VOLLEYBALL
Marcella Gamarra put an exclamation mark on the end of the 2001 volleyball season for Miami with a blistering kill and the Hurricanes finished on an 11-match win streak with a 3-0 sweep of St. Thomas (30-15, 30-28 & 30-27) on Tuesday evening in Opa Locka. The Hurricanes, completing the first season of volleyball for Miami since 1981, finished 17-7 overall (.708) and posted a 13-1 (.928) home record at the Knight Sports Complex. Gamarra scored 10 kills on 24 attacks (.333), two serving aces and seven digs. Freshman Sandra Totten also scored 10 for the Hurricanes on 17 attacks (.588) while freshman Valeria Tipiana scored eight kills on 13 attacks (.538). Mallorey James contributed 34 assists and four kills with seven digs while Jamie Grass had a team-high 12 digs. In her last match for the University of Miami, senior Kristi Sprinkel had five kills (.500), three block assists and eight digs. Senior Vanessa Koehler, also in her last match for UM, nailed a serving ace and had the distinction of serving the final time for the Hurricanes in 2001. Miami returns five of its six starters next year as the Hurricanes begin BIG EAST volleyball competition.
CROSS COUNTRY
University of Miami sophomore Matt Mulvaney finished 37th with a time of 32:33.42 at the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships in Tuscaloosa, AL. last weekend. Senior Jeff Gaulrapp finished the 10,000-meter course in a time of 33:49.22 to place 76th. In the women’s 6,000-meter race, senior Jennifer Geroux finished 72nd with a time of 23:35.57.
FOOTBALL
Miami placekicker Todd Sievers captured Big East Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance at Boston College last Saturday. Sievers accounted for 12 of his team’s points in the Hurricanes’ 18-7 win at Boston College. The junior placekicker converted four field goals, with two from distances over 40 yards. Included in the kicks was a career-long 47-yard field goal. Sievers has made 16-of-18 field goals (88.9 percent) this season and leads the Big East in scoring with 85 points. It is his second weekly award this season.