No. 10 Volleyball Collects 3-0 Halloween Treat at No. 11 Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 31, 2001
Final Stats
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tenth-ranked Ohio State (19-2 overall, 11-2 Big Ten) women’s volleyball squad came away from Halloween night at No. 11 Penn State (16-5, 9-4) with no tricks and a very nice treat. The treat was a 3-0 (30-19, 30-23, 30-19) victory over the Nittany Lions. The win gives OSU a two-match winning streak over the Nittany Lions and stops a six-match Penn State winning streak over Ohio State in Rec Hall. OSU’s Stacey Gordon (Fr., Oshawa, Ontario) equaled her career-high of 25 kills (.541) tonight against Penn State. Gordon scored 25 kills in the 3-2 victory over Penn State, in Columbus, in late September. Joining Gordon with double-figure kills for the Buckeyes were Anne Botica (Sr., Windsor, Ontario) with 12 (.258) and Suzie Stiling (Jr., Glenview, Ill.) with 11 (.550). Penn State’s Katie Schumacher (Sr., Chicago, Ill.) had a team-high 14 kills (.321) for the Nittany Lions with Mishka Levy (Jr., Houston, Tx.) adding seven.
OSU’s Botica opened game one on the serving line and helped the Buckeyes to a 9-0 lead before Penn State called timeout. The nine-point run opened with a block by Katie Virtue (Jr., St. Charles, Ill.) and Stiling and a solo block by Virtue. A kill by Gordon, two ace serves from Botica, a PSU error and a block by Stiling made it 7-0. A Nittany Lion error and a kill by Gordon completed the 9-0 run. Penn State could only close the gap to six (14-8) as the Buckeyes closed out the game with a Stiling kill at 30-19. Ohio State hit .333 for the game to .111 for Penn State. OSU’s Gordon had a game-high seven kills (.636) with Botica adding four kills. PSU’s Schumacher had a team-high five kills (.444). Game two stayed close early with the game tied at 13. An Ashley Pederson (Fr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) kill and a block by Cara Smith (So., Lafayette, Ind.) and Pederson put Penn State ahead 15-13. Ohio State responded with another nine-point run to build a seven-point lead at 22-15. The run was highlighted by a Virtue ace serve, two kills by Gordon and one from Shelly Draeger (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.). Penn State cut the Buckeye lead to four at 24-20 and 26-22. Gordon responded with a kill (27-22) and a block by Virtue and Stiling made the OSU margin, 28-22. A Stiling kill set game point at 29-22 but a Schumacher kill made it 29-23. Gordon’s kill closed the game at 30-23. The Buckeyes hit .444 for the game to .270 for Penn State. Gordon connected for a game-high nine kills (.462) with Botica adding six (.364). PSU’s Schumacher had a team-high seven kills in the game.
Leading, 4-3, in game three, Ohio State took a five-point (8-3) lead with kills by Botica, Stiling and Gordon and an ace serve by Botica. With the Buckeyes leading 26-19, a Gordon kill, a PSU error and a block by Virtue and Erin Baker (Sr., Elmhurst, Ill) set match-point at 29-19. Baker’s kill ended the match at 30-19. Ohio State hit .442 for the game to .091 for Penn State. Gordon had a game-high nine kills (.538) for Ohio State while PSU’s Levy had five.
For the match, Ohio State hit .409 to .154 for Penn State. The Buckeyes had a 60-38 advantage in kills and had a six to zero margin in aces. OSU’s Botica collected a match-high three ace serves. Ohio State outdug Penn State, 49-34, with Botica recording a match-high 13 digs with Virtue adding 11. OSU had a nine to six margin in blocks with Stiling recording a match-high six (1-5).
Ohio State returns to the road this Saturday at 7 p.m., when they play at Purdue (3-17, 1-11).
