1998 Women’s Volleyball Outlook – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/11/1998 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 11, 1998
Ohio State begins its 28th season of volleyball with a veteran core of returning players and a solid freshman class. The team returns four starters from last season and 1996 starter Brianne Spiers. The four student-athletes comprising the freshman class will give the Buckeyes much needed depth at all positions.
Brianne Spiers did not play last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament tear during the off-season. As a sophomore, she started 32 of 33 matches and averaged 1.77 kills and 1.12 blocks per game.
Returning starters from last season include Jen Flynn, Rosie Snow, Dana Stearns and Shellye Sills.
Jen Flynn played last season at setter after being an outside hitter her freshman season. An honorable mention all-Big Ten selection, Flynn averaged 12.60 assists per game.
Rosie Snow was an effective hitter last season despite suffering from a season-long shoulder injury. She averaged 2.03 kills and 2.19 digs per game. Surgery after the season corrected the shoulder and she should be a strong force this season.
Dana Stearns had an outstanding freshman season. Named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, she averaged 2.88 kills and 1.00 blocks per game. Her play gave Ohio State a consistent option in the middle.
Shellye Sills moved into the starting unit when Laura Stalling was injured. She was the team leader in blocking with 1.26 blocks per game. She recorded a career high of 10 assist blocks against Purdue.
Other returning players include Laura Stalling and Angelee Abbring.
Laura Stalling returns this season after missing the last 20 matches of 1997. A leg stress fracture ended her season after 15 matches which included nine starts.
Angelee Abbring saw action in 30 matches last season. Her 11 kills and three blocks in the final three games of a 3-2 win at Purdue helped OSU secure the victory. She can add instant offense for the Buckeyes.
The 1998 freshman class consists of Erin Baker, Anne Botica, Carey Cavanaugh and Mandi Clark.
Erin Baker played with the Sports Performance Club in Chicago. A two-time all-conference selection in high school, she helped her team win three regional championships. A versatile player who could play on the outside or the middle.
Anne Botica, another versatile athlete, has experience at all three positions. Her team’s most valuable player and an all-city selection, Botica has international experience with the Ontario Provincial Team against Cuba and Mexico.
Carey Cavanaugh is a top-notch setter who was the Player of the Year for the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A first team all-Ohio selection, she was a two-time MVP of the Western Reserve Conference.
Mandi Clark is a three-time all-state selection. She was the Player of the Year as a sophomore and senior for Henry County. She played in the Indiana All-Star game this past summer.
Missing from last year’s squad are outside hitters Vanessa Wouters and Andrea Pankova and backrow players Yoshiko Mitsuta and Brenda Netten. All-Big Ten selection Wouters and Pankova accounted for more than fifty percent of OSU’s kills and blocks last season.
The Buckeyes have a good solid core of players returning from last season and with the incoming class of freshmen, OSU should again contend for the conference championship and be a factor in the NCAA Tournament.
Did You Know…
Four Starters and One Return for 1998
Four starters from 1997 and one from 1996 return this season for Ohio State. Rosie Snow, Jen Flynn, Dana Stearns and Shellye Sills return from 1997, while 1996 starter Brianne Spiers, after sitting out 1997 with a knee injury, returns ready to play.
Departed Players were Half of the 1997 Offense
Four players do not return for the 1998 season. Two of these were starters in Vanessa Wouters and Andrea Pankova. Those two represented more than half of the kills and blocks from the 1997 season. Also departed are Brenda Netten and Yoshiko Mitsuta.
The Freshmen Class, a Solid Incoming Group
The incoming freshmen class of Erin Baker, Anne Botica, Carey Cavanaugh and Mandi Clark is another solid class for the Buckeyes. Baker played with the Sport Performance Club and helped her high school team to three regional championships. Botica comes to OSU with international experience playing with Ontario Provincial teams against Cuba and Mexico. Cavanaugh was the Player of the Year in northeast Ohio, an all-Ohio selection and a two-time MVP of her conference. Clark comes in as a three-time all-state selection and a two-time county Player of the Year. This group will have an immediate impact this year.
Buckeyes Finish 15th in National Rankings
Ohio State, which has been ranked in the final AVCA poll for the last nine years, began the season ranked 14th. The Buckeyes fell out of the Top 15 for five weeks, returning to the rankings in mid-November. OSU finished the season strong, reaching the NCAA Regional Semifinals before losing to runner-up Penn State. They finished the season ranked 15th in the final poll.
Big Ten Freshman of the Year Honors for Stearns
Dana Stearns was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by a vote of the conference coaches. She is the fourth Buckeye to be so honored in the last 10 years. She joins Leisa Wissler (1988), Laura Davis (1991) and Jenny Jackson (1992). Both Wissler and Davis went on to become Players of the Year as seniors.
Four Student-Athletes Honored for Academics
Jen Flynn, Andrea Pankova, Laura Stalling and Vanessa Wouters received recognition last season as Academic All-Big Ten selection. The four were also named Ohio State Scholar-Athletes. Wouters was also named a second team GTE Academic All-District.
Wouters, Big Ten Statistical Champion
Vanessa Wouters was the Big Ten Statistical Champion in service aces per game last season. She averaged .51 aces per game collecting a Big Ten high of 37 aces in conference play. She finished second in kills per game at 5.17, just .40 behind champion Jenna Wrobel of Michigan State at 5.57. Wouters won that title last season with a 7.41 per game average and was the national champion at 6.43.
Buckeyes Continue NCAA Streak
For the ninth consecutive year, Ohio State participated in the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes reached the regional semifinals last season for the seventh time. In 1991 and 1994 OSU won the regional championship and advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals.
St. John Arena, Home Court Advantage
Since moving to St. John Arena in 1986, Ohio State has won nearly 90 percent of its home matches. In the last eight of nine years, OSU has had three or less home losses each year. Twice, in 1989 and 1991, the Buckeyes went undefeated with 16-0 and 15-0 records, respectively.
Flynn Comes to the Rescue
1997 setter Jen Flynn recorded 1,587 assists last season. That was the third best season performance for Ohio State. Not bad for a student-athlete, who as a freshman was an outside hitter for the Buckeyes. She now ranks fifth in career assists with 1,813 and is fifth in assists per game with a 7.40 per game average.
