SPORTS
Undefeated Cal surprises nation with high scoring
Coming off a 1-10 season in 2001, many around East Lansing questioned whether California was worth playing.
VOLLEYBALL
Transfer ready to lead
Three years ago an athlete described as having “competitive fire” was a coveted recruit.The Spartans lost the recruiting battle as Sara Villwock chose to stay close to home and attend Colorado.After two years of leading the Buffaloes’ volleyball team to as far as the second round in the NCAA Regionals, the junior outside hitter wanted to compete for a national championship.“I felt like I wanted more and I needed a change,” Villwock said.
SPORTS
Sports briefs
Pistons to visit E.L. Members of the Detroit Pistons will visit the Lansing area for the third consecutive year.
SPORTS
Lugnuts down 2-0, remain optimistic
The Lansing Lugnuts have made it to the Midwest League finals for just the second time in franchise history, but have a great task ahead of them if they want to snag the championship like they did in 1997. In 1997 the Lugnuts trailed the Kane County Cougars 2-0.
BASKETBALL
Spartan heads to Cleaves-land
After one year on the West Coast, former Spartan star Mateen Cleaves is headed back to the Midwest in search of some playing time.Cleaves, a point guard, was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in exchange for second-year forward Jumaine Jones.
BASKETBALL
Trustees to vote on contract extension
The MSU Board of Trustees will vote to approve a one-year contract extension for men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo at its meeting Friday.The extension would keep Izzo at the helm of the Spartan program until June 30, 2009.And although the board must vote to make the extension official, trustee David Porteous said the deal is as good as done.“He does a great job, and we’re fortunate at MSU to have Tom Izzo,” Porteous said.
FOOTBALL
Knott finds niche in Spartan offense
Sophomore tight end Eric Knott is proving why he was considered the nation’s No. 1 tight end recruit coming out of Detroit’s Henry Ford High in 1999.In his junior and senior seasons at Henry Ford he caught 72 passes for 1,186 yards and 15 touchdowns.In just two games at his natural position, Knott is already starting to put up similar numbers.Despite not getting the start against Eastern Michigan in the season-opener, Knott pulled down six catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns.
SPORTS
Recent loss coincidence, or part of something bigger
Can you remember when the men’s basketball team won the NCAA National Championship in 2000? MSU finished 32-7 that year, but it wasn’t all highs during that season. On a cold December evening, the Spartans took a 9-3 record down to Dayton, Ohio, for a contest with the 2-8 Wright State. As 23-point favorites, the Spartans were expecting a relatively easy contest.
FOOTBALL
Rogers honored, tackle gets promotion
After reviewing a tape from Saturday’s 27-10 win over Rice, one thing was clear to Spartan head coach Bobby Williams. “After looking at the film, we probably should have thrown it to (junior wide receiver) Charles (Rogers) 10 to 15 more times,” he said.
ICE HOCKEY
Two players leave team
Right wing Steve Jackson and forward Pat Brush have both left the Spartan hockey team, MSU head coach Rick Comley confirmed Monday.Jackson, who would have been a senior, and Brush, who would have been a junior, are the third and fourth players to prematurely leave the team since Comley replaced Ron Mason in March.Last month, junior goaltender Ryan Miller left the Spartans to sign with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and sophomore defenseman Aaron Hundt transferred to Wayne State.Both Jackson and Brush voluntarily quit the team, Comley said.
SOCCER
Spartans take two at home, still perfect
The women’s soccer team continued its perfect season by picking up two wins over the weekend.In addition to dominating the first three teams they’ve played in the 2002 season, MSU (3-0) has managed to preserve the team’s goal by successfully defending its home turf, Old College Field.
VOLLEYBALL
Team upset in finals
Kalamazoo - It was the upset of all upsets.Unfortunately for the MSU women’s volleyball team, they weren’t on the winning end.After reaching the WMU Invitational championship game, the No.
SPORTS
Spartans decisive in home-opening games
The MSU women’s field hockey team hosted the first game on the newly-remodeled Ralph Young Field on Friday when it battled St.
FOOTBALL
When Owls attack
The Rice Owls lost 27-10 on Saturday, but they provided a blueprint for success for the 10 remaining teams on the Spartans’ schedule. With a relentless blitz, Rice confused MSU’s offensive line all day.
SOCCER
MSU wins, despite poor play
The Spartan men’s soccer team added a win to its record over the weekend, downing Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis on Sunday, 2-1.Perhaps it was the sweltering heat, or maybe the fact that IUPUI (0-4) was shutout against Michigan in an 8-0 loss in its last game, but when MSU (2-1) took the field, it looked anything but prepared to do battle.“Even in the warm-ups we didn’t seem very spirited,” Spartan head coach Joe Baum said.
ICE HOCKEY
Future skaters take the ice
Dimondale - MSU’s coaching staff worked three long days this weekend while scouting some of the nation’s best junior players at the North American Hockey League’s second annual Face-Off at The Summit.But while the Spartans searched for their next prized recruit, the two guys MSU has already landed were able to prove their worth on the ice.Capital Centre Pride left wing Drew Miller tallied a hat trick and an assist Saturday, while his future Spartan teammate Tommy Goebel put in two goals for the Cleveland Barons during the second day of the three-day, season-opening NAHL event.All of the NAHL’s 11 teams, plus the Under-18 U.S.
SPORTS
HARDY: Fans adjust to new rules at stadium
Let’s pull one of those manila folders from the ol’ filing cabinet, shall we? The file of Holly Beavers is pulled.
VOLLEYBALL
WEB ONLY: Wright State hits volleyball team with first lost
The No. 12 Spartans were stunned by Wright State in five games, 30-26, 25-30, 30-25, 22-30 and 11-15.
VOLLEYBALL
WEB ONLY: Volleyball team sweeps again at invitational
In the 10:30 a.m. contest, the No. 12 Spartans defeated DePaul in three games, 30-25, 30-17 and 30-20 in their second match in the Western Michigan Invitational.Junior middle Jenny Rood, who had been hampered by a knee injury, got the green light for the match and was ecstatic about it.“You have no idea how happy I was,” Rood said.
SPORTS
Field Hockey opens up new field
The MSU field hockey team knows upstaging the best performance in school history - the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 - won’t be easy.