University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

Page 157 text:

I Freshman Nicole Kacor prepares to pass the ball to her teammate. The youth of Kacor and others made for a promising future for the Wolverine Women ' s Volleyball program. Women ' s Record 12-18 Big Ten 4- 1 6 9 4-5 at Georgetown Acumen Classic 9 4 vs. Maryland w 3-1 9 5 vs. Georgetown w 3-1 9 5 vs. Temple w 3-1 9 11-12 Michigan All Sport Challenge 9 11 Bowling Green State w 3-0 9 11 North Carolina w 3-0 9 12 Louisiana State w 3-1 9 12 Texas A M L 1-3 9 18-19 at New Mexico Tournament 9 18 at New Mexico W 3-1 9 19 vs. San Diego L 2-3 9 19 vs. Kent W 3-0 9 25 Purdue L 1-3 9 26 Illinois L 0-3 10 2 at Northwestern W 3-0 10 3 at Indiana L 0-3 10 7 Michigan State L 0-3 10 9 Minnesota W 3-0 10 16 at Penn State L 0-3 10 17 at Ohio State L 1-3 10 23 Wisconsin L 0-3 10 24 Iowa W 3-1 10 30 Indiana L 0-3 10 31 Northwestern W 3-1 11 4 at Michigan State L 2-3 11 7 at Minnesota L 1-3 11 13 at Illinois L 0-3 11 14 at Purdue L 1-3 11 20 Ohio State L 0-3 11 21 Penn State L 0-3 11 27 at Iowa L 2-3 11 28 at Wisconsin L 0-3 Volleytx Sophomores Joanna Fielder and Alija Pittenger go up for the block against Wisconsin. Fielderwasthe 1997 Michi- gan Most Improved Player award re- cipient. Jennifer Johnson Sports ' 151

Page 156 text:

nior Linsey Ebert for the kill. Ebert was the recipient of the Michigan Best Blocker award after she set the Wol- bv Crystal Wone verines ' season total block record. fter last year ' s unprecedented success of placing first in the Big Ten and receiving a bid in the NCAA tournament, Michigan volleyball couldn ' t help but have high expectations for the 1998 season. The Wolverines had all the ingredients for success a potent starting lineup with seniors Karen Chase, Linsey Ebert, Jane Stevens, Jeanine Szczesniak, sophomore Sarah Behnke, as well as an experienced and enthusiastic coaching staff led by veteran head coach Greg Giovanazzi. The team was optimistic for its goals to repeat their first place finish in the Big Ten, as well as advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Despite the firm foundation for success, the season began with a rough start. The Wolverines ' conference was full of stiff competition, with six out of the 1 1 teams in the Top 2 5 . At midseason, morale on the team was shaken up after a string of losses in the Big Ten, although the team was still confident in its ability to perservere. We are a very talented team and have great chemistry off the court. We just have to carry that over onto the court, said senior Jane Stevens, the Wolverines ' captain. Other team members echoed the mixture of disappointment along with strong faith in the core of the team. In the Big Ten, there ' s no room to let your guard down like we ' ve done. But we ' ll keep fighting out there no matter what, commented Karen Chase, a senior outside hitter. The fighting spirit was evident among all the team members. We expected to be winning more, but Michigan is still a Division I team, and the coaching staff and the team respect it so much. The program has grown so much. It has been on a nice upward cycle, said backcourt defensive specialist Chereena Tennis. Sophomore Sarah Behnke summed up the sentiments of the entire team, saying, We can still make it to the NCAA tournament. Everybody ' s willing to work hard to turn the season around. The proof in the Wolverines ' ability to succeed was evident in its surprising success last year. With its core still largely intact and a deep pool of new talent, along with a determined head coach behind them, the Wolverines seized the 1998 season as a challenge, as well as the perfect opportunity to prove themselves as a tried and true team worthy of success. Spiked by the Hopes of a repeated Big Ten Championship fall short in a season of toug h . competition 0 H H Competition 150 Women ' s Volleyball

Page 158 text:

by Jaime K: Nelson Josh Levin cc he does the splits as part of his still ring routine. Levin scored a 9.0 on the rings against the top ten ranked Flames of the University of Illinois-Chicago. ith only one returning senior, the men ' s gymnastics team looked to its new recruiting class to step up this year. We have one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, said senior co-captain Randy D ' Amura. We are expecting a lot from the freshmen and have high expectations this year. We lost three seniors and gained five freshmen but we gained talent overall. With head coach Kurt Colder in his third year at the University, this was the first year the team consisted mainly of his recruits. Right now is the first year in the Colder era, said sophomore Kevin Roulston. The next two years are our best chances to be a power house in the Big Ten. The new class accepted the challenge put forth by the team. They were ready to step up during competition even though it was their first year competing at the college level. We look to do very well this season. It feels great to be a part of a great recruiting class. I want to do well and work hard for the team, said freshman Scott Vetere. I feel really confident about the reputation of our class, said freshman Daniel Diaz-Luong. There is a lot of talent on our team so that we think we could take the NCAA title. The strength of our team lies in its unity, everyone is behind everyone else 100%. Together with the new class, the returning team members were united by dedication to accomplish a goal. Before the season, the team set clear objectives for competition. We want to win the Big Ten championship and have a shot at the National Title, said sophomore co-captain Justin Toman. We are much more focused as a team this year. Although the new class faced high expectations, team members still looked up to their captains for leadership. Both coaches and players agreed that the captains served a vital role in team cohesiveness. We all look up to Randy, our only senior, he is always the first one in the gym and stays the latest. He makes us work harder because we see how hard he works, said Vetere. LaLo Haro and Kevin Roulston were leaders on the team because of their talent and competition experience, said D ' Amura. Together as a team, we have lofty expectations for men ' s gymnastics this year. High Expectations New faces asked to step up and contribute to make the season successful 152 Men ' s Gymnastics