The Hurricanes are set to begin Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play with a sustained dose of power, having lost just one graduate while gaining two promising newcomers.

The ACC, renowned for formidable volleyball, is not daunting the ‘Canes. Instead, they are thankful for the chance to compete against a higher level of competition.

“I think when we play the better teams our tendency is to play better as well,” senior outside hitter Biz Tyson said.

Georgia Tech and Maryland, new conference rivals for the ‘Canes, are ranked first and second respectively in the East by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Tech also made the national Top 25, landing at No. 12 in the Coaches Poll. Miami is No. 11 in the East.

“To us that’s just another opportunity to prove that we’re better than that,” Tyson said. “I think this season we have a real group consensus as to what we want to achieve. I think we’re all on the same page and we’ll go really far.”

Senior libero Jamie Grass talked about the benefits of a well-rounded team.

“We have a great team because we’re really diverse-there are players who can play two positions…We’ve been practicing playing a lot with different combinations of people in…so we have a lot to fall back on if [one setup] isn’t working.”

The team appears to be as strong as ever with two incoming freshmen, outside hitters Michelle Bruin and Ashley Woods, joining the squad. Bruin hails from Chapel Hill, N.C., where she led her team to the state championship and was named Most Valuable Player last season. Woods, regarded as one of the best blockers in her home state of Texas, brings another source of power to the team.

“The freshmen fit in really well,” Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “It has been probably the smoothest transition yet in all the four years [of the program], and we just got going right away and we’re progressing daily.”

Tyson said she agrees that the cohesion was there from the start.

“[Woods and Bruin] came here ready to play and meshed really well with the team. They’re just really good volleyball players and should make a huge impact on the team.”

Seeing improvement from the returning players doesn’t appear to be a concern either.

“We made a lot of strides in the spring especially some people that didn’t play a lot that are going to get some chances this fall…everyone’s really improved,” Lantagne Welch said.

The season officially begins tomorrow with a match against cross-town rival Florida International. The Hurricane Invitational, a three-day-long event, begins Friday.

“We really want to beat them [FIU],” Tyson said. “And the Hurricane Invitational is really important to us because you always want to win your home tournament, you know, start off the year on a good, strong note.”

Though the players are excited, Lantagne Welch remains cautiously optimistic about the season.

“We have a ways to go yet, but we’re pretty good at this point in the season and we’re excited about our progress…I think that the daily battles are going to become tougher. I think it’s a strong conference and it’s going to be a great challenge for us, but we’re looking forward to it.”

The ‘Canes take on the Golden Panthers tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. in the Knight Sports Complex.

Melissa Teich can be contacted at m.teich1@umiami.edu.

I would like to start off by saying that I have the utmost respect for President Donna E. Shalala, and I think she has done a great job at this university. However, I have a serious objection to the letter she wrote to the “university community” regarding the admittance of Willie Williams. Since she values student feedback so greatly, a simple e-mail would not suffice. I have instead decided to devote a column to express my feelings.

I am neither for nor against Williams being admitted. However, when President Shalala tries to tell the students and community that Williams was admitted for reasons other than athletics, she is feeding the student body a load of crap.

President Shalala severely underestimates the intelligence of her student body by expecting us to believe what she writes in this letter, that Williams was admitted because he is a qualified applicant off the field. I am not debating his academic record, but consider this: if the average student was arrested 11 times and had all the legal problems Williams has, even if he or she had great academic records, he or she would have zero chance of being admitted to this school. While this may not be an indisputable fact, it is as close as you can get to one.

When President Shalala says, “…laws that protect files of young people have resulted in inaccurate public reports – and sloppy conclusions by various so-called experts…” I can’t help but question this piece of information. It is a fact that Williams has been arrested multiple times, 11 to be exact. These are not “inaccurate public reports” as she claims. Things get worse when Williams’ youth becomes an excuse for his actions. Being young does not give you exemption from the law. Unless I missed something, Williams is no younger than the normal freshman. In our youth, we have all made foolish mistakes, but being arrested 11 times goes beyond a momentary lapse in judgment. It is downright ludicrous.

“In our youth, we have all made foolish mistakes, but being arrested 11 times goes beyond a momentary lapse in judgment. It is downright ludicrous.”

When Shalala says, “Mr. Williams is also one of us – a son of Miami. We have a special obligation, relationship, and commitment to the young people of our South Florida community,” I balk at this statement. If we have a special obligation to the young people of South Florida, then we should go to the local prison and admit the inmates.

The University of Miami has made great strides academically and Shalala has done an exceptional job as president. However, when she wrote this letter over the summer addressing the issue, she insulted the intelligence of every student at this university. She attempted to put a positive spin on a negative situation, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

In conclusion, President Shalala, next time, just tell the students the truth. Aren’t we all taught that the truth will set us free? Be honest with us, and give us the real reasons for the decisions you make. We are all adults and we understand how the world works. If we are taking an athlete for their abilities, trust your student body enough to understand that. Don’t try to fool us into accepting a university spin job. It won’t work, and it will simply cause people like me to write columns in The Hurricane about you.

Darren Grossman can be contacted at d.grossman@umiami.edu.

Women’s soccer Head Coach Tricia Taliaferro had an opportunity to do something special this pre-season, and she took advantage of the chance. Taliaferro took the ‘Canes on a tour of Brazil, which included six scrimmages in 10 days against international competition.

Taliaferro said the trip was an overwhelming success.

“The trip was fantastic for us, as far as our development goes,” Taliaferro said. “Usually it takes a couple of games to get going at the start of the season, but now we should be ready to go in that first game.”

Not only were the scrimmages good for the returning players, but they also gave a chance for the coaching staff to see what the freshmen could do in game situations. The team returns 14 letter winners from last year’s 9-9-1 squad, but the freshmen have impressed Taliaferro and four will be in the starting lineup to start the season.

“The freshmen came in and really did a great job,” Taliaferro said. “They definitely surprised me because I wasn’t expecting them to make that transition right away.”

After a fourth place finish a year ago in their final season in the Big East, the Hurricanes head into the toughest soccer conference in America: the ACC. The ACC is ranked No.1 while the Big East was only the fifth best conference in the country. As far as expectations are concerned, Taliaferro can only be worried about her team.

“Since we’ve never played the ACC before and we’ll be going on reputation, we have to focus in on our team and what we’ve been building here over the last couple of years,” Taliaferro said.

Leading the way in the Hurricanes this year will be senior forward Britney Butcher, who finished with three goals and five assists last season. Also in the starting lineup are junior forward Lindsey Yach, who led Miami in scoring a season ago, and sophomore midfielder Sheuneen Ta, who had a very impressive freshman season.

As for the four freshmen to start, goalkeeper Lauren McAdam will replace sophomore Alex Alford, who is still recovering from a foot injury suffered last season. Joining McAdam in the lineup are forward Akilah Moore, midfielder Lindsay Curtin and forward Cynthia Dongo.

The schedule won’t be favorable to the Hurricanes, as they not only have to compete in the ACC but also face tough non-conference opponents. After starting out on the road against George Mason and Virginia last weekend, Miami will host their next seven games, including a Sept. 3 showdown against rival Florida State.

The Hurricanes opened up the season against the Patriots of George Mason last Friday and lost 2-0. The ‘Canes were able to outshoot their opponents 15-6, but it wasn’t enough as the Patriots scored a goal in each half.

“George Mason came out extremely organized and was able to capitalize on the opportunities they had, but overall, I think we played well,” Taliaferro said. “We have to learn to take care of and respond to those same opportunities that we have.”

Doug Kroll can be contacted at d.kroll@umiami.edu.

Men’s cross-country

With eight runners returning, including junior standout Alex Brutvan, and five promising newcomers on-board, the men’s cross country team is looking forward to a successful 2004 season. Led by Head Coach Mike Ward, this year’s squad has gained the valuable experience necessary to compete at the highest levels.

Brutvan returns after a very successful 2003 campaign. He was the Hurricanes’ top finisher in all seven events including victories at the FIU Invitational and Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Invitational. He placed 35th overall in the Big East Cross Country Championships and 55th in the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships.

Brutvan spent this summer recovering from injuries he sustained towards the end of last season but Coach Ward believes he will be ready to go once the season starts.

Along with Brutvan and junior James Mullaly, the Hurricanes return sophomores Tom Berry, Zach Castiglione, and William Bludgus, the team’s lone senior.

Berry was the Hurricanes’ second- best finisher in all seven events last season, including second-place overall finishes at the FIU Invitational and the PBA Sailfish Invitational, as well as a top-55 finish at the Big East Championships. Castiglione was a consistent performer for the Hurricanes, scoring in five of seven events. He recorded two top-10 overall finishes, as well as a 65th-place finish at the Big East Championships.

Women’s cross-country

The Miami Hurricanes women’s cross-country team has begun preparations for the upcoming season with renewed energy. With the move to the ACC, the Hurricanes are excited about the possibilities the upcoming season brings.

The Hurricanes return their top three runners from last season including junior Melanie Schultz, sophomore Lindsay Rohrs, and senior Marilyn Ruiz.

Schultz was the Hurricanes’ top finisher in five of the six meets last season, including individual victories at the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Invitational and the FIU Invitational. She also recorded a 40th place finish at the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships.

According to Ward, Schultz should be the leader on the team this season and he looks forward to seeing her post good results.

Rohrs competed in five events as a freshman for the Hurricanes in 2003, placing second on the team in four of those meets. She also placed in the top 75 at the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships.

Ruiz, the lone senior on the team, was a consistent performer for the Hurricanes last season and was UM’s top finisher at the Hatter Cross Country Invitational. Other returning runners include sophomores Ginou Etienne, Allison McElhaney, Melissa Preston, and junior Zully Marie Pascual.

After a disappointing two-loss season, the 2004 Miami Hurricanes are looking to return to the national title game. They will have to get through the Atlantic Coast Conference to get there.

However, the Hurricanes plan to enter their first season of ACC play with a bang. They are the pre-season No. 5 team in the nation and fully expect to be playing for the title in front of their home crowd at the Orange Bowl in January.

“This team is very confident and expects to compete for a national championship.” cornerback Kelly Jennings said. “We go out to win every game and we want to stay at a high level.”

The theme of the summer practices has been position battles. Frank Gore appears to be fully recovered from knee surgery, but sophomore Tyrone Moss was impressive last season. The two backs figure to split the carries. The tight ends have enjoyed an interesting battle between Kevin Everett and Greg Olsen. Both have been formidable thus far for the Hurricanes.

“This is the best group of tight ends I have ever been around,” Head Coach Larry Coker said. “They are outstanding. Everett and Olsen are tough and are tremendously hard workers.”

Of course, the offense’s success will rely on quarterback Brock Berlin. With Derrick Crudup still around and young Kyle Wright pushing him, Berlin will have to be at the top of his game. So far, he has been pleasing the coaches in practice. Berlin will be the starter on Labor Day against the Seminoles.

The offensive line will be anchored by Chris Myers and Eric Winston, who figure to be two of the best in the nation. However, the rest of the offensive line is a question mark, but mastermind Art Kehoe seems to always have his linemen at the top of their games.

Defensively, the Hurricanes have to make up for lost talent. With Jon Vilma, D.J. Williams, Vince Wilfork, and Sean Taylor leaving last year for the NFL, the defense will be looking for its younger guys to step up.

“We have great coaches and they will put guys in positions to make plays. We have lost guys in the past and we always reload,” Jennings said. “The younger guys have learned from the veterans and people will have to step up and make plays.”

Freshman Willie Williams, the Carol City high school recruit, was admitted to the University of Miami. However, do not look for Williams to step in and help replace Vilma at linebacker right away. Williams has suffered a knee injury and underwent surgery last week. In addition, he is suspended for the first four games regardless of his off-field problems.

“Willie has had surgery, but his spirits are good and his surgery went well,” Coker said. “Red shirting him will take care of itself based on his injury and how well he heals.”

Overall, the Hurricanes have much talent to replace and are in a new conference. However, this is the University of Miami and the team is expected to contend every year.

“I feel very good about the team,” Coker said. “The attitude has been great, and I like our athleticism. I think we are ahead of where we were a year ago.”

This year’s team faces some added pressure from last year’s disappointment. Plus, there are a bunch of unknowns on the schedule. Gone from the schedule are familiar rivals Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Instead, the Hurricanes play an ACC schedule featuring Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State, and Virginia, along with old friends FSU and Virginia Tech.

However, this year’s schedule is favorable. If the Hurricanes beat FSU on Sept. 6, the road to the national title could be clear. The Hurricanes play Virginia Tech and Clemson at home, and the road schedule is relatively easy. Be wary of a late season road trip to Virginia though, as the Cavaliers could ruin the Hurricanes national title hopes.

“It is always hard to win a national championship because you have to be flawless in every game to put yourself in that position,” Jennings said. “The ACC is a different conference so we have to watch what those teams are doing and be ready for the new challenges every week.”

Darren Grossman can be contacted at d.grossman@umiami.edu.

America’s next great female sprinter might be former Hurricane Lauryn Williams, who shocked the Olympic-viewing world by winning a silver medal in the 100-meter event in Athens, Greece.

Williams, who will turn 21 in September, finished with a personal-best time of 10.96 seconds in the final race, ending up .03 behind Belarus’ Yuliya Nesterenko, who is ranked third in the world. Williams became the first Hurricane women’s track athlete to medal at the Olympics.

“My performance was good,” Williams said. “I had a good start and I think the finish was good enough. I felt Veronica [Campbell of Jamaica, the third-place finisher] on my shoulder. I didn’t want to be third by a hair. It worked for me.”

Williams turned professional shortly after qualifying at the Trials with a third-place finish, beating out famous sprinter Marion Jones for a spot in the event. She has now won six medals while representing the United States in international competition, taking gold in the 100-meters and 4×100-meter relay at the 2003 Pan American Games, a silver medal in the 4×100-meter relay at the 2003 World Championships, gold in the 100-meters at the 2002 World Junior Championships and silver in the 4×100 at the same event.

Williams said she was slightly disappointed by not winning her first gold medal.

“It feels great,” she said. “I’m a silver medallist with a personal best. I do have some mixed feelings because I would have liked the gold.”

The only setback for Williams came during the 4×100-meter relay finals when she was unable to receive the baton from Jones within the required 20-meter handoff zone, resulting in an automatic disqualification. However, Williams will leave Athens as the youngest sprinter in 32 years to medal in the 100-meters.

To add to the pressure of competing in the Olympics, Williams’ father, David, underwent dialysis treatment and had to miss her second-round heat. He was diagnosed with leukemia, which led to kidney problems, when Williams was a child living in Detroit.

When Williams qualified for the Olympics, her father set up the “Williams Family Greece Fund,” designed to raise money so her family could afford to see Williams compete in the race of her life. Thanks to a $10,000 donation by Tim Wiebe, a Pittsburgh rehabilitation equipment company owner, the Williams family was able to be in Athens for the entire Olympics.

Williams told ESPN.com that it was very important for her father to be in Greece with her and that she was “running for him.”

Williams was not the only Hurricane competing in Athens this year. Volunteer assistant track coach Debbie Ferguson won a bronze medal in the 200-meters while competing for the Bahamas, Davian Clarke anchored the Jamaican 4×400-meter relay team but failed to match his bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics and Kyle Prandi qualified for the men’s synchronized platform diving event but did not medal.

As for Williams, she is 15 credits short of a degree in finance at UM but will likely spend the next few months trying to land endorsement deals and beginning her quest for gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Williams was able to make the University of Miami proud in Athens, and in the midst of all the controversy surrounding the U.S. track and field program, she just might be the breath of fresh air the sport desperately needed.

Eric Kalis can be contacted at e.kalis@umiami.edu.