The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/614487
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sitting Down With Senior Guard Madison Ristovski Through the first eight games of the season, senior guard Madison Ris- tovski has helped the Wolverines to a 7-1 record. Ristovski was 9 of 19 (47.4 percent) from behind the three-point line to lead a sharp-shooting team in three-point percentage. She was also second on the squad in assists (26) and had the fewest turnovers of any guard on the roster (11). Her senior leadership has been invaluable as the young Wolverines mature and prepare for Big Ten play. The Wolverine: Did you see such a successful start to the season coming? Ristovski: "Honestly, I think we just take it one game at a time. We try not to look past any opponent. I'm super excited with the way things have started and I hope we can continue getting big wins. "Pittsburgh beat us last year, so getting a big win over them was great for our confidence. We want to prove to everyone that we're a good team and our wins aren't flukes. We've been working really hard." The Wolverine: As the old veteran, with several freshmen and sophomore Katelynn Flaherty getting a lot of playing time, what's that dynamic been like? Ristovski: "I know what it's like to be young out there. Sometimes you get really nervous, it can be overwhelming and the pressure can really get to you. If you make a bad play, it can be hard to shake it off. "I love the four freshmen. They are great teammates and it's a special group. They want to win and they work extremely hard, but there are times when I have to be a vet and tell them that they'll be OK if something goes wrong. I have to grab them sometimes and just tell them they'll be fine, and I find myself naturally doing that. It's been great." The Wolverine: What has head coach Kim Barnes Arico's message been throughout the great start in order to get ready for Big Ten play? Ristovski: "The thing I love about Coach Arico is that she'll always tell you the positives. She'll always tell you what worked well, but she'll lay out what we need to improve on to be an even better team. I think that we can look at our wins and think, 'Wow, we played great and won by 30 or 40,' but there are things in there that we can do better. "Her message is, don't get too high and don't get too low. We have to stay level-headed going into every game and especially the Big Ten schedule." The Wolverine: What, specifically, do you think Coach Arico would say needs to improve the most by the time Big Ten play starts? Ristovski: "Rebounding, definitely. Depending on the five that she has out