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(09/06/01 6:11am)
The official IU athletics Web site, jumping for joy, is conducting a "Countdown to IU's Home Opener." \nNine days, five hours, 20 minutes and three seconds to go. \nBut I'm guessing you're not counting down, either. Gee, can't believe you're not sitting at home, filled with adrenaline, gazing into the computer as the seconds tick away. \nI'm also guessing you're not counting down to the season opener, tonight at North Carolina State. But, for fun's sake, let's have our own little countdown. The "Countdown to IU's Season Opener." Here we go. \nWait, we'll say it's 10 a.m. and the game will start at about 6:37 p.m., so the clock reads 8 hours, 37 minutes and 11 seconds. \nEight hours, 37 minutes and 11 seconds until: \n• IU's defense collapses. Already? Yep.\n• N.C. State scores a touchdown on a pass of more than 50 yards.\n• N.C. State scores another touchdown on a pass of more than 50 yards. \n• N.C. State scores another touchdown on a pass of more than 50 yards. (Defense? What defense?)\n• IU's offense (Senior Antwaan Randle El) goes berserk. \n• IU scores a touchdown on a run of more than 50 yards. By Randle El. On a reverse. After new quarterback junior Tommy Jones goes 0 for his first 12 with an interception.\n• Randle El scores again. This time, on a punt return.\n• Jones completes his first pass. To Randle El. Who scores. Again.\n• For some odd reason, senior running back Levron Williams gets pulled for younger, smaller sophomore Brian Lewis.\n• Jones pitches to Lewis, who pitches to Randle El on another reverse. Randle El scores. Again.\n• Jones completes another pass, making him 2 for 17 for 95 yards. All to Randle El. \n• IU's defense continues to struggle, as N.C. State's Philip Rivers fires another touchdown toss. From 50 yards out.\n• Randle El counters, returning the kickoff for a touchdown. \n• N.C. State scores on a 65-yard run.\n• After returning another punt, Randle El throws his first pass of the game. To himself. For a touchdown. \n• N.C. State scores. From 85 yards.\n• Jones gets mad and throws a pass to himself. He fumbles. Randle El scoops up the ball and scores. \n• N.C. State scores on a 80-yard run.\n• Randle El makes his defensive debut, intercepting a pass, fumbling and recovering his own fumble twice and scoring. He adds the two-point conversion. On another pass to himself. \n• N.C. State scores. From 90 yards.\n• Randle El punts for the first time, booting the ball 70 yards. He makes the tackle, causes a fumble, picks up the ball and scores. \n• N.C. State scores. From 75 yards.\n• Jones, still mad, tries another pass to himself. It's intercepted. By Randle El, who's become bored with touchdowns. So, he kicks a 51-yard field goal.\n• After three tackles by Randle El, N.C. State punts to Randle El. He runs from one sideline to the other, back to the other, back to the other, then past every Wolfpack defender. Twice. Then, he scores. Being the team player he is, he lets Jones kick the point after. \n• After three quarters, N.C. State, dizzied and spinning, gives up. IU wins, 74-73, with Randle El scoring 66 of the 74 points. \n• Randle El drives the bus to the airport and flies the plane home. Jones gets to ride shotgun.
(08/29/01 5:54am)
New men's basketball assistant coach Ben McDonald, his fellow assistants and head coach Mike Davis expect only a handful of developments from their team before practice officially begins Oct. 13: game-speed workouts, proper technique and confidence.\nMcDonald, who arrived in Bloomington Sunday and led the team's first group workouts Tuesday, has seen only 120 minutes' worth of the 2000-2001 Hoosiers. Already, he said he's impressed. \nSome Hoosiers said they are enjoying the new approach.\n"The new workout is a lot more basketball-oriented," said junior Kyle Hornsby. "In the past, I've noticed we've done a lot of basketball stuff, but it was a lot of conditioning also. This is conditioning, but it has a lot more basketball. It's as hard as you want to make it. You push yourself, and (the coaches) will push you, too."\nHornsby practiced with the second of three four-member groups Tuesday, with each group practicing for about 40 minutes. NCAA rules allow only two hours of practice time per week, per player and limit groups to no more than four. IU will continue group workouts three times a week, with McDonald leading the way. \nMcDonald, who became IU's third assistant coach Tuesday, pushed the three groups through rebounding, shooting and conditioning drills. His role involves running individual workouts, much the same routine of former IU assistant Dan Panaggio, who left IU in June to join the Portland Trail Blazers.\n"I just got in here today, but I was impressed," McDonald said. "Especially with the last group of (Tom) Coverdale, Dane Fife and Donald Perry. I think I'm really going to like working with them."\nCoverdale, a junior, and Fife, a senior, helped usher in two of IU's four-member freshmen class: Perry, a 6-foot-2 point guard, and Mark Johnson, a walk-on guard. \nHornsby, a junior, joined sophomores A.J. Moye and Mike Roberts and freshman Sean Kline. McDonald said one 40-minute session was not enough to judge the talent of IU's freshmen class, but indicated he was impressed with IU's nine returnees, especially a pair of Hoosiers McDonald had seen play only on film before Tuesday.\n"I like Hornsby's work ethic," McDonald said. "Even if things aren't going real well, it seems like he's going really hard. Not just for me, but for himself. Coverdale really impressed me and didn't seem to throw the ball away a lot."\nBut McDonald, a former NBA forward, said he won't spend too much time with Coverdale and Hornsby this season. Jim Thomas, another assistant, who was hired in July, will handle the guards, and McDonald will spend the majority of the year developing the Hoosiers' post players. \nTuesday's first group, all inside players -- sophomores Jared Jeffries and George Leach, junior Jeff Newton and senior Jarrad Odle -- looked tired following its workout. \n"We want to get better and do the small things," Jeffries said. "We're fine-tuning."\nDavis said Jeffries has added about 10 pounds to his 6-foot-9 frame, pushing him over the 220-mark. Davis also said Leach has added about 20 pounds. IU's weight-lifting program has been encouraging, Davis said, and called last year's Hoosiers the "weakest in the Big Ten."\nJeffries, IU's leading returning scorer and rebounder, spent part of the summer playing basketball with Indiana Pacers Jonathan Bender and Al Harrington and said he's certain one of his frontcourt mates will fill Kirk Haston's All-Big Ten shoes. Davis said the play of Newton, a junior, and Leach, a sophomore, will determine how successful the team is. \nBut, Davis, Thomas and McDonald said they aren't looking that far ahead yet. For now, it's back to squeaking shoes and sweaty shorts. McDonald, his own shirt soaked with sweat following the workouts, said he's happy with his debut.\n"I worked out with a few guys about three weeks ago, and they really enjoyed it," McDonald said. "They were tired, their legs were heavy at the end, they were huffing and puffing, but they know that's what they need. They're going to need to be in great shape. We're trying to help them."\nMay not in first-day workouts\nWalk-on freshman Scott May Jr. didn't take part in Tuesday's workouts. May, a guard, participated in weight-lifting, but is still going through several physical check-ups that are keeping him from practicing, an IU official said. May is the son of former IU All-American Scott May and the brother of IU recruit and Bloomington High School North standout Sean May.\nDavis not 'back' in action\nDavis, who injured his back in a game of basketball with his son, Mike Davis Jr., was limited in his practice participation Tuesday. Davis strolled the sidelines, but allowed his assistants to do much of the hands-on coaching. Davis said he hopes the back problems don't interfere with his coaching this season. The soreness also limited Davis in an after-practice "workout" session with his youngest son, Antoine. After Antoine rolled a pass Davis' way, Davis reminded his son that the injured back stopped him from bending down to pick up the ball.
(08/22/01 4:31am)
Six offense players, four defenders and one head coach showed up for IU football media day last week. \nOne could argue the 11 flashed more grins, showed more teeth and cracked more jokes than any other team attempting to bounce back from a disappointing 3-8 season and four consecutive campaigns of less than four wins. \nBut optimism isn't hard to come by around IU's camp. And while expectations hinge on whether or not Tommy Jones can step in at quarterback, how well the defense can stop opposing attacks and how dangerous Antwaan Randle El will be at receiver, Cameron insists the door to a winning season can easily be flung open. \n"This is the best leadership we've had," Cameron said a day before his troops departed for training camp in Marshall, Ind. "We're close. We're piecing things together."\nRandle El provides the largest piece. After three years slicing and dicing opposing defenses, the nimble senior plans to split time between receiver and quarterback. He'll start at receiver, an area where IU lost its top two pass-catchers and has but a tiny amount of receptions to its credit. L.J. Parker and Henry Frazier are listed as the Hoosiers' No. 2 and 3 receivers, respectively, with Randle El at No. 1. Parker caught two passes a year ago. Frazier hauled in four. \nRandle El didn't catch a pass, but did rush for 1,270 yards and throw for 1,783 more, accounting for 23 touchdowns. \nBoth Jones, who played in seven games and threw only 16 passes last season, and Randle El say the situation has sealed the bond between the two, not severed it. \n"He's shown he wants to lead," Randle El said of Jones. "Sometimes I have to pull back, step back and let him lead. But (the position switch) has brought us closer."\nRandle El and Cameron say they've enlisted their faith in Jones, a junior, whose completed 10 of 25 passes for 134 yards as a Hoosier. Jones lacks experience, but teammates don't seem to mind. \n"He's 'Cool Tommy,'" junior guard Enoch DeMar said. "He's calm, but we know he's intense. We trust our coaches."\nFellow lineman A.C. Myler agrees. \n"We'll block for whoever takes the snap," Myler said. \nJones and/or Randle El will hand off to a game-tested backfield. Senior Levron Williams, junior Jeremi Johnson and sophomore Brian Lewis each played in 10 or more games and led an IU running attack that averaged more yards per carry -- 5.8 -- than every other team in the nation except Nebraska. \nThat efficiency can be credited to shifty running backs and an offensive line that will return DeMar, Myler and senior center Craig Osika. Junior Jemarkus Gorman and sophomore Anthony Oakley saw action last season, and sophomore Colin Christopher is expected to play after a knee injury sidelined him in 2000.\nCameron admits Randle El will likely see some time at quarterback, but said he had the same plan -- moving Randle El to receiver and allowing Jones to play quarterback -- last season before Jones was injured in training camp. Cameron informed Jones in January he'd have another shot. \n"It's my opportunity to play," Jones said. "Antwaan's helped me out, and it was a big choice for him to return (and not enter the NFL draft). He wants to win. Nights are a little easier with him at receiver. He can catch anything."\nRandle El can catch pass after pass, but the victories he desires still won't unfold unless IU's defense, which allowed more than 38 points per game in 2000, improves. \nRandle El is the first to compliment what he's seen from the 2001 edition. And he's the first to downplay the play of the 2000 Hoosiers.\n"We got some knuckleheads off the defense that hurt us," Randle El said. "I say that, and I mean it."\nIU lost three defensive starters, returning three linemen, two linebackers and three defensive backs. Seniors Justin Smith, Kemp Rasmussen, Sharrod Wallace and Devin Schaffer all have more than 21 career starts and return to anchor a defense that is bent on an about face. \n"We had some knuckleheads," Schaffer said, reacting to Randle El's comment. "We realize how good we are. We have the right outlook."\nSmith, a 2000 and 2001 Butkus Award candidate, and Shaffer are expected to spearhead a linebacking corps thin on experience. Cameron said he expects sophomore Brandonn Baker, redshirt freshman Herana-Daze Jones or sophomore Robert Brown to emerge as the third linebacker. \nJunior college transfers Willie Northern and Antonio Watson, juniors Ron Bethel and Joe Gonzalez and sophomore Duane Stone are all penciled in to see time in the defensive backfield.\nRasmussen will have help up front from fellow senior Dominique Smith, junior Derek Barnett and junior Sean Nelson, who returned from an injury-riddle 2000 season. \nWhoever plays must help a defense that yielded 186 rushing and 270 passing yards per contest. IU allowed 30 or more point in nine of its 11 games and twice allowed more than 50 in defensive coordinator James Bell's first season since migrating to Bloomington from Wake Forest. Schaffer said a year of bumps and bruises -- on the field and on the scoreboard -- could make a big difference. Schaffer said Bell, who let mistakes slip by last year, has adjusted the learning curve and become a more hard-nosed coach. \n"Expectations are up, and we have a major responsibility to get it done," Shaffer said. "We're tired of the same old thing."\nThe "same old thing" is last-minute losses, untapped bowl hopes and never-ending frustration. \n"We expect more," Myler said. "This is the most experienced team we've had, and we're not going to let things slide"
(04/23/01 5:59am)
About 20 minutes before Saturday's men's Little 500 race began, Delta Chi rider Jason Sonneborn plopped to his back, sprawled out in the infield grass at Bill Armstrong Stadium and look skyward, preparing for his final Little 500. \n"If we don't win, it'll be a disappointment," said Sonneborn, a senior. \nTwo hours later, it looked as if Delta Chi's finish wouldn't disappoint Sonneborn. The team was right where it wanted to be -- among the top five with less than 30 laps left and junior Mark Bagwell closing in on Teter, the race leader. \nThen, chaos and a loss of balance dashed Sonneborn's dream and ignited disappointment as Bagwell tangled with a Chi Phi rider out of Turn 2 and tumbled to the ground.\nMost people in the Delta Chi pit said they didn't see the wreck. Gasps from the crowd and frantic yelling from coach Steve Hoeferle sent Sonneborn sprinting across the track in an attempt to save the day. \nSonneborn made it about 20 yards into the infield before Bagwell hurried to his feet and mounted his bike. But by then, Delta Chi trailed the lead pack by nearly a lap, and blood and black marks covered Bagwell's face, legs and arms. \nSonneborn took over for Bagwell, but the gap was too big. Delta Chi, which boasts a race history of eight championships, wouldn't win this time. Instead, Phi Delta Theta, a spring break training partner, which pitted next door to Delta Chi, overtook Teter to win the 2001 title, leaving Delta Chi with a fifth-place finish.\nAfter the race, Bagwell didn't feel like talking, but his emotions and actions did so for him. The junior fired his helmet and sunglasses to the ground after the wreck, rested his hands on his head and fought back tears. It didn't work. \n"He feels horrible," Delta Chi coach Todd Hancock said of Bagwell. "(Bagwell) feels like he let the team and the fraternity down, but he didn't. Wrecks are just part of racing."\nBagwell's teammates said they understood. \n"We can't say 'could've, should've and would've' and moan and whine," sophomore rookie Pat Thomas said. "Wrecks happen."\nAnd they did in this race. Three accidents in the first 10 laps leveled several teams, but Delta Chi was able to escape the pileups. Sonneborn fell a few laps later, but Bagwell rode the next 11 laps and lifted Delta Chi to second place. From that point, the team didn't leave the top five. \nAs the team rested Sonneborn in hopes of saving his strength for the final stretch, Bagwell closed gaps time and time again. His biggest effort came just laps before he wrecked, as he erased a 12-second Teter lead in three laps. But the wrecked doomed Delta Chi's day.\n"It sucks." sophomore rookie Justin Hiday said. "I wish we could've seen what would have happened it we'd have stayed in the race."\nBut Delta Chi didn't get that chance, and Sonneborn's Little 500 career drew to a close. Sonneborn, the team's leader and spokesman, perched himself atop his bicycle for one last lap around the track and finished the race for Delta Chi. Sonneborn crossed the finish line and tossed his bike to the ground, his face showing no expression.\nBut instead of bitterness or disappointment, Sonneborn expressed appreciation and applause to fellow riders and race officials.\n"Hats off to Phi Delta Theta and Teter," he said. "I really wanted to win this event, but a lot of people that leave here today aren't winners."\nDelta Chi wasn't; but in some it ways, it was. \nBagwell, still scraped, bruised and battered, grabbed his gear and walked to a group of supporters in the team's pit near Turn 1. Thomas and Hiday received congratulations from Bagwell's parents. Sonneborn, as he had done three hours earlier, plopped to the infield grass to reflect. After a few pats on the back and hand shakes from competitors and fans, he grabbed his bag and his bike and pedaled his way through the sparse crowd remaining in the infield and headed toward the exit for what he called a "chill ride." \nIt wasn't a picture-perfect ride into the sunset, and it probably didn't do justice to Delta Chi's efforts, but it's how things worked out, and Sonneborn understood.\n"I haven't felt better all season," he said. "But that's bike racing. It's an honor to ride for my house and for the people that run this event"
(03/08/01 5:43am)
For about five games, the baseball team's final scores were starting to look like real baseball scores -- six runs, four runs, three runs. \nBut the Hoosiers must like awkward-looking scores. After all, they've been beaten 24-10, won 19-12 and tied 4-4. Wednesday at Sembower Field, IU went back to old tricks, lighting up the scoreboard -- and allowing the opponent to do the same -- in a 13-8 win against Wright State at Sembower Field. \nIU (6-5-1) scored eight runs in the first inning on six hits and two Raider errors. Freshman left fielder Ryan Donley's first collegiate hit was a bases-loaded two-run single that got the Hoosiers rolling. Donley, playing in his second game, finished two for three at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. \n"I felt good at the plate, and I was seeing the ball well," Donley said. "I just wanted to take advantage of some playing time."\nThe Hoosiers' eight-run explosion answered the Raiders' two-run first inning that came via a two-run home run from first baseman Lance Links. Links hammered a pitch from Hoosier left-hander Matt Rice, a junior, over the center field wall. \nWright State (2-7) scored two more runs off Rice in the second inning that featured three hits. The Raiders scored their final runs of the afternoon off freshman Adam Pegg, who entered in the third and gave up six hits and four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. \nA steady Hoosier bullpen bailed out Rice and Pegg, tossing the final 4 1/3 innings without yielding a run. Sophomore Nick Vitielliss, junior Brad Edwards and senior Nick Otte held the Raiders to two hits during the final four innings. Edwards and Otte struck out three Raiders each, and Vitielliss (1-1) picked up the victory in just 1/3 inning of work. \n"We have some question marks (about the pitching staff)," coach Bob Morgan said. "We have to develop pitching on our spring trip. Everything will be OK if our younger guys step it up on the mound."\nThe Hoosiers' hitting isn't as shaky as their pitching. The Hoosiers have scored 10 or more runs six times this season and slammed 17 hits Wednesday. Six Hoosiers had multi-hit days Wednesday. Senior Dan Haegele led the way with four hits, including a double. Senior Blake St. Clair and sophomore Nick Evans each had three hits and three RBIs, and junior Gibran Hamdan was two for three with a double. \n"We had good bats all through the lineup," Hamdan said. "We answered back with eight runs when they scored, and that's college baseball. We scored 13 runs, so we did well"
(03/02/01 5:27am)
When IU selected Michael McNeely as its new athletics director, it got what a University vice president described as a "football guy."\nMcNeely has spent the last two years as the vice president and chief operating officer for the NFL's San Diego Chargers. He's also had stints with two college athletic departments and was director of operations for the NCAA.\nMcNeely spent five years coaching at the University of Colorado, helping build a football tradition. And the 47 year old said he spent his childhood in Kansas building football and baseball fields. \nAfter being named IU's new athletics director, effective July 1, McNeely will get the opportunity to help boost IU's struggling football program and the other 23 sports on the Bloomington campus. \n"Frankly, we liked the idea that he had a strong background in football," said Terry Clapacs, vice president for administration.\nClapacs acknowledged Indiana is a basketball state, an area McNeely will be quickly thrust into as the athletic department hunts for a full-time basketball coach. McNeely said he has been keeping up on the progress of interim head coach Mike Davis and the Hoosier basketball team, but offered no indication on whether he intends to keep Davis on a full-time basis. \n"Mike had done a good job," McNeely said. "Once the season is completed, we will begin the process to select a permanent head coach. I will assist and contribute to that process."\nMcNeely met with coaches and administrators for lunch Thursday, where he spoke with Davis and football coach Cam Cameron. Cameron was brought to IU in 1997 to turn around the football program. Since then, IU has sputtered. The Hoosiers' highest win total came in 1998 and 1999, when they won four games. \nAverage attendance in Memorial Stadium hasn't topped 43,000 since 1992, and IU averaged slightly more than 36,000 fans per game in 1999 and just more than 30,000 last season. \nCameron said he spoke with McNeely on Thursday afternoon and said McNeely had some "encouraging things to say." \nBut McNeely stressed that patience will be important.\n"Football, because of the numbers, is not something (to) turn around in a year or two years," McNeely said. \nCameron and his assistants attended Thursday's press conference. Cameron said he and his staff are focusing on the upcoming spring practice season, which begins March 21. Cameron commended the committee and said he heard about McNeely through Chargers quarterback Jim Harbaugh. \n"Jim had nice things to say about him," Cameron said. "It's a plus to have a guy that's been through a lot (of) things that we go through. He knows college football, he's been in pro football. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can learn from him."\nCameron also indicated he plans to invite McNeely to spring practice, but said he wouldn't read into the committee's decision to hire a candidate with a strong football background.\nMcNeely, who graduated from Oklahoma University with a law degree in 1979, has a background in marketing from the University of the Pacific, where he was athletics director from 1997-1999, and when working with the Chargers. McNeely initiated the Chargers Radio Network, the "Chargers Magazine" TV show and negotiated new multi-year major corporate sponsorship contracts in banking, health and beverage.\nMuch of the money around the $27 million athletic department budget stems from football. \n"I don't know that they could've found a better guy," IU Alumni Association marketing director and former basketball player John Laskowski said. "The committee realized $27 million. That's a lot of money the other sports aren't going to generate and more. It's got to be from the football side of things. Revenue increase is going to come from football. To bring in a guy with a football background makes perfect sense"
(02/28/01 5:11am)
Temperatures hovering near 40 degrees and winds howling around 10 mph aren't exactly pitcher-friendly conditions. \nThe IU pitching staff didn't seem to notice the weather. \nDePauw's pitching staff might not consider Tuesday's brisk climate conducive to pitchers … or hitters. \nAfter trudging through their first eight games weighed down by struggling pitchers, the Hoosiers battled through a dip in the thermometer, getting solid pitching and timely hitting in a 6-0 victory against visiting DePauw at Sembower Field. \nIU (4-4-1) came into the game giving up an average of more than 10 runs, and opponents were whacking Hoosier pitching at a .319 clip.\nSeven IU pitchers held DePauw (2-1) to just three hits -- all singles. Only two Tiger runners reached scoring position -- one coming via a balk -- and DePauw sent three batters to the plate in six of the nine innings. \n"Our pitchers went out and threw strikes and competed," coach Bob Morgan said. "We were much more aggressive on the mound."\nFreshman Chris Behrens (2-0) started and notched his second win of the season for the Hoosiers. Behrens sailed through the first three innings, allowing only one hit. He erased his only walk by picking off Tiger right fielder Jason Geringer.\nThe remaining five pitchers for the Hoosiers pitched an inning a piece, combining to yield only two hits, three walks, strike out four over the final six innings and keep the imposing cold out of their minds.\n"It was freezing," said sophomore Nick Vitielliss, who tossed the ninth inning. "We didn't get warm until we started throwing off the mound. But once you start throwing, you don't notice the weather." \nThe Hoosier defense helped the pitching, turning a pair of double plays and going errorless. Sophomore third baseman Nick Evans, in his first start of the season, showed off his range. The Findlay, Ohio, native darted to his left and right to record six assists and three putouts. \n"Nick did a great job," senior center fielder Blake St. Clair said. "He made every play that was hit at him. We played solid defense, and that's what you have to do."\nThe only real threat the Tigers made came in the fifth inning off IU right hander Kevin O'Brien, who is normally the Hooisers' starting catcher and made his first pitching appearance since high school. Geringer led off the inning with a four-pitch walk, then advanced to second on O'Brien's balk, but O'Brien retired the next three batters. \nWhile the Hoosier pitchers suppressed the Tiger bats, IU's offense continued to roll. The Hoosiers scored five runs in the first three innings to take control. Sophomore John Bestler blasted a first-inning home run to left field to put the Hoosiers on top. It was Bestler's first career homer. \nFreshman Cody Wargo and redshirt freshman Mark Calkins both knocked in runs in the second inning. Wargo recorded one of IU's four doubles of the afternoon. With runners on second and third in the third inning, sophomores Joe Sadler and Michael Woodside produced RBI groundouts. \nDePauw countered the Hoosier hits with Daniel Mack. The right-hander replaced starter Jason Lee (1-1), who took the loss. Mack held the Hoosiers hitless for four innings and retired 12 of the 13 hitters he faced. IU did score a run off Mack after he hit Woodside, who scored on a squeeze bunt by junior shortstop Eric Blakeley. But Mack kept the Tigers in the game, striking out five and allowing only one ball to leave the infield. \n"(Mack) threw well," Morgan said. "He had a good fastball and change up and kept us off-balance with his curveball. You have to give him credit. The kid's a good pitcher and did a nice job."\nThe victory could help slingshot IU into its next five games -- all at Sembower Field -- and the spring break trip to Homestead, Fla. Vitielliss said the team is starting to play with the enthusiasm and aggressiveness it needs to to build momentum -- the way, he said, the Hoosiers are "supposed to play."\n"In our last two games at Winthrop (last weekend), we started play the way we want to," Vitielliss said. "We wanted to do the same thing today, and with the cold weather, I think we did a great job doing that"
(02/16/01 11:10pm)
The first race of the finals in the 2001 Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships might serve as an omen for the Hoosiers. Or at least they hope.\nThe Hoosiers won two events, putting them behind only Michigan after day one of the three-day event at Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center. Penn State sits third.\nThe Hoosier 200-yard freestyle relay team raced to a first-place finish, edging out Michigan by nine hundredths of a second to claim the first victory of the meet. The time was a new IU school record. Senior Jenn Cristy, who came back three events later to set a conference meet record in -- and win -- the 50-yard freestyle, led off the relay team and swam the quickest leg.\n"We may not be seeded first, but we have the most heart and spirit," Cristy said. "If we all want it, we all get it. But we're taking it one session at a time."\nJunior Susan Woessner swam the final leg, nudging out the Wolverines. She hit the pool deck feeling good.\n"I came out of the pool shaking," Woessner said. "We talked about (winning) it, and we did it."\nJust after IU's relay win, Wisconsin senior Ellen Stonebraker claimed the first individual victory of the night, winning the 500-yard freestyle with a Counsilman pool-record time of 4:44.96. IU freshman Sarah Fiden, in her first Big Ten Championship meet, snapped the IU record, but was a shade off Stonebraker, finishing two seconds back in third place. Her time broke a school record that hadn't been touched in 20 years.\nThe Hoosiers went silent in the 200 individual medley, while Michigan and Penn State both earned scoring spots. But IU bounced back in the 50 free behind Cristy, who beat out Michigan senior Jennifer Crisman by two-tenths of a second to capture the victory. Michigan placed four swimmers in the top eight.\nIn diving, IU's Erin Quinn surprised the field by finishing second, sandwiched between a pair of Michigan State divers. Quinn was seeded first after the preliminaries with 289.50 points, 12 more than her nearest competitor. Quinn will be back on the boards again today, this time in the 3-meter competition. \nThe Wolverines increased their lead over the Hoosiers, and Penn State made up ground in the day's final event, the 400-yards medley relay. Michigan, bolstered by Crisman and freshman Samantha Aresenault, who finished two, three in the 50-free, topped Penn State by two seconds. IU finished fourth, just behind Purdue. \n"It was a good night," said IU coach Dorsey Tierney, who instilled a "Hear Nothing, See Nothing," frame of mind into her Hoosiers. "The 200-free relay was a real team relay. That really gets us fired up"
(02/15/01 6:17am)
With 2:02 remaining in the first half of Wednesday night's men's basketball game, Northwestern coach Bill Carmody screamed. Then, he stomped his foot, picked up his cup and plodded to the end of the Wildcat bench. \nMeanwhile, interim head coach Mike Davis leaned forward in his chair and joked with official Tom Rucker. \nIU opened the game on a 14-2 run. Carmody strolled. Davis chuckled. IU stretched the lead to 25-7. Carmody dropped his hands to his knees. Davis smiled. IU stretched its lead to 19 points four minutes into the second half. Carmody plopped his foot on his knee and leaned back in his chair. Davis smirked.\nThe disappointed-versus-upbeat theme was common in IU's 78-54 win in front of 16,430 fans at Assembly Hall. With Iowa's 95-85 loss at Michigan, the Hoosiers (16-9, 7-4 Big Ten) now own sole possession of third place in the conference, behind Illinois and Michigan State -- the next two teams on IU's schedule.\n"We've seen this before," Carmody said. "Better teams in the league jump out on us and get us out of the game. We didn't have an answer for them. We didn't compete."\nNorthwestern (9-16, 1-11) managed 13 points in the first 13 minutes, while IU hit from inside and out to spark runs of 14-2 and 12-4, opening up a 21-point lead midway through the first half. \nJunior center Kirk Haston and sophomore forward Jeffrey Newton scored 18 of the Hoosiers' first 22 points. Haston nailed a pair of three-pointers and Newton spun and twisted his way to three lay-ups and a 10-foot jumper. \n"Newton played his best game of the season," Davis said. \nHaston finished with a game-high 19 and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Newton scored a career-high 17. The Hoosier frontcourt -- Haston, Newton and freshman forward Jared Jeffries -- exposed the Wildcats' soft inside defense, scoring 47 points. Northwestern sophomore forward Ben Johnson and junior center Tavares Hardy led the Wildcats with 13 each. \nIU forced Northwestern to settle for outside shots through much of the first half. The Wildcats finished the first half 3-of-10 from beyond the three-point arc and shot 32 percent. IU shot 50 percent in the first half and finished the game with 54 percent. \n"Our game plan was to get inside and attack the offense glass," Davis said. "Somebody told me Newton was sick. He needs to be sick every night, if he can play like that." \nNewton, who said he has been slightly sick the last two days, responded to Davis' statement with a grin.\n"I've been trying to play through it," Newton said. \nHe did, and IU mended it's illness -- second-half struggles. Those troubles that have plagued the Hoosiers this season didn't make an appearance Wednesday. IU lead by 16 at halftime and never let Northwestern close the gap to less than 16 from there on out. \n"When teams start to come back on us, we can't start to panic," sophomore guard Tom Coverdale said. "But, that's just part of not being in that situation before. We just have to settle down on offense."\nThe Coverdale-directed offense did just that, as a pack of Hoosiers found its way to the bucket. Coverdale scored seven of his 12 points after the break. Haston, Newton and Jeffries allowed IU to push its lead to 21 with 3:57 remaining as Davis began emptying the bench. \nThe Wildcats played most of the second half without sophomore guard Winston Blake, who turned an ankle late in the first half. Blake, the Wildcats' leading scorer at 12.3 points per game, went scoreless, missing all six of his field-goal attempts.\nDavis said he was uncertain about how his squad would handle Northwestern, which had lost 32 consecutive Big Ten games before upsetting Iowa Sunday. But Davis wasn't so gun-shy when discussing the possibility of the Hoosiers making a dash toward the Big Ten crown. \n"I think we can do it, and Saturday (against Illinois) will be a good test," Davis said. "If we continue to defend the way we have, we have a chance. This team is confident and on a roll"
(02/14/01 6:24am)
Dorsey Tierney seems organized. Emphasis on the word "seems." \nFor the most part, the women's swimming coach likely is -- she's rebuilt IU's women's swimming program, radiates a hard-working persona and receives praise from her swimmers.\nBut she's a tad disheveled in a few departments. Take her four gold medals, for instance. Most people would put the death grip on those treasures, place them in an air-tight case and put them on display for every Tom, Dick and Harry who happens to stroll by. \nNot Tierney. She doesn't even know where her gold medals are. \n"They are somewhere," Tierney said, rummaging through her thoughts. "I'll be honest, I don't know where they are ... Actually, one of my brothers may have one."\nMaybe. Oh well, it's only a gold medal. More important things clutter Tierney's brain now -- such as this weekend's Big Ten Championships, which IU will be host to beginning Thursday. \nThanks to Tierney, the Hoosiers have a chance to compete for one of the toughest swimming conference titles in the country. She served as a graduate assistant in swimming at IU in 1995, left to take an assistant coaching position at Southern Methodist, then returned to Bloomington in 1998 to take over the head coaching job for IU. \nSince then, IU has climbed up the Big Ten standings, placing eighth in the 1999 Big Ten Championships before moving up two spots to sixth at last year's meet. The Hoosiers scored 96 more points in 1999 than in 1998, the biggest point improvement by any Big Ten team. IU's 330 points were the most scored by a Hoosier squad in the Big Ten meet since 1985.\nTierney's swimmers credit her with the improvement.\n"I'm sad I don't have another three years here," senior sprinter Jennifer Cristy said. "By that time, this team is going to be phenomenal. When (Tierney) came in, the program was mediocre. She's done an amazing job."\nArguing with Cristy would prove difficult, as would trying to disprove Tierney's sometimes-rigid, sometimes-easygoing demeanor and coaching style. Swimmers appear to love her approach. Cristy and freshman Sarah Fiden noted Tierney's laid-back yet fiery personality as one of her many strong points. Tierney agreed, putting stock in an elementary formula.\n"To be successful, you need to work hard every single day," Tierney said. "I'm pretty intense. Your competitors don't care if you have a bad day."\nCristy reciprocates her mentor's convictions.\n"She's pretty tough," she said. "She kicks our butts, basically. She doesn't take any prisoners."\nThat simple yet honest attitude evidently works; it carried Tierney to those four gold medals, two NCAA team titles at Texas, an NCAA record in the 200-yard breaststroke, 16 All-American honors and being named the captain of the U.S. Swim Team at the 1991 Pan-American Games. \nNow, she deflects comments and compliments about her collegiate and amateur success, concentrating more on her situation at IU and the lessons those experiences taught her. Tierney translates her own lessons to her team in what has become a bit of a Hoosier swimming tradition. Each Wednesday, she sits down with her team and tells a story -- sometimes with trivial implications, sometimes with heavy implications -- in an attempt to spark motivation. The tale-telling works, Fiden said. \n"They're pretty motivational," Fiden said. "The stories are about ex-Olympians who were her roommates in college."\nTierney incorporates her stories into a rigorous schedule in which she rarely relaxes. But she enjoys it, she said. She's single and has no family in the immediate area. Most of her relatives are in Louisville, where Tierney attended high school and began her swimming career. Tierney's brother, Jimmy, attended Louisville and now coaches the women at Northwestern, where the Wildcats are a perennial Big Ten and national power. IU upset the Wildcats in their own pool early this season, exposing the Hoosiers to success Tierney said they hadn't seen before. \n"A lot of these guys has never tasted success like that," she said of her team. "They didn't even know what to do. Oh, wow, we beat a ranked team. I want them to get used to doing that."\nHow close are the Hoosiers from consistently beating up teams such as Northwestern? \n"Not close enough," Tierney quickly retorts. "I'm pretty hard to please. Winning is addictive."\nTierney and her Hoosiers are inching closer. \nCristy credits Tierney's personal relationship with each swimmer for the majority of the success. Tierney said she tries to maintain a perspective on each swimmer and how she ticks. She yells at some. She calmly explains to others. She's grown, Cristy said, each season, becoming more in-touch with the team. Cristy said she feels comfortable with Tierney, be the two be discussing swimming, school or boys. \n"I know if I have a problem," Cristy said, "I can go to her."\nTierney has navigated many of the bumpy roads her young swimmers have or will encounter, which helps improve her coaching ability and curb her learning curve, she said. Cristy and Fiden said they think Tierney will remain in Bloomington for some time, but Tierney isn't as sure. She maintains an open-minded approach and freely discusses her potential career possibilities beyond her tenure at IU. \nShould she stay, it's likely the program will continue to shake up the Big Ten. Tierney said she wants to get to the top, saying the Hoosiers are "headed in the right direction." \nStill, she admits she's always searching for new challenges, and an opportunity to take the reigns at a top-10 school would interest her. So would moving on, should she maximize what she can accomplish at IU. \n"At the moment," she said, "I'm pretty content here."\nNow, she steers IU into the Big Ten Championships. She said she never thought she'd coach -- she originally attended law school, and paid for it by coaching. She fell in love, and now she's head-over-heels involved, spending hour after hour, day after day in Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center enjoying her job, her swimmers, her life. \n"I'm one of the lucky ones. I come in here every day and get a kick out of what I do," she said. "To work with the age group I do is rewarding. I can't imagine doing anything else. I hope I can say that in 20 years"
(02/13/01 5:44pm)
Laurie Gardner said she felt a little intimidated. Playing alongside 13 All-Americans will do that. \nSo will the prospect of earning a spot on the USA Women's National A-2 team, a summer squad composed of college volleyball players who have remaining eligibility. \nNotification of whether Gardner, a junior, out-dueled the 65 other competitors in the three-day tryout in Colorado Springs, Colo., will come sometime this week. Confidence hasn't overcome her. \n"I don't think I made it," she said, mixing disappointment with gratitude. "There were a few other setters on another court, and they were the ones getting looked at."\nThose "other setters" were were three other All-Americans -- Wisconsin's Lizzy Fitzgerald, Arizona's Dana Burkholder and Long Beach State's Cheryl Weaver. Although Gardner is yet to achieve All-American status, she has proven her worth at IU. The West Bend, Wis., native averaged 13.4 assists per game -- fourth in the Big Ten -- and ranks fifth at IU in assists, with 2,614. She still has two years of eligibility remaining. It's likely those seasons will be spent smashing records and splashing her name across the country. She's already a known commodity in the Big Ten.\n"It gave her a chance to get her name out there," coach Katie Weismiller said. "She was out there playing against the top five players in the nation and people who have played on youth national teams. This is the first time she's gotten name recognition. She's one of the best in the country."\nGardner, who played middle blocker in high school and later switched positions, was one of eight setters who made the trip to the Olympic Training facility Feb. 2. She became the first Hoosier to participate in the A-2 team tryouts since Ryann Conners did so in 1999. Ann Eastman, another IU standout, earned a spot on the Olympic Festival team, a similar squad, in 1995. \nShould Gardner surprise herself and make the team, she would spend May through early August practicing with the nation's top volleyball players. Weismiller said the A-2 team, run by USA Volleyball, is planning a trip to compete overseas, as well. \nWeismiller notified Gardner in January she would be making the trip.\n"Katie called me into her office and asked me if I'd like to go," Gardner said. "I said sure. I was excited and nervous at the same time."\nThe extensive tryouts, eating up nearly eight hours a day, didn't allow Gardner much time to explore Colorado Springs. Gardner met a handful of people and said that was the best aspect of attending the sessions. \nParticipants represented schools from coast to coast, giving Gardner the opportunity to spread the word about IU volleyball. The Hoosiers battled through a youth movement this season to a 16-14 overall record, while trudging through the highly competitive Big Ten with a 7-13 mark. IU didn't earn a berth in post-season play, ending a two-year streak in which the Hoosiers made the NCAA Tournament. The 1999 tournament appearance included a first-round upset of 16th-ranked Clemson. \n"We're getting better and better," Weismiller said. "We have a great opportunity this fall, and Laurie helped us get some name recognition."\nGardner said the experience helped her prepare for spring practice, which recently began, as coaches pounded the fundamentals with drills and scrimmages. Gardner admitted she was nervous upon arriving but said the jitters faded once the practice sessions began. Her teammates saw the need for some jumpy nerves but admired the chance thrown Gardner's way.\n"We were excited for her," junior Crecia Keithley said. "Any time anyone can get that kind of experience and bring it back, it will help the team. We are proud we had someone on our team who could go and do that."\nGardner said she won't be disappointed if she doesn't make the team, but, like Keithley, sees the importance of what she learned. \n"If I make it, I'll be shocked," Gardner said. "But, either way, I benefitted from going out there. Not everyone gets to do something like that during college"
(02/08/01 4:51am)
A one-win season would offer little reason for excitement in most programs. But, for the Hoosiers' fledgling field hockey team preparing for its second season, it doesn't take much. \nCoach Amy Robertson secured her initial IU recruiting class Wednesday, as six high schoolers signed national letters of intent to play for the Hoosiers. \nJessica Barton (Marathon, N.Y.), Kayla Bashore (Shoemakersville, Pa.), Kimberly Nash (Lake Bluff, Ill.), Lauren Brophy (St. Louis, Mo.), Jamie Baldwin (Dallas, Texas) and Lindsey Nealis (Oak Park, Ill.) will try to improve upon IU's 1-12 record, which included a winless Big Ten campaign. \n"Every coach says they are excited about the new players signing with their program, and I am no different," Roberston said. "These six signees are loaded with potential and full of enthusiasm."\nRoberston said pep is what her squad needs to get pointed in the right direction. \nNash led Lake Bluff to a high school state championship in 2000 and a runner-up spot in 1999. She led the team in scoring and was second in assists. \n"I am excited to play for the 'Big Red' as well as attend an amazing school," Nash said. \nBarton and Bashore each earned first-team all-state honors in their home states. Barton was a 1999 Regional All-American, and Bashore was named the soccer MVP at the 1998 Keystone State Games. \nNealis helped her high school to a third-place finish in Illinois and received the 2000 National All-Academic Achievement Award, boasting a 3.8 GPA.\nBrophy's high school squad won the Midwest State Championship during Brophy's junior and senior seasons. Brophy was named all-league and all-metro her senior year. \nBaldwin was a National Field Hockey Coaches' Association All-American Nominee during her junior and senior seasons and led her team in scoring her freshman and junior seasons. \n"When I first walked on campus, I knew I wanted to be a Hoosier," Baldwin said. "I was truly inspired when I met Coach. There is so much spirit here I cannot wait to be a part of."\nThe Hoosiers' enthusiasm might increase should they bounce back from a bumpy inaugural season. Roberston's squad will lose three seniors and will have only two seniors next season, but the incoming class will be an important factor in getting the Hoosiers turned around. \n"The incoming class will complement the current team," Robertson said. "(The newcomers) are the same type of athletes that are going to make a huge impact on the development of the new program"
(01/26/01 5:38am)
Steve Alford broke the hearts of the rest of the Big Ten during his four-year stint at IU. Luke Recker did much of the same, but his Hoosier tenure lasted only two seasons. \nThen came the whirlwind of transfers that swept Recker from Bloomington and dumped him in Iowa City, Iowa, after a brief stop at Arizona. \nThose same forces carried Alford to the coaching job at Iowa just two years ago. \nBoth former Hoosiers will face the current IU team at 1 p.m. Saturday in Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where IU has not won since 1994. In fact, the Hoosiers have lost the last five meetings in Iowa City by an average of 16.4 points. \nThe game marks the first time Recker will suit up against the Hoosiers. Transfer eligibility rules forced the Auburn, Ind., native to sit out last year's only game in Bloomington, an IU win. Alford's No. 17 Hawkeyes have eight new faces, and Alford admits there is some naivete concerning the Hoosiers and a lack of experience in the Big Ten. \n"I'm not looking forward to playing Indiana any more than I'm looking forward to playing Wisconsin," Alford said. "(We have) 13 players, and eight are new faces; we've got to work awfully hard on the knowledge of the system we're playing here."\nThe schedule sees to it that the Hawkeyes and Hoosiers meet only once this season, but that lone meeting carries heavy implications.\nThe Hoosiers (12-8, 3-3 Big Ten) are fresh off Tuesday's 66-55 win against rival Purdue and find themselves two games out of first place in the conference with three consecutive road games looming. One of the teams sitting between IU and first-place Illinois and Michigan State is Iowa. The Hawkeyes (15-4, 4-2) won 87-74 at Minnesota Wednesday, ending a two-game losing skid.\nRecker, who led Iowa with 17 points against the Gophers, said he's happy to be back in the Big Ten, where he can regularly see his family. Alford's scheme has also pleased Recker and his high aspirations concerning his year-and-a-half of eligibility remaining at Iowa.\n"This offense provides a lot of freedom," Recker said. "It's not so structured. You get to read defenses, but it is a little difficult to learn. \n"I'd like the story to end with me cutting down the nets here for Iowa and to be sitting in a room waiting for the NBA draft. I have a lot of goals for myself as a basketball player."\nIU's shot at sidetracking Recker's plan must include slowing down Recker, senior guard Dean Oliver and junior forward Reggie Evans. All three average double-figure points per game, with Recker leading the way at 17.6. The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Evans, a junior college transfer, also pulls down 12.2 rebounds per contest to lead the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Minnesota 38-21 and average nearly nine more rebounds per game than their opponents. \nIU junior center Kirk Haston, who scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Hawkeyes last year, and freshman forward Jared Jeffries will likely battle with Evans under the bucket. Haston, like Recker, averages 17.6 points per game and is second in the conference only to Evans in rebounding, at 9.1 per game. \nIU's inexperience could be paramount, compared to Iowa's. Only three Hoosiers have scored against Iowa in their careers. Though the Hawkeye roster includes eight newcomers, Oliver, a clever and seasoned veteran, directs the Iowa offense.\n"I\'m lucky to be playing with him," Recker said of Oliver. "He's a great leader, and he pushes me every day."\nOliver boasts a league-best 2.83 assist-to-turnover ratio and hands out 4.47 assists per game. The 5-foot-11 sparkplug has earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors for two seasons and has his sights set on a conference crown. \n"It's a marathon in the Big Ten, so a lot of things can happen," he said. "We've done a great job of blending in."\nBlending in will be hard for Recker, whose story rarely goes untold when discussing either IU or Iowa basketball. But Alford and Recker maintain their steadfast appreciation for each other and their team. \n"You're looking at a kid who was a top-15 player coming out of high school and got off to a great start at Indiana," Alford said. "I think the talent is obvious. He's got the body; he's got the strength."\nFormer coach Bob Knight was still directing the Hoosiers for last year's meeting. Despite the absence of Knight, Recker said he still has some issues to settle -- with himself and his former school. \n"I think I have a lot of things to prove," he said. "I took a lot of criticism for leaving IU, then with the second transfer. But people don't understand the circumstances, and I think my close group of friends and my family understand what I've been through." \nAs for his former coache's absence?\n"I think it's unfortunate that Coach Knight isn't going to be there," Recker said. "Personally, it doesn't matter to me. It's still a game. I'll be wearing an Iowa uniform, they'll be wearing an Indiana uniform. It's going to be different looking over at that bench and not seeing Coach Knight"
(11/16/00 4:53pm)
An IU volleyball fan stood just feet from the court opposite the Hoosier bench Wednesday night, dropping to push-up position after each Hoosier point. His-push-up-after-every-point approach did help a crowd of 397 hop to its feet, but had Amanda Welter's wish been granted, the fan might have left University Gym strong enough to bench press a couple of cars in the parking lot. \nWelter, a senior outside hitter, wanted one victory against national power Penn State. It didn't seem like much -- until the all-time series results were revealed: Penn State's 20 wins to IU's 0. That 20th triumph came Wednesday, as the No. 11 Nittany Lions cruised to a 15-1, 15-11, 15-12 conference victory. \n"It's disappointing," Welter said of being topped by Penn State for the eighth time in her career. "Penn State's not what it used to be. They aren't the team they were two years ago, or last year. We just weren't mentally tough. We weren't focused."\nThe two-time defending Big Ten champions and defending NCAA champion Nittany Lions disposed of IU in three games for the sixth straight time. The last time IU (15-12, 6-11 in Big Ten play) won a single game against Penn State came in 1996. \nThe Lions reeled off the first six points of game one, barely allowing IU to mutter any discontent. The Hoosiers did manage to battle back from a 9-5 deficit in game two, to tie the contest at nine. Penn State (24-5, 13-4) then pulled away behind the hard-hitting duo of junior Katie Schumacher and sophomore Mishka Levy. \nIU jumped to its only lead of the night in game three, scoring the initial point, but Schumacher and Levy again powered Penn State to an 8-2 lead. Welter recorded four straight kills to pull IU within two, at 12-10. Freshman outside hitter Nikki Hill then slammed two of her own to tie the game. Schumacher and Levy came to the rescue again, bailing out Penn State and ripping off the match's final three points to seal the victory. \nSchumacher ended with 16 kills and 19 digs, and Levy finished with 14 kills and 10 digs. The same duo spelled defeat for IU last month in State College, Penn., where Penn State dumped IU in three games. Welter led the Hoosiers with 19 kills and hit a staggering .410. \n"Penn State played very well," IU coach Katie Weismiller said. "Levy and Schumacher did a good job. But we lacked the heart and confidence we needed to win the match."\nThe same problems have plagued IU in its bid to topple a ranked opponent this season. The Hoosiers have yet to beat a ranked foe, hurting their already slim chances to slip into the NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers must knock off No. 17 Ohio State at home Friday night and beat Illinois and Purdue on the road to have any shot at extending the current streak of two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. \n"This doesn't help," Weismiller said of the loss and the Hoosiers' post-season predicament. "Penn State doesn't have as many guns as in years past. Now, we have to win to have the slightest chance. We have to take care of business; we have no other choice"
(11/15/00 5:22am)
The volleyball team is due for a win. They face off tonight against No. 9 Penn State, but the odds don't seem to be on their side. The odds, in fact, sit with the defending national champion and two-time Big Ten defending champion Nittany Lions.\nHistory, odds, chances, whatever you call it, IU has never been able to handle any Penn State team -- ever. The perennial power Lions have beaten the Hoosiers all 19 times the two schools have met.\nIU gets its chance at a monumental upset at 7 p.m. in University Gym. Penn State just came off one of its own. The Lions downed No. 4 Wisconsin in five games Saturday in State College, Pa., a night after the Badgers bumped the Hoosiers in four games in Bloomington.\nCoach Katie Weismiller said the tough loss fostered confidence and helped her bunch feel it has a shot at knocking off the Lions.\n"We need the momentum," she said. "We're on our home court, and we need to finish strong. I feel like we're peaking. This is a great opportunity."\nPenn State dumped IU 15-7, 15-10, 15-9 last month. Sophomore middle blocker Mishka Levy spearheads the Lion attack with 4.32 kills per game and has helped Penn State win 12 of its last 13 games after beginning the league season with three consecutive losses.\nLevy hit .500 in the last meet, tallying 21 kills. Teammate Katie Schumacher added 15 kills, and Penn State (23-5, 12-4 Big Ten) hit .356 for the match. But Weismiller did credit her team, saying it made Penn State commit more unforced errors than usual, something the sharp, disciplined Lions rarely do. It will take more of the same pressure and solid passing and serving to thrust IU (15-11, 6-10) to victory.\n"We just can't be afraid," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "This is our best chance to upset Penn State, and we have nothing to lose. We're playing a team we grew up idolizing; we have to get past that."\nWelter said before the previous contest that she'd like one upset of Penn State on her college resume. She said being in familiar territory should help the Hoosiers' cause. The mid-week timetable of the match does cause somewhat of a mix-up in IU's schedule, but Weismiller and Welter agreed it shouldn't affect the match outcome.\nThe Hoosiers realize an upset would weigh heavily in their outside bid at an NCAA tournament berth. History is on their side. In each of the last two seasons, IU has out-dueled Minnesota in the regular season finale to earn a post-season bid. A late-season upset of either Penn State or Ohio State, which visits Friday, could likely do the same.\n"We have to be aggressive, and play with heart," sophomore setter Laurie Gardner said. "We have to keep (the NCAA tourney) in mind."\nThe team hopes to combat Penn State's fundamentally sound play with sharp passing, transition and ball control of its own. Weismiller said that when the chance comes to put balls away, the Hoosiers must do so. Not in any one match thus far this season, Weismiller said, have all six Hoosiers on the floor clicked. She cited that as the reason IU is yet to beat a ranked opponent this year. A mere 80 percent effort from everyone tonight, she said, could make the difference. "We need strength in all six spots," she said. "We can't have anyone have an off-night. If we bury the ball and play aggressive defense, we\'ll be in good shape."\nNote:\nWeismiller announced Thursday the signing of four letters of intent from high school standouts across the Midwest. Christina Archibald (Belleville, Ill.), Stephanie Blevins (Windsor, Penn.), Karla Crose (Lincoln, Neb.) and Victoria Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill.) are all scheduled to suit up for Weismiller next fall.\nTONIGHT\nOpponent: Penn State\nWhen: 7 p.m. \nWhere: University Gym
(11/09/00 4:42am)
Dewitz, her teammates and coach Katie Weismiller don't know exactly how much action Dewitz will see on any particular night, if she plays at all. \nDewitz's time between the lines has no set schedule, no pattern, no rhythm. \nOne minute, she's a role player. The next, she's a star. The next, she gazes from the sidelines.\nThe 6-foot-1 middle blocker has played in 64 games this season; seven fellow Hoosiers have seen as much or more of the floor than Dewitz. She began the season consistently starting. Now, she serves primarily as the first, second or third woman off the bench. She's become part of the supporting cast. \n"At the beginning of the year, I wanted to be a dominating force," Dewitz said. "It's whoever gets the job done (that gets the playing time). But, I'm always fighting, too."\nDewitz continues to grapple for prime time court appearances, but her career in Bloomington has helped her become callous toward points, games and matches on the bench. At Springfield High School in Toledo, Ohio, she also played basketball and a season on the boys' tennis squad, earning all-league honors at No. 2 singles. After setting four volleyball school records and being named Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year, Dewitz turned down offers from Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan, instead turning to IU. But the standout statistics haven't come so steadily in college. \nDewitz played in only 29 games as a freshman, 22 her sophomore season and a career-low 18 last year. 1999 graduates Cydryce Carter and Jill Mudge manned the middle for the Hoosiers, pushing Dewitz toward the bench. \nAn explosive spring season helped Dewitz play herself into the lineup, but the emergence of freshman Monique Pritz and the inconsistency from the Hoosiers in the win column impeded her status. Now, whether she plays depends on how the Hoosiers are playing, the opponents' strengths and who is better suited to suit up. The indecisiveness of Weismiller has resulted in friendly competition.\n"She knows, on any given day, her position can change," Weismiller said of Dewitz. "Sometimes, we don't know who will start until the end of the week, but she's making the most of it."\nPritz brings a more powerful arm and better blocking to the court, Weismiller said, while Dewitz features a quicker, more offensive-oriented game. The combination of Pritz and Dewitz plays into Weismiller's hands, helping her flip-flop her lineup to better combat the counterparts. \nIf Dewitz doesn't capture the respect of foes, she's certainly done so from teammates. Senior Amanda Welter said Dewitz remains upbeat and positive. \n"She's in a tough role," said Welter, who said she expected Dewitz to get more match time before the season began. "But, she's never given up, and she's never down. I'm sure she's not real happy (with her playing time), but she's never showed it."\nDewitz admitted that the lack of playing time does sting, but she said she doesn't regret choosing IU over Ohio State, which sits in third place in the Big Ten and inside the top 10 in the latest national rankings. She hasn't begun to ponder her career, which is slowly winding down; only six more matches remain for Dewitz, pending a post-season appearance. \nBut within those six matches, Dewitz will likely surpass the career statistics she racked up in her first three years for the Hoosiers. She's tripled her kill and block totals, boosted her hitting percentage and said she doesn't need those six games to justify that she belongs on the court. She's already done that, whether she plays a starring role or not. \n"I think I've proven myself," she said. "It's discouraging in some ways, but I feel like something changes and it's not positive for me, I'm just going to work harder to prove that I should be out there. It gives me an incentive"
(11/01/00 4:25am)
Friendly confines anywhere in the Big Ten? Hardly.\nWell, sometimes. Sometimes far from it.\nThe women's volleyball team has yet to find any gymnasium, hall or arena overly cordial, not even their home turf -- University Gym.\nIU sputters in Bloomington, then glitters the following night. The Hoosiers evened their home Big Ten record at 3-3 with Saturday's win against Michigan. That was followed by a clumsy, uninspired loss to No. 23 Michigan State.\nBut the road hasn't been so affable. Not even close. IU has managed only one road triumph in six tries thus far in conference play -- that win coming against the team that has spent this season scraping the mildew of the Big Ten's basement walls, Northwestern. The Wildcats are a meager 1-11 in the league.\nIn five road Big Ten losses, the Hoosiers (13-9, 4-8 in Big Ten play) have won only two games, both against Michigan. Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State all befuddled the Hoosiers 3-0.\nThe reason is simple: Battling hundreds of miles from Bloomington isn't enviable.\n"It's tough to play away," sophomore setter Laurie Gardner said. "But we can't use that as an excuse. It's tough to win on the road against any team, but we need to come up with some road wins."\nGardner deflects excuses, but IU's road counterparts haven't been slouches. All five of the schools that hogtied the Hoosiers were ranked in the top 25 at one point in the season, and only Michigan has fallen out. The good news is those conference-leading squads swing through southern Indiana this time in the Big Ten schedule.\n"If you look at our losses on the road, they're at ranked teams," coach Katie Weismiller said. "Our performance hasn't been up to what we want it to be, but we've also been playing some tough competition."\nThe road miseries aren't foreign territory for Weismiller and her troops. IU went 4-6 on the road in conference play a year ago and won only one Big Ten road game in 1998. That year, however, the Hoosiers went an impressive 8-2 at home, losing to only No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 2 Penn State.\nWisconsin now sits at No. 5; the Badgers bounced IU in three games early this season. IU shot out to a 2-1 lead in Ann Arbor, but fizzled, losing to Michigan, who dropped out of the Top 25 two weeks before hosting IU. No. 11 Penn State flattened the Hoosiers in three games, and No. 13 Ohio State handed IU its worst defeat of the season; the Hoosiers tallied a measly 15 points the entire match, hitting only 0.119. IU has had to continually attempt to dig itself out of early holes in previous road matches.\n"You can't get down in the beginning," freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer said. "If you start out on top on the road, it's a lot easier to stay on top."\nSolutions to the problem come in bunches -- act like the opposing fans are cheering for you, block them out entirely, focus only on your side of the net. Weismiller said the team's mental approach is the fundamental hurdle. Whatever it takes, IU needs something to boost its road performances through the Big Ten's second half if any hopes of post-season play are granted. \n"I think it's mostly mental," Brewer said of the road doldrums. "We need to prepare ourselves for being in a different environment"
(10/30/00 6:03am)
It might just be that the volleyball team suffers from a slight personality disorder.\nFriday, the sluggish, uninspired version poked its head into University Gym.\nA mere 24 hours later, IU's energized, upbeat twin rumbled in.\nThe difference in the dual personalities was as discernable as the results it provided: first, a sloppy 15-5, 15-9, 15-12 loss to No. 23 Michigan State, then a 11-15, 17-15, 15-7, 15-10 win against Michigan.\nThe explanation for the erratic play was simple.\n"We were the aggressors (against Michigan)," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "We came after them. We were passing well, serving tough. We came after them, as opposed to sitting back and being defensive."\nBut before IU (13-9, 4-8 Big Ten) broke its three-game losing skid against the Wolverines, Michigan State (13-8, 6-6) dominated the Hoosiers. IU crumbled after hanging with the Spartans for the first 10 points, as MSU rattled off six points in succession to put away game one and seemingly zap the Hoosiers of their energy.\nIU managed only a 0.185 hitting percentage, served eight errant passes and never put up much of a fight.\nCoach Katie Weismiller implemented lineup changes, with senior defensive specialist Joanne Amstutz and freshman defensive specialist Beth Heimann seeing more playing time. Welter, who usually flip-flops in and out of the lineup in order to sit out her turn to serve, stayed in the games this weekend, as she served and saw some back row action.\nThe mix-ups didn't seem to have any effect Friday, but worked like a charm Saturday.\nThe team corrected its poor passing and lackluster energy to whiz past Michigan (13-10, 3-9) in a tense match of two teams trying to climb from the Big Ten basement.\nThe Hoosiers dropped game one and blew a 12-6 lead in game two before bouncing back to grab the next match and the momentum.\n"I think we just lost our focus for a little bit," Amstutz said of the Hoosiers' game two struggles. "We regained it, though, and didn't give up."\nIU's 0.231 hitting percentage wasn't overwhelming, but the play of freshman outside hitter Nicole Hill was. Hill hit 0.455 with a match-high 19 kills and recorded 10 digs, as she sprawled across the floor to make several saves. The Muncie native had her hand in three of IU's final five points, helping IU sideout, then serving an ace to nail down the win.\n"I felt good," Hill said. "(Sophomore setter) Laurie (Gardner) did a great job. I had a lot of open shots. I had lots of options."\nThe option-oriented attack disappeared in IU's losses against Ohio State and Michigan State earlier this season, but four Hoosiers reached double figures in kills Saturday. IU slapped a giant band-aid on its arm with the win, helping gain some momentum for the remaining league contests.\n"We were in the game (Saturday) from the beginning," Weismiller said. "We played as a team and celebrated everything. We were on it"
(10/26/00 4:52am)
Senior outside hitter Amanda Welter is an imposing figure.\nAt 6-foot-3, with sturdy shoulders and a hammer for an arm, she is big. But she's also good. \nHer statistics reflect her physical stature: 1,022 career kills, a .273 career hitting percentage and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament. \nBut her actions often reflect a pouting, moody 3-year-old who hasn't grown up: tantrums, flailing arms and going from a frown to a smile in seconds. Welter's emotions control her and emit an aura of confidence, competitiveness and discontent with the volleyball team's current Big Ten slide. \nOne minute, a scrunched eyebrow. The next, a fist-pumping outburst. \nBut her uneasiness regarding the Hoosiers' disappointing season carries merit. It's Welter who's been coach Katie Weismiller's go-to-player and it's Welter's career that slowly -- and bitterly -- slips away with each IU defeat. \n"It's tough," Welter said of coming face-to-face with the end of her IU career. "I wanted to have an impact, to change the program. I don't want IU volleyball to take a step down."\nThe Cincinnati native, who entered Weismiller's lineup as a regular at the onset of her sophomore season, has done her part in helping IU turn the corner. \nBut her chances of making another post-season appearance dwindled after IU's first-half league struggles. \n"We," she slowly and rhythmically says, "have some work to do."\nWelter maintains a team-first attitude, but her line on the stat sheet glitters. In the final game of the Hoosiers' Oct. 14 three-game pounding of Purdue, Welter became just the seventh player in IU history to record 1,000 career kills. One would think Welter's response would include her routine arm-waving and repeated jumping, but she deflected the attention. She said she knew nothing of the approaching milestone. \n "I had no idea," Welter said. "My mom started to say something (about nearing 1,000 kills), but she stopped. It feels good, but I don't pay attention to individual stats."\n Welter, who holds the Mother McAuley (Cincinnati) High School career kills record and was one of three basketball players in school history to register 1,000 career points, won't spring to the tip-top of IU's kills list, but she'll come close. Ryann Conners finished her IU career last year, leaving with 1,533 kills. Welter credits Conners, a four-year starter, with helping her develop her own skills since arriving in Bloomington, the same way IU's current young front line directs praise toward her. \nWelter has helped nurture seven freshmen, three of whom sit right behind her in kills this season, and all of whom have at least two more seasons in cream and crimson.\n"I love playing with Amanda," freshman outside hitter Nicole Hill said. "I can't imagine playing without her. She's never negative, and she just dominates."\nOne of the reasons teammates enjoy Welter's on-court presence lies in her emotion, her antics, her pick-me-up attitude. \n"She whips her arms and smiles real big," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said. "We feed off that."\nWhile her emotions sit well with her as she battles her remaining 10 games, barring a post-season berth, her teammates and coaches speak gloomily about the prospects of playing next season without their leader; they'll have to find someone else to thrash their arms or bounce up and down after a momentum-swinging kill.\n"She's an offensive weapon," Weismiller said. "She doesn't have many matches left, but we'll make the most of her career. We're going to miss Amanda"
(10/24/00 5:11am)
The volleyball squad began hastily bouncing balls off the practice floor just before 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, sending noisy echoes throughout University Gym.\nThe barrage of thuds was indicative of the Hoosiers' lackluster run through the Big Ten's first half. No pows. No explosions. No bams. The closest thing to fireworks this season came in a three-game thumping of Purdue. \nOther than that, not much. Only losing streaks and frowning faces.\nCoach Katie Weismiller's squad skidded to just three wins in its first 10 Big Ten games, allowing the Hoosiers to sit two games from last place. \n"We're very disappointed," Weismiller said. "We have the potential, but we're not doing anything about it. No one's happy."\nLast year, IU finished 10-10 in the Big Ten race and upset No. 16 Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 17 Northern Iowa. The 1999 season marked the second consecutive year IU appeared in post-season play. \nIn 2000, hopes for a post-season repeat victory began quickly fading when the Hoosiers dropped five consecutive Big Ten contests.\nBut Weismiller and company ended IU's longest losing streak in four years with a sweep of Illinois and the Boilermakers Oct. 13 and 14, but again sputtered in losses to national powers Penn State and Ohio State. \n"Our best play was when we swept Illinois and Purdue," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said. "We thought we were done struggling, but that only lasted one weekend. We can beat anyone. We're just lacking heart and desire."\nIU (12-8, 3-7 Big Ten) has yet to win a game, let alone a match, against any of the Big Ten's top-five teams. Iowa and Michigan -- teams in front of the Hoosiers -- stunned IU with devastating losses. The trio of Hoosier triumphs have come at the hands of the three teams trailing IU in the conference. Those three squads -- Illinois, Purdue and Northwestern -- have a combined league record of 3-21 before this weekend's play.\n"It's a bunch of 'should've' and 'could've,'" freshman outside hitter Nicole Hill said of IU's first 10 games. "There's games, like against Iowa and Michigan, where we didn't even compete."\nHill, Toivonen and Weismiller said IU's problems aren't physical, but pyschological. The Hoosiers simply haven't been able to convert solid practices into spectacular games, let alone winning efforts. \nWeismiller plans to tweak her lineup for the remaining 10 games, flip-flopping personnel and positions to create a spark. She also said she plans changes in practice.\nWeismiller remains upbeat IU's problems can be fixed, but she wonders why they haven't been mended. \n"It's a double-edged sword," she said. "We've had some matches where we didn't show up. We have to be ready when the lights come on."\nIU's once-proud serving game has flickered for Weismiller. The Hoosiers confused and criss-crossed Purdue with solid serves, opening the gate for the resounding win. But the Hoosiers haven't been able to sustain the serving game at any point this season. Weismiller will make adjustments, including jump-serving and positioning of servers, in hopes of igniting her troops for the final trips through the Big Ten. \nThe rest of the schedule could help the Hoosiers. IU has already made visits to some of the Big Ten's toughest road venues, including Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State, and has six of the final 10 games in Bloomington.\n"We need to get fired up," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "We need to protect our home court. We know we have the talent. We have one last chance to knock off the top teams"