Women’s Volleyball Hosts Cincinnati Tuesday. – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/11/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 11, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio – %^$Ohio State (6-0) will close out a three-match home stand with a 7 p.m. contest against Cincinnati (5-2) Tuesday. The match will be cablecast by the Ohio News Network at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night. Arica Robbins will call the play-by-play with former OSU All-America setter Audrey (DiPronio) Flaugh handling the color. OSU will then travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. to participate in the Ameritech Invitational at Western Michigan. OSU faces Connecticut (6-1) at 10 a.m. Friday and plays Liberty (1-6) at 5:30 p.m. The Buckeyes complete the round-robin tournament with a 1 p.m. Saturday match against host Western Michigan (3-3).%^$
%^$POLL RANKINGS%^$
%^$Ohio State is out of the USA TODAY/AVCA Top 25 Poll this week after being 25th in the preseason poll. The Buckeyes stand 26th in the poll. OSU moved to 18th in the Volleyball Magazine Poll this week after holding the 19th spot last week.%^$
%^$LOOKING AT THE BUCKEYES%^$
%^$Offensively Shelly Draeger (So., Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) has a team-high 74 kills (3.70 per game) with Dana Stearns (Sr., Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) at 69 kills (3.29). Sue Calligaris (So., Palermo, Italy/Liceo Linguistico) is hitting a team-high .392 with Stearns at .360. Anne Botica (Jr., Windsor, Ont./St. Joseph) has 16 ace serves (.94) and Suzie Stiling (So., Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) eight (.38). Katie Virtue (So., St. Charles, Ill./St. Francis) has 272 assists (12.95). Defensively Stearns and Calligaris have a team-high 43 digs each (2.05) with Virtue at 40 (1.90). At the net Stearns leads the team with 25 (1-24) blocks (1.19) and Calligaris with 21 assists (1.00).%^$
%^$As a team Ohio State is hitting .282 and averages 17.33 kills per game. The Buckeyes are averaging 2.31 blocks, 13.29 digs and 2.19 aces per game. OSU opponents are hitting .166 and average 12.67 kills per game. Opponents average 1.81 blocks, 10.71 digs and 1.24 aces per game.%^$
%^$OSU WINS SECOND TOURNAMENT%^$
%^$With a 3-1 (15-9, 15-3, 11-15, 15-10) victory over Illinois State, Ohio State won its own Buckeye Invitational last weekend. The Buckeyes defeated Toledo 3-1 (15-12, 15-7, 11-15, 15-7) in the Tournament semifinals. This marks the second tournament championship for Ohio State this season. OSU opened the season by winning the Temple Volleyball Classic.%^$
%^$STEARNS GETS MVP HONORS%^$
%^$For the tournament, Dana Stearns was named the Most Valuable Player. She had 17 kills (.333), six digs and seven blocks against Toledo and added 15 kills (.265), 15 digs and five blocks against Illinois State.%^$
%^$VIRTUE, BOTICA ALL-TOURNAMENT%^$
%^$Named to the Buckeye Invitational All-Tournament Team were Katie Virtue and Anne Botica. Virtue had 51 assists, six kills (.857), nine digs and two blocks against Toledo. In the Illinois State match she added 60 assists, four kills (.250), 10 digs and two blocks. Botica, came in off the bench against Toledo collecting seven kills (.267), 13 digs and four blocks. As a starter against Illinois State, she posted 19 kills (.395), seven aces, five digs and four blocks.%^$
%^$STEARNS TOPS 1,000 CAREER KILLS%^$
%^$With her third kill against Toledo, Dana Stearns reached 1,000 career kills becoming the 11th OSU player to reach that mark. She currently has 1,029. Stearns had 17-kills in the Toledo match and 15 kills against Illinois State. She also had a season-high 15 digs against the Redbirds. Stearns has had double-figure kills in her last four matches.%^$
%^$BOTICA TIES MATCH RECORD%^$
%^$Steping into the starting lineup against Illinois State, Anne Botica added her name to the Ohio State record book. Her seven ace serves against the Redbirds tied the match record for aces with three other players. She now shares the record with Lisa Bettio (Bowling Green, 9-28-83), Erika Schlitz (Vs. Colorado State, 9-10-88) and Jenny Jackson (Indiana, 10-30-92). Botica along with Jackson tied the record in four-game matches while Bettio and Schlitz set their marks in five-games.%^$
%^$VIRTUE ADDS OFFENSE%^$
%^$Against Toledo, Katie Virtue had six kills to equal her career high set last season against Boise State. She had six kills in seven attempts for a season-high .857 hitting percentage. Virtue also had a season-high of 10 digs against Illinois State.%^$
%^$DRAEGER SETS CAREER KILL MARK%^$
%^$With 20 kills against Toledo, Shelly Draeger set a career high against the Rockets. Her previous best was 18 at Michigan last season. She also had six digs and three blocks against Toledo.%^$
%^$STILING IMPROVES PERCENTAGE%^$
%^$With a .353 (10-4-17) hitting percentage against Toledo and a .357 (12-2-28) mark against Illinois State, Suzie Stiling improved her season best hitting percentage twice last weekend. She also added a season-high four assist blocks in the Toledo match.%^$
%^$CALLIGARIS PUTS UP A WALL%^$
%^$With her six assist blocks against Toledo, Sue Calligaris equaled her career high for the fifth time. Three times last season and earlier this year at Temple Calligaris totaled six assist blocks. She picked up three additional assists against Illinois State to give her 21 on the season, second to Dana Stearns’ 24.%^$
%^$TREADWAY RESPONDS WELL%^$
%^$Coming off the bench in the third and fourth games against Illinois State, Erin Treadway helped the Buckeyes to a win over the Redbirds. Treadway entered the match late in the third game and connected on two kills in two attempts. During the fourth game she had six kills and one error in eight attempts (.625). Her .700 hitting percentage for the match is a season high. She also added four digs and an ace serve.%^$
%^$TELEVISION COVERAGE%^$
%^$Ten Ohio State matches are schedule to be telecast this season. The Buckeyes are scheduled for seven matches on the Ohio News Network. The matches are part of a 30-plus event package between Ohio State and ONN. The following matches comprise the volleyball package (broadcast times subject to change): at Marshall, Sept. 5 (replay Sept. 6, 11:30 p.m.), Toledo Sept. 9 (live), OSU’s match Sept. 10 (live), Cincinnati Sept. 12 (Sept. 12, 11:30 p.m.), Michigan Sept. 24 (live), Illinois Oct. 7 (Oct. 8, 1 p.m.), and Wisconsin Nov. 5 (Nov. 5, 11 p.m.). Ohio State has one of three Big Ten matches to be aired by ESPN2. OSU will host Indiana Oct. 21 with broadcast Oct. 22 at 3:30 p.m. The Buckeyes will appear in two of the eight Big Ten matches to be carried by Fox Sports Chicago. OSU’s match at Iowa Oct. 14 will be broadcast Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. and the Buckeye contest at Penn State Nov. 18 will be broadcast Nov. 19 at 4 p.m.%^$
%^$LOOKING AT CINCINNATI%^$
%^$The Bearcats are 5-2 on the season and have won four-consecutive matches. They defeated New Hampshire (3-0), Eastern Michigan (3-0) and host Dayton (3-2) in winning the Crowne Plaza/Dayton Flyer Invitational. Ohio State has won 14 of 15 matches with Cincinnati. The OSU loss came in the first meeting in 1973. The teams last played in 1992.%^$
%^$LOOKING AT CONNECTICUT%^$
%^$The Huskies have a 6-1 record. Last week they defeated Central Michigan (3-0) and Indiana State (3-1) before losing to Loyola Marymount (0-3) at the LMU Classic. This is the first meeting with Ohio State.%^$
%^$LOOKING AT LIBERTY%^$
%^$The Lady Flames are 1-6 on the season. They lost to Providence (3-2) and American (0-3) and defeated Gardner-Webb (3-0) in the Liberty-Ramada Inn Invitational. This is the first meeting with Ohio State.%^$
%^$LOOKING AT WESTERN MICHIGAN%^$
%^$The Broncos stand at 3-3 on the season. Last week at the Xavier Invitational, Western Michigan defeated Virginia (3-1) and Middle Tennessee State (3-0) but lost to Xavier (0-3). Western Michigan has a 2-1 lead in the series with Ohio State. The last meeting came in 1984.%^$
%^$HEAD COACH JIM STONE%^$
%^$Jim Stone is in his 19th year at Ohio State. He has a 404-181 (.691) record with the Buckeyes and is 228-99 (.697) in Big Ten play. His squads have won Big Ten championships in 1989, 1991 and 1994 and in the last 11 years has only finished below third twice. In the championship years, he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and in 1991 was the Volleyball Monthly Coach of the Year. For the last 11 years, OSU has participated in the NCAA Championships, advancing to the national semifinals in 1991 and 1994. Stone’s coaching career record includes three years at Wyoming (1979-1981). His 22-year career record is 454-223 (.671).%^$
%^$THE DEAN OF THE BIG TEN COACHES%^$
%^$Head coach Jim Stone begins his 19th-year in the Big Ten at Ohio State. Closest to Stone is Mike Hebert of Minnesota who is entering his 18th season. He spent 14 years at Illinois and the last four at Minnesota.%^$
%^$NEXT UP FOR THE BUCKEYES%^$
%^$Ohio State opens the Big Ten season with home matches against Michigan State (7 p.m., Friday) and Michigan (2 p.m., Sunday). OSU’s Michigan match will be broadcast live by the Ohio News Network.%^$
%^$BIG TEN STANDINGS%^$(as of Sept. 11) Conf. All%^$ 1 Minnesota 0-0 7-0%^$ Ohio State 0-0 6-0%^$ Indiana 0-0 6-0%^$ 4 Penn State 0-0 7-1%^$ Purdue 0-0 7-1%^$ 6 Wisconsin 0-0 6-1%^$ 7 Michigan 0-0 5-1%^$ 8 Illinois 0-0 6-2%^$ 9 Michigan State 0-0 4-2%^$10 Iowa 0-0 3-3%^$11 Northwestern 0-0 0-7%^$
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%^$USA TODAY/AVCA Coaches Poll%^$
%^$Sept. 11, 2000 – Poll #2%^$Rk School Total 2000 Last%^$ (First-Place Votes) Points Record Week%^$ 1 Nebraska (48) 1,484 7-0 4%^$ 2 Hawai’i (8) 1,406 6-0 6%^$ 3 Penn State 1,320 7-1 5%^$ 4 Colorado State 1,233 8-1 7%^$ 5 Long Beach State (1) 1,163 6-1 2%^$ 6 Southern California (1) 1,156 5-0 8%^$ 7 UCLA 1,134 5-3 3%^$ 8 Pepperdine 1,061 7-0 9%^$ 9 Minnesota 1,054 7-0 10%^$10 Brigham Young (2) 1,039 6-1 17%^$11 Stanford 1,016 5-2 1%^$12 Florida 802 5-2 12%^$13 Arizona 759 5-1 14%^$14 UC Santa Barbara 671 5-2 13%^$15 Wisconsin 590 6-1 15%^$16 Pacific 577 5-2 11%^$17 Michigan State 465 4-2 16%^$18 Utah 417 7-0 NR%^$19 Texas A&M 395 4-2 18%^$20 Loyola Marymount 333 6-0 21%^$21 Santa Clara 315 5-1 NR%^$22 Kansas State 277 6-2 20%^$23 Michigan 189 5-1 25%^$24 Baylor 172 6-2 19%^$25 Notre Dame 126 3-3 22%^$Others reveiving 30 or more points: Ohio State 100,%^$ Washington State 76.%^$
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%^$Volleyball Magazine Top 20 Poll%^$
%^$Sept. 11, 2000/Poll #3%^$ 2000 Last%^$Rk School Record Week%^$ 1 So. California 5-0 2%^$ 2 Hawai’i 5-0 5%^$ 3 Penn State 7-1 4%^$ 4 Nebraska 7-0 9%^$ 5 Long Beach State 6-1 1%^$ 6 Pepperdine 7-0 8%^$ 7 Brigham Young 6-1 14%^$ 8 Colorado State 8-1 13%^$ 9 Minnesota 7-0 10%^$10 Stanford 5-2 6%^$11 UCLA 5-3 3%^$12 Pacific 5-2 7%^$13 Florida 5-2 15%^$14 Wisconsin 6-1 16%^$15 UC Santa Barbara 5-2 17%^$16 Utah 7-0 NR%^$17 Arizona 5-1 12%^$18 Ohio State 6-0 19%^$19 Washington State 8-0 NR%^$20 Loyola Marymount 5-0 NR%^$Others: Baylor, Kansas State, Michigan State,%^$ Michigan, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia,%^$ Utah State, Texas A&M
