WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS

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Western Michigan signs trio for 2009

by Rick Shanley | Special to the Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 10:36 PM

KALAMAZOO -- Corn and hockey players.

Iowa and Nebraska are fast becoming known for both, and Western Michigan University hauled in another harvest Wednesday with the announcement that three United States Hockey League recruits have signed for the 2009-10 season.

Defensemen Matt Tennyson and Ross Henry and forward Ben Miller will suit up next season for the Broncos, who continue to farm what has become the premier junior hockey league in the United States.

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Western Michigan's Vogl continues to contribute after injury

by Paul Morgan | Kalamazoo Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 10:31 PM

Mark Bugnaski | GazetteWestern Michigan senior Ashley Vogl was just 28 kills away from hitting 1,000 when a knee injury ended her career in September.

KALAMAZOO -- With a huge smile on her face, Ashley Vogl rubbed her hands together with a child-like glee.

"I just can't wait for the MAC tournament," Western Michigan University's senior middle blocker said. "I'm so pumped I can't sleep."

It's not the reaction anyone would expect from a player who suffered a career-ending knee injury back in September and has been forced to watch her teammates play, rather than playing with them. WMU opens the Mid-American Conference tournament as the No. 1 seed and will play No. 8 Toledo on Friday at the SeaGate Center in Toledo.

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WMU to face Toledo in quarterfinals of MAC volleyball tournament

by Paul Morgan | Kalamazoo Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 7:18 AM

It will be a very, very familiar foe for Western Michigan University's volleyball team in Friday's quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament.

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Western Michigan finds right mix in win over Detroit Mercy

by Graham Couch | Kalamazoo Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 2:26 AM

Home victory eases sting of 0-3 trip

Mike Farrell / Special to the GazetteWestern Michigan's Shawntes Gary swoops under the basket for a reverse layup during the first half Tuesday. Gary finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in WMU's 71-58 win over Detroit.

KALAMAZOO -- Somewhere, among all the fuss about preparing a bevy of pups for the rigors and execution of college basketball, the graybeards of Western Michigan University's basketball program became worried.

What if the freshmen weren't ready?

The response of Shawntes Gary, David Kool, Michael Redell and others was natural but absurd. Fostering their skepticism, they would instantly become superhuman and simply carry the Broncos with or without the contributions of the handful of rookies slated to play this season.

The result, heading into Tuesday night's home tilt with Detroit Mercy: Zero wins, three demoralizing losses at the Charleston Classic and a renewed understanding of their limitations.

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Broncos Replay: WMU 71, Detroit Mercy 58

by Graham Couch | Kalamazoo Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 2:25 AM

Mike Farrell / Special to the GazetteWestern Michigan's Donald Lawson shoots over Detroit's Jason Bennett during Tuesday night's game. Lawson finished with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.

Too many blocks?
Western Michigan tallied seven blocked shots Tuesday, more than in any one game last season, when the Broncos averaged 2.3.

Freshman LaMarcus Lowe swatted three Detroit Mercy shots, Shawntes Gary two and Donald Lawson and Derek Drews each one.

With Lawson and Lowe featured inside, it's likely the Broncos' single-game record of 10 is in jeopardy.

That's great, coach Steve Hawkins says, if the blocks don't come at the expense of good ol' fashioned defense and rebounding.

"We're not used to playing with big guys who can block shots," said Hawkins, who blamed the block-first mindset for some of the 19 offensive rebounds given up Tuesday. "We had seven blocks tonight -- that might be our total the last five years. With Anthony Kann and Joe Reitz being our centers, neither of those kids could jump over a Kalamazoo phone book.

"Now we have Donald Lawson and LaMarcus Lowe in there and they can block shots. That is good and bad. Too many times they come over and try to block too many (shots). ... When they leave (their spot), their man is the one getting the offensive rebound."

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VIDEO: Bill Cubit's weekly press conference, with Tim Hiller

by Bradley S. Pines | Kalamazoo Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 2:23 AM

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Hopkins setter winds up doggone mad on signing day

by Paul Morgan | Kalamazoo Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 2:02 AM

KALAMAZOO -- For once, the dogs really did eat the homework.

Or, in Brandie Merren's case, the national letter of intent.

The 5-foot-7 setter from Hopkins had to wait a day to sign her national letter of intent to play volleyball for Western Michigan University because -- that's right -- her dogs ate the package that included the letter.

Merren is one of four players WMU signed to national letters the past five days. The others are 5-11 middle blocker/rightside hitter Jessica Brown of East Kentwood, 6-1 middle/outside Kelly Griffin of Chicago's Mother McAuley High School and 5-9 outside hitter/defensive specialist Courtney Waffle of Coldwater.

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Highly touted Giden 'phenomenal' in Western Michigan University debut

by Jayson Bussa | Kalamazoo Gazette

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 2:01 AM

Miame Giden

KALAMAZOO -- It is tough to decipher what Western Michigan University women's basketball coach Tasha McDowell is more enthusiastic about: True freshman Miame Giden's instant impact on the Broncos or her vast untapped potential.

"Was I surprised by her? No, and I don't think anyone has seen anything yet," McDowell said of Giden's season-opening performance Sunday at St. Louis University.
"She was phenomenal in that game, had some great finishes and she just plays. You won't see a whole lot of emotion or change of expression, but when that kid's on the floor, she just plays."

Giden started in the four-forward lineup and tallied 19 points and eight rebounds as the second-leading scorer behind forward Brenna Banktson (22) in the Borncos' 68-67 loss.

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