Women’s Volleyball Signs Three for the 1999 Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/11/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
February 11, 1999
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three top midwest volleyball seniors have signed a national letter of intent to attend and play at Ohio State in the fall of 1999. Shelly Draeger (Milwaukee, Wisc.), Suzie Stiling (Glenview, Ill.) and Katie Virtue (St. Charles, Ill.) represent one of the best incoming classes for the Buckeyes in recent years.
%^$”All three of these student-athletes are good players who should be able to help our program immediately,” noted head coach Jim Stone. “Katie was the setter for the Junior National Team last summer and is arguably the best high school setter in the country. Both Shelly and Suzie will help immediately with their attacking and blocking. I am excited and looking forward to having all three players in the program.”
%^$Draeger, a 5-11 outside hitter, played at Wisconsin Luthern and was coached by Carl Weishein. She was first team all-conference and all-state as a junior and senior. The Player of the Year for the state of Wisconsin in 1998, she was a co-captain her final two years as well as the most valuable player of her squad. Shelly played for the Milwaukee Sting club team where she was a third-team All-American in 1996 and an All-American in ’97.
%^$Stiling, a 6-1 middle blocker, played at Glenbrook South and was coached by Patty Iverson. A two-time all-conference selection, Suzie was an honorable mention all-state selection as a senior and was the most valuable player of her conference and team. Stiling also played soccer and basketball. A member of the National Honor Society, she made the Deans List all four years in high school. She plays for Sports Performance in West Chicago, Ill. for Rick Butler.
%^$Virtue, a 5-9 setter, played at St. Francis and was coached by Peg Kopec. Katie was an all-state and all-conference selection. Her squad won the state championship in 1997. Named captain in 1996 and 1998, she was also selected as her teams’ most valuable player and was the Wheaton Leader Player of the Year. She was a member of the USA Junior National Team last summer that won the Gold Medal at the NORCECA championships in Mexico. Virtue was her class president and was a member of the National Honor Society. She is listed in the Who’s Who Among High School Students. She also plays for Sports Performance in West Chicago, Ill. for Rick Butler and is a two-time All-American.
%^$Ohio State finished 17-14 overall in 1998 and finished the season ranked 24th in the final USA TODAY/AVCA national poll. The Buckeyes were selected to the NCAA Championship for the tenth consecutive year, advancing to the second round before losing to Florida, a NCAA national semifinalist. OSU returns its entire squad from 1998 highlighted by outside hitter Rosie Snow (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) who was an All-Big Ten selection.
