No. 9 Volleyball Travels To Indiana and No. 24 Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 7, 2001%^$
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%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio – %^$The ninth-ranked Ohio State (20-2 overall, 12-2 Big Ten, 2nd place) women’s volleyball team continues on the road this week with matches at Indiana (7-15, 4-10, eighth-tie) and No. 24 Illinois (16-6, 9-5, fourth). The Buckeyes face Indiana at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 9 in Bloomington and play Illinois at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10 in Champaign.%^$
%^$STACEY GORDON NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK%^$
%^$Stacey Gordon (Fr., Oshawa, Ontario) has been selected as the American Volleyball Coaches Association/Sports Imports Division I National Player of the Week for her role in OSU’s 3-0 sweep over No. 11 Penn State and in the 3-1 Buckeye victory over Purdue.%^$
%^$Ohio State defeated Penn State last Wednesday in a three-game sweep (30-19, 30-23, 30-19) in Rec Hall. Gordon equaled her career-high of 25 kills in the match and hit. 541. She had set her career high against Penn State in a 3-2 OSU victory in September. Gordon added an ace serve and nine digs as the Buckeyes picked up their third win at University Park since 1991. The OSU sweep marked the first 0-3 loss by Penn State, at home, since 1991, when the Buckeyes claimed the win. The Ohio State win was only the seventh loss in home Big Ten matches for Penn State (in 108) and three of the seven have been from the Buckeyes.%^$
%^$Gordon raised her career high to 30 kills in OSU’s 3-1 (26-30, 30-21, 30-19, 30-19) victory Saturday. She hit .412 in the match adding nine digs and an assist block. The win over the Boilermakers was OSU’s 20th of the season and marked the second-consecutive season Ohio State has won 20 or more matches and the 1th1 in the last 13 years.%^$
%^$In the two matches, Gordon combined for 55 kills for a 7.86 kills per game average and hit a combined .466 for the seven games. She also averaged 2.57 digs per game.%^$
%^$A LOOK AT OHIO STATE%^$
%^$The Buckeyes are 20-2 overall and 12-2 in the Big Ten, holding second place. Ohio State defeated No. 11 Penn State 3-0 (30-21, 30-19, 30-19) last Wednesday at Penn State and beat Purdue 3-1 (26-30, 30-21, 30-19, 30-19) at Purdue Saturday. OSU is one match behind conference leading Wisconsin (13-1) and two matches ahead of third place Penn State (10-4). Anne Botica (Sr., Windsor, Ontario) is the team leader in kills per game at 4.57. Stacy Gordon (Fr., Oshawa, Ontario) is second at 4.51 and Suzie Stiling (Jr., Glenview, Ill.) is third at 3.62. Erin Baker (Sr., Elmhurst, Ill.) is the squad leader in hitting percentage at .414 with Stiling second at .411. The top server on the team is Shelly Draeger (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.) with a .62 per game average with 47 aces. Second is Botica at .55 with 38 aces. Katie Virtue (Jr., St. Charles, Ill.) runs the offense and averages 13.86 assists per game. Defensively, Gordon has a team-high 2.96 digs per game average with Botica second at 2.88. At the net, Baker is averaging .91 blocks per game with Stiling second at .86. The Buckeyes are hitting .321 as a team and average 17.22 kills per game. OSU is averaging 2.64 aces, 13.66 digs and 2.14 blocks per game.%^$
%^$A LOOK AT INDIANA%^$
%^$The Hoosiers of coach Katie Weismiller are 7-15 overall and 4-10 in the Big Ten, tied for eighth. Last week Indiana won at Northwestern 3-2 (30-21, 25-30, 30-27, 28-30, 15-9) and lost at Wisconsin 0-3 (26-30, 12-30, 21-30). Christina Archibald is the team leader in kills per game at 3.72 with Melissa Brewer second at 3.08. Leading the hitters in attack percentage is Monique Fritz at .223. Laurie Gardner is the top setter averaging 9.33 assists per game with Disney Bronnenberg averaging 4.93. Bronnenberg has a team-high 26 ace serves (.36 per game). Hillary Toivonen is the team leader in digs with 180 (2.25 per game) while Katie Pollom has a team high average of .98 blocks per game with Brewer second at .94. Indiana is hitting .181 as a team and averages 14.11 kills per game. The Hoosiers average 1.66 aces, 12.69 digs and 2.25 blocks per game.%^$
%^$THE OHIO STATE – INDIANA SERIES%^$
%^$Ohio State has a 32-17 record in the series with Indiana. OSU has won the last three contests including a 3-0 (30-22, 30-20, 30-27) win in Columbus on Sept. 22. The Buckeyes have won 10 of 19 matches played in Bloomington. Ohio State won last year’s match in University Gym, 3-1, (15-4, 8-15, 16-14, 15-7), but had lost the two previous matches in Bloomington.%^$
%^$A LOOK AT ILLINOIS%^$
%^$The Fighting Illini of coach Don Hardin are 16-6 overall and 9-5 in the Big Ten, holding fourth place in the conference. Illinois had won seven consecutive matches prior to last week’s 0-3 (20-30, 22-30, 24-30) loss at Wisconsin. The Illini responded with a 3-0 (30-20, 22-31, 30-23) win at Northwestern. Shadia Haddad leads the team in kills per game at 3.47. Lisa Argabright is second at 3.34. Lydia Gard is the top percentage hitter at .399. Betsy Eiserman runs the offense and averages 12.39 assists per game. Sue Webber has a team-high 29 aces (.40 per game). Haddad is the team leader in digs with a 3.25 per game average. Argabright leads the team in blocking with a 1.29 per game average with Gard second at 1.18. Illinois is hitting .256 and averages 15.05 kills per game. The Illini average 1.64 aces, 13.37 digs and 3.05 blocks per game.%^$
%^$THE OHIO STATE – ILLINOIS SERIES%^$
%^$Ohio State has a 27-23 advantage in the series with Illinois. The Buckeyes have won the last four meetings with the Fighting Illini including a 3-0 (30-16, 30-22, 30-22) victory in Columbus on Sept. 21. In matches played in Champaign, each squad has 11 victories. OSU has won the last two matches in Huff Hall and six of the last seven.%^$
%^$ACE SERVES PROVIDING OSU WITH OFFENSE%^$
%^$Ohio State has produced 201 ace serves in 22 matches this season. The Buckeyes had 187 aces in all of last season (33 matches). OSU ranks first in aces per game (2.64) for all matches and in conference matches (2.51). The Buckeyes were ranked sixth in the country last week in aces with a 2.70 per game average.%^$
%^$OHIO STATE, 3-2 AGAINST RANKED TEAMS%^$
%^$Ohio State is 3-2 against ranked teams this season. The Buckeyes lost to No. 6 Wisconsin, 3-0, and No. 5 Wisconsin, 3-1, and have defeated No. 6 Penn State, 3-2, No. 20 Minnesota, (3-2) and No. 11 Penn State (3-0).%^$
%^$THE CANADIAN CONNECTION%^$
%^$Take a freshman and senior from Canada and you have a lot of firepower for the Buckeyes. Freshman Stacey Gordon (343 kills, 4.51 per game) and senior Anne Botica (315 kills, 4.57 per game) have combined for fifty percent of the kills this season for Ohio State. They have combined for 658 of OSU’s 1,309 kills (.503). The duo also has 424 (Gordon 225, 2.96, Botica 199, 2.88) of OSU’s 1,038 digs (.408).%^$
%^$SEASON OPENING WINNING STREAK%^$
%^$Ohio State opened the 2001 season with 13 consecutive wins. The Buckeyes have had two other winning streaks that opened a season. OSU went 11-0 to start the season in 1996 and was 16-0 last season.%^$
%^$BUCKEYES RANKED 9TH/10TH IN BOTH NATIONAL POLLS%^$
%^$In the national polls released on Monday, Nov. 5, Ohio State was ranked ninth in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll and 10th in the Volleyball Magazine Poll. Long Beach State is ranked No. 1 in both polls with Nebraska second. The Big Ten has four teams ranked in the coaches Top 25. They include Wisconsin at sixth, Ohio State ninth, Penn State 13th and Illinois 24th. Minnesota and Michigan State are listed as others. In the Volleyball Magazine Poll, Wisconsin is seventh, Ohio State 10th and Penn State 13th. Michigan State, Illinois and Minnesota are listed as others.%^$
%^$LAST WEEK FOR OHIO STATE%^$
%^$The Buckeyes won 3-0 (30-19, 30-23, 30-19) at Penn State last Wednesday. Stacey Gordon equaled her career-high 25 kills against the Nittany Lions. Anne Botica added 12 kills and Suzie Stiling had 11. The Buckeyes hit .409 for the match to .155 for Penn State. Ohio State won its 20th match of the season with a 3-0 (26-30, 30-21, 30-19, 30-19) victory in West Lafayette. Gordon improved on her season best with a career-high 30 kills with Botica adding 22 and Shelly Draeger 10.%^$
%^$BUCKEYE HEAD COACH JIM STONE%^$
%^$Jim Stone is in his 20th season at Ohio State. He has a 444-190 record with the Buckeyes and is 254-107 in Big Ten play. His squads have won Big Ten Championships in 1989, 1991 and 1994 and in the last 12 years have only finished below third twice. In the championship years, he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and was the 1991 Volleyball Monthly National Coach of the Year. Under Stone, Ohio State has participated in the NCAA Championship the last 12 years, advancing to the national semifinals in 1991 and 1994. Stone’s coaching career record includes three years at Wyoming (1979-1981). His 22-year career record is 494-232.%^$
%^$REGULAR SEASON, NON-CONFERENCE WINNING STREAK%^$
%^$Ohio State, over the last three years, has won 21 consecutive regular season, non-conference matches. The streak includes OSU’s 7-0 mark this season, a 10-0 mark in 2000 and four wins in 1999.%^$
%^$NEWCOMERS JOIN THE BUCKEYES%^$
%^$Two additions were made to the squad this summer. Freshmen Trine Melsether (Aalesund, Norway/Fagerlia) and Tamika Drake (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) joined the squad for preseason practice. Melsether, a 6-1 outside hitter, played for the Aukra Club last season, winning the Junior Championship. Previously she played for Bindheim Club. Drake, a 5-7 defensive specialist, played four years at Euclid High School as a middle hitter. She also played for the Leva Volleyball Club in Riverside-Painesville.%^$
%^$PLAYER NOTES%^$
%^$#8 Anne Botica (senior, outside hitter): At Penn State: 12 kills (.258), 13 digs, 3 aces, 1 assist block. At Purdue: 22 kills (.304), 15 digs, 1 assist block. Botica has 978 career kills and has moved into a tie for 13th on the OSU career kills list with Lisa Vitali (1986-89). She needs 10 kills to pass No. 12 Julie Chellevold (1988-91) with 978 and would need 22 kills to become the 12th OSU player to reach 1,000 kills. Botica has 108 career aces and stands one behind teammate Shelly Draeger and Vanessa Wouters (1996-97) who have 109. Botica is 19th in career hitting percentage at .226. Botica ranks fourth in kills per game in the Big Ten at 4.55, is sixth in aces per game at .50 and is fourth in digs at 2.77.%^$
%^$# 4 Erin Baker (senior, middle blocker): (plays front row only) At Penn State: 4 kills (.333), 2 assist blocks. At Purdue: 7 kills (.286), 1 assist block. Baker is the team leader in hitting at .414 and in blocking at .86 per game. She ranks second in conference statistics for hitting at .415.%^$
%^$#11 Nikki Cisco (senior, defensive specialist): (back row sub for Erin Baker) At Penn State: 5 digs. At Purdue: 10 digs, 3 ace serves.%^$
%^$#3 Katie Virtue (junior, setter): At Penn State: 54 assists, 1 kill, 11 digs, 1 ace, 1 solo and 4 assists. At Purdue: 71 assists, 2 kills, 8 digs, 3 assist blocks. Season-high 71 assists against Purdue. Surpassed 1,000 assists (1,053) in a season for the third time. Virtue has 3,946 career assists, ranking third in OSU career assists and is first in OSU career assists per game at 13.80. She ranks 18th in OSU career assist blocks with 149. Virtue leads the Big Ten Conference in assists (14.25) in league matches.%^$
%^$#9 Suzie Stiling (junior, middle blocker): At Penn State: 11 kills (.550 with no errors in 20 attempts), 8 digs, 1 solo and 5 assist blocks. At Purdue: 7 kills (.263), 19 digs, 1 ace, 1 assist block. Stiling’s 19 digs at Purdue equals her career high set in 1999 against Penn State. She has a career hitting percentage of .295 and ranks sixth on the OSU career list. Stiling has 916 career kills, ranking 16th on the OSU career list. She has 42 career solo blocks and is tied for tenth on the OSU career list with Vanessa Wouters (1996-97). She needs four solo blocks to pass No. 9 Holly O’Leary (1987-90) who has 45. Stiling has 252 assist blocks and ranks seventh on the OSU career list. She needs nine assist blocks to pass No. 6 Gabriele Jobst (1991-94) who has 260. Stiling has 294 total blocks (42-252) and ranks eighth on the OSU career list. She needs eight total blocks to pass No. 7 Kristi Neuman (1983-86) who has 301 (79-222).%^$
%^$#15 Shelly Draeger (junior, outside hitter): At Penn State: 7 kills (.357), 1 ace, 3 digs, 2 assist blocks. At Purdue: 11 kills (.250), 5 aces, 4 digs, 1 assist block. Draeger has 109 career aces and is tied for 11th with Vanessa Wouters (1996-97) on the OSU career list.%^$
%^$#10 Stacey Gordon (freshman, outside hitter): At Penn State: 25 kills (.541), 9 digs, 1 ace. At Purdue: 30 kills (.412), 9 digs, 1 assist block. Gordon was named the AVCA/Sports Imports Division I National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Player of the Week. She equaled her career high of 25 kills at Penn State. She set her career high against Penn State, in Columbus, in five games. Gordon had a career-high 30 kills at Purdue. She has had 20 matches with double-figure kills and 12 matches with double-figure digs. Five of the matches have had 20 or more kills. Named the Big Ten Player of the Week in consecutive weeks with wins over Cincinnati, Illinois and Indiana and with wins over No. 6 Penn State and Purdue, the second week. Gordon is the first freshman in league history to win back-to-back player of the week awards and becomes the first freshman in Big Ten history to earn its player of the week honor three times in a rookie season. Gordon ranks third in the Big Ten in kills per game at 4.98 and is fifth in digs at 2.75.%^$
%^$#14 Trine Melsether (freshman, outside hitter): Played in six matches. Replaced Anne Botica (knee injury) at Northwestern (four kills (.000), career-high four ace serves, two digs, a solo and an assist block) and at Wisconsin (career-high seven kills (.286), three digs, and two assist blocks). Replaced Stacey Gordon (shoulder) against Iowa (six kills (.091), two digs and one ace serve).%^$
%^$#1 Ashley Adamczyk (freshman defensive specialist): Played in 18 matches. Usually subs in the back row for Suzie Stiling. Career-high five digs against South Florida.%^$
%^$#6 Heather Whalen (sophomore, setter): Played in five matches. Season-highs of five assists and two digs against Evansville.%^$
%^$#13 Tamika Drake (freshman, defensive specialist): Played in six matches. Two digs against Northwestern and an assist. Had one dig against Purdue.%^$
%^$NEXT UP FOR THE BUCKEYES%^$
%^$Ohio State will close out the regular season home schedule with matches against Michigan State and Michigan. Both matches will be seen on delayed cable broadcasts. The 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 16 match against Michigan State will be delayed broadcast by ESPN2 at 2 p.m. EST, Sunday, Nov. 18. The 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 match with Michigan will be delayed broadcast by the Ohio News Network at 1 p.m. EST, Sunday, Nov. 18. Prior to Saturday’s match Ohio State will honor the 1991 team that won the Big Ten Championship and advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals. In post-match ceremonies, the Buckeyes will honor their three seniors, Anne Botica, Erin Baker and Nikki Cisco.
