The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 29, 1995 - 13
Mich spikers looking to
bounce back against Iowa
By Chris Murphy
Daily Sports Writer
Let's talk for a minute about resil-
iency.
Resiliency in sports measures how
well a team can react to adversity, or
how it can bounce back after a loss.
Wednesday night, the Wolverines
lost in three games to Michigan State.
Their loss came after a successful
stretch that included a four-game win-
ning streak.
Michigan's resiliency will be mea-
sured according to how it performs in
tonight's game against Iowa in Iowa
City. Coming off a dismal perfor-
mance two nights ago, the Wolver-
ines will look to make like a rubber
band and snap back into shape.
Despite the team's letdown
Wednesday, coach Greg Giovanazzi
remains pretty upbeat about
Michigan's chances against the
Hawkeyes.
"We're prepared for Iowa. We've
had a chance to see them quite a bit,"
Giovanazzi said. "I think we match
up pretty well with them."
The Hawkeyes (1-1 Big Ten, 8-5
overall) should prove to be formi-
dable competition for the Wolverines
(2-1, 8-5).
Iowa is coming off an impressive
conference finish in 1994. The
Hawkeyes catapulted from 11th to
third place in the latter half of the
season.
Like Michigan, Iowa is looking to
carve a niche for itself in the Big Ten.
A win over the Wolverines will help
build upon last season's success.
The Hawkeyes showcase abig team
with strong blocking and a good de-
fensive game, much like the Spartans.
"We're prepared
for Iowa. We've
had a chance to
see (the
Hawkeyes) quite a
bit."
- Greg Giovanazzi,
Michigan volleyball coach
However, Iowa will be without middle
blocker Tiffany McDaniel, who is
sidelined with an injury.
The Hawkeyes will look to set up
opposite setter Jennifer Webb. The
junior has accumulated 200 kills and
a .254 hitting percentage. Despite her
presence, Iowa lacks the quickness of
the Spartans, so Michigan should be
able to handle its offensive game.
In addition to worrying about de-
fense, Giovanazzi will look for the
Wolverines' point scoring to improve.
"I'd like to see the outside hitters
get back on track," Giovanazzi said.
"They had a long night (Wednesday)."
This means improved play from jun-
ior Kristen Ruschiensky and senior
co-captain Shannon Brownlee. Those
two, along with the other captain,
middle blocker Suzy O'Donnell, never
got on track against Michigan State.
"I'm looking for those three people
to come back and pick it up for us,"
Giovanazzi said. "And we're talking
about two seniors and a junior, so my
expectations are quite high."
Improved concentration will be key.
Michigan made 34 errors against the
Spartans.
"(The players) feel disappointment
in that (they) didn't put their best
effort forward in the first two games,"
Giovanazzi said.
The fact that Wednesday's match
was only three games and that Michi-
gan played a solid third game should
work to its advantage.
The Wolverines hope that success
will carry over into tonight's match.
DAMIAN CAP/Daily
The Michigan volleyball tepm travels to Iowa City to take on Iowa tonight.
'M' hanriers run into Montana
By Nancy Berger
For the Daily
When the No. 3 Michigan women's
cross country team travels to
Missoula, Mont., for the Mountain
West Invitational Saturday, it will take
along one winning streak and hope-
fully bring home another.
The Wolverines will look to three-
peat as the invitational champions and
record their second-straight victory
this season in the process.
The Michigan lineup will likely be
without veteran captain Courtney
Babcock, the winner of the Boston
College Invitational two weeks ago.
Babcock is expected to be sidelined
with a back injury. Should Babcock
sit out, coach Mike McGuire will name
sophomore Eileen Fleck as her re-
placement.
Babcock's injury should not cripple
the Wolverines' chances of continu-
ing their streak. The only threats to
stopping Michigan's string of victo-
ries are Brigham Young and Arizona.
Arizona is the only other team in
the field ranked in the top 10. Accord-
ing to the 1995 Lynx Timing System
preseason poll, the eighth-ranked
Wildcats trail the Wolverines by 43
points.
The invitational gives Michigan a
chance to run against teams that it
would normally only see at the NCAA
Championships.
McGuire expects All-American
Pauline Arnill to set the pace for her
fellow teammates. Arnill, who fin-
ished second behind Babcock in Bos-
ton, will not have the luxury of run-
ning with her teammate like she did in
the previous meet.
Arnill and her teammates will have
to tackle a 6K course instead of the
usual 5K, but it should not pose much
of an obstacle for this team-oriented
squad.
"We will hold out for the first couple
of miles and stick together as a team,"
freshman Katie McGregor said.
McGregor usually paces with se-
nior Kelly Chard, who will also be an
important contributor to the Wolver-
ine cause. The remainder of the lineup
includes Jen Barber, Katy Hollbacher
and Michelle Slater. The seven mem-
ber squad all turned in top-10 perfor-
mances in Boston.
"We are really strong and getting
better everyday," McGregor said.
Michigan is on pace to continue its
title streak and run away with an-
other.
Rugby!
The Wolverines will meet the University of Windsor and the Cleveland Rovers RFC tomorrow. The games will begin at I p.m.
on a new rugby playing field near Mitchell Field. Pictured Is Michigan's Jason Kuo carrying the ball against Central Michigan.
Michigan cross
country runner
Courtney
Babcock may not
see action
Saturday when
the Wolverines
travel to
Montana for the
Mountain West
invitatlonai.
MICHIGAN SPORTS
INFORMATION
FIELD HOCKEY
Continued from page 10
Evanston Sunday to battle No. 8
Northwestern. The Wildcats will be
just as tough a challenge for Michi-
gan. In 26 meetings, the Wolverines
have won only one. Last season,
Northwestern didn't even allow the
Wolverines a goal, blanking them 1-0
and 6-0.
Wolverine senior goalkeeper Rachael
Geisthardt will be tested quickly and
often by the two Big Ten opponents.
She presently holds a.910 goals-against
average and a .862 save percentage for
a record of 7-2. Her goals-against mark
ranks fifth all-time for the Wolverines.
She is chasing her personal 1993 record
of .588, which ranks second.
Michigan doesn't return to Ocker
field until Oct. 6 when it hosts No. 16
Penn State. The Wolverines will begin
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