Point U!(betcha)

Newsletter of the University of Minnesota Golddiggers Booster Club

Volume 2007 Issue 6

October 24, 2007

 

 


In this issue

 

 

 

Coach’s Corner

Hello from inside Camp Gopher VB!

I am sure that many of you are asking “What is going on?” This is how we WANT our fans to feel after some disappointing losses. We expect success and we want you to have the same expectations.

But let me see if I can lay out for you the “coaches’ perspective” on where things stand right now.

First of all, we played better at Northwestern and Michigan State than we did against Illinois at home. And this is our goal every week…to improve. Against Northwestern we battled very hard and couldn’t buy a break. The match could have gone either way. Once again we won the battle of the stats, but came up a little short on the scoreboard. The team took it hard.

The match ended late and we didn’t get back to the hotel from dinner until after midnight. We now had 15 hours until our match at MSU. They scheduled an early 6:30pm start for the match. Plus, we were losing an hour as we traveled east. We were scheduled to depart Chicago on a charter flight leaving at 9:30am on Saturday morning. When we arrived at the private airport for departure we were told that the “plane was broken” and that they would try to find another one. So we sat around for hours until we finally got a replacement aircraft and left the Chicago area around 2:00pm. We landed in Lansing around 3:30pm and arrived at our hotel for our pre-game meal and check in at 4:00pm. It was now 90 minutes before our locker room meeting at the competition site. Gone was our 2-3pm practice, our rest time, our scout meeting, and everything else we had expected that day to include. Now we were racing to the gym just to be able to make the match on time. This was not an ideal way to take the floor for this important match. Was this the reason we were not razor sharp on Saturday night? Maybe.

Now comes the tough part. MSU plays the match of their season (from what some MSU people told me) and wins in a match that could have gone either way. They were unconscious and celebrated afterward as though they had won a conference title. I was disappointed with the loss. But I was proud of the way our team fought after such a tiring and distracting day of travel. But these things happen on the road in the Big Ten!

There has been a theme for the past three matches. We are giving off the “wounded” scent to opponents who are tired of losing to us for the past several years. It is like a feeding frenzy. There is no easy match for us in the conference this year. We are the blood in the water and these other teams are the sharks. Yeah, I know that none of our conference opponents will feel sorry for us. They all want to stomp on us. This is one of the great challenges in athletics. These are the times that call for coaches and players to reveal character. And I want to assure you all that this is exactly what we plan to do.

As I told the team on Saturday night, growth is measured in many ways. Sometimes progress is hidden if a team is evaluated only on wins and losses. Sometimes progress occurs despite losing a close match. I feel very strongly that our team is getting better even though our win-loss record may not reflect this.

The road ahead is difficult. We know what we are up against. It would be a great time for all of you to extend your full support for the team as we take on Penn State and Ohio State.

I hope we see each and every one of you at the Pavilion on Friday night, and at Williams Arena on Saturday.

Go Gophers.

From Coach Hebert:

Head Coach

Minnesota Volleyball

 

 

From the Golddiggers’ President

 

From Larry Mickelson:

It was like the lyrics straight out of a bad country/western song - my wife had just left me, my daughter left me earlier in the week, my pick-up truck was broken down but I still had my dog who loves me no matter what.  But that wasn't the worst of it - my beloved Gopher volleyball team had just dropped a five game heartbreaker to Northwestern.  Now THAT depressed me.

 

OK, OK, OK.  My wife only left for a girls’ weekend.  My daughter went up north to spend time with family and friends.  I don't have a pick-up truck, I have a four door sedan but it does need a new alternator.  And I'm pretty sure my dog was looking at me with love in his eyes only because I was eating a snack at the time.  So it was more like a suburban/western song.  But when the Gophers lost to Northwestern I was depressed.

 

We have been spoiled over the past few years by our volleyball team.  Outside of Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State, they have pretty much steamrolled through the rest of the conference.  And when they lose to someone other than the previously mentioned teams it is like the world is coming to an end.  But we have to remember that it is not and that hopefully this is just a bump in the road.  I am sure the team is still trying to find their identity and a number of players are still getting use to the speed of the college game along with the grind that is a Big 10 season.  My biggest concern for the team is confidence – they can't lose confidence in themselves, in each other, in the coaching staff, and in us as fans.  We need to be there for them, up or down.

 

And what better way to show our support for the team than to be loud this weekend as they host Penn State and Ohio State.  Show them that we are behind them and we believe in them. 

 

So round up your friends and neighbors and invite them to come out this weekend to see the team in action.  Take care of your voices because you will need to be loud on Friday and Saturday nights. 

 

Looking forward to seeing all of you this weekend!

 

 

 

Point U!

Larry Mickelson, President, Golddiggers

 

Meet the Gophers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Hartmann (Rachel Hartmann)

Note: Photos courtesy of the University of Minnesota (although we didn’t actually ask for permission).

 

This is your third season in the Gopher volleyball program.  How do you feel about coming into this season vs. your sophomore season?

If anything I have come into this season with a lot more experience and confidence.  Each year I have had a little more responsibility put on my shoulders and this year I finally have a lot more responsibilities then in the past.  I am now an upperclassman and can no longer worry about how I’m playing; I have a whole team to carry with me.  Also last year we had so many studs on the team so all I needed to do was get my job done.  This year I have picked up more of an offensive position, I’m trying to score a few points each game to contribute a little more to the team. 

 

What aspect of your game do you feel is most improved from when you first arrived in the program?

It’s hard to pinpoint just one aspect.  I think my defense has improved tremendously and will continue to improve.  I also think my overall game knowledge and presence has improved.  I used to be a quiet player who could disappear in a match.  I am still not an overly excited loud player but I think the girls can feel me on the court. 

 

A setter’s timing with the middles is extremely important.  Outside of repetitions, what do you do to improve your connecting with the middles?  How difficult is it to have to change on the fly between Jones and Gibbemeyer?

Timing is very important.  It’s difficult because so many things can go wrong and not just with the set.  If the middle is late I have to set higher.  If they are early I might have to set it faster, but if I can not tell where they are and I have to guess, that is when the most mistakes happen.  The most important thing to fix these mistakes is communication.  What I think is a good set might not be what they want or I might set a great ball and they were not on time.  As long as we talk after the set and figure out what went wrong we can fix it fairly easy.  Gibbemeyer and Jones are two different players who have different strengths and their different strengths happen to be different sets so I can easily get in a rhythm with each player and stay that way throughout a match because they usually hit different sets.

 

What do you feel is the most important trait a setter must have?

I think the most important trait is a setter’s presence on the court.  Teammates need to feel that the setter is working hard and leading by her example.  A setter touches the ball almost every time it comes over the net, not many players get to be that involved so having a presence and confidence to lead your team is very important.

 

 

Describe the recruiting process you went thru and how you decided on Minnesota.

First of all I’ll just say that I do not like making decisions!  Ask anyone who knows me.  In saying that, I visited Minnesota three times before I committed.   The first time I visited I knew I loved Minnesota!  The coaching staff is great and the players were tremendous.  I also love cities so I was glad to be in Minneapolis and it was a reasonable distance from home.  After my visit I wanted to see a few more schools just to make sure. I think I finally committed after the qualifier in Minneapolis my junior year.  My parents always suggested schools to visit but would never tell me which their favorite was.  I couldn’t believe they wouldn’t help me!  I wanted to commit and I was begging my parents for some sign of agreement right before we went into the coach’s office.  I got nothing.  So I sat down and told Mike I wanted to be a Gopher and I think it is one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I thank my parents now for letting me do it on my own.

 

You are a captain on this year’s team.  What added responsibility does that add?  What do you try to bring to that position?

When you are a captain you are always in the eyes of your teammates: they are always looking to you.  The kinds of responsibilities I have are leading by example and helping the younger girls adjust to the way we play volleyball at Minnesota.  It has definitely been a change.  It’s interesting to be on the other side because as an underclassman I remember asking the same questions to girls that people are asking me.

 

When did you start playing volleyball?  When did you decide that this was the sport for you?

I started playing volleyball in fifth grade because my sister played so I thought I would try it out.  I always wanted to play basketball in college so volleyball was just something I did because everyone else played.  Once I went to Fusion and started playing for my coach, Eric, I really started to enjoy setting and playing the game even more then playing basketball.  I would come in extra, almost everyday, to work on setting and everything else.  I really loved being in the gym!  I never knew about the world of college volleyball until maybe my 16s year of club volleyball at Fusion.  My coaches sat me down and told me I was going to be getting recruited and to be ready. So by my sophomore year I knew I wanted to play in college, and one year later I was committed to the U!

 

Kelly Schmidt, Katie V, and yourself all came to MN from Illinois.  Did that help with adjusting to school, college volleyball, and a new locale?  If so, in what way?

I think the fact that I have been playing volleyball against these girls really helped in the transition.  The three of us lived together freshmen year, along with Michele Wilber.  It was funny because we would sit in our living room and make fun of Michele’s Northern accent and how she played duck, duck, grey duck and we knew it as duck, duck goose.  She was the “outcast” even though we were in Minnesota so we thought that was always funny.  For some freshmen the first year is hard to adjust to but we had such a huge incoming class and we had been at MN camps in the past together so we were all very familiar with each other.  It is nice though to have other girls from Illinois, we can talk about Chicago sports teams or carpool back home so it’s just another nice thing to have when you are far away from home. 

 

What’s the deal with you, Kyla, and pink hair ribbons?

O man.  Here is the story.  I think it was our 18s club year one of the girls on my team bought these hideous pink hair things, it wasn’t really a ribbon it is hard to explain.  But Kyla and I knew we were going to school together so we would talk at big club tournaments.  Well she saw this hair thing and told me how horrible it was and decided not to let it go.  Needless to stay I stopped wearing it but every time I saw her she asked where it was.  No worries though she approves of the pink ribbon I wear in my hair now!

 

What is your major and how is school going for you?

I am doing an ICP major which stands for the Inter-College Program.  It allows me to pick two schools and major in both of them.  So I picked Carlson School of Management and the College of Continuing Education (CCE).  I am taking all sorts of business, marketing and finance classes at Carlson and I am focusing on Construction Management at CCE.  I am hoping to go to grad school for Architecture once I graduate.  I have always wanted to be an architect but with my schedule it is hard to major in right now.  So I decided Construction Management is the other side of designing so I would enjoy that and I combined it with business which is another thing I am very interested in.  I really like my classes and how found that Finance is something I am also interested in. 

 

What are the challenges you face in balancing schoolwork with volleyball?

Obviously time management is very important while playing a sport.  This came pretty easy to me because in high school I played AAU basketball, high school basketball and volleyball and club volleyball.  I am used to having to squeeze a lot in a very little amount of time.  I think the hardest part is coming home from class, lifting, and practice and being motivated to do homework.  Some days we are just so exhausted all we want to do is relax but we don’t have much time to just sit around and watch TV.  It might sound rough but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  When we are done with the season we have about a week of classes left with no practices.  We get so bored! No joke we get home from class and are like, “What do we do now?”  I couldn’t imagine being a normal student, I would not know what to do with my time and I should definitely get straight A's!

 

Which team do you enjoy playing against and why?

I think my favorite team to play is probably Wisconsin when we are home and away.  There is just such a huge rival between the states so everyone enjoys the game.  Also when we play at their gym they have a great crowd as well and it is always fun to play in that kind of environment.

 

 

Will the Golddiggers ever get to see the “Hartmann Dance”?

That is a good questionJ. I will do the dance if the whole team does it and we find some way to get the music up in club room.  Plus my parents have not been at the last few home games so I couldn’t do it without them there, I would never hear the end of that!

 

OK, now we get personal!!

 

If I didn’t play volleyball I would…….be playing basketball!  I always joke with Roysland about how jealous I am of her to get to play both in college!

 

When I need to relax I…….watch Grey’s Anatomy, call my mom, or take a nap.

 

My favorite food is……anything my grandma makes.  She is Hungarian and makes the best food ever!

 

The movie I could watch again and again is…..well I don’t really like to watch movies more then once but If I had to it would probably be  “She’s the Man” because I love Channing Tatum and I think the movie is really a kind of stupid/funny that I enjoy.

 

If I could go anywhere in the world for vacation I would go to…..Hungary to see all the places my grandparents have talked about and France because I have taken five years of French and would love to use it and go shopping there!

 

What people don’t know about me is……

I love root beer, I am an aunt, I can eat a whole can of black olives, I can speak some French, I love cities, I still get nervous when flying on planes and even though I may seem quiet I talk a lot!


 

Announcements

 

Reception


We will be holding a Golddigger reception after the Ohio State match on Saturday night.  The reception will be held in the Williams Arena Club room, not the Pavilion Club Room.  DuAnn is looking for extra angels this week to help with the reception as this reception tends to be one of the largest of the year.  If you are willing/able to help please let DuAnn know on Friday or by e-mailing us.

 

 

+ + +

Bus Trip to Wisconsin

Don’t forget about the road trip to Wisconsin on Saturday, November 24th, for the final match of the Big 10 season!  Cost is $45 for Golddigger members which includes the bus fare and ticket to the match.  Sign up by November 1st so we can get an estimated count for the bus company.  Non-GD members are also welcome.  Their cost is $50 for the bus and ticket.


See JT to sign up.

+ + +

Chalk Talk Scheduled for this Friday, October 26th!!!

 

The always popular Chalk Talks featuring Associate Head Coach Scott Swanson are tentatively scheduled for the Williams Arena Media Room on the following dates:

 

            Friday, October 26th                  Prior to the Penn State match, 5:30-6:15 PM

            Saturday, November 17th            Prior to the Northwestern match 5:30-6:15 PM

 

These are great opportunities to find out what the team’s strategy will be for that night.  Very good stuff!

 

Please note: You will need to enter thru the Daily Entrance area along University Ave.  You will need your ticket to get into the Pav, into Williams’ Arena, AND back into the Pav.  Be sure to keep your ticket with you at all times.

+ + +

Also, we would very much like to hear from YOU! Former Gophers, out-of-town members, Hollywood celebrities -- whomever -- please email us at the address below, let us know what you are up to,  pass on suggestions or questions for the Point U!(betcha), or hammer the coaching staff for their time-out usage -- it’s up to you. The coaching staff has also generously offered to answer questions submitted to them through this newsletter. We look forward to all your input.

 

 

Point U!(betcha)

 

Mark Eastom demanded to be told “What’s the big deal with substitutions? Every time I look up from my copy of Emily Dickinson’s Poems for Almost Any Occasion, Except, Perhaps, Volleyball I see players scurrying on and off the floor. Is this legal?”

 

Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, they are compelled to scurry, since dawdlers could earn their team a Dreaded Yellow Card. (Consult your back issues of this newsletter for a detailed explanation of the Dreaded Yellow Card and the Rare But Even More Dreaded Red Card.)

 

The rules pertaining to substitutions are complex and only fully understood by a couple of retired referees living in Nepal by the names of Bob and Chuck. Even though advances in technology have made it much easier to contact Bob and Chuck for clarifications, it is still a hit or miss proposition, especially since Chuck began breeding yaks. For that reason, attempts -- some more successful than others -- have been made to put the rules in writing.

 

First thing they did was define “substitution”: A substitution is the act by which the referees authorize a player to leave the court and a substitute to occupy that position. Substitution of one or more players is permitted at the same time.

 

This seemed pretty obvious to everyone involved. Some wanted to specify that it had to be another player occupying the original player’s position, since there was nothing anywhere in the definition prohibiting the team from sending in a duck (for example) in place of the departing player. The argument raged for several days, until, on a 6-5 vote, they decided to go with the wording above.

 

Next, they decided to place limitations on the whole substitution practice. First, each team was to be entitled to only 15 substitutions per game, with one of those subs used every time a player legally enters the game. Teams were allowed to bring in a player as many times as they wanted. In theory, this meant a single player could enter the match 8 times (replaced 7 times) if that’s what the team wanted to do. Once a player entered as a substitute, however, she could only re-enter into the same position in the team’s service order.

 

There was a lot more, most of it even less interesting than the previous. Things like exceptional substitutions, substitution zones, a whole protocol for the act of substituting, team delays for failing to adhere to that protocol, improper substitutions, what to do with injured players, what to do with bleeding players, and what to do with players wielding firearms.

 

Just as an example, take a gander at this:

An injured player substituted by exceptional substitution may not return to that game. If an eligible substitution is injured and unable to enter the game to replace an injured player, an exceptional substitution is allowed. Neither the injured substitute nor the player replaced by exceptional substitution may participate in the remainder of the game. Players entering the game as an exceptional substitution may not be substituted during the remainder of the game unless that player becomes injured and must be substituted under the provisions of the exceptional substitution rule.

 

And, if all else fails, you can always call Chuck. Hope this answers your question, Mark.

 

http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/2007/2007_w_volleyball_rules.pdf

 

8 Point Type Disclaimer: Mark Eastom never actually asked this question, but what’s he going to do? Sue us?

 

 

Rankings

 

Rank

School (First-Place Votes)

Total Points

2007 Record

Last Week

1

Nebraska (60)

1500

19-0

1

2

Penn State

1418

18-2

2

3

Stanford

1381

19-1

3

4

Washington

1330

19-1

5

5

Texas

1228

14-3

6

6

Southern California

1189

17-3

4

7

UCLA

1119

16-4

7

8

Wisconsin

1091

17-2

8

9

California

1052

16-4

9

10

Florida

966

18-1

10

11

Hawai'i