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(01/25/01 5:14am)
The odds are stacked against the women's basketball team when it takes on No. 15 Penn State 7:30 p.m. today in Assembly Hall.\nNot only are the Hoosiers 0-3 against ranked teams this season, that list includes Penn State. The Lady Lions handed IU its worst defeat of the season, 89-68, 11 days ago.\n"Penn State is the best team I've coached against," coach Kathi Bennett said after the loss. "We played hard, but their size really hurt us."\nPenn State has seen strong performances from each of its starters this season. All five scored in double figures against IU.\nBut the biggest performance came from freshman Kelly Mazzante, a Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate, who shredded the IU defense for 23 points in State College.\n"She's fun to watch, and a pleasure to work with," Penn State coach Rene Portland said. "We literally have to pull her off the court, because she wants to be out there all the time."\nWhile Penn State has a freshman leading the team in scoring, IU's three freshmen don't even combine to score 17 points per game, Mazzante's average.\nAlthough the make-up of both teams appears similar -- both are playing with three freshmen -- the ways in which each team uses its young guns are different. \nMazzante is averaging more than 28 minutes per game, compared to freshman Anna Waugh's 20. Waugh leads the Hoosier freshmen with 6.8 points per game. \n"I really like what I saw from (Waugh) at the Wisconsin game," Bennett said. "She's really starting to come back and we are going to need her against Penn State. We played good basketball when she's playing very well, and I am excited about the progress she's made."\nWaugh scored 17 points in her Hoosier debut in November, but has had a roller coaster ride since. The 5-foot-8 guard scored in double digits in her first two Big Ten games, but hasn't been able to reach double digits since a Dec. 31 win against Michigan State. Waugh went scoreless in 14 minutes of play in the Hoosiers' last contest, a 69-62 loss at Wisconsin.\n"It's harder (to score) than I thought," Waugh said. "It's more difficult mentally and physically. I come and go a lot. I get frustrated at myself a lot."\nFreshman Charliss Ridley started the season with much of the same fire that Waugh produced. In the first exhibition game, Ridley scored 16 points, but went scoreless in the season opener against Washington. Her regular season scoring high is 12.\n"Charliss is struggling a bit right now," Bennett said. "But I know that she is a competitor, and she will bounce back."\nNicole Motto rounds out the freshman class. The 5-foot-5 guard, with a great jump shot and a promising future, has been out for three weeks with mononucleosis. \n"It's very difficult for me to sit and watch any time, let alone not being physically able to play," Motto said. "It's hard to have mono, because I feel fine."\nMotto has been watching the Hoosiers as they prepare for the Penn State game this week in practice. The Hoosiers have been working on their transition game, shot selection and ball handling.\n"This week has been intense," Motto said. "I think we are ready. The last Penn State game deserves revenge, so I think we are ready for that."\n"We beat ourselves last time. I don't think a team takes us out (of) things. We have to play hard, and stay together as a team no matter what is happening on and off the court"
(01/17/01 5:28am)
Some say the quiet ones are always more dangerous.\nThis silent predator for the women's basketball team comes in the form of a 6-foot-5 inch junior from Montpelier, Ind. \nHer name is Jill Chapman.\n"She's that soft-spoken person," senior guard Heather Cassady said. "Every once in a while, she'll hit a big shot that will get her going, but most of the time she's kind of reserved." \nChapman, at a glance, doesn't seem menacing. She's quiet by nature, and is the person who listens to everyone else talk rather than do it herself. \nShe doesn't say much on the court, but if her hand is raised, and the ball is coming her way, the defense better be ready -- for a jumper, hook shot or a lay-up. Chapman is hitting more than 56 percent of her shots this season.\n"She's a great player," said Katie Abrahamson, associate head coach at Michigan State. "She's big and strong, and it forces our defense to always be aware of her. She's one of the most premier post players in the country."\nIt is this ability that helped Chapman land the Big Ten Player of the Week honor twice this season. Chapman and Purdue All-American Katie Douglas are the only two players in the conference to accomplish this feat. \nThe first time Chapman received the award was in November when she helped the Hoosiers to a quick 5-0 start. The Hoosiers played four games in six days. Chapman averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds during those four contests.\nChapman garnered the award for the second time during the first week of Big Ten play, after leading the Hoosiers to consecutive victories against Ohio State and Penn State. Over the span of both games, Chapman averaged 31 points and 20 rebounds.\n"Jill is one of our keys," coach Kathi Bennett said. "She's made strides in her defense and running the floor. When she's playing well, that definitely gives us a chance against anyone."\nHer strong performances aren't limited to those games.\nChapman leads the Hoosiers in scoring at more than 14 points per game. She is also IU's rebounding leader with an average of 7.7 per game.\nThe Blackford High School graduate ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring and her rebounding numbers place her in a tie for fifth place in the conference.\nIt's important to Chapman to maintain those numbers, because it means she is keeping up her playing philosophy.\n"I like to lead by example," Chapman said. "I try to go and work hard, and hopefully people notice that."\nShe doesn't take her strong games for granted, and goes to great lengths to make sure her game is at its best each night. \nAmong staying focused and preparing for her opponents, she sticks to a game day routine.\nBut Chapman almost didn't even know she had one, and was dangerously close to snapping her tradition. \nHer ritual? \nShaving her legs. More specifically, shaving the left limb before the right. In the past, she relied on a caffeinated drink before each game, but now she makes sure to keep her tradition going.\n"Now that I know about it, I have to make sure I do it, or else," Chapman said.\nBut broken ritual or not, a happier Chapman takes the floor each night. In the spring of 2000, IU fired former head coach Jim Izard and brought in Bennett. Chapman said she is more content with the new staff and the direction of the program.\n"The team is more together this year," Chapman said. "The coaching staff is so fun to be around. They love the game, and it makes the team love it even more because we show the dedication the coaches put into it."\nThe Hoosiers have staggered lately. Sunday, IU faced Penn State in a game that turned into a Nittany Lion blowout. Despite the loss, Chapman is confident the Hoosiers have what it takes to turn their situation around.\n"We've just got to keep working hard," Chapman said. "Sometimes it's going to be ugly, but if we keep playing hard, we'll get loose balls, we'll get rebounds, and we've just got to keep bouncing back as a team"
(01/10/01 5:46am)
With four seconds remaining on the game clock against Michigan Tuesday night, Tom Coverdale passed the ball outside to Kirk Haston. It was the same play IU used in Sunday's game against Michigan State. Haston took a look at the basket and shot the ball -- but this time, it bounced around the rim a few times before falling to the floor. The shot was no good. \nThe only difference was that the buzzer signified the end of the first half, and IU was leading by one point. And unlike Sunday's triumphant win against Michigan State, IU couldn't handle Michigan's other team, losing to the Wolverines 70-64.\nHaston struggled from the outside shot tonight. \n"It was a tough night," Haston said. "Things just weren't dropping." \nHaston was named Big Ten Player of the Week Monday for the second time this season. Not only did Haston's three-pointer seal the Michigan State game, but he also led the team in scoring with 27 points. \nFreshman guard Andre Owens called Tuesday's six-point loss a let down.\n"We just weren't prepared for tonight," said Owens, who scored 10 off the bench for IU. "We just have to come out ready next time. (Michigan) was just more into it than we were."
(01/08/01 5:45am)
IU had its hand on the gun, ready to pick off a top-10 team.\nBut unlike the men's basketball team, which upset No. 1 Michigan State just hours earlier, the women's squad couldn't pull the trigger.\nThere was no last-minute comeback for the women in the battle for first place in the conference Sunday, as IU fell to No. 6 Purdue 67-59.\nThe Hoosiers appeared to be on the road to an upset in the second half. IU came back from 22 points down to draw within four of the Boilermakers with less than five minutes left. Purdue managed to pull away in the final minutes.\nThe Boilermakers took control of the game early in the first half. Two minutes into the game, both teams were scoreless, but combined for six turnovers, setting the pace for a first half that was littered with turnovers, missed shots and fouls.\nThe Hoosiers scored first off a lay-up by Big Ten Player of the Week Jill Chapman. That was the junior center's lone score in the first half. Chapman had an uncharacteristic single rebound and only eight minutes of playing time in the first half.\n"(Chapman) got into foul trouble early," coach Kathi Bennett said. "We rotated with (sophomore center) Erika (Christenson), but their pressure affected us."\nThe score remained 2-0 until Purdue scored on a lay-up from All-American Katie Douglas. The Hoosiers scored only once more before the Boilermakers went on a 6-0 run and increased their lead to 10.\nPurdue didn't let the Hoosiers decrease the deficit, but continued to push the lead on scoring runs of its own. Douglas, who suffered a concussion two days earlier, led the Boilermakers in the first half with 11 points.\nPurdue came out firing in the second half. Freshman forward Shalicia Hurns, filling in for Mary Jo Noon who sustained a season-ending knee injury last week led the Boilermakers on a run to increase the lead to 22 points just four minutes into the second half. Hurns ended with 19 points and eight rebounds on 8-for-9 shooting from the floor.\n"We continue to need to step up," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. "Hurns really did that for us."\nBut the Hoosier defense held the Boilers at 45 and IU went on a scoring binge of its own. After a pair of free throws and another IU score, Purdue answered each of the Hoosiers' next two buckets.\nIt wasn't until five minutes left in the game that it appeared IU had an upset on its hands. Purdue turnovers enabled the Hoosiers to get back into the contest.\n"We've got to do a lot better job of maintaining leads," Douglas said. "But we did a good job of staying together as a team."\nBut IU couldn't mount a charge, and just as in the first half, the Boilermakers were able to take advantage of Hoosier mistakes.\n"It was a tough game," Bennett said. "Purdue took us out of what we wanted to do offensively, and just bothered the heck out of us"
(12/08/00 5:21am)
The women's basketball team is taking its 7-1 record on the road this weekend to face 1-4 South Florida in the Dodge Shootout in Tampa, Fla. \nDespite a poor record and low numbers from the Bulls, the Hoosiers said they are taking this game as seriously as any other game.\n"You have to respect everybody," junior guard Heather Cassady said. "On any given night, you can beat anybody. I think that's been proven a lot, so we have to respect them."\nThis is the best start IU has had since the 1994-95 season, and the Hoosiers are already backing up their predictions. The team received 30 votes in The Associated Press Poll Monday after a 53-51 loss to then-No. 8 Louisiana Tech. Junior center Jill Chapman was named Big Ten Player of the Week after the Hoosiers' first four wins, and IU is among the top four in 10 of 19 categories for the Big Ten. \nCoach Kathi Bennett credits the success to the energy the team has shown lately. In the Hoosiers' final practice Thursday, the team was all smiles as it ended the practice with a free-throw drill. \nOne player was at the free throw line, while the rest of the team watched from the baseline. How many free throws the player missed determined how many sprints the team would run. Even that couldn't wipe the giddiness off their faces.\n"We're more of a team this year," Cassady said. "We communicate better than we did. Our practices help, because we work really hard."\nSouth Florida got off to a rough start this year. The Bulls' leading scorers are sophomore guard Aiya Shepard and junior center Denetrice Stinson, who average 21 and 14 points per game, respectively. Nine of the 12 players on the team are underclassman, and five are true freshmen. The team averaged 67 points and 32 rebounds in their first five games, and are shooting 40 percent from the field goal range.\n The Hoosiers spent their practices going over possible situations they might see from South Florida.\n "We walked through a couple of their sets," freshman forward Charliss Ridley said. "They like to penetrate a lot. We have to be quick and on our feet. That's what we've been working on defensively."\nIU has also spent time focusing on end-of-the-game situations. In four of its eight games, the final score has been decided in the final minutes. The team won with a three point shot from junior guard Tara Jones at the buzzer in the non-conference opener against Washington. Last second threes were also crucial last weekend in games against Louisiana Tech and Houston.\nBennett said the team has taken time to prepare for the possibility of those situations.\n"We have to stay with the game plan," Bennett said. "As a coach, I sure would like that not to happen, but I don't have much control over that. We practice at least twice a week on what we'd like to do." \nIt will be the second of four games the Hoosiers play on the road. Despite the long airplane rides and time changes, the team continues to remain energized, Bennett said.\n"I told them at the end of practice that they make life worth living, because they have really come together," Bennett said. "Energy and attitude is contagious, and the team is being contagious. But I'm not going to lie to you, winning helps"
(12/07/00 4:08am)
Northwestern women's head basketball coach June Olkowski understands the position that IU's women's basketball coach Kathi Bennett holds. Olkowski was a first-year coach last year.\n"As a competitor, you want (to win) right now," Olkowski said. "(But) no matter what happens, you have to patient, and good or bad, you have to maintain balance."\nIt took a losing season in Olkowski's first year for her to recognize and re-evaluate her coaching methods. Last year, the Wildcats were not one team, but 12 individuals, and Olkowski spent more time yelling than teaching, she said.\nThis year, she and the team have a new focus, and it has nothing to do with the game itself. This year's goal is to regain team unity and instill more dedication in her players.\n"The one area we've improved on is our work ethic," Olkowski said. "We just work harder and efficiently. We've worked at an intensity that you need to win games."\nSo far, the Wildcats are 4-3, an improvement from last year's 2-5 start. But as a whole, the Wildcats are light years ahead of last year's team.\n"The first year with coach was rough," senior guard Tami Sears said. "There was a lot of head butting on both sides. But the spring took a dramatic turn; everything went great."\nWhat Olkowski said she expects out of Sears and senior guard Dana Leonard is another big year. Last year, Sears was the leading rebounder and scorer, and is expected to have a repeat performance this year, Olkowski said. Leonard ranked third in the Big Ten for most three-pointers (54), and is one of six guards suiting up for the Wildcats. \nSophomore guard Emily Butler is one of those players expected to join Leonard in the backcourt. Butler won the starting position as a freshman, and started 24 out of 28 games last year. This season, Butler has already scored a game-high 25 points in an exhibition game, and led the team in scoring against Drake with 18 points.\nButler, Leonard, two sophomores and two juniors round out the guard positions for the Wildcats.\n"I am excited to see what they will add to the mix this season," Olkowski said.\nSears will be the leader in the post position for Northwestern. She had 7.6 rebounds per game last year, and despite suffering from stress fractures, Sears is healthy and improving, Olkowski said.\nThe change this season was keyed over the summer, when the Wildcats built a strong team bond. Now, they're one team. \n"We all changed," Leonard said. "The relationships between the players and coaches are unbelievable."\nDespite being last, or close to last, in almost every Big Ten statistical category last season, the Wildcats have high hopes for this year.\n"They are still very young, but last year they got their feet wet, and that will pay off this season," Olkowski said. "I am excited to see what they will add to the mix this season"
(11/30/00 5:45am)
Ohio State women's basketball coach Beth Burns starts her fourth season in the Big Ten with confidence the Buckeyes will be the most successful team in the league.\n"There's not a coach in this league that doesn't think they're (going to the NCAA tournament)," Burns said. "Realistically, we all have big strengths, and it's going to come down to that."\nLast year, the Buckeyes finished 13-15, but had the youngest starting line-up in the conference. Three freshmen and two sophomores started, and nine of the 13 players were underclassmen.\nThe underclassmen also had to step up last year after junior Tomeka Brown and senior Jamie Lewis were injured. The Buckeyes played 15 games against opponents who qualified for the postseason.\n"We had six first-year players a year ago and two ACL injuries," Burns said. "We were very competitive, but we were inconsistent. We had a very good off-season, and I am confident that we can continue to be competitive."\nTrue to Burns' word about starting strong, the Buckeyes are off to a 3-0 start. The team added new opponents to their schedule this year but kept in-state rivals Cleveland State and Bowling Green. The Buckeyes traveled to Alaska to compete in the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, where they outscored opponents 175-124.\nA big strength to the Buckeye line-up is the return of 1999 Big Ten Rookie of the Year, sophomore center LaToya Turner. She was the No.1 scorer for Ohio State last year (11.2 ppg) and has 94 total points in five games played this season.\nSophomore Courtney Coleman shot 50 percent from the floor, the second best on the team, and shot a team-leading 52.9 percent in Big Ten play.\nAnother bonus for the team is the return of senior co-captain Jamie Lewis. Lewis has suffered two acute cruciate ligament injuries and missed a majority of last season but returned to the line-up this season.\n"Jamie has razor sharp focus," Burns said. "She's had a terrific off-season, and when your senior co-captain works that hard, it affects everybody."\nJoining Lewis in the backcourt is guard Tanya McLure who started 13 games last year. McLure averaged 16 minutes last year and finished second on the team in steals (36) and assists (67).\n"Tanya and Jamie had phenomenal springs," Burns said. "They shattered records and have been great for each other both as challengers and supporters of one another. They've done extra and that's how you get good."\nThe Buckeyes recognize the strength of the Big Ten but are confident they have what it takes to compete.\n"We expect good things," Lewis said. "Our practices have been good, and we are making sure to take care of No.1, which is us."\nBrown agreed.\n"There isn't a negative to point out about the team," Brown said. "We won't know until the Big ten season starts. But we're looking good"
(11/28/00 6:25am)
The women's basketball team returns to Assembly Hall for its third game in five days as it faces Kent State at 7:30 p.m. in their final home game until New Year's Eve.\nThe Hoosiers are 5-0, their best start since the 1994-95 season. But to remain undefeated, the team needs to control what coach Kathi Bennett calls the best post-guard combination IU has seen.\n"They're quick, and they all get to the rim really well," senior guard Rainey Alting said. "Plus, they can shoot. We're going to have to work real hard."\nThe Hoosiers will have to be cautious of their turnovers because Kent State has forced 58 turnovers in its past two games. IU had only 37 turnovers in two games but had trouble with keeping possession of the ball earlier in the season.\n"They have a really good press," sophomore guard Jill Hartman said. "We're going to have to be patient. We're going to have to be strong with the ball and work on good passes when they press us."\nThe Hoosiers need to get Kent State's starting five into foul trouble, Bennett said. Kent State senior Liz Beggs was 20-for-20 from the free throw line against St. Bonaventure Nov. 19 and remained perfect against Pittsburgh. She is also the team's leading rebounder.\n"She's a great rebounder," Bennett said. "She just out hustles everyone and right now is 31-for31 from the free throw line."\nThe Hoosiers have seen improvements of their own. The Hoosiers went 30-for-74 in total field goals, although Bennett said the team's shot selection is improving.\nBut the Hoosiers must deal with fatigue. The team played four games in six days and will be on the road every weekend in December.\n"It's going to be a big challenge for us," Alting said. "But it's always good to get out of Bloomington. We're definitely up for it, but we have to get the job done."\nSo far, the Hoosiers have posted strong numbers. Junior center Jill Chapman had 56 points and 39 rebounds in the four wins last week and is 41 points away from having 1,000 points.\nJunior guard Heather Cassady joins Chapman in double-figures. Cassady averages 10.4 points per game with 4.4 assists.\nAs a team, the Hoosiers are shooting 43 percent and are 68 percent from field goal range.\n"We've been going and going, and the next three games we play are the three best teams that we play," Bennett said. "We are definitely going to get tested. I wish we had a little more rest. But we really need to wear them down. Our depth will be the difference"
(11/28/00 6:15am)
The Illinois women's basketball team is sending a message to their opponents: Bring it on.\n"When we played at Iowa State (in the second round of the NCAA tournament) last year, we weren't rattled at all," coach Theresa Grentz said. "There were 13,000 screaming fans, and it didn't affect my team at all. Had that been the first time experiencing it, they would have been looking all over. The more experience I can give my girls, the better."\nThe Fighting Illini (2-1) will be relying on strong leadership from returning starters junior guard Allison Curtin and sophomore guard Shavonna Hunter. They will need their recruiting class to fill in after the graduation of four key players.\n"This team is totally different from last year," Curtin said. "We've got a great young class that's willing to learn and willing to work hard. But they're still freshmen, and they have some learning to do."\nCurtin is one of the players the team will need to have repeat strong performances. Curtin led Illinois with 17.6 points per game last season, the most by any Illinois player through her sophomore year. She was named to the first team All-Big Ten team by the coaches last season, and was recently named to the 2000 Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team. She led the Fighting Illini with 21 points in a 111-62 loss to No. 2 Tennessee Saturday.\nCurtin is expected to be accompanied in the starting lineup by Hunter. After then-senior Melissa Parker was injured last season, Hunter earned the starting position. Hunter finished the season with a freshman-high 77 steals, and led the team in assists with 109. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team.\n"I need to improve my leadership on the floor," Hunter said. "Not only do I have to improve my own abilities, but make sure the team is improving, and that we are working as a team."\nFreshman guard Anne O'Neil leads the strong Illinois recruiting class. O'Neil averaged 30.9 points per game as a high school senior and was ranked the seventh best senior in America by the All-Star Girl's Report and Women's Basketball Journal. \nThe major weakness of the team is their youth, Grentz said. But if the team comes out as strong as Grentz expects, Illinois will have another winning record and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.\nThe Fighting Illini started the season with wins against Clemson and Alcorn State and face Kansas tonight in Lawrence, Kan.\n"We start right at the beginning with a tough schedule," Hunter said. "We don't have time to learn, but at the same time, it's going to be a learning period, so that at the end of the season we'll be where we need to be. We want to be in the Final Four, so we need to take the necessary steps in order to get there"
(11/20/00 5:15am)
The volleyball team took No.17 Ohio State to four matches before losing to the Buckeyes 4-15, 15-8, 14-16, 7-15.\n"We competed well against Ohio State," coach Katie Weismiller said. "They have a great offense. We had a lot of digs. We just failed to take advantage of those digs and it cost us. So many things are working well for us right now. There are just some little things that continue to break down and hurt us."\nThe match was under way after a 10-minute introduction of each player and her parents for the year's final home match. The Hoosiers (15-13, 6-12) struggled with their passing in the first game for a 1-12 deficit. \nThe Buckeyes jumped ahead 2-14 by causing five side-outs and scoring two more points. The first game ended on a Hoosier ball-handling error.\nIU used the momentum it had built at the end of the first game to jump to a 8-5 lead in the second game. There, the Hoosiers put up a strong offensive attack led by sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen, who had two timely kills, and freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer, who had the game-winning kill.\nAt the end of the second game, IU had a 46.9 total hitting percentage to the Buckeyes' 26.2. Freshman outside hitter Monique Pritz led the attack with a 62.5 hitting percentage and no errors. Senior outside hitter Amanda Welter followed with a 55 hitting percentage and 12 kills. Freshman outside hitter Nicole Hill had the lone ace of the match.\nBut after a strong finish in the second half, the teams retreated to the locker room for the usual break. This was similar to the Wisconsin match, when IU had momentum going into halftime, but played a dismal third game.\n"When we went into the locker room we made sure what happened in the Wisconsin match didn't happen again," Welter said. "We knew that match wasn't over. We had won one game, but that was only half of it."\nThe third game turned out to be more about which team had the better luck, and in the end it was Ohio State. Numerous times the ball hit the rafters, only to be saved by a team member to keep the play alive. At one point, a ball hit Welter in the face but bounced toward sophomore setter Laurie Gardner. The play ended with a sideout for IU after a double block by Brewer and Toivonen.\n"We just showed a lot of heart on the floor by going for everything," Welter said. "We didn't want the ball to die. We've been looking for that all year, and it finally came out tonight."\nThe Hoosiers led most of the third match, but the Buckeyes took over and stretched the lead to 11-7. There were nine sideouts before Ohio State scored another point and widened the gap to 13-8. Two aces from Gardner, an ace from Toivonen and errors by Ohio State marked an IU comeback, and the Hoosiers tied the game at 14. But a strong kill by Ohio State, and a wide block from IU sealed the win for the Buckeyes.\nOhio State jumped to a quick lead in the fourth game, but the Hoosiers were able to tie it at 4. That was the closest the score would be in the game. IU attempted to make a comeback late in the match, but Ohio State held them off and won on an ace.\n"It was a tough night," Weismiller said. "It was a very offensive match. They beat us defensively. There were a lot of digs, but we didn't take care of the ball."\nThe Hoosiers ended the match with a 22.3 hitting percentage, and the Buckeyes had 28.6. Welter led in kills with 25 and had a 42.3 hitting percentage. Pritz had no errors in the match and led the team with a 52.4 hitting percentage. Gardner had 59 assists, and Brewer led the team in digs with 20.\nIU has road matches against Purdue and Illinois to finish the season. The likelihood of a NCAA tournament appearance for the Hoosiers is slim after the loss to Ohio State. \n"I'm just really disappointed right now," Brewer said. "I don't know what to say. I just feel really bad right now"
(11/15/00 5:24am)
Michigan's women's basketball coach Sue Guevara puts her teams expectations of the season like this: "We don't hope we'll win, we know we'll win."\nThe Wolverines weren't given a second glance as strong contenders at the beginning of last season, but a trip to the NCAA tournament and a second place finish in the Big Ten made the team a force to be reckoned with.\n "We set a lot of records and milestones last year," Guevara said. "I think we can build on that this year. I am very pleased with the condition of this team. We are very confident."\n Last year, the Michigan women's basketball team made it's first appearance in The Associated Press Top 25 poll, and finished the season No. 25. \n But similar to the start of last year's season, the talent of the Michigan team has been passed over by the polls. \nThe Wolverines graduated two of their top players, Alison Miller and Stacey Thomas. As a senior, Thomas was Michigan's first player to earn All-American honors, and led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals. \nDespite these losses, the team returns three starters, and eight letterwinners and adds a strong freshmen class. \n"There is a lot more depth this year," senior guard and co-captain Anne Thorius said. "I have great confidence in this team. We know what to expect from each other, and this team works hard."\nThorius is the glue that holds the team together, Guevara said. Thorius and junior guard Alayne Ingram return to the backcourt for the Wolverines. Ingram had 12.4 points and 2.4 assists per game, while Thorius averaged 9.6 points and 3.9 assists per game. Combined, they made 159 three-point shots.\nFor Michigan's inside game, it looks to junior forward Raina Goodlow and sophomore center LeeAnn Bies. Goodlow played in all 30 games last year, starting in the last 22, and was selected to the Big Ten Coaches All-Freshman team.\n"I am very pleased with what I see," Guevara said. "(The returning players) worked hard over the summer. Everyone seems stronger and quicker."\nThe team opens its season against No.8 Lousiana Tech Friday night.\n"We want to better than we were last year," Ingram said. "I think opening against Louisiana Tech is good. We have the opportunity to make a statement"
(11/13/00 5:07am)
The volleyball team made a strong showing this weekend, hoping to gain a bid for the NCAA tournament by beating Northwestern in three games and taking No. 4 Wisconsin to four games. The Hoosiers defeated the Wildcats 15-12, 15-6, 15-7 Saturday night after losing to the Badgers 11-15, 15-11, 1-15, 8-15 Friday.\nIU (15-11, 6-10 Big Ten) started out strong in the match against Wisconsin, who shares a tie for first place in the Big Ten with Minnesota. The Hoosiers jumped out to an early lead in the first game, but the Badgers managed to catch up on a strong offensive attack led by the team of freshman middle blocker Claudia Rodriguez and junior middle blocker Sherisa Livingston.\n"In game one, we had the opportunity to push them, and I think we did that," coach Katie Weismiller said. "In the second game, Wisconsin jumped with the early lead, yet we hung in there and came back. I really think that this team is just beginning to realize how good we can be."\nThe Hoosiers were down 0-6 at the beginning of the second game, but because of errors on the Badgers and a strong offensive attack from IU, the Hoosiers were able to gain momentum and take the lead at 9-8. The Badgers didn't recover from the errors, and two blocks on Livingston by freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer and senior outside hitter Amanda Welter sealed the victory for IU.\n"When I was a young player, I was always in awe of Livingston," Brewer said. "What I wanted to do tonight was play with her. I felt that we did that, and in doing so, raised our level of play."\nBut the break between the second and third match cut short the intensity the Hoosiers had in the second game. A double block from Welter and freshman outside hitter Monique Pritz on the first play of the game was the only time the Hoosiers would score. The Hoosiers rebounded in the fourth game, but fell behind early and we unable to catch up.\nThe Hoosiers were led offensively by Welter, who had 14 kills and Brewer who tallied 13 kills and 15 digs. Sophomore setter Laurie Gardner had 46 assists and seven kills.\n"We felt that we had an opportunity to defeat Wisconsin and it just didn't fall," Weismiller said. "Serve errors really hurt us in games three and four, but our passing and defense was strong and that carried our momentum. The one thing that we gained from challenging them the way we did was that we gained confidence heading into our next matches."\nThe Hoosiers took that confidence and put it into action against the Wildcats. The pace of the game was much slower than the the match against Northwestern. It took an hour and a half for IU to win three games.\nBig plays came from IU's freshmen. Eleven of the 15 points scored in the second game were points by Brewer and freshman outside hitter Nicole Hill. Brewer tied with Hill in leading the team with 12 kills, and contributed 11 digs. Hill also had two service aces.\nThe team is back in action again Wednesday night against No.13 Ohio State.\n"We have to take care of (the rest of our opponents)," Welter said. "All of our conference games are important if we are to have a chance to move to post-season play. We need to get in and get out"
(11/07/00 4:30am)
The women's basketball team faces off against the Reebok Lady Stars at 7:30 p.m. today in Assembly Hall, kicking off its exhibition season. \nThe team has a new coach and a new strategy heading into the game, and the Hoosiers hope to gain more insight on what else needs to be improved before IU's regular season.\n"I'm excited to finally play a game," coach Kathi Bennett said. "I'm anxious to see where we're at, because we've only been playing against each other. Exhibition games are an experimental thing where you get to really see your players and try some new things."\nThe Reebok All-Stars have three players from the state, including center Rachelle Bostic, who was a letter winner at IU from 1981-84. Bostic holds the record at IU for most field goals in a single game (17) and in a career (839). Bostic was All Big Ten (second team) in 1984, and is part of the 1,000 Point Club (1,827). Bostic is the only member who has played all 13 years of the Reebok All-Stars game.\n"I've played against (Bostic) for the last two years," junior center Jill Chapman said. "She's pretty cool. She talks to you and makes you laugh, but you've got to keep your head in it. She's really strong, and it's good to play against her." \nThe All-Stars have three players from the WNBA. Forward Monica Maxwell, who spent her college years playing for Louisiana Tech, plays for the newly formed Indiana Fever. Guards Robin Threatt and Stacy Frese are members of the Seattle Storm and Utah Starzz, respectively. The team is coached by Tom O'Brien, who has been a coach of AAU men's basketball for the past three years, and took them to the championship three years ago.\nThis event started 13 years ago to give the Indiana All-Stars a team to play against. Team coordinator Garry Donna of the Hoosier Basketball Magazine gathered a group of former college players to play in exhibition games against the team. Donna expanded the All-Stars, and began playing against four collegiate teams in the first year. This year, the team is taking on nine different teams.\n"We like this, because we get to play against good competition in good facilities," Donna said. "I've known Kathi Bennett since she was head coach at Evansville, and she's good people, which also makes this game fun."\nThe Hoosiers are hoping all the work they have put into their defense will show on the court. The smallness of the team made it easy for teams to get inside the post, which is something the team hopes to eliminate this season, Chapman said.\nIt is the first game IU has played without Jim Izard on the sidelines in 11 years. Bennett was named head coach in March, and has worked on not only improving the team's defense, but working to improve team's closeness.\n"It's going to be a lot different having Coach Bennett on the sideline and not Coach Izard," Chapman said. "It's going to be a lot better."\nThe roster for the Hoosiers isn't set in stone yet. Junior guard Heather Cassady will start, as well as senior guard Rainey Alting in the one and two positions. In the inside positions, Chapman and senior forward Rachael Honegger are expected to start. The rest of the positions are up in the air, but all of the players will be making an appearance, Bennett said.\n"It's going to be really challenging," Chapman said. "Then again, it's going to be really good, because we can show a lot of people we are ready to play this year"
(10/31/00 5:27am)
The volleyball team is giving itself a makeover. After a dismal 3-7 start in Big Ten play, the Hoosiers have started making changes, both in their line up and their attitude.\nIU opened the second half of the season with a loss against No. 23 Michigan State Friday night and a win against Michigan Saturday night. Despite the lack of energy and enthusiasm the Hoosiers showed against the Spartans, the intensity IU had against the Wolverines is the same the Hoosiers expect to carry throughout the remainder of the season.\n"What we were doing wasn't working," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "So we needed to change things up. It's important do this because it brings more out of a player. It felt good to find it again: the excitement, getting riled up like we did (against Michigan), going after a team as opposed to just sitting back."\nSome athletic teams go back to the basics when they're stuck in a hole, but the Hoosiers have taken the opposite direction.\nIU started with the basics because of the seven freshmen on the team, but somewhere along the way, teaching competitiveness and playing with heart was forgotten.\nThat's about to change.\n"We had to start with a very teaching-style format at the beginning of the year," coach Katie Weismiller said. "Halfway through the season, we switched gears. No longer could we constantly break down and teach, but we focused more on competition. The team now knows that they have to perform and be accountable for their actions."\nThe team began its transition with the lineup by using different substitutions. The starting lineup has some new faces. Freshman outside hitter Monique Pritz has earned a starting position, while former starter freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer has become a substitute. Senior defensive specialist Joanne Amstutz has been making more frequent appearances in the games.\n"I know I push myself a lot harder in practice now because I want to get back in there," Brewer said. "We needed to change things up, and (the change was made) because we needed some leadership out there, some people who are more used to doing it. It's seemed to work so far."\nBut the main theme of the transformation is learning to play with heart and to play on a higher level of competition.\nIn practice, the team has been called out more for its mistakes, and consequences have been paid. If a player has a bad pass, the result is running laps, doing push-ups or sit-ups.\nWeismiller has made it clear that at any moment, any member of the team has the talent to play, and she has backed the statement up by the substitutions she has used in the games. \nIn addition to Pritz and Amstutz, freshman setter Beth Heimann has started the past few matches, and freshman outside hitter Adria Phillips has entered the game on occasion.\nThis strategy proved to be fruitful, as the team showed new life Saturday night, and the Hoosiers said they are aware they need to keep the enthusiasm.\n"At the beginning of the season we were so focused on doing it right," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said. "But now that we have the physical aspects down, we need to work more on the mental. We are working a lot more on the heart, the desire, wanting to win and wanting to be out there. In practice we've been doing a lot of competitive drills to get our competitive edge back, rather than just going out and playing"
(10/27/00 5:55am)
When the volleyball team takes the court this weekend to battle Michigan and Michigan State it will be the beginning of the Hoosiers second chance at success. This weekend marks the second half of the Big Ten season.\n"There\'s a new life," coach Katie Weismiller said. "We've (played) everybody once. We've been pleased with a couple performances, but overall, improvement is needed. We get to see the teams again, and get revenge."\nLast week, IU (12-8, 3-7 in Big Ten play) dropped matches to No. 13 Penn State and No. 11 Ohio State. Each match was lost in three straight games. IU has managed only two wins in the last nine matches.\nBut there were no signs of discouragement during practice this week. The team spent the week focusing on their most vulnerable spots, but even during the grueling three-hour workouts, the players kept smiles on their faces.\n"We\'re frustrated, but we're working really hard," sophomore setter Laurie Gardner said. "The attitude at practice has gotten a lot better, and we're pushing each other. Hopefully we'll see the results this weekend."\nThe Hoosiers focused mainly on defense during the practices. IU was held to only 78 digs on the last two matches combined as compared to the 100 that their opponents had. IU also focused on passing, which has been a trouble area since the beginning.\nOffensively, the Hoosiers are posting solid numbers. Four players have two hundred or more kills this season. Senior outside hitter Amanda Welter leads the group with 269, followed by sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen (258), freshman outside hitter Nikki Hill (209) and freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer (200). \nIU, seventh in the Big Ten, could gain ground on the Spartans (12-7, 5-5) and avenge an early season defeat.\n"(Michigan State's) a good team," Weismiller said. "They absolutely put us away last time, so I expect them to be pretty confident, hopefully a little overconfident."\nIn order to overcome the Spartans and Wolverines, IU will have to remain focused, something the Hoosiers haven't done during close matches, namely the one against Michigan.\n"Our team feels that was a mental loss," Weismiller said. "We were up, and then we lost so many straight points, so we're just going to have to keep it up on the court."\nThe Wolverines (13-8, 3-7) are tied with IU for seventh place in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers will be ready to go up against Michigan, because they feel that the previous Michigan defeat should have been an IU victory, Weismiller said.\nAlthough this weekend is seen as a new beginning, the Hoosiers hope the results will be different from the first time around.\n"We're up and down a lot (in the first half of the season), and we need to find a consistency somehow," Gardner said. "If we can get two wins, then we can get momentum for the next couple weeks in the Big Ten."\nWelter said the upcoming matches are "huge.".\n"They're at home, they're against teams we lost to, so it's really important to get a win at home," she said. "Maybe that way, people will start to realize that we're picking it up for the rest of the season"
(10/25/00 5:34am)
The volleyball team is on a two-game losing streak after dropping matches to conference foes Penn State and Ohio State. The Hoosiers (12-8, 3-7 in conference play) are tied for seventh in the Big Ten with Michigan, heading into a game with Michigan State Friday. \nSophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen has played a major role this season and tried to put the losing streak in focus. \n"It's really hard right now, because we're losing," Toivonen said. "I just need to stay positive, but you need to come in ready to work and willing to listen to the coaches. I hate to lose, but you have to work from the negatives and turn them into positives." \nLast weekend, in a loss to Ohio State, Toivonen led the team with nine kills and was among the leaders for total attacks and hitting percentage.\n"She's aggressive," coach Katie Weismiller said. "She may be small in stature compared to a lot of the Big Ten players, but she plays with a lot of heart. She's a big part of our offense and defense. A lot of people don't recognize how much she does for the program."\nToivonen ranks second on the team in kills per game, leads in total attacks and is among the frontrunners in hitting percentage. In the Big Ten, she ranks third in digs per game.\nIt's not just her performance on the court that draws attention to Toivonen; it's her disposition off the court as well.\n"She's always positive and always smiling," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "You can tell type of mood she's in by her shoulders. If she's bouncy and happy, then you can tell by the way she walks, but if she's not having a good day, her shoulders are down."\nThe team has stuck together through the recent losses, which she says the Hoosiers will turn around. They were there for her when she got into a car accident the weekend the team took on Minnesota and Iowa. It was the team she turned to when her best friend transferred at the beginning of the school year.\nThere is one thing that Toivonen gets almost completely serious about, her back. In eighth grade, she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.\n"They were going to put me in a brace." Toivonen said. "So we got a second opinion, because my mom didn't want to put me through that."\nBut even then she finds the humorous side of things, because while trying to explain what it looked like, she gave up trying to describe it. She stood up, bent over, and pointed to the severe "S" shape in her back.\n"If you ever see me hit the ball, I'm very off-balance," Toivonen said. "I hit sideways, and I land on one leg. I don't have any problems with it right now, but we're watching it day by day, and hoping it's OK."\nToivonen, who is affectionately called "Wings" because of two tufts of blond hair that always seem to frizz out, is now concentrating on getting her team back it's winning ways.\n"It makes me happy when we win," Toivonen said, with a smile on her face. "We can turn it around. We have the potential. It's not over"
(10/13/00 11:54pm)
For the first time in history, the women's basketball team will be participating in Midnight Madness. In the past, Midnight Madness has kicked-off only the men's basketball season, but this year, it will also signal the start of the women's campaign.\n"We haven't been in a situation where we've played in a large amount of people," senior forward Rachael Honegger said. "It's a great way to introduce yourself to a community with a new coach and a new system. Maybe some of the men's fans will want to come and see the women's games."\nAt 12:01 a.m. Saturday in Assembly Hall, both teams will take the floor to participate in various events. The women's team will be competing against the men in the three-point contest. Coach Kathi Bennett determined who would participate in each event, and for the three point contest, juniors Erin McGinnis and Heather Cassady, senior Rainey Alting, and sophomore Jill Hartman will be going against the men's team.\nIn the spot shot contest, a team consisting of one men's player and one women's player will compete against other teams in a shooting contest. The participating players include Honegger, freshman Charliss Ridley and juniors Jill Chapman and Tara Jones. For the final competition, the women's team will judge the men in a slam dunk contest. \nThe women are looking forward to being in this event.\n"We're just getting a chance to be introduced," coach Kathi Bennett said. "The exposure will be great, and there's the excitement and push into the season." \nFollowing the event, the women's team will hold its first practice of the season. Up until now, the team has only been holding individual practices, so it will be the first time the team practices as a whole.\nThis will also be the first opportunity Bennett has to introduce her coaching style to the entire team, which stresses defense.\n"In all of our individual (workouts), everyone's been working really hard on defense," Chapman said. "Everybody just wants to get better. We know our offense is going to come, but we need to work on our defense. It's going to be intense."\nBennett anticipates that the team will be surprised during the real practice when they find out just how serious she is about defense. The practice will consist of various drills that cover just that.\nBut first comes Midnight Madness, where the women's team will have the chance to showcase their talents to IU fans. Bennett thinks the open practice will begin to instill some of the values she thinks her team needs to compete in the Big Ten.\n"Successful teams have events like this, and our men's program has established a strong level of excellence and that's something we want to establish too," Bennett said. "You can see the benefits of what they've done at Midnight Madness. \n"That's our goal. That's our drive"
(10/13/00 5:10am)
The volleyball team has an opportunity to jump start its season this weekend as it takes on Illinois and Purdue at home. All three teams are 1-5 in conference play. \n"These are two very beatable teams," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said. "We hope to come in this weekend and show them that we are better than what we've performed."\nAfter a win against Northwestern, the team has been unable to make anything happen against any other Big Ten team. Until now, they hope.\nA year ago, IU was in the same situation. Its record floundered, but the team played hard, won both matches and finished the season with a trip to the NCAA tournament. IU hopes for the same turn around this weekend.\n"If we get these two, it's going to build momentum, and it will help us so much," freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer said. \nThe Hoosiers realize this is the biggest chance to re-group. The focus in practice has been on conditioning, so that the Hoosiers can keep their poise during the fourth and fifth games of a match. \nAgainst both Michigan and Iowa, IU had good chances to win, but setbacks in the fourth and fifth games cost them the matches.\nLike IU, the Fighting Illini jumped to a strong start in pre-Big Ten play, but produced few wins since. Their lone conference victory came against Purdue.\n"Illinois is a good team," coach Katie Weismiller said. "They've got more offensive power with middle blocker Betsy Spicer and outside hitter Shadia Haddad." \nThe match against Purdue is not only big because of "Pack the House," but also because the Hoosiers have won seven out of the eight matches they've played against Purdue at home. \n"Purdue is a scrappy team," Weismiller said. "They run down a lot of balls, but they are not as offensively sound as Illinois. (This weekend) the team with the least unforced errors will be the team that wins"
(10/12/00 5:16am)
For the biggest home game of the season, the women's volleyball team hopes to draw the biggest crowd. \nWhen the Hoosiers face off against in-state rival Purdue, it is incorporating its annual "Pack the House" night for added motivation going into the match.\n"Hopefully, we'll get enough fans out here so that (it) will be standing room only," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said. "'Pack the House' is when they try to get all the fans here, because the crowd has a lot to do with how we perform."\nFor the Hoosiers, this event couldn't come at a better time. IU is on a five-game losing streak, and it hopes the big crowd will give the team the momentum it needs to get past Purdue. IU has the upper hand on the match, as the Hoosiers have won seven of the past eight matches played in Bloomington against Purdue. \n"We like the loud atmosphere, and it's better when the crowd is for you, instead of against you," freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer said. "We need some redemption for us right now, anyway, so having the crowd behind us is going to help a lot."\nThe biggest crowds in the University Gymnasium are against Purdue, and the Hoosiers are hoping this year is the same -- with one change: break the previous single game attendance record. In a 1987 victory against Purdue, the Hoosiers drew 1,500 fans to the University Gym to witness the event.\nIn hopes of drawing a big crowd, IU is working hand-in-hand with the community to get the word out about the match.\n"The team has written invitations to people," coach Katie Weismiller said. "We've tried to get it on the air, but hopefully through word-of-mouth we can get people out here."\nBrewer has two hopes for her first "Pack the House" Saturday. She said she wants a win for the team and a personal contribution of some sort. But Brewer herself will have a crowd -- the Bloomington native's family plans to attend the match. \n"I'm so excited," Brewer said. "I'm expecting a lot of people to come, and it's really going to help. I can't wait to play in front of a big crowd here"
(10/05/00 5:39am)
While cheering on her team from the sidelines, junior outside hitter Meghan Stout is constantly prepared. She knows she might be called to go into the game at any minute. There isn't a specific time or substitution that Stout enters at; it happens whenever the team needs her quickness or her serving ability.\n"Meghan is one of those people who excels at whatever she does," coach Katie Weismiller said. "She raises the intensity at every practice and at every match. She's really starting to come around all-around."\nLately, Stout's been called upon when the team needed an aggressive serve. That's when the crowd sees the petite, brown-haired defensive specialist enter the game. Standing on the right side of the court and bouncing the ball a trademark three times, Stout hopes for an ace.\nStout has appeared in 39 games and had eight aces. But she has made an impact not only on the service line. She's also been inspirational for the team off the court.\nStout missed spring practices for reasons she only describe as personal. She was at IU, but she didn't practice or play with the team. Stout rejoined the team for preseason and draws only positives from her experience.\n"I've learned a lot," Stout said. "I'm a lot stronger both mentally and physically. I'm just happy when I'm out on the floor. God's helped me through a lot of this, and I know He's a big reason why I've gotten back."\nStout is devoutly religious, and rather than keeping the inspiration to herself, she shares her motivation with her teammates.\nSenior outside hitter Amanda Welter has been having back problems, and Stout's been sending her e-mails of encouragement.\n"She's a special person to me on the team," Welter said. "She's someone I can go to to talk about everything. She's gone through a lot, and she stays upbeat through all of it. She just has an amazing personality."\nStout made freshman outside hitter Monique Pritz feel welcome from the start. On the first day of preseason, Pritz walked into the room she was sharing with Stout and found a present on her bed. The gift contained a candle and a Christian book.\n"I was surprised someone would be so nice to welcome me that way," Pritz said. "She talked to me a lot and gave me support. She's willing to help me in any way."\nStout spent her freshman year at the University of Kentucky. She played in 92 games and totaled 15 service aces. Stout transferred to IU because she was unhappy with the Kentucky team. She had to be taught the way IU plays volleyball and has been a quick learner, Weismiller said.\nStout started playing volleyball in the sixth grade in her hometown of Seymour, Ind. She continued to play volleyball through high school and was team captain her junior and senior years. She also won MVP honors on the track and field team.\nStout doesn't just save her athleticism for the court. On "off" days she hikes, bikes or runs. In the summer she loves to water-ski and tries to go snow skiing at least once during the winter.\nShe also attends Bible study on a regular basis. And if she isn't doing any of those hobbies, she can be found studying.\nBut her loyalties remain with the team. Although the team has lost its past three games, Stout has a positive attitude about the rest of the season.\n"I would do anything for this program," Stout said. "We have the ability to be really good, and everybody is working really hard. We don't need to peak yet, but our time is coming"