Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Sept. 27, 1990, edition 1 / Page 7
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Thursday, September 27, 1990 €lt)« Cljarlotte SPORTS r Ready For Court UNC Charlotte's Michelle Smith Helps Power 49ers #v-s ■ UNC Charlotte's Michelle Smith is making a comeback &om a severe ankle sprain last year. The 5-9 sophomore is known for her defense (left) but her offense can make op ponents shudder as well. Photos/cALViN ferguson By Herb White THE CHARLOTTE POST When Michelle Smith goes onto the volleyball court, she becomes a different person. The UNC Charlotte sopho more's solemn face becomes animated, the feet get anxious and she becomes quite vocal. In other words, the sport makes her some kind of excited. "I'm one of those types of peo ple that when I'm playing. I'm a different person," she says. "I talk a lot more to the players. I'm just more Into it, more excit ed about the game when I'm playing." Last year. Smith did get to do a lot of digging or spiking for the 49ers, who are 5-5 going Into Saturday's UNCO Tournament at the Mine Shaft. A preseason ankle injury limited Smith to just six matches last season. Af ter redshlrtlng, she's back to help the 49ers Improve on last year's 10-26 record. Smith, a 5-9 native of Jeffer sonville, Ind., had an outstand ing freshman campaign in 1988, leading UNCO with 304 kills and 308 digs. The next year, she se verely sprained her left ankle, all but wiping out her sophomore season. Smith is now dedicated to fighting her way back to pre vious form. "I think physically. I'm back to where I was last year before I got Injured," she said. I should be above that. I should be going up and up, but now I’m trying to go up past that level because I'd been so far down last year." While the 49ers have been up- and-down as a team this sea son, Smith says they're ahead of last year's pace. With only one senior (Rosl3ni Forester) on the team, the 49ers have Improved 'With a mix of experience and youth, \feteran players make the difference in close matches. If for no other reason than they've been in those situations before. 'This year we have a lot more experience. That's the bottom line," said Smith. Last year, we had two returning starters from the previous year, and both of us were Injured.. Experience counts for a lot." Smith is one of UNCC’s better hitters, using a combination of power and leaping ability to slam the ball to the floor. Play ing outside hitter for the 49ers, however, doesn't mean offense is the only part of her game. Defense is now Smith's forte, reasoning that missing last year took a toll on her development as an offensive force. Where op ponents once scrambled to dig wicked spikes, they now face someone who can beat them when the ball goes Into the 49ers court. "My hitting," was once the focal point of Smith's abilities, "but now it's my defense. I have to build back up to where I was last year. I still don't know how my defense got better." When Jacksonville, UNC Ashe ville and Virginia Common wealth come In for this week end’s tournament. Smith and the 49ers will be ready. She is al ready predicting UNCC will sweep the event. After this week end, we'll be 10-5," she says. The 49ers' rise to respectabili ty isn't going to be easy, but Smith and her teammates are determined to make it happen. They may have a mediocre record now, but that doesn't have to be this team's legacy. "None of us are satisfied with it because we want to be 10-0. But we're going to work on it untU we are." James Cuthbertson POST SPORTS WRITER Welcome To The ACC, Florida St.; Glad To Have Ya And then there were nine...Welcome to the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State. Welcome to the dog-eat-dog world of the ACC. Welcome to the Dean Dome, Littlejohn, Cameron Indoor Stadium. Cole Field House, University Hall, Joel Memorial Coliseum, Alexander Coliseum and Reynolds Coliseum, hell holes of the universe. Welcome to Memorial, Wal lace Wade, Grant, Byrd, Kenan, Carter-Flnley, Scoft and Groves, pits of the universe. Life in the ACC will hot be easy, but you bring a quality program for the competitive wars and expand the horizons of the ACC across six states, thus controlling a sizable share of the market from Key West, Florida to Elkton, Md. That's the entire Southeastern coast. Schools voting yes on the second vote for expansion were Clemson, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Vir ginia and Wake Forest. Voting no were Duke and Maryland. Therr abstentions—by UNC, N.C. State and Wake Forest on the first expansion vote, three yes and two nos had precipi tated the second. After voting to expand, the league voted unanimously to add Florida State to the fold. The decision to expand was not an easy one. as it took a day for the league to reach a decision. This included three votes, with the last held at 8 p.m. on Sept. 13. The Semlnoles—that's an Indi an for those who don't know their college mascots—will begin com petition for every team sport ex cept football In the 1991-92 sea son and football by 1993. Florida State is a prized acqui sition because of the academic and athletic reputation it has. This will be the fourth time the ACC's membership has changed. The charter members in 1953 were Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina and Wake Forest. They were pullouts from the old South ern Conference that stretched from Maiyland to Louisiana. Virginia was added In Decem ber of 1953. South Carolina left in 1971 and Georgia Tech, for merly of the Southeastern Con ference, joined In 1978. Now the speculation begins on who will be the 10th school. The Metrolina Rankings 1. West Charlotte-The Lions are rolling on. scoring 34 points on defensive-minded Crest. They are Red Hotl 2. Ashbrook--Led by James Bowden, the Green Wave are swashing to the top of the Southwestern 4A conference. 3. Garlnger—The Wildcats are growing up and growling up the storm. 4. West Mecklenburg—The In dians are ready to go on the war path In the Trl-County, led by Maseo Bolin and Perry Fergu son. 5. East Mecklenburg--The Ea gles don’t have a lot of depth and that hurts them during these hot Indian days with so many players going both ways. 6. Ol5rmplc—The Trojans lost a heartbreaker to Harding, but they are still a dangerous team. Shawn Boe Is a good quarter back and Nate Abraham is a good quarterback and Nate Abraham Is a sight to behold on the run. 7. Charlotte Latin—The Hawks beat Orangeburg Prep, one of the best private school teams In South Carolina. 8. Independence--Led by Kemp Smith, the Providence Day Chargers are headed for a showdown with Charlotte Latin for the state private school championship. 10. Harding—The Rams have come a long way. Against Olym pic, the big, stapplng Marlon Lo- tharp looked very dangerous. When he needed inches, he got yards. The best of the rest: Hunter Huss, Providence. Featured Game: West Meck lenburg at West Charlotte. One of these teams will emerge as the favorite In the Trl County's race for two berths. The other will join Olymlc and Harding In the race for the two other berths. With Maseo Bolin, who lives In West Charlotte’s district and has brothers who went to West Charlotte, has kept the Indians armed and extremely danger ous. Added to this is the fact that there Is no love lost be tween the Lions and Indians. The Lions of Tommy Knotts are powerful In rushing, pass ing, special teams, pimtlng and placeklcklng. Did I miss any thing? This game could be close. West Charlotte 28 West Meck lenburg 14. In other games: Ashbrook 24 Providence 7: Crest 7 Freedom 6; Olympic 20 East Gaston 0: Garlnger 17 Myers Park 14; In dependence 17 Hunter Huss 10; Harding 24 North Mecklenburg 12; East Mecklenburg 17 South Mecklenburg 7; Piedmont 7 Catholic 6; Latin 17 Polk Coun ty 7; Country Day 16 Christ School 3; Providence Day 19 Hammond 7. Weekend Sports Agenda High School Football Friday Ashbrook at Pro'vldencec The unbeaten Green Wave should have no problems taming Jim Seacard's Panthers on this road test. Freedom at Crest: Both teams are so evenly matched, mis takes wfil likely be the key here. East Gaston at Oljnnpic: Olympic has shown flashes of bril liance this season. There should be plenty of flash against lowly East Gaston. Garlnger at Myers Park: An entertaining—and intriguing matchup. Can the Wildcats' speed overcome an opportunistic herd of Mustangs? Independence at Hunter Huss: a big test of strength m the Southwestern 4A The loser could be In for a hard time when the playoff Invitations go out. Harding at North Mecklenburg. The Rams haven't found themselves yet, but this Is a good place to start. South Mecklenburg at East Mecklenburg. Rudy Ab rams' Eagles are still the biggest surprise In Charlotte. They're short on depth, but have lots of heart. West Mecklenburg at West Charlotte: say nothing more—the first of three west side skirmishes. The Lions will look for the lead against Maseo Bolin and the Indians. College Football Saturday CIAA Johnson C. Smith at S.C. State 1:30 p.m. BriUdog Stadium, Orangeb'urg, S.C.: smith put points on the board last week, but still lost 28-26 to Fayetteville State. S.C. State's re building season should get a boost against the Bulls, who've failed to get everything together for 60 minutes. North Carolina Central at Hampton: The Eagles broke into the win column at home last week against a non-conference foe. Now they'll face a Hampton team that needs a conference win as desperately as they do. Livingstone at Virginia State: The Bears are going to have their hands full with the Trojans, a team that makes opponents pay for mistakes Virginia Union at Bowie State: The Panthers can take a big step towards the Northern Division title with a win. The Bulldogs (0-2 CIAA) need a win In the worst way to remain a factor. . Fayetteville State at Winston-Salem, 7:30 p.m. Bowman-Gray Stadium: The Rams got that long-awaited first win last week. Fayetteville State knocked off Smith and can go a game up in the win column with a victory. Elizabeth City at Grambling: The vikings take on the leg endary Eddie Robinson and his Tgers. On the road. Bad news. MEAC N.C. A&T at Norfolk State 1:30 p.m. Norfolk, Va.: The Aggies are for real, but so are the CIAA's Spartans. Both teams are 4-0 and don't particularly care for each other. The best game (on paper) tn the area. ■ Photo/CALVIN FERGUSON Water Break Felicia Glass helps a Johnson C. Smith football player cool off with a blast of water Wednesday during practice. The Bulls play Saturday at S.C. State In Orangeburg, S.C. ■id a
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 27, 1990, edition 1
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