Sports Monday
Playing Golf
Could Forge
New Course
Who would’ve thought golf
could have such an impact
on gender distinctions in the
United States?
By winning the Connecticut PGA
Section Championship last Tuesday,
Suzy Whaley gained the opportunity
to make a such an impression.
Whaley, a 1989 North Carolina grad
uate, earned an exemption for the 2003
Canon Greater Hartford Open, mean-
ing she could be
in the field com
peting against
PGA Tour profes
sionals like Tiger
Woods and Phil
Mickelson.
That is, if she
decides to play.
The decision
seems simple:
play a few rounds
of golf for a bun
dle money and
m ' *
TIM CANDON
UNSIGNED &
UNDRAFTED
mb elbows with golfs elite - why not?
To Whaley, the choice isn’t so easy.
She’s concerned that she isn’t strong
enough to hit out of the 5-6 inch rough
lining the pristine fairways at the TPC
at River Highlands, or that she has
doesn’t have the power to play the
6,820 yards that the course measures.
At last week’s tournament, PGA of
America’s rules allowed Whaley to tee
off 10 percent closer than the men.
Whaley hits about 230 yards off the
tee, while Tour pros average 290. In the
GHO, she’d have to play from the same
tees as the men, creating a problem.
Adding distance on Whaley’s
approach to the green would make it
difficult for her to hit greens in regula
tion and score birdies and pars, said
UNC women’s golf coach Sally Austin.
Whaley is also concerned with the
gap in skill level. She said it’s an insult
to think she could compete with the
likes of Woods, or anyone on the Tour.
“I check carts in every day,” Whaley
said. “I don’t play golf for a living. I
play golf on the side.”
But if she can’t compete, why play?
“For history,” she said. “For the fact
that I would be the first. It would be
great for women’s golf.”
Whaley said she will talk with friends,
family and golf insiders to help her
make a decision, one she must reach by
the week before the GHO begins, likely
sometime in late June 2003.
As Whaley weighs the pros and
cons of playing, plenty of people have
an opinion on what she should do.
“I do think she should play,” said
Martha Burk, who chairs the National
Council of Women’s Organizations and
is currendy crusading to force Augusta
National to admit female members.
“While no one really expects her to
win, nothing can stop her from turning
in a good performance.”
GHO Director Dan Baker, PGA
Tour public relations director Bob
Coombs, and Austin all said it would be
great if Whaley plays.
But that decision ultimately will be
made by one person - Suzy Whaley.
And that’s the way it should be.
Although everyone is allowed to
have one, no one’s opinion should
affect Whaley’s decision because she’s
the person who will be playing.
Burk, however, said this is bigger
than just a golf tournament, and Whaley
almost has a responsibility to play.
“In a larger sense, those who are
able to break barriers should,” she said.
But this isn’t exacdy a barrier.
Women were never barred from play
ing in a PGA Tour event, it’s just that
no woman has ever qualified.
Whaley said if she does play, it will
send the message to girls that there are
no limits to what they can do.
But if she doesn’t play, there are two
girls who will have some questions -
her daughters, Jennifer, 8, and Kelly, 5.
In 10 or 15 years when those two
girls come to understand that women
are often slighted in this society, and
they realize that their mother had the
chance to make a difference in that
struggle, but didn’t take advantage of it,
what does she tell them?
Taken aback, Whaley pondered that
notion for a moment and quizzically said,
“I haven’t thought about that”
Maybe those two particular reasons
are exacdy why Whaley should stop
worrying about logistics and play for the
cause that surpasses any par.
Tim Candon can be reached at
tcandon @email. unc. edu
I- £fjP!Bslir
‘ I // 1
I A. *
DTH/GARRETT HALL
UNC midfielder Marcus Storey (center) dives to try and
launch the ball past a Virginia defender Saturday.
Field Hockey Regains Confidence After Wins
By Brandon Coward
Staff Writer
The North Carolina field hockey team
needed to be reassured this weekend.
The Tar Heels needed proof that
their new offensive system worked, and
that their 1-3
record against
top 20 com
petition this
season was
just a fluke.
The Tar
Heels got
what they
Field Hockey
Virginia I
UNC 3
Old Dominion .. .0
UNC 2
were looking for this weekend, topping
No. 11 Virginia 3-1 and No. 2 Old
Dominion 2-0.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to come out of
that tough weekend with two wins,” said
UNC coach Karen Shelton. “(Sunday)
wasn’t pretty, but we found a way to win,
and I think that’s important.”
On Sunday, UNC (5-3,1-0) came out
swinging against the Cavaliers (4-3,0-1).
But despite 14 shots and nine penal
ty comers in the first half (compared to
five shots and two comers for Virginia),
the two teams entered halftime tied 0-0.
The second half started like the first
ended, with both teams straggling to
convert on their opportunities.
The drought finally ended when,
with 12 minutes left, Virginia’s Cara
Unterkofler stole the ball in the Cavalier
zone and moved it quickly upfield to
midfielder Katie Phillips.
Phillips fired it past UNC goalkeeper
Amy Tran for the first score of the game.
Little did Phillips know that her goal
would open up the floodgates for the
other side. UNC responded within five
minutes.
“I think composure was the key,”
Kelsey Keeran said. “After they scored,
Meredith (Keller) sort of pulled us in and
Berg Explores Options; Eyes Possibility of Coaching
By Ben Couch
Staff Writer
In sports, a lifer is someone who
spends his or her whole life involved
with one sport. The person grows up
playing it, plays to the highest level pos
sible, and then moves on to coaching.
Erin Berg, a
North Carolina
alumna is a volley
ball lifer - she just
hasn’t come
around yet.
“Her calling is
to be a coach,”
said former team
mate Shannon
Smith. “She’s fight
ing it right now,
but I think she’ll
come back to it.”
Asa player, it
o
For the next several
months, The Daily Tar
Heel will profile former
UNC athletes who were
among the ACCs best
Next week:
Football
was Berg’s determination and knowl
edge of the game that helped her excel
as a setter during her collegiate career.
UNC coach Joe Sagula called Berg
another coach on the court.
“I think he respected me as much as I
could have hoped for in my volleyball
knowledge,” Berg said. “I was never the
absolute best athlete on the court, out of
Men's Soccer Conquers Cavaliers
By Tim Candon
Assistant Sports Editor
With no football at Kenan Stadium this week
end, if football fans wanted to get their fix,
they’d have to head out to Fetzer Field to watch
the No. 16 North
Carolina and No. 9
Virginia men’s soccer
teams play football of
the European variety.
The 3,055 fans
who turned out would not be disappointed as
UNC scored two goals in less than three minutes
to beat UVa. 2-1 and
win its conference
opener.
Aside from a watch
ing two of the ACC’s
best, the fans witnessed
an evening of firsts.
The Tar Heels (5-2,1-0) beat UVa. (3-3,0-2)
at Fetzer Field for the first time since 1994. The
Cavaliers have started 0-2 in the ACC for the
first time since 1977, and they’ve lost their third
straight game for the first time since 1981.
David Testo returned for his first game after
serving a two-game suspension for violating
team rules and scored his first goal of the season.
_ : .. .. .
DTH/GREG LOGAN
North Carolina forward Kelsey Keeran (right) fights a Virginia defender for possession of the ball Sunday at
Henry Stadium. Keeran scored Saturday against Old Dominion in UNC's first of two weekend victories.
said ‘Don’t give up, let’s get it together.’”
With eight minutes to play, a frenzy
of shots led to sophomore Kerry
Falgowski stuffing in a floating rebound
from five feet out to tie the game, 1-1.
Almost a minute later, a UNC penal
ty comer led to the game winner when
Keller dribbled to the right side of the
circle and slapped a shot into the net.
Falgowski added a late goal to ice the
victory.
Saturday’s game against Old
M
natural ability. But
because of my
background and
because of my posi
tion in being a set
ter, and being real
ly smart about it, he
respected what I
thought, and what I
thought would
work for the team.”
Smith recalled a
1997 game at the
Hawaii Rainbow
Classic, playing
before 10,000 peo
ple, the Tar Heels
Former setter
Erin Berg
was named 1998
ACC Player of the
Year for UNC's
volleyball team.
were down two games to host Hawaii.
“Erin said, ‘Every single ball, I’m setting
you a seven,’ which is a set from behind
‘We’re not going out like this.’ And then no
matter where the ball was on the court, she
kept trying to get it to me,” Smith said
UNC forced Hawaii to three extra
points that game, but still lost That kind of
determination helped UNC to an 80-55
record during Berg’s four years.
Sagula credits Berg with helping to
elevate UNC volleyball to its current
standing as a premier program.
“She brought a vision that we can be
really good and play hard, and be better
UNC coach Elmar Bolowich, who got his
first regular-season win against UVa. in eight
years, was satisfied with the outcome.
“I thought our boys fought very hard,” said
Bolowich. “They put everything into the game.
That’s what we wanted out of them - we want
ed that commitment from every single player
and that’s what they showed.”
Virginia’s Alecko Eskandarian opened the
scoring in the 17th minute by stealing the ball
from a UNC defender, breaking into the penal
ty area and placing a sensational shot into the
far side netting past a diving UNC goalkeeper
Ford Williams. The goal boosted Eskandarian’s
ACC-leading total to eight.
But less than a minute later, UNC’s Ryan
Kneipper stole the ball from a UVa. defender at
the edge of their box, dribbled to the top and
toe-poked the ball into the net. Cavalier goal
keeper David Comfort was frozen on his line
and never made a move on the Kneipper shot.
“We went down 1-0, and that’s always frus
trating as a forward because you don’t have much
to do with when they get a goal, and you’ve got
to try to rally the team up,” Kneipper said.
And rally he did.
Just over two minutes later, the Tar Heels
struck again.
Matt Crawford served a comer into the box
Men's Soccer
Virginia I
UNC 2
Testo Shines in
First Game Back
Since Suspension
See Page 8
Dominion (5-2) was a different story, but
with the same ending.
The Lady Monarchs had chances
early, with six penalty comers and eight
shots on goal, but nothing materialized.
While the Tar Heels only managed
three penalty comers and six shots on
goal, the last shot sent UNC into the
break with a 1-0 lead.
With 2:08 left in the first half, back
Alison Stewart lofted a bouncing pass
from outside the box to a diving Keeran.
than we were,” Sagula said.
Berg’s vision started to form on the
volleyball-mad islands of Hawaii.
Growing up in Honolulu, Berg was in the
gym for as long as she can remember. She
calls her father, also her coach for two years,
her biggest influence. The knowledge she
gained early was key to her later success.
When it came time for college, Berg
narrowed her choices to Texas or UNC.
“I felt that UNC was just a better fit
for me, in the size of the school, and it
just really appealed to me,” she said.
“And the amount of pride that went
along with putting on a Carolina jersey
is amazing.”
As it turned out, the player who put
on the jersey for UNC was amazing her
self.
“I remember (Berg) being very deter
mined, very vocal and an amazing
leader,” said UNC outside hitter Laura
Greene. “I think that’s what coach needed
to put the program on the next level.”
Berg was thrust into a starting role from
day one, because the team’s other setter
had quit, but she didn’t feel any pressure.
“I was just so excited - to be there,
and to be playing and to have the oppor
tunity to play right away,” she said.
Bag’s first three years were educational.
During an up-and-down first two sea
UNC Glides
By Weekend
Opponents
Freshman forward
Lindsay Tarpley scored
her first collegiate hat
trick Sunday en route to
the Tar Heels' second
win of the weekend.
See Page 9.
I
rm
Keeran jabbed the ball out of the air and
poked it past the goalkeeper. It was all
UNC would need, as Tran shut out the
Lady Monarchs.
“The game Saturday was a good
upper for us, because they were the No.
2 team,” Falgowski said. “We proved to
ourselves the we can hang with anybody
in the country.”
The Sports Editor can be reach at
sports@unc.edu.
sons, the Tar Heels went 37-30. Her junior
year' they lost several close games, finish
ing 14-17. This is when Berg said she
matured the most as leader, learning how
to pick up a team and tum'one game’s loss
into next game’s win.
Off the floor, Berg was gaining valu
able life experience.
“There’s so much about athletics that you
can apply to your everyday life that people
don’t even realize,” she said. “Being aggres
sive, just being determined, and being disci
plined to do stuff.”
Berg’s senior season was a banner
year, both for her and the team.
The Tar Heels went 29-8, won the reg
ular season ACC title, and made their
first NCAA tournament appearance of
the 1990s in ’9B. Berg was named ACC
Player of the Year that same season.
“Going to the NCAA tournament for
the first time in 10 years was absolutely
amazing,” she said. “I learned so muck
about myself and working as a team and
getting through those hard times and then
actually breaking through - it was huge.”
Berg then served one year as an assis
tant at UNC. Even though it was tough
for her to stay on the bench come game
time, she said it was ultimately reward
ing because of the team’s success.
Now working in advertising as an assis-
INSIDE:
■ Volleyball cruises
to victory against
two Big East
opponents.
Page 9
■ Senior forward
Susan Bush battles
back from injuries.
Page 9
that found the head of Testo, which then found
the back of the net for the go-ahead, and even
tual, game-winning goal.
“After (Virginia) scored the goal, we came
right back. That was big,” said Bolowich.
With 65 minutes left to play, the scoring
ended, but Virginia pressured the Tar Heels
throughout the rest of the game.
“After the half, it became more of a batde,”
Bolowich said. “Virginia was desperate, and we
were just trying to hold the results.”
UNC did hold, in part because the Tar Heels
didn’t attack as much and their defense didn’t
allow Virginia any good looks at the net.
“We played great as a unit,” said UNC
defender David Stokes. “I think that’s the best
we played all season.
“We were connected and we held them to
not to many shots.”
A lot of the credit for not allowing a lot of
shots went to the UNC backline of Logan
Pause, Grant Porter, Tim Merritt and Stokes.
Cavalier foward Ryan Gibbs was quiet for
most of the night. Eskandarian ran all over the
field, but Stokes ran step-for-step with the fleet
footed UVa. striker. Stokes has 4 inches and 25
pounds on Eskandarian, but that didn’t stop the
See MEN'S SOCCER, Page 9
Injuries Fail
To Sideline
Tar Heels
By Lauren Ritter
Staff Writer
For most people, it’d be hard enough
to run around hunched over chasing a
tiny ball for 70 minutes.
But for some of the North Carolina
field hockey players, that’s just half of it.
Some have played with a tom ACL,
a broken jaw and even the absence of a
few front teeth without much complaint
This weekend was no exception.
Sophomore forward Kelsey Keeran
was hit in the face by a ball at practice in
August. The ball broke her jaw in three
places, but she didn’t stop after that.
“I can’t stand sitting there, like the first
week,” Keeran said. “I wasn’t allowed to
do anything. I just had to sit there and
watch my team while they practiced.”
Playing with a protective face mask,
Keeran got her first goal of the season
against No. 2 Old Dominion on
Saturday, a goal that turned out to be
pivotal in the Tar Heels’ 2-0 win.
“She had a big goal yesterday for us,
and she’s provided a little more depth
for us on our front line,” Shelton said. “I
think she’s still working on getting her
touch back, and she’s not 100 percent,
but she’s getting closer each game.”
But Shelton said field hockey is not
an inherendy dangerous sport when it is
See FIELD HOCKEY, Page 9
tant account executive in Austin, Texas,
Berg plays once or twice a week. She has
fielded an offer to coach, but like Smith
said, she’s fighting it as best she can.
“I love coaching and I’ve been
around volleyball so much of my life,”
Berg said. “(Smith) very well could be
right, but I think I wanted to check out
other things and do some other stuff,
but eventually I think she may have hit
the nail on the head. I’ll probably get
back to coaching.”
The Sports Editor can be reached at
sports@unc.edu.
ACC 50th Anniversary
Top UNC Volleyball Players
Player Years Played Hometown
Erinßerg 1995-1998 Honolulu, Hawaii
Liz Berg 1987-1990 Arlington Heights,-111.
Jill Berkebile 1983-1986 Johnston, Pa.
Sharon German 1986-1989 Dillon, SC.
Donna Meier 1981-1983 Dix Hills, N.Y.
Amy Peistrup 1988-1992 Arlington Heights, 111.
Tori Seibert 1996-1999 WHliamsville, N.Y.
UST COMPILED BY BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE FOB THE ACC
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