Volleyball Faces #17 Illinois and Purdue – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/27/1998 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
October 27, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State (10-9 overall, 3-7 Big Ten) host No. 17 Illinois (15-5, 8-2) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Purdue (11-8, 5-5) Saturday. The match with the Boilermakers will be carried, tape delay, on the Fox Sports Chicago Network on Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern. Dave Loane and former Penn State star Angie Kammer will call the action.
OHIO STATE LAST WEEK
The Buckeyes lost in four games to Northwestern (12-15, 16-14, 10-15, 7-15) and were sweep by Indiana (15-17, 4-15, 11-15).
THE BEST OF THE BUCKEYES
Rosie Snow leads the Buckeyes in kills with 317 for a 4.88 per game average. Two additional players are averaging three or more kills per game. They are Angelee Abbring (3.34) and Dana Stearns (3.00). Stearns has a team high .272 hitting percentage, Abbring at .201 and Snow at .250. Top servers on the squad are Stearns with 29 ace serves and Flynn with 20. Snow leads the team in digs with 136 (2.09 per game) with Jen Flynn second with 135 (2.05). Stearns has a team high 53 blocks (six solo, 47 assists) for a .71 per game average. Flynn is second in blocks with 47 (eight solo and 39 assists) for a .64 average. Flynn (642 assists) and Carey Cavanaugh (239 assists) have shared the setting duties. Flynn has a 9.73 per game average to 3.73 for Cavanaugh.
The Buckeyes are averaging 16.02 kills, 2.58 blocks, 11.52 digs and 1.83 aces per game and is hitting .219 for the season. Ohio State opponents average 14.89 kills, 2.62 blocks, 11.92 digs and 1.32 aces per game. Opponents are hitting .249.
BUCKEYES UNRANKED
Ohio State fell to 26th in the USA TODAY/AVCA Coaches Poll and out of the top 25 for only the second time in the last 10 years. The Buckeyes were unranked for five weeks last season before returning to the rankings and finishing 15th for the season.
BUCKEYE BLOCK PARTY
Ohio State had a season high 19 team blocks at Northwestern last week. That count was one better than the previous weeks’ 18 against Michigan. The Buckeyes had three solo and a season-high 32 assists against the Wildcats. Shellye Sills topped the block party with 10 (1-9) blocks with Jen Flynn adding seven assists.
SNOW EXTENDS STREAK
Rosie Snow had 28 kills at Northwestern and 16 vs. Indiana to extend her double-figure streak to nine matches. She has had double-figure kills in 15 matches this season and 26 in her career. Her 28 markers against the Wildcats was her sixth match of 24 or more kills this season. Snow also had double-figure digs (10) at Northwestern, her sixth double figure match of the season and her fourth in the last five matches.
FLYNN HAS TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Jen Flynn had a triple-double last week against Northwestern. She collected 12 kills, 31 assists and 10 digs against the Wildcats. She also had seven assist blocks in that match. Flynn, who played both at outside hitter and setter, ranks seventh in conference statistics in assists with a 12.40 per game average.
CAVANAUGH “ASSISTS” FLYNN
Carey Cavanaugh saw action this weekend at setter against Northwestern and Indiana, replacing Jen Flynn who played at outside hitter for part of each match. Cavanaugh had 21 assists, two kills and a career-high 10 digs against Northwestern and added 14 assists and five digs at Indiana.
STALLING HITS CAREER PERCENTAGE
Laura Stalling tied her career-high of seven kills at Indiana and hit a career-high percentage of .545 against the Hoosiers on seven kills, one error in 11 attempts. Stalling also had a season best six digs against Indiana.
SILLS EQUALS CAREER HIGH BLOCKS
Shellye Sills tied her career high of total blocks at Northwestern when she recorded one solo and nine assists against the Wildcats. She set her career high of 10 last season at Purdue on 10 assist blocks.
ABBRING IS HURTING
Angelee Abbring was under-par after a back injury slowed her last week. She had six kills at Northwestern and one at Indiana for the weekend. Previously Abbring was averaging 3.51 kills per game and 10 matches in double-figure kills including four matches of 20 or more kills.
BOTICA DIGS A CAREER HIGH
Anne Botica improved her career-high for digs against Northwestern to nine and had a career high three assist blocks in the match. Her previous career highs were eight digs at Illinois and two blocks vs. Iowa.
SPIERS INJURY SAGA CONTINUES
Brianne Spiers was to be a force on the court and provide leadership to a young Buckeye squad this season. Her leadership will prove invaluable, now that her playing status is again on hold. Spiers, a native of Boulder, Colo., has suffered a stress fracture that could keep her out of action for the rest of the season. She saw action in the first six matches of the season after missing all of last year with a knee injury. Her on-court presence against No. 6 Florida with 15 kills, 16 digs and three blocks helped OSU to a 3-2 win over the Gators.
OHIO STATE VS. ILLINOIS
Ohio State leads the series with the Illini 23-21. The Buckeyes, in Columbus, have won nine of 15 matches with the Illini. OSU has won the last two meetings in St. John Arena and seven of the last nine. The Illini last won in Columbus in 1995 (15-13, 15-8, 15-17, 15-4). In Campaign, the Illini have won 12 of 21, including earlier this season (17-15, 16-14, 14-16, 15-4). OSU has a 5-3 edge in matches on neutral courts.
ILLINOIS LAST WEEK
Illinois won both its matches last week, winning at Purdue and defeating Minnesota in Champaign. Junior outside hitter Tracey Marshall hit a career-best .543 with 29 kills against the Gophers. She jumped from eighth to fifth on the Illini career kills list and stands at 1,203 for her career now. She averaged eight kills per game with a .457 percentage on the weekend. The Illini are off to an 8-2 Conference start and a third-place ranking.
#18 OSU FALLS TO #20 ILLINOIS 3-1
Match 13 Oct. 3, 1998 Huff Hall, Champaign, Illinois #20 Illinois 3, #18 Ohio State 1
Ohio State 15 14 16 4 Illinois 17 16 14 15
For the third consecutive match Angelee Abbring recorded 20 or more kills (20 vs. Illinois), but the Buckeyes lost to No. 20 Illinois 15-17, 14-16, 16-14, 4-15. Rosie Snow added 19 kills and Dana Stearns 17 for the Buckeyes. The Illini received a match-high of 22 kills from Mary Coleman and 20 each from Cristy Chapman and Tracey Marshall. The Illini hit .328 for the match to .204 for the Buckeyes. Ohio State had the edge in ace serves, 10-7 and blocks, 15 to 14 while the Illini outdug the Buckeyes 74 to 49.
OHIO STATE VS. PURDUE
Ohio State has a 27-24 advantage in the series with Purdue. Ohio State has victories in the last nine meetings with Purdue and has defeated the Boilermakers in 17 of the last 19 matches played. OSU has won 13 and lost six in matches played in Columbus. This includes wins in the last nine matches in St. John Arena. In West Lafayette, the Buckeyes have won eight of the last nine matches (including a 16-14, 15-12, 18-16 win this season), but had lost 11 previous to the first win on the road. The last Purdue win came in 1993 (9-15, 16-14, 6-15, 15-4, 15-13), in West Lafayette. Each team has won six matches on neutral courts.
PURDUE LAST WEEK
The Boilermakers defeated a top 25 team for the second time this season when they knocked off Minnesota in five games on Friday. On Wednesday the Illinois Fighting Illini defeated Purdue to give the Boilers a split for the week. Junior Aneska Arosarena contributed a school-record 34 kills with a .406 hitting percentage to lead the team to the win over the Gophers. Arosarena’s previous career-best was five kills on October 21. Bev Krupa totaled 19 kills while Taryn Catlin collected 17 digs. Krupa led Purdue with 14 kills against Illinois.
#18 OSU EDGES PURDUE 3-0
Match 12 Oct. 2, 1998 Intercollegiate Athletic Facility, West Lafayette, Indiana #18 Ohio State 3, Purdue 0
Ohio State 16 15 18 Purdue 14 12 16
Ohio State’s Angelee Abbring equalled her career high of 23 kills in a 16-14, 15-12, 18-16 win over Purdue. Rosie Snow added 18 and Dana Stearns 17 in the close match. The Buckeyes held off game points by Purdue in games one and three to secure the win. The Buckeyes hit .306 for the match to .199 for the Boilermakers. Abbring also had a career high hitting percentage of .528 on four errors and 36 attempts.
OSU VS. RANKED TEAMS
Against nationally ranked teams this season, Ohio State has a 2-7 record. The Buckeyes defeated No. 6 Florida and No. 18 UCLA. OSU has lost to No. 1 Penn State, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 14 Hawaii. No. 20 Illinois. No. 22 Michigan State and No. 24 Minnesota.
HEAD COACH JIM STONE
Jim Stone is in his 17th year at Ohio State. He has a 374-164 (.695) record with the Buckeyes and is 212-85 (.714) in Big Ten play. His squads have won Big Ten championships in 1989, 1991 and 1994 and in the last nine years have never finished below third. In the championship years, he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and in 1991 was the Volleyball Monthly Coach of the Year. For the last nine years, OSU has participated in the NCAA Championships, advancing to the national semifinals in 1991 and 1994. Stone’s coach career record includes three years at Wyoming (1979-1981). His 19-year career record is 424-206 (.673).
REGIONAL AND LOCAL TV MATCHES SET
The Buckeyes will have six matches broadcast locally, two regionally and one nationally during the season. Columbus Sports Network will broadcast two matches a month on tape delay with broadcast times to be determined. These matches include Marshall, Pittsburgh, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State (Nov. 11, replayed Nov. 12 & 13, 7 p.m.) and Indiana (Nov. 27, replayed Nov. 30 & Dec. 1, 7 p.m.). Fox Sports Chicago will broadcast OSU’s matches at Northwestern (Oct. 23) and vs. Purdue (Oct. 31) on tape delay the following Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern. ESPN2 will carry the Ohio State at Michigan State match, moved to Sunday, Nov. 22, live that afternoon. Broadcast time is scheduled at 1:30 p.m.
BUCKEYES ON THE ROAD NEXT WEEK
Ohio State will be on the road next week as they face Iowa on Nov. 6 and Wisconsin on Nov. 7.
