverines (10-1) are 135-145 all-
time in the Big Ten under Rosen.
But what Rosen does have in
2013 are bigger expectations and
a bigger team to work with. With
the addition of three tall fresh-
men - including 6-foot-5 middle
blocker Abby Cole - the roster
now boasts 11 players over 6-foot,
a potential X-factor against the
volleyball-bred Cornhuskers.
With the record books in mind
and a Final Four showing under
its belt, this team may have what
it takes to knock off opponents
like the perennial champion-
ship-contenting Nittany Lions.
"We get to start right off the
bat with two good teams," Rosen
said. "Ohio State is one of the
few undefeated teams left in the
country and so they're certainly
having a great year so that will
be a great challenge for us. What
better way to start? Let's jump
right in the deep and go."
As the only undefeated team
remaining in the Big Ten - and
one of seven left in the nation
- No. 13 Ohio State (12-0) com-
pleted its best start since 2004
following a sweep over Buffalo
last weekend. Still, Michigan
will be just the second ranked
opponent the Buckeyes have
faced this season.
As a relatively smaller team,
Ohio State features some of the
strongest defense Michigan will
see this season. Senior libero
Davionna DiSalvatore ranks
among the Top 10 in digs for the
Big Ten with 170 and an aver-
age 3.78 per set. In the team's
opening weekend, DiSalvatore
recorded her 1,000th career dig,
putting her at 11th on the Buck-
eyes' all-time record list. On
offense, Ohio State boasts two-
time Big Ten Setter of the Week
junior Taylor Sherwin.
The Wolverines' lone loss on
the season, which came against
No. 16 Florida State, could prove
a blessing rather than a curse
against the Big Ten elite.
"No one wants to lose, but
it's kind of a good thing to lose
before we get into Big Ten sea-
son, which is really important to
us," said sophomore outside hit-
ter Ally Davis. "We don't want
to lose there, but it kind of just
showed us what we need to work
on. Soit was kind of not a terrible
thing that it highlighted what we
need to get better at."
Against the taller front line of
Penn State, the Wolverines have
one thingto focus on: the block.
The Nittany Lions (9-1) feature
10 players over 6-foot, including
6-foot-6 senior middle blocker
Katie Slay and the 6-foot-5 duo
of outside hitter Aiyana Whitney
and middle blocker Erica Den-
ney. Penn State also returns the
6-foot-4 reigning Big Ten Player
of the Year in senior outside hit-
ter Ariel Scott.
The loss against Florida State
exposed a hole in the block, most
notably from the inexperienced
Cole. Against Scott, the job of
closing will fall heavily on senior
co-captain middle blocker Jen-
nifer Cross. In the Wolverine
Invitational last weekend, Cross
tallied 41 kills and 18 total blocks
- including seven against No. 24
Ohio on Saturday. Cross will be
joined by sophomore Krystaline
Goode, who leads the team with
44 blocks on the season.
With a bigger target on its
back, Michigan won't have games
to give in the month of October.
bk