MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
Miami junior Kyle Prandi broke an 11-year old American record in platform diving at the 2002 World Cup Trials in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday. Prandi scored a 104.76 on his second dive, breaking the previous American record of 101.85 set by Mark Lenzi at the 1991 U.S. Indoor National Championships. The record-setting dive, a back 3 1/2 somersault pike with a 3.6 degree of difficulty was good for four-10s, one-9.5 and two-9s. In 1991, Lenzi performed a reverse 3 1/2 tuck on 3-meter with a 3.5 degree of difficulty. The performance earned Prandi spots on the 2002 World Cup and FINA/USA Diving Grand Prix teams. The 13th FINA Diving World Cup will take place June 25-29, in Sevilla Spain. Prandi was the 2001 BIG EAST Men’s Diver of the Year.
WOMEN’S
ROWING
The University of Miami women’s rowing program finished in third-place this past weekend at the 34th annual Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Third-place finishes by the varsity eight and JV eight in their respective Grand Finals highlighted the third-place overall finish. The UM women garnered a total of 21 points over the weekend, behind Purdue (29) and Tennessee (28). Miami returns to action on Sunday at the Big East Rowing Challenge at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. The Quinsigamond Rowing Association (QRA) will serve as the host organization for the second year of the competition. The nine league institutions slated to participate include: Miami, Boston College, Connecticut, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Syracuse, Villanova and West Virginia.
WOMEN’S
VOLLEYBALL
The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Rules Committee approved several rule changes for the 2002 women’s volleyball season, including the use of the libero player with 12 substitutions, at its Feb. 18-21 meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. The committee adopted the libero as a designated back row player who cannot serve, attack or set inside the attack line. The libero allows coaches to better utilize a defensive specialist. For example, when the libero leaves the match, she only has to sit out for one rally before re-entering. She can replace any player in the back row, allowing her to play nearly the entire match. When the libero enters or leaves the match, it is not counted against a team’s 12 substitutions. Miami currently lists sophomore Ashley Youngs, sophomore Jamie Grass and freshman Margie Young as possibilities at the libero position.