14 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 6, 1995 Spikers finish season with a bang By Chris Murphy and Doug Stevens Daily Sports Writers Two of the key components to the success of any team on the collegiate level are talent and experienced lead- ership. Given these factors, it is no surprise that the Michigan volleyball team increased its win total over the past year from eight to 19 in overall play and from four to 11 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines' co-captains, Shan- non Brownlee and Suzy O'Donnell, not only led the team by example, but also through their uncanny ability to moti- vate their teammates to step it up during crucial situations. Brownlee led Michigan during the regular season in kills (456), attempts (1,160) and digs (313), and became the first Michigan player ever to make the All-Conference first-team. O'Donnell was Michigan's regular season leader in kill percentage, con- verting on 31 percent of her spikes. But her most important role was as the team's leading defender. She led areju- venated middle blocking corps that spurred the team to 185 blocks on the season. "Without (Brownleeand O'Donnell), we wouldn't have had nearly the suc- cess we had," coach Greg Giovanazzi said. "They played as well as I have ever seen from a Michigan athlete." It is obvious when looking at the stats that the team's co-captains played cru- cial roles on the offensive end. This is due in part to the emergence of setter Linnea Mendoza. Mendoza played the role of quarter- back throughout the season as she kept the offense organized by consistently working the ball to the team's outside hitters and middle blockers. This is evi- denced by Mendoza's 1,277 assists in the regular season. Her 12.5 assists per game ranked in the top five in the Big Ten. "Linnea was about as close to being the most improved player that we could have and she was great," Giovanazzi said. "She was more comfortable run- ning the middle. She is a great defen- sive player as well." Michigan's big three might have been the difference in the team's resurgence but much of the Wolverines' success came from the emergence of experi- enced players as well as a deep bench. "We knew it was really important (to have a strong bench)," O'Donnell said. "I think everyone had an important role off the bench." Two outside hitters battled injuries this season but still had a positive im- pact on the team's play. Kristen Ruschiensky was one. Early on in the season, the junior captured MVP honors in the UMass Invitational, helpingthe Wolverines to victories over Massachusetts and Brown. However, Ruschiensky went down with a knee injury in mid-October, end- ing her season. Although the Wolerines were forced to go without one of their top scorers, they were to get immediate help from the bench. "(Losing Ruschiensky) was a big loss at the time," Giovanazzi said. "But it wasn't long before we got Colleen back." The emergence of Colleen Miniuk and Shareen Luze made the loss of Ruschiensky a great deal easier to cope with. Luze and Miniuk both struggled through early season injuries but were able to perform well upon their return. The two juniors provided experience as well as a great deal of versatility; both were able to switch over to middle blocker when needed. Due to the Wolverines' depth and talent, it was no surprise they were able to maintain their high level of play despite the injury problems. "When someone gets injured, it's really important to have people that can step up," O'Donnell said. "We've been really supportive. There are always people who want to get in." Michigan maintained a consistently high level of play throughout the sea- son. The team was able to equal its entire 1994 season's win total in just five matches. However, the best way to characterize the campaign was that the Wolverines won the matches they were expected to win but not the one they weren't. The only time Michigan strayed from this pattern was over a six- match stretch in November. It was at this time that the Wolverines captured wins over nation- ally ranked foes Illinois and Penn State but suffered bad losses to Indiana, Wis- consin and Minnesota, three teams that Michigan had beaten earlier in the sea- son. Those three losses were particularly crucial in that they probably kept the Wolverines from earning their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. However, the wins over the Lady Lions and Fight- ing Illini, in addition to season-ending wins over Northwestern and Purdue, propelled the team to a spot in the National Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship. The berth in the NIVC was Michigan's second postseason tourna- ment in the team's history and the first since Giovanazzi took over in 1992. At the NIVC, the Wolverines won two out of four matches, defeating Massachusetts and Arkansas. However, Michigan fell to Butler and San Diego, eliminating it from tournament conten- tion. With their performance in the Big Ten and the NIVC, Michigan success- fully established itself as a team to be reckoned with not only in the confer- ence level but on the national level as well. Although the impending graduation of O'Donnell and Brownlee will leave a void at the outside hitter and middle blocker positions, the team's mix of young and old players should provide a strong nucleus for the future. "We see ourselves as a very young team (next year)," Giovanazzi said. "(This year's) junior class will give us a lot of depth." ELIZABETH LIPPMAN/Daily The Michigan volleyball team made it to the postseason for the second time ever. Duncan, Camby to face off in battle of big men The Associated Press AMHERST, Mass. - Outstanding matchups have been alpost common- place this season, with highly ranked teams facing each other a number of times. And there's still 18 shopping days until Christmas. There was already a confrontation of point guards when Georgetown sopho- more Allen Iverson went against Geor- gia Tech freshman Stephon Marbury the day before Thanksgiving. Tonight, there will be a rarity when Tim Duncan and Marcus Camby go at it in the low post in a clash of college basketball's two best centers. By the way, the game is No. 10 Wake Forest vs. No. 3 Massachusetts. "It should be agreatgame and agreat atmosphere," said the 6-10 Duncan, a native of the Virgin Islands who-many felt would have been the NBA's No. 1 pick had he left Wake Forest after his sophomore season. "These are the types of games that players enjoy being a part of." Camby, an inch taller but 15 pounds lighter than the 230-pound Duncan, stayed closer to home, leaving Hart- ford, Conn. for Massachusetts. Pro- jected as a forward when he moves to the NBA - which he also considered in the offseason - Camby is still a devastating defensive force with 103 blocks as a sophomore and his offen- sive improvement has been impressive in the early season. "Tim has a variety of good low post moves where I like to run the floor and beat my man for easy baskets, play on the perimeter more, be more of a slasher," Camby said. "This game has been hyped since the beginning of the season. I want to play, play my hardest and get it over with. After it, I'm not going to look at how I did and how Tim played. We just want to hit our stride around tournament time." The NCAA tournament is three months away and all eyes right now are on this game. The last true center matchup like this was Patrick Ewing of Georgetown and Hakeem Olajuwon of Houston in the 1984 NCAA title game. The last regular-season center confron- tation of this magnitude was Dec. 11, 1982, when Ewing and Virginia's Ralph Sampson met at the Capital Centre. Wake Forest coach Dave Odom was an assistant to Virginia coach Terry Holland then. "I would say it is extremely unfair to both Tim and Marcus to compare them as players to Ralph and Patrick and I resist that at all costs," Odom said. "I would suggest that this is a similar event in that it is a game put together by television and put together because two teams have at this time the best-known big men in the country. Notice I didn't say best because they haven't proven to be the best yet. But I would say this is the most similar since that time." The Ewing-Sampson matchup, won by Virginia 68-63 with Sampson getting 23 points and 16 rebounds to Ewing's 16, and eight, was syndicated nationally and drewtremendousratings. Duncan-Camby will be on ESPN and has been the talk of the early season schedule. "ESPN called and suggested the game," Massachusetts coach John Calipari said when asked how the intersectional matchup came about. "I said if Marcus stays, yes. If Marcus leaves, no." Camby stayed and that's why we'll see the game and why the Minutemen (3-0) are ranked third. He matched his career-high with 32 points in the open- ing win over Kentucky, Massachusetts' third straight year beating a No. I team in November. He came up big down the stretch in a defensive battle with then-No. 19 Mary- land and had 30 points against Florida to win MVP honors in the Franklin National Bank Classic. "I worked on my game this summer and the team looks up to me for big baskets," said Camby, who has been most impressive with his drop step move and turnaround jumper. "Seeing how things have happened so fast and that there are still 30 games left, I have been impressed with myself so far." While Massachusetts has played a tough early schedule, Wake Forest (3- 0) has beaten Mount St. Mary's, Okla- homa State and Lehigh. Duncan has dominated in all three, looking most impressive against the best of the three, Oklahoma State. MARKF -RItEMAN/Uaiy The Wolverines were down, but not out, against the Tigers last night. .. . ..x..,, ., ,...-.. -- -,--.... .-...., ....,.... d... ............. . Coalwiwwadt A GeC4a~as In San Antonio we enjoy great golf year 'round but especially during our "Second Summer!" We have created three Wolverine packages just for you football fans - these include 3-day/3-night, 7day/7-night or 14-day/14-night packages for Two Golfers!' We've also made special arrangements for air fare from $282 (7) and car rentals from $129 ', 2 with unlimited mileage for 7 days! +f SOLLENBERGER Continued from Page 12 some offensive putbacks and 10 Ronnie Henderson points, the Tigers led at the 9:20 mark, 22-12. A year ago, the Wolverines would have been done; they would have packed it in and chalked it up to inexperience. Not this season. Before you could say "ragin' cajun" Michigan was back in the game with a 13-0 run and a 25-22 lead. From then on, the game was as tight as could be - all the way up until Bullock provided the winning margin. A couple of freshmen were heroes for the Wolverines. Albert White kept Michigan in control for most of the second half with thunderous dunks that drew ooos and aihhhs from the crowd. He finished with a team- high 14 points. And then there was Bullock. Overall, it was not the freshman's best night as a Wolverine. He scored 12 points on just 4-of-12 shooting and committed four turnovers. But when you hit the winning shot, it cures a lot of ills. "Bullock showed a certain kind of mental toughness for a freshman to come back and make a big play down the stretch," Fisher said. "That says a lot about him." How big a winwas this for the Wolverines? Try their biggest since ending Indiana's 50-game home winning streak last January. And its impact on this season is enormous. Michigan's record through eight games now stands at 6-2. A loss last night would have dropped the Wolverines to 5-3 with another defeat right around the corner. Remember: Duke comes to town Saturday. And in recent matchups between the two schools, it hasn't mattered where the game was played or who has had the better team. The Blue Devils have always won. But last night's win will give the Wolverines some confidence as they ready for the Dukies. Michigan now also has a chance to build an impressive record before the start of the conference season. With home games against the Blue Devils, Washington and Cleveland State, and two games against UNLV and Davidson at the UNLV Holiday Classic, the Wolverines could be 10-3 or 11-2 heading into the Big Ten opener Jan. 3 at Wisconsin. Noisy crowd and all, the Wolver- ines pulled out their biggest win of the young season last night. The experience of winning a close one away from home figures to help them in other tight games down the road. 3-DAY/3-NIGHT $402( +AX 7-DAY/7-NIGHT $475l+TX 14-DAY/14-NIGHT $750 () +TAX I HOOPS Continued from Page 12 Despite the talent, the Tigers had 3.9 seconds to win after Bullock's shot. Bullock knocked their first inbounds pass out ofbounds. Then Traylor kicked the second attempt out. Then Henderson stepped out ofbounds driving past White to give the Wolverines the ball and the win. "When (the referee) first blew the whistle, I thought he called a foul," White said. "I didn't touch him; he tried to force it around me." Fisher said Mitchell will be out four to six weeks; Traylor, who was injured in the second half, had his foot x-rayed after the game, but should be fine. It's Tapatio Springs' "Land of Two Summers" Promotion. Two golfers stay and play for an entire week. 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