"rLuROGNIZEDeA Aw Senior guard Louis Bullock was one of 26 players named to the preseason John Wooden All-America basketball team, mak- Monday ing him eligible for the Wooden award. August 10,1998 1 Y Poll Porition .991001b. x Soccer can write new chapter in its history books y Rick Freeman Daily Sports Editor If polls really don't mean anything, then why did mem- bers of the Michigan soccer team get so excited when they got the news that the Wolverines would be starting the 1998 season ranked 17th in the country? "No we aren't! For real?" defender Vanessa Lewis said. "That's awesome, that's really incredible." What does the poll mean? It means Michigan -gets a whole lot of respect now, is what it means. In their spring season, the Wolverines "got our butt's kicked," most of the time. But in April, they played Notre Dame, which beat them 5-0 to close out the regular fall season and finished tied for third in the nation. When the Wolverines fought the Irish to a draw, and "that opened the eyes of a lot of different people," Lewis said. After playing the mighty Irish to a draw, Lewis said the Wolverines felt "if we can do this to any other team, we can beat the crap out of them. "It's something we've been missing for a long time." Try for the entire varsity life of the program. The sport went varsity in 1994, so this season's seniors will be the first full class recruited to play at Michigan. Gone are any "Aww, aren't they cute" feelings from opponents. This season's seniors are four-year scholar- ship players - just like any other varsity soccer team in the top 25. And now they can have equivalent expecta- tions. But just because there are only 16 teams in the country that are ranked higher than the Wolverines is no reason to feel that they've arrived. "That doesn't really mean anything. We were 18th after the NCAA Tournament," coach Debbie Belkin said. "It just means we got some respect last year." A lot of that respect came when last season's leading goal scorer, Amber Berendowsky, shattered the Wolverines' "I'm new, thanks for being patient" attitude on a frozen night in Minnesota. After 109 minutes of play, Berendowsky broke a score- See RANKED, Page 15 Buckeyes, Blue to battle for B 0 By Mark Snyder Daily Sports Writer CHICAGO - As the Big Ten staged its annual dog-and-pony show - ot4er- wise known as the preseason football luncheon - last Thursday and Friday, the growing gap between the upper ech- elon teams and those resigned to look- ing up grew wider. The class of the conference conjured up memories of the 1970s and '80s as Michigan and Ohio State head the list of those expected to battle for the confer- ence championship. Experience, depth and character are the hallmarks of these two historic programs, and yet their ulti- mate focus differs as much as the speed traps within the respective states. Tabbed as the preseason No. 1 in the coaches' poll, the Buckeyes view the desert air of the Fiesta Bowl as their mecca. The only dissenter seems to be their own coach, John Cooper. "If I were picking, I'd pick Michigan;' Cooper said. After all, "Michigan won it last year." The national championship game on Jan. 4 will pit the nation's top-ranked team against the second-ranked squad, regardless of conference. According to the general perception - both in the Big Ten, where they were pegged as a substantial favorite, and around the nation-the Buckeyes are flawless, led See MEETINGS, Page'14 JOHN KRAFT/Daiy Tom Brady will try to take over where Brian Griese left off when Michigan opens at Notre Dame on Sept. 5. The Wolverines were picked to finish behind Ohio State In the preseason media Big Ten poll Friday. Volleyball towers over at-odds polls Chun-MaTaekwondo KickboxingAcademy (734) 994-0400 By Rick Rfmman District 2 poll has them fourth. But the Fieger. And Giovanazzi pays a lot less Daiy Sports Editor Big Ten coaches poll, which came out attention to them, too. D You Have the When Michigan volleyball coach last week, placed the Wolverines sev- He would rather talk about his senior -m $ Greg Giovanazzi first started building enth. class. He's as proud of his towers as teams at Michigan, he was a small-ball "The regional poll is much more Louis Eiffel was of his own. Our Cardio-Fit Kickboxing guy. Shorter players usually move the important," Giovanazzi said. But three And anyway, "It's nice to be able to rogram takes the music, excite- ball a little better than taller players. But Big Ten teams ahead of Michigan in the look people in the eye when we're in the p t b the past few years, he's tried taking a Big Ten poll are behind them in the dis- hudile," he said. ment and energy of aerobics but taller approach. And the move has been trict poll. Giovanazzi pointed out that the The tallest of his towers, junior out- adds important self-defense tech- paying off. district poll is the one used to select the side hitter Anne Poglits, had an "incredi- niques like jabbing, kicking, puncb- "Paying off big," Giovanazzi correct- 56-team field for the NCAA ble" impact last year, Giovanazzi said, ing and blocking. You learn while ayed. Tournament. and "I think we're a bigger team" this you burn at 800 calories per hour! Last year, the Wolverines went to their "I think the regional poll is more accu- year. first-ever NCAA Tournament, and rate for this sort of thing;' Giovanazzi Whether or not the Big Ten polls or (According to Muscle and Fitness advanced past Temple before losing to said. the District polls matter, Giovanazzi Magazine who rated aerobic kick- Texas A&M. This year, they've gotten But polls aren't as important to seems sure of one thing. boxing as the number one some respect already, as the NCAA Giovanazzi as they are to say, Geoff Size does. calorie burnng workout!)