Post by afvbking10 on Jun 14, 2004 17:58:37 GMT -5
MATC team draws scrutiny
Doubts about volleyball players' eligibility cast shadow on national titles
By TOM HELD
theld@journalsentinel.com
Last Updated: June 13, 2004
After the men's volleyball team at Milwaukee Area Technical College claimed its second consecutive national club championship, coach Carrie Grulke gushed about her pride in the "student-athletes."
However, while their 46-2 record left no doubt about their skills on the court, their performance in the classroom is raising serious questions about the "student" half of the equation.
Rival coaches say they're not surprised. MATC officials who celebrated the team's success are having second thoughts. And the questions could cost the Stormers one or both of their national championships.
Under the national club sport rules, MATC volleyball players are required to carry at least nine credits throughout the spring semester, and through the national tournament start date, which was April 8.
Jim Gribble, the public relations director at MATC, said officials are certain that all but one of the 11 players for 2004 met that eligibility requirement. That player dropped a class immediately before the tournament, and his status is being reviewed.
According to information provided to the Journal Sentinel, four of the 11 Stormers finished the spring semester having failed or dropped all of their classes, and received zero credits for the semester. Two other players completed just one class each.
That information confirms the suspicions of the Stormers' rivals among other Wisconsin college club teams.
"Many people questioned whether those players ever went to a class, completed any course work, know what their classes were and who paid for the classes," said Jason Smith, commissioner of the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference. MATC dropped out of the conference to play an independent schedule this year. "Those are questions that have been gray areas about the program for three years."
Smith said MATC built its success by bringing in top volleyball players under the loose rules of club sports, which allow former collegiate players to compete and require minimal academic diligence.
The 2004 Stormers were a dominant team that featured two players, Adam Stempel and Daniel Kellum, who played varsity volleyball at the NCAA level before signing up for classes at MATC. Kellum, 24, was the most valuable player at the national championships.
He joined the Stormers after playing four years at Loyola University in Chicago. Another MATC player - and the chance to keep playing competitive volleyball - lured Kellum to MATC.
"They got me and two other guys that came in new," said the 6-foot-4-inch left-side hitter. "We're just a little bit older and love the game and are looking for a way to play."
Another MATC player, Rick Kreiter, played previously on the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh club team.
Of the three, only Kellum completed a class during the spring semester, according to information provided to the Journal Sentinel. Kreiter and Stempel enrolled in the same four classes, but failed to obtain a single credit. Stempel declined to comment.
Classes fell by wayside
"I would probably say maybe three-fourths of us or so, we didn't really care about the education, as bad as it sounds," said Chad Watson, a West Allis Central High School graduate who played for both of MATC's championship teams. "For us, it was just something to do as a team."
Watson acknowledged that he stopped going to classes sometime in March, and he failed all three. But he didn't drop the classes, and he owes money for the tuition.
While it is a club team, MATC enjoys some big-time college perks. The Stormers had a budget of $29,000 this year, including $12,000 for travel, and the club raised additional funds itself. The team flew to Las Vegas and to the national championship in Charlotte, N.C., and celebrated its season with a $500 party at Mo's Irish Pub.
"We had jerseys, airfare, the shoes and shorts, hotels all taken care of for us," Watson said. "It was pretty cool for us."
Gribble said it was "probably true" that some of the players enrolled at MATC primarily to play volleyball. He also said that jealousy sometimes appears when a team has the type of success that the Stormers have enjoyed over the past two years.
Investigation pending
The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, the governing body of national sport club volleyball, is investigating questions about MATC players' eligibility in both 2003 and 2004 and could strip the club of either crown, said Mary Callender, the national sports programs director.
A decision on MATC's eligibility should be made this week, she said.
In addition, college officials are reviewing the roster from the 2003 Stormers team to determine if all of its players met the eligibility requirements. That team won an NIRSA Division II title as MATC celebrated its first national championship in school history.
Grulke, the Stormers' coach and an assistant athletic director, declined to answer questions about her volleyball program.
Archie Graham, the interim athletic director, said he would do what was necessary to ensure that academics become a part of the team's focus.
The athletic success thrilled MATC leaders, who are seeking to burnish the school's image and appeal to more students by improving its athletic program. But that glorious success now seems a bit tarnished, said Peter Earle, who sits on the MATC Board of Directors.
"We were all very proud of the idea that a small David facing the Goliath of these large universities was able to win a national championship," he said. "The source of pride was the idea that these were our students.
"Absent them being students, there's no sense of pride and joy in their accomplishments."
Doubts about volleyball players' eligibility cast shadow on national titles
By TOM HELD
theld@journalsentinel.com
Last Updated: June 13, 2004
After the men's volleyball team at Milwaukee Area Technical College claimed its second consecutive national club championship, coach Carrie Grulke gushed about her pride in the "student-athletes."
However, while their 46-2 record left no doubt about their skills on the court, their performance in the classroom is raising serious questions about the "student" half of the equation.
Rival coaches say they're not surprised. MATC officials who celebrated the team's success are having second thoughts. And the questions could cost the Stormers one or both of their national championships.
Under the national club sport rules, MATC volleyball players are required to carry at least nine credits throughout the spring semester, and through the national tournament start date, which was April 8.
Jim Gribble, the public relations director at MATC, said officials are certain that all but one of the 11 players for 2004 met that eligibility requirement. That player dropped a class immediately before the tournament, and his status is being reviewed.
According to information provided to the Journal Sentinel, four of the 11 Stormers finished the spring semester having failed or dropped all of their classes, and received zero credits for the semester. Two other players completed just one class each.
That information confirms the suspicions of the Stormers' rivals among other Wisconsin college club teams.
"Many people questioned whether those players ever went to a class, completed any course work, know what their classes were and who paid for the classes," said Jason Smith, commissioner of the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference. MATC dropped out of the conference to play an independent schedule this year. "Those are questions that have been gray areas about the program for three years."
Smith said MATC built its success by bringing in top volleyball players under the loose rules of club sports, which allow former collegiate players to compete and require minimal academic diligence.
The 2004 Stormers were a dominant team that featured two players, Adam Stempel and Daniel Kellum, who played varsity volleyball at the NCAA level before signing up for classes at MATC. Kellum, 24, was the most valuable player at the national championships.
He joined the Stormers after playing four years at Loyola University in Chicago. Another MATC player - and the chance to keep playing competitive volleyball - lured Kellum to MATC.
"They got me and two other guys that came in new," said the 6-foot-4-inch left-side hitter. "We're just a little bit older and love the game and are looking for a way to play."
Another MATC player, Rick Kreiter, played previously on the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh club team.
Of the three, only Kellum completed a class during the spring semester, according to information provided to the Journal Sentinel. Kreiter and Stempel enrolled in the same four classes, but failed to obtain a single credit. Stempel declined to comment.
Classes fell by wayside
"I would probably say maybe three-fourths of us or so, we didn't really care about the education, as bad as it sounds," said Chad Watson, a West Allis Central High School graduate who played for both of MATC's championship teams. "For us, it was just something to do as a team."
Watson acknowledged that he stopped going to classes sometime in March, and he failed all three. But he didn't drop the classes, and he owes money for the tuition.
While it is a club team, MATC enjoys some big-time college perks. The Stormers had a budget of $29,000 this year, including $12,000 for travel, and the club raised additional funds itself. The team flew to Las Vegas and to the national championship in Charlotte, N.C., and celebrated its season with a $500 party at Mo's Irish Pub.
"We had jerseys, airfare, the shoes and shorts, hotels all taken care of for us," Watson said. "It was pretty cool for us."
Gribble said it was "probably true" that some of the players enrolled at MATC primarily to play volleyball. He also said that jealousy sometimes appears when a team has the type of success that the Stormers have enjoyed over the past two years.
Investigation pending
The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, the governing body of national sport club volleyball, is investigating questions about MATC players' eligibility in both 2003 and 2004 and could strip the club of either crown, said Mary Callender, the national sports programs director.
A decision on MATC's eligibility should be made this week, she said.
In addition, college officials are reviewing the roster from the 2003 Stormers team to determine if all of its players met the eligibility requirements. That team won an NIRSA Division II title as MATC celebrated its first national championship in school history.
Grulke, the Stormers' coach and an assistant athletic director, declined to answer questions about her volleyball program.
Archie Graham, the interim athletic director, said he would do what was necessary to ensure that academics become a part of the team's focus.
The athletic success thrilled MATC leaders, who are seeking to burnish the school's image and appeal to more students by improving its athletic program. But that glorious success now seems a bit tarnished, said Peter Earle, who sits on the MATC Board of Directors.
"We were all very proud of the idea that a small David facing the Goliath of these large universities was able to win a national championship," he said. "The source of pride was the idea that these were our students.
"Absent them being students, there's no sense of pride and joy in their accomplishments."
