Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, November 29, 2016 — 7
Kieffer-Wright keys
Senior Night sweep
Cliff Keen Arena was abuzz
from start to finish as the No.
18
Michigan
volleyball
team
celebrated its Senior Night with
a win against No. 14 Michigan
State. On this emotional night,
it wasn’t a senior who may have
made the biggest impact in a 3-0
sweep — it was sophomore middle
blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright.
Coming off of a road game in
which she posted a career-high
16 kills, Kieffer-Wright aimed
to use her momentum from the
previous match to start off strong
in Wednesday’s game.
“Claire has such a great
attitude, and whenever she gets
going, she pulls someone else
with her,” said senior middle
blocker Abby Cole. “She gives the
momentum to someone else. She
shares that.”
Her success indeed carried
over to the team as the Wolverines
gained an early lead in the first
set and finished it, 25-16, without
trailing
once.
Kieffer-Wright
helped close the set, scoring four
of the last five points and leading
the team with six kills and an
attack average of .455.
Kieffer-Wright’s
finishing
performance during the set was
met with roaring approval by
the sold-out crowd in the arena.
While emotions ran high in the
last home game of the season,
Kieffer-Wright held a strong
mental fortitude that she had
worked on throughout the season.
Carrying her sharp focus into
the second set, Kieffer-Wright
scored the first point to spark a
17-4 run. She recorded two blocks
and two block assists during the
stretch. She ended the set — which
Michigan won, 25-11 — with a
spike down the right of the court.
As the team headed into the
locker room after the second set,
Kieffer-Wright’s impact loomed
large over the game, especially
thanks to her effect on her
teammates.
“She’s so much more connected
to her teammates because she’s
not in her own mind, and I think
you just see her maturing as an
athlete,” said Michigan coach
Mark Rosen. “Physically, she’s a
great athlete, but mentally, she’s
sharp. She is very in tune with the
game.”
Looking to make the third
set the final one, Kieffer-Wright
entered the court again with the
same mindset she had at the start.
And in similar fashion as
the second set, Kieffer-Wright
opened the third with a kill that
led to a Michigan run. Her kills set
the pace for the aggressive style of
play the Wolverines adopted.
Unlike the first two sets,
however, Michigan struggled to
maintain its lead as the Spartans
tied the set late after a four-
point run. However, Kieffer-
Wright had key plays that kept
the Wolverines in the game and
stopped the momentum from
going the Spartans’ way. Scoring
the advantage point twice as both
teams battled for the two-point
advantage, she relieved a large
amount of pressure from the
Wolverines so they could continue
to be aggressive and ultimately
win the set, 32-30.
Kieffer-Wright
recorded
her seventh consecutive match
with double-digit kills (12) and
recorded an attack average of .476.
“This has been a really big
season for her,” Cole said. “She’s
made more of an impact than I
can even explain. Not only is she
a team player, but emotionally
I think she gets big plays when
they’re needed.”
T
hough many members of
the Michigan women’s
basketball team shared
their
excitement
to play in
the Virgin
Islands at the
aptly named
Paradise
Jam, it wasn’t just beaches and
sunshine.
The Wolverines were to be
tested on the hardwood against
two ranked opponents, No. 25
Gonzaga and No. 10 Florida
State, and Winthrop.
It was a daunting task for
unranked Michigan. And while
it’s still too early to tell what the
NCAA Tournament implications
will be for the Wolverines, if
there are any at all, they knew
going in that they would have
to at least make the games
competitive to earn respect.
And they did just that, going
2-1 for the weekend with an
upset over Gonzaga, throttling
of Winthrop and a tight contest
against Florida State.
Unlike the past three seasons,
it wasn’t about earning the
respect of being a worthy
adversary. It was the respect
of being a top-tier team in the
country, and putting a number
before its name opponents’
schedules.
Michigan saw its last top-25
ranking in the 2012-13 season,
when it peaked at No. 23 in the
Associated Press poll during
week 12 — the last season it made
the NCAA Tournament. Monday,
the AP Poll again left them out of
the rankings with just 22 votes,
good for 33rd.
But if the Wolverines’
performance in the Virgin
Islands is any indication, it is
time that their unranked streak
comes to an end.
Prior to facing Gonzaga for
its first game on Thursday,
Michigan hadn’t even received
a vote in the AP Poll this season.
So when it met a lengthier
Bulldogs team that had trounced
No. 11 Stanford on the road in its
previous game, it seemed like it
would be a long night.
But it wasn’t. The Wolverines
not only upset Gonzaga, 78-66,
but also outplayed them wire-
to-wire without giving up their
lead.
Michigan’s three-headed
monster of Katelynn Flaherty,
Siera Thompson, and Hallie
Thome combined to shoot 23-for-
38 from the field and dished out
14 assists — proving yet again
they make up one of the most
dynamic trios in the country.
The Wolverines were
impressive against the Bulldogs,
but it was their matchup against
Florida State that shed the most
light on Michigan’s potential.
The final score was lopsided
in favor of the Seminoles,
76-62, but for three quarters,
the Wolverines held their own
against a top-10 team.
Michigan’s deficit came as
close as five points in the fourth
quarter. It topped Florida State in
nearly every category on the stat
sheet, but was ultimately plagued
by foul trouble, getting outshot at
the free-throw line 34 attempts
to 11. Notwithstanding the loss,
Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico sees her team’s confidence
growing.
“(There were) definitely a lot
of positives and hopefully this
continues to motivate us moving
forward,” Barnes Arico said. “I
think our team is really excited
about what we have and what we
can be.”
We’ll never know what
the score would have been if
Michigan committed fewer
fouls, but one thing is abundantly
clear: The Wolverines look legit
through their first seven games.
Playing against all calibers
of competition, Michigan holds
the fourth-best scoring margin
in the country (34.1 points per
game), the amalgam of the
11th-best scoring defense and
12th-best scoring offense.
“If teams don’t see us,”
Barnes Arico said, “they don’t
understand how fast we really
like to go, how much we share
the basketball in transition, make
extra passes and how we can
knock down shots.”
Even with a three-guard
offense reliant on mid-range and
3-point shooting, the Wolverines
still have the nation’s second-
best field goal percentage (51.8).
Michigan, of course,
isn’t perfect. It has battled
inconsistent ball handling and
foul troubles — both byproducts
of a more up-tempo, aggressive
gameplan. And 14-point losses
aren’t flukes.
But all of the pieces are there:
an All-American shooting guard,
a floor general, a plethora of
rebounders and a bench that can
run five players deep. Even the
coaching staff has stuck together,
now in its third season.
Thus far, these pieces have put
together a stat sheet that tells
the story of a top-25 team. And if
that isn’t enough, the Wolverines
have looked pretty damn good on
the eye test, too.
With powerhouses like
Maryland and Ohio State in
the Big Ten, Michigan still may
be a ways away from being
conference title contenders. But
the Wolverines aren’t a walk in
the park, either, and they should
garner the respect of being a true
threat. A spot on a national poll
would do just that.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Kim Barnes Arico and her team made a case to be ranked last week.
VOLLEYBALL
TIEN LE
For the Daily
From Paradise to the polls
‘M’ fined for Harbaugh’s rant
As a punishment for Jim
Harbaugh’s postgame comments
about the officiating in his
team’s
loss
at Ohio State
on
Saturday,
the Big Ten office fined the
University $10,000 and issued a
public reprimand to Harbaugh.
The penalty is a minor one for
Harbaugh, who makes more than
$9 million per year, according to
USA TODAY. It’s also the Big
Ten’s standard response to an
offense like Harbaugh’s. Most
recently, former Nebraska coach
Bo Pelini faced
the same penalty
for criticizing a
pass interference
penalty after a
game
against
Iowa.
Harbaugh
spent most of his
postgame press
conference
Saturday
lamenting
the
officiating,
saying
he
was
“bitterly disappointed.” The Big
Ten ruled that the comments
violated
its
sportsmanship
policy,
which
requires
“all
contests involving a member
institution to be conducted
without compromise to any
fundamental
element
of
sportsmanship.”
On the second-to-last play
of double overtime Saturday,
on 4th-and-1 from Michigan’s
16-yard
line,
Ohio
State
quarterback J.T. Barrett took
a hit and dove forward toward
the first-down marker. The
officials ruled that Barrett
made the first down, prolonging
the game, and the Buckeyes
won on the next play.
“There wasn’t a first down,”
Harbaugh said, holding his
hands out and adding, “by that
much.”
He
continued:
“I
am
bitterly disappointed with the
officiating today. That spot, the
graphic displays, the interference
penalties. The one not called
on us on Grant Perry, clearly
was being hooked before the
ball got there. And the previous
penalty they called on Delano
Hill, the ball’s uncatchable and
by the receiver. So I’m bitterly
disappointed in the officiating.
Can’t make that any more clear.”
Harbaugh also believed that
the officials missed multiple
holding and false-start penalties
against Ohio State. Near the end
of the third quarter, Harbaugh
drew
an
unsportsmanlike
conduct penalty of his own
by arguing and breaking his
headset in frustration.
An
Athletic
Department
spokesman had “no additional
statement
following
tonight’s
news
from
the
Big
Ten.”
PLAYOFF
PRIMER:
The
chances
of
Michigan
making
the
College Football
Playoff
after
losing to Ohio State on Saturday
are very small. We’ll start to
find out how small on Tuesday
night.
The playoff committee will
release its weekly rankings
to set the stakes for the final
weekend of the season. The
Wolverines came in at No. 3 in
last week’s poll and should fall
from there after the loss, but
how far they’ll fall is unclear.
The slim margin and the fact
that the game was on the road
should help Michigan’s cause.
Alabama has been No. 1 in
every edition of the rankings
and should be again after
beating No. 13 Auburn on
Saturday, 30-12. The Buckeyes
should stay at No. 2 after
winning Saturday, making them
a near-lock for the playoff since
they don’t play this weekend.
After that, Michigan needs
some help. No. 4 Clemson
appears poised to move into
the Wolverines’ old spot after
trouncing South Carolina, 56-7.
The Tigers are heavy favorites
in
the
ACC
Championship
Game against Virginia Tech
this weekend.
No.
5
Washington
also
scored a convincing victory
against Washington State on
Friday. If the Huskies can take
care of business in the Pac-12
Championship Game against
Colorado, they should snag the
final spot in the playoff and
leave Michigan on the outside
looking in.
If they can’t, the door is open
for another Big Ten team —
either Michigan, Wisconsin or
Penn State. The sixth-ranked
Badgers
and
seventh-ranked
Nittany Lions, both 10-2 like
the Wolverines, play in the Big
Ten Championship Game on
Saturday night, earning another
chance to prove themselves.
Wisconsin
can
likely
move
past Michigan with a win in
that game, while the Nittany
Lions will have a harder time
considering the Wolverines beat
them in September, 49-10.
All of this, of course, is subject
to the decision of the committee,
which is what makes Tuesday so
important. If Michigan can hold
firm in the top four or five, the
Wolverines can hope chaos this
weekend vaults them into the
playoff, as unlikely as the odds
are.
AN EARLY AWARD LOOK:
Michigan defensive coordinator
Don Brown is one of five finalists
for the Broyles Award, given to
the nation’s best assistant coach,
as recognition for his unit’s
terrific season.
In Brown’s first season, the
defense ranks second in total
defense, first in passing defense,
14th in rushing defense and
second in scoring defense. The
Wolverines are also the best in
the country at stopping third-
down opportunities.
The other four finalists are
also coordinators: Alabama’s
Jeremy
Pruitt
(defense),
Clemson’s
Brent
Venables
(defense), Colorado’s Jim Leavitt
(defense) and Pittsburgh’s Matt
Canada (offense). The Broyles
Foundation will present the
award on Dec. 6
JAKE LOURIM
Managing Sports Editor
NOTEBOOK
“I am bitterly
disappointed in
the officiating
today.”
Calderone reaps benefits of effort
Tony Calderone found himself
with the puck and a clear view
of the net halfway through the
second period of No. 20 Michigan’s
game against Lake Superior State.
Sandwiched
between
two
defenders, the junior forward had
merely a split second to get his shot
off — something he might not have
been able to do last year.
But this season’s version of
Tony Calderone spent all summer
working on his timing, shooting an
endless number of pucks to speed
his shot up. He had noticed while
watching his former teammates
Tyler Motte and Kyle Connor last
year that while the duo didn’t
necessarily
have
the
hardest
shots, they were able to get it off
quickly when under duress, and he
wanted to add that to his offensive
repertoire.
So on Friday, armed with a
quicker shot, Calderone took the
touch pass from linemate Dexter
Dancs during a power play, spent
just the briefest of moments
controlling the puck with his stick
and threw it on net as quickly as he
could to beat the Laker goaltender
five-hole.
It was his fifth goal of the
year — he would score his sixth
the following night — and while
he is now tied for the team lead
in goals as Michigan begins
conference play, it hasn’t been
easy for Calderone to transfer his
work from the offseason to scoring
goals. After all, shooting pucks on
an empty rink is a bit different
from the real thing.
In order to see the results he
wanted on the ice, Calderone first
had to fix his mindset.
“I was worried about making
mistakes
too
much
at
the
beginning of the year,” Calderone
said Monday. “And (now) I’m
kinda just starting to relax and
making some confident plays, and
it’s worked out.”
Added Michigan coach Red
Berenson: “We’ve seen a little bit
of (his new shot). That comes and
goes with his confidence. Some
players get the shot away quick and
they don’t know where it’s going.
When Tony is dialed in, he gets
his shot away quick and he knows
where it’s going. He can place the
shot, he can beat the goalie with
a good shot, top shelf or stick side
or wherever he wants to shoot in.
When he’s not dialed in, he gets his
shot away and it might not hit the
net. So that’s a part of it, too.”
Berenson and his staff had a
preseason meeting with every
player, and in Calderone’s case,
the plan — a vision — was clearly
laid out: Michigan needed him to
produce.
Scoring
goals
is
familiar
territory for Calderone. After
all, he had arrived in Ann Arbor
with a reputation for lighting
up the lamp. In 2012, he was the
United States Hockey League’s
first overall draft pick, and in 124
games between two seasons, he
scored 53 goals.
That output failed to follow
him to his first two seasons at
Michigan, but it seemed only a
matter of time before Calderone
broke out. After the departures of
players such as Motte and Connor,
Calderone was in line for more
playing time and more chances to
display his new shot.
But goal-scoring wasn’t the
only
thing
Berenson
wanted
from
Calderone.
He
needed
Calderone, one of the older and
most
experienced
players
on
the team, to show the younger
players the ropes. So Calderone
sought to emulate the style of last
year’s captain JT Compher, who
Calderone says was “one of the
best captains ever.”
“(Calderone’s) an older junior,
he’s probably the same age as our
seniors, and so I think he’s got
respect on the team,” Berenson
said. “... If you’re going to say
something, you’ve gotta do it.
You can’t just be a talker, and
Tony knows that. It’s important,
if you’re talking to another player
about, ‘We gotta do this, we gotta
do that,’ it starts with me.”
It may have taken some time for
that transformation to take place,
but it appears Calderone has got
the hang of it now — and he just so
happens to be seeing an uptick in
production as well.
“When he scores, he gets more
confidence, and then he plays
better,” Berenson said. “Saturday,
I thought, was his best game of the
year. And he could’ve had four or
five goals, the way that he worked
hard, he was in the right place
and the line was playing well. So I
think it rubs off from what he does
in the summer. And he’s a honest
kid. He’s a kid that tries hard every
day to be a good player, and when
it all comes together, it shows up in
his goal-scoring.”
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Tony Calderone has recently seen a surge in production this season.
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Writer
ETHAN
WOLFE
On Hoops