Women’s Volleyball Opens at Dayton and Akron – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/25/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 25, 1999
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State opens its 29th season of women’s volleyball next week when it travels to Dayton on Wednesday night, Sept. 1 (7 p.m.). The Buckeyes open at home on Sunday, Sept. 5 (2 p.m.) against the “dream team” of the United States Professional Volleyball League. OSU then returns to the road for a Tuesday, Sept. 7 (7:30 p.m.) match at Akron.%^$
%^$OPENING MATCHES FOR OHIO STATE
%^$The Buckeyes are 20-8 in season opening matches. In the 17-year tenure of head coach Jim Stone, OSU has won 14 opening matches. OSU is 5-3 in road openers, 7-0 in home openers and 2-0 in neutral site matches. Last season Ohio State opened at home defeating Indiana State 15-5, 15-3, 15-6. The Buckeye last lost an opening match in 1995 at the Colorado PowerBar Invitational. Colorado defeated OSU 9-15, 15-4, 15-7, 15-7. The Buckeyes have won 11 of the last 12 opening matches.%^$
%^$TEN LETTERWINNERS RETURN
%^$Ten of 11 letterwinners return from last year’s 17-14 Buckeye squad. The letterwinners include all six starters featuring 1998 All-Big Ten selection Rosie Snow (Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo.) an outside hitter.%^$
%^$NOW SETTING FOR OSU…
%^$Two-year starting setter Jen Flynn (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) may not be a setter fulltime this season. But that is good news as it could allow her to return to an outside hitting position. The reason is freshman Katie Virtue (St. Charles, Ill.). Virtue, a member of the 1998 USA Junior National Team (gold medal at the NORCECA Championships in Mexico) will most likely take over at setter, allowing Flynn to return to the outside. No decision has been made on a starting setter as Flynn continues to practice at both positions.%^$
%^$FLYNN PLAYS EUROPE
%^$Jen Flynn spent this past summer as a member of the USA World University Games team that represented the United States in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. OSU head coach Jim Stone was the head coach of the team.%^$
%^$STRONG FRESHMAN INFLUENCE
%^$Katie Virtue is just one part of a strong freshman class for the Buckeyes this season. Joining Virtue are outside hitter Shelly Draeger (Milwaukee, Wis.), middle blockers Suzie Stilling (Glenview, Ill.) and Sue Calligaris (Palermo, Italy) and defensive specialists Sabrina Meyers (Adrian, Michigan). Draeger was the Player of the Year in Wisconsin while Stiling was an honorable mention all-state selection. Both Virtue and Stiling played club ball for Sports Performance in Chicago. Calligaris comes to the United States with extensive experience in club ball and Meyers, a walk-on, was all-state as a senior.%^$
%^$SOLID SENIOR CLASS
%^$Five seniors anchor the 1999 squad. Led by fifth-year Brianne Spiers (Middle Blocker, Boulder, Colo.) she is joined by setter/outside hitter Jen Flynn, outside hitter Rosie Snow, middle blockers Shellye Sills (Canton, Mich.) and Laura Stalling (Watson, Ill.). Spiers returns for her final season despite several injuries. Flynn, OSU’s setter for the last two seasons could return to outside hitter with the addition of freshman Katie Virtue. Snow, an All-Big Ten pick last season, ranked 13th nationally with a 5.09 kills per game average. Sills moved up in a blocking role to finish with 86 total blocks for a 1.26 per game average and ranks fourth best on the OSU season record list. Stalling, a strong support player, saw action in 14 matches last season.%^$
%^$JUNIORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
%^$Middle blocker Dana Stearns (Bexley, Ohio) and outside hitter Angelee Abbring (Wheatfield, Ill.) “made a difference” last season. Stearns averaged 3.28 kills per game and was the team leaders in aces (40) and total blocks (100). Abbring averaged 3.53 kills per game having four matches with 20 or more kills last season.%^$
%^$SOPHOMORES CONTINUE TO IMPROVE
%^$Middle blockers Anne Botica (Windsor, Ont.) and Erin Baker (Elmhurst, Ill.) and defensive specialist Nikki Cisco (Dublin, Ohio) showed improvement after their freshman season. Botica played in 30 matches and came on strong at the end of the season with a career-high 14 kills and digs against Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Baker played in 13 matches as a freshman and is capable of being a solid contributor off the bench. Cisco, a walk-on last season, has become a solid back-row sub. She had a career-high 18 digs at Florida in the NCAA Tournament.%^$
%^$NEW LOOK FLOOR AT ST. JOHN ARENA
%^$After 42 years of having a basketball floor painted on the floor of St. John Arena, a new look greets the 1999 season of volleyball. Earlier this year, the floor of St. John Arena was sanded down to removed the basketball court markings. In its place is a painted volleyball court for use by the women’s and men’s teams.%^$
%^$BUCKEYES MAKE THE GRADE
%^$Ohio State had four student-athletes honored by the Big Ten for their academic standing. Angelee Abbring, Jen Flynn, Laura Stalling and Dana Stearns were honored as Academic All-Big Ten selections. In addition, six players were honored as Ohio State Scholar-Athlete Award Winners. Included with the four players listed above were freshman Erin Baker and Carey Cavanaugh.%^$
%^$OSU RANKED 17TH IN PRESEASON POLL
%^$In the preseason USA TODAY/AVCA coaches poll, the Buckeyes are ranked 17th. That ranking represents a move upward of seven spots from last year’s final poll. Only Stanford (from ninth to second) moved up as many spots. OSU has been ranked in the final USA TODAY/AVCA Poll for the last 10 years.%^$
%^$NATIONAL TEAM CONNECTION
%^$Former Buckeye Laura Davis (1991-94) continues in volleyball as a member of the United States National team. She plays the libero position, a back-row only player. Davis, a two-time All-American, was the 1994 National Player of the Year. Jenny Jackson (1992-95), a member of the national team for the past several years left the team earlier this year to pursue a career in engineering. Jackson was a 1994 All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten selection.%^$
%^$IN THE PROFESSIONAL RANKS
%^$Two former OSU players, Tricia Stragliotto (1993-95) and Vanessa Wouters (1996-97) are currently playing professionally in Europe. Stragliotto, a 1995 All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten pick is playing in Italy while Wouters, a 1995 All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year is playing in Germany.%^$
%^$A LOOK AT DAYTON
%^$The Flyers of Dayton had a 23-8 record last season. They finished tied for first place in the Atlantic 10 with a 16-4 record. Head coach Peter Hoyer has four of six starters returning for 1999.%^$
%^$THE DAYTON SERIES
%^$The Ohio State-Dayton series is tied at eight wins each. The last meeting was in 1981, in Columbus, with Ohio State winning 16-14, 15-10, 14-16, 15-2. The Flyers won the previous year, in Dayton, 15-2, 15-3, 15-10. In matches played in Dayton, OSU has won two of six.%^$
%^$A LOOK AT THE USPV LEAGUE
%^$With the full backing of the national and international volleyball communities, the USPV is designed to be the premier women’s professional volleyball league in the world and will help fuel the growth of one of the fastest-growing sports. The USPV, which will be headquartered in suburban Chicago, will operate with full cooperation of the Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) and USA Volleyball (USAV).%^$
%^$Head coach Arie Selinger has assembled a core of former collegiate athletes who will make up the “dream team” for their tour this year. The league will begin team play in 2000.%^$
%^$A LOOK AT AKRON
%^$The Zips of Akron were 18-11 overall last season, finishing fourth overall in the Mid-American Conference with a 13-5 mark. Akron advanced to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament. Head coach Mike Sweitzer had Kim Schaper (second team), Julie McDivitt (honorable mention) honored by their conference. All six starters return for the Zips.%^$
%^$THE AKRON SERIES
%^$Ohio State has won all four meetings with the Zips. The last meeting took place in 1997 during the Buckeye Invitational, a 15-5, 15-5, 15-13 OSU win.%^$
%^$HOLLY O’LEARY ENTERS HALL OF FAME
%^$Former Buckeye Holly O’Leary (1987-90) of Cincinnati, Ohio will enter the Ohio State Sports Hall of Fame this Fall. A two-time all-American, O’Leary was the 1989 Big Ten Player of the Year and helped OSU win the 1989 Big Ten Championship. She will join former players Mary Ormsby (1977-80), Lisa Bettio (1982-85) and Karen Alsbrooks (1976-79) in the Hall of Fame.%^$
%^$NCAA HISTORY
%^$Ohio State has appeared in 10-consecutive NCAA Championships. The Buckeyes have advanced to the regional level seven times and twice (1991 and 1994) has reached the national semifinals. Overall the Buckeyes have a 13-10 (.565) record in NCAA play. OSU’s trips to the national semifinals included regional championship wins over Nebraska and Long Beach State on their courts.%^$
%^$HEAD COACH JIM STONE
%^$Jim Stone is in his 18th year at Ohio State. He has a 381-169 (.693) record with the Buckeyes and is 218-89 (.710) in Big Ten play. His squads have won Big Ten championships in 1989, 1991 and 1994 and in the last 10 years has only finished below third once. 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 10 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 20-year career record is 431-211 (.671).%^$
%^$THE DEAN OF THE BIG TEN COACHES
%^$Head coach Jim Stone begins his 18th-year in the Big Ten at Ohio State. Closest to Stone is Mike Hebert of Minnesota who is entering his 17th season. He spent 14 year at Illinois and the last three at Minnesota%^$
%^$TELEVISION COVERAGE
%^$The Buckeyes are scheduled for two televised matches this season. OSU’s Nov. 5 match at Illinois will be carried by ESPN2. Broadcast time will be announced. Ohio State also will take part in the Fox Sports Chicago Big Ten package. OSU’s match against Michigan on Nov. 14 will be broadcast at 5 p.m. eastern that day.%^$
%^$NEXT UP FOR THE BUCKEYES
%^$Following the Akron match the Buckeyes travel to California to play host Loyola Marymount (18-8 in 1998) on Sept. 10 and Houston (21-13) on Sept. 11 in the Furama Volleyball Classic. OSU then travels to face Pittsburgh (16-14) on Sept. 15.%^$
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-GO BUCKS!-%^$
