Sunday, October 20, 2002
College Update
Bashful Bearcat's goal is return to NCAAs
By Ryan Ernst
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Despite 1,846 reasons to be boastful, University of Cincinnati volleyball player Trish Ladusaw deflects the limelight like she deflects opponents' kill attempts.
Last Sunday, Ladusaw recorded her 15th dig of the match in a win over George Mason, giving her 1,843 for her career - a Conference USA record. After an announcement over the PA system of the accomplishment, how did Ladusaw react?
“I was embarrassed,” the senior said. “Then all my teammates congratulated me. But I don't make a big deal out of it, so they don't really either.”
What the Bearcats are making a big deal of, however, is making their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
“That's huge,” Ladusaw said. “(Making the NCAA Tournament again) makes that record look like nothing. That was my big goal, really my only goal, this year.”
If Cincinnati does make it back to the tournament this season, Ladusaw's play will be a determining factor. The Louisville native has been the conference defensive player of the year for the past two seasons, is fourth in the nation with 4.87 digs per game and fifth in NCAA history with 4.38 career digs per game.
“She just has a knack for the ball,” UC coach Reed Sunahara said. “She reads well and she has natural instincts that other players don't have. She's one of the best defensive players in the nation and it shows by her stats.”
Aside from statistics, however, Sunahara added that Ladusaw's ability to make the extraordinary look routine is one of her biggest strengths.
“After all these years, I think we expect her to make those great plays, which is unfortunate for her,” he said. “She makes plays that I think we take for granted.”
Ladusaw takes a few things for granted as well. She admittedly takes for granted her knack for volleyball defense. And winning? Ladusaw lost only eight games during a four-year varsity career at Assumption High School. In her three and a half seasons at UC, the Bearcats have suffered only eight setbacks in conference play. And as far as Ladusaw is concerned, that's eight too many.
“Right now, we need to win the rest of our conference games and win the conference tournament to make sure we make the (NCAA) Tournament,” she said.
Such talk comes as no surprise to Ladusaw's teammates.
“Trish is very competitive. She wants to win,” Bonita Wise, the team's only other senior said. “In games or in practice, she's just very competitive. That's really the reason why she has the dig record. Because she doesn't want someone to get a kill on her - not even in practice. She never wants the ball to drop, and that's why she has the record.”
Others
Oak Hills graduate and Northern Kentucky junior tennis player Elizabeth Brunsman finished the Great Lakes Valley Conference season undefeated for the third time in her career, earning her third consecutive all-conference selection.
Mount St. Joseph freshman linebacker Andrew Ackerman, an Elder product, recorded 10 tackles in the Lions' 23-17 win over Manchester last week. For his efforts, Ackerman was named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference defensive player of the week.
Miami middle hitter Jennifer Eaton (Ursuline) was named Mid-American Conference East Division player of the week after pacing the RedHawks with a .529 hitting percentage in two conference wins. Eaton was awarded the MAC female scholar-athlete of the week.
Another local product and current RedHawk, McAuley's Andrea Cunningham, also won MAC honors. After scoring the game-winner against Ball State last week, she was named the conference's soccer player of the week. Miami entered the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll this week at No. 10.
Xavier sophomore tennis player Stephanie Bauer won all six of her matches at last weekend's Miami Invitational and was named the Atlantic 10 tennis player of the week.
In the GLVC preseason basketball poll, the NKU women's team sits in first place.
NKU's Stephanie Sandfoss earned GLVC soccer player of the week honors for the second time this season. She leads the conference with nine goals.
Cincinnati State's women's soccer team entered this weekend's contests ranked eighth in the nation with a 10-1 record.
E-mail: rernst@enquirer.com
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College Update: Bashful Bearcat's goal is return to NCAAs
