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Sports | Volleyball 1000

SPORTS

Spartans poised for Big Ten meets

Julie Baker
February 23, 2007

The culmination of the indoor track season — the Big Ten Championships — is set to take place this weekend. The men's team will travel to Indiana and the women head to Illinois for the conclusion of their respective seasons. Several team members are coming off both personal and school-breaking records and are ready to compete. "We're working to control ourselves, to not get distracted," director of track and field Walt Drenth said.

ICE HOCKEY

MSU to honor 5 seniors in Saturday ceremony

Zack Colman
February 23, 2007

Senior forward Tyler Howells learned a few things on the ice during his four years at MSU that he never would have acquired from in a classroom. Howells has played every position — except for goaltender — in a Spartans' uniform, and he considers the experience valuable beyond the rink. "Going out into the work world, you've gotten used to being moved around and learning new things very quickly, accepting new roles," Howells said.

SPORTS

MSU faces slumping Illini

Matt Bishop
February 22, 2007

When MSU and Illinois last met Feb. 4, the Spartans were still stinging from two previous road losses. Since then, the MSU women's basketball team has gone on a tear, knocking off two top 15 teams in Purdue and Ohio State. Illinois has gone the other way, losing four of its last five games. That begs the question: Which MSU team will show up?

ICE HOCKEY

From the road

Sports editor Eric Fish spent Friday at Lawson Ice Arena watching Western Michigan host MSU in a CCHA battle.

SPORTS

DeHaan emerging as Big Ten star

Matt Bishop
February 20, 2007

Allyssa DeHaan's "baptism by fire," as MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie likes to put it, finally paid off in Sunday's 62-59 win over Ohio State. Because of MSU's tough schedule, its freshman center had to face some of the top post players in the country, including LSU's Sylvia Fowles and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne. Suddenly, facing the Buckeyes' Jessica Davenport on Sunday didn't seem like such a monumental task. "It makes you realize the value of a great schedule," McCallie said at her Monday press conference.

ICE HOCKEY

Comley questions late decisions in Friday game

Zack Colman
February 20, 2007

The Spartans were centimeters away from playing an overtime frame in Friday's 4-3 loss to Western Michigan. After taking a closer look, maybe they should have been in overtime. Sophomore forward Tim Kennedy sent the puck toward the net and supposedly hit the left goal post in the waning seconds of the game.

BASKETBALL

Spartans hope to improve tourney status

Tom Keller
February 20, 2007

While the growing number of "bracketologists" attempting to predict the NCAA Tournament field are undoubtedly operating more from conjecture than fact — MSU men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo jokingly called them "proctologists" last week — their projections can be a fairly accurate gauge of a team's standing.

SPORTS

Gymnasts lose close meet to Illinois

Eric Fish
February 19, 2007

The No. 18 MSU gymnastics team fell to Illinois on Saturday at Jenison Field House, 194.700-193.925. Freshman Rochelle Robinson won the only individual event of the night by scoring a 9.850 on the vault.

SPORTS

Monday musings

Tom Keller
February 19, 2007

Former NBA player Charles Barkley, whose weight has ballooned since his playing days, beat 67-year-old referee Dick Bavetta by inches in a footrace during Saturday's NBA All-Star festivities. Barkley, who trained for the event with former Olympic medalist John Carlos, celebrated by eating Bavetta. ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale was named one of 15 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame last week. Shortly thereafter, the hall announced immediate plans to install soundproof insulation. Another ESPN analyst, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, will not return to the network next year. Looking for someone less grating and opinionated to replace him, the network has narrowed its search to everyone else in the world. Michigan forward Brent Petway made headlines when he arrived for Saturday's game with a block "M" shaved in the back of his head. Unfortunately for Petway, it was spelled wrong.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers look for answers to sluggish play

Zack Colman
February 19, 2007

Why are the Spartans struggling now of all times? Depends on who you ask. MSU's game Tuesday against Ferris State threw an obstacle at its nine-game unbeaten streak as the team was forced to play its third game in five days.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers winless in 4 games

Zack Colman
February 19, 2007

The No. 6 MSU hockey team learned a valuable lesson in Saturday's 2-0 loss to Western Michigan — there are 20 minutes in each period, right down to the last fraction of a fraction of a second. Broncos forward Patrick Galivan tallied the eventual game-winning goal for Western Michigan (16-15-1 overall, 13-12-1 CCHA) with what is believed to be .01 seconds remaining in the first period. "I thought the period was pretty much over," sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg said.

SPORTS

Simmons ties record in MSU loss

Julie Baker
February 19, 2007

No. 2-ranked senior Nick Simmons posted his 45th fall Sunday against Penn State's Bryan Heller to tie the all-time record in MSU wrestling history. Wrestling at 141 pounds for the second time in his career, Simmons moved up from his usual weight class of 133 Friday against Indiana to fill in for brother Andy Simmons, who was out with an injury.

SPORTS

Gymnasts to face Illinois in Saturday matchup

Eric Fish
February 16, 2007

The No. 18 MSU gymnastics team returns home Saturday, when it hosts Illinois at 7 p.m. at Jenison Field House. The Spartans are coming off back-to-back weekend victories and the first perfect 10 in MSU gymnastics history from freshman Rochelle Robinson on the vault in the Fox Run Invitational.

SPORTS

Bader earns Big Ten honors for weekend play

Eric Fish
February 16, 2007

MSU junior and women's tennis player Christine Bader scored Big Ten's Co-Player of the Week on Thursday. Bader was 2-0 in singles competition last weekend and went 1-1 in doubles play as the Spartans defeated Miami (Ohio) and Ball State. The team is off to a 7-0 start — its second in team history. The Spartans return to action at 10 a.m.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans face hot Broncos

Zack Colman
February 16, 2007

With their winning flame now doused, the No. 6 Spartans play two games against a hot Western Michigan team this weekend in a home-and-home series. MSU's 2-1 loss Tuesday to Ferris State — the team's first since Jan.