Working toward total net results

At about 7 a.m., sophomore Liz Davis wakes up and gets prepared for the day ahead of her. After getting dressed, brushing her teeth and all of the other morning rituals, Davis departs for her 8 a.m. class. Normally, she would have classes until noon and then wait until soccer practice later that afternoon. But instead, Davis now makes a detour to receive treatment for a stress fracture she developed during the preseason. \nBecause of injury, Davis has decided to redshirt her sophomore season at IU. Davis already has experience on the field after playing in 12 games in 2003 and was looking forward to this year's competition. After being named the 2002 Indiana Girls High School Soccer Player of the Year while starting four years on North Central's varsity team, she arrived at IU with high goals -- on and off of the field. \nAcademically, Davis arrived at IU with a 4.0 grade point average on a weighted scale, which varies depending on the school. With the support of her family and friends, she continues to achieve academic excellence while working hard on the soccer field. \n"My parents live in Indy and come to all of the games," Davis said. "Everyone is very supportive of me, both friends and family." \nDavis believes that being busy makes you structured, and she takes advantage of the free tutors after attending classes and practices. Currently she has a 3.6 GPA and is majoring in biology. Teammate and childhood friend Lauren Fabbro quickly recognized Davis' interest in learning. \n"(Liz) would start rambling on and on about molecular biology," Fabbro said, "and we'd be like, 'how do you know this?'" \nDavis has always been focused hard on her studies, and just because she is injured does not mean she can miss practice. She has to attend practices in order to still be a part of the team and return for a strong season next year.\nThough she didn't get the most playing time her freshman year, Davis found other ways to be a leader. IU coach Mick Lyon saw her potential. \n"(Liz) brings a bright spark to the team," Lyon said. "She has a good sense of humor, but when its time to play, she's all business and becomes a tough cookie to crack." \nOff the field, Davis is always the person who tries to keep everyone together. \n"Liz is a leader," Fabbro said. "She's always the person making sure everyone is ready for class or at least accounted for."\nNow, Davis is focused on returning to practice before the season is over as she keeps her academic and soccer goals in mind. "I'll probably be practicing by the end of the season," Davis said, "and by next year, I will have my comeback."\n-- Contact staff writer Ricardo Hernandez at rihernan@indiana.edu