Volleyball At Cincinnati, Hosts Buckeye Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/11/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 11, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio –
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Fresh from a second tournament victory, the Ohio State (7-0) women’s volleyball squad travels to Cincinnati (2-3) for a Tuesday match before returning home to host the Buckeye Classic. The Classic begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday with Western Michigan playing San Diego State and then at 7 p.m., OSU hosts West Virginia. Saturday matches begin at 4:30 p.m. with the consolation match and conclude at 7 p.m. with the championship match.
BUCKEYES WIN LOYOLA ADIDAS INVITATIONAL
With wins over Loyola, South Florida and Evansville, Ohio State captured its second tournament championship of the season. Last week the Buckeyes won its own Buckeye Invitational. OSU student-athletes Katie Virtue (Jr., St. Charles, Ill.) and Suzie Stiling (Jr., Glenview, Ill.) were named to the Loyola Adidas Invitational All-Tournament Team
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.
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes are 7-0 prior to the Tuesday match at Cincinnati. Anne Botica (Sr., Windsor, Ontario) is the team leader in kills per game at 4.64. Suzie Stiling is second at 3.95. Stiling is the squad leader in hitting percentage at .507 with Erin Baker (Sr., Elmhurst, Ill.) second at .408. The top server on the team is Shelly Draeger (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis.) with a .86 per game average with 19 aces. Second in Botica at .68 with 15 aces. Katie Virtue runs the offense and averages 12.91 assists per game. Defensively, Stacy Gordon (Fr., Oshawa, Ontario) has a team-high 3.27 digs per game average with Botica second at 3.18. At the net, Baker is averaging 1.38 blocks per game with Stiling second at .82. The Buckeyes are hitting .298 as a team and average 16.55 kills per game. A LOOK AT CINCINNATI
The Bearcats of coach Reed Sunahara are 2-3 on the season having lost its last three matches. Last week in Hawaii, Cincinnati lost to Southern California 3-0 (30-19, 30-23, 30-13), to Utah State 3-2 (32-30, 23-30, 30-21, 25-30, 15-11) and to Hawaii 3-0 (30-24, 30-22, 30-16).
THE OHIO STATE – CINCINNATI SERIES
Ohio State has won 15 of 16 matches with the Bearcats dating back to 1973. That year marks the only win by Cincinnati. OSU has won all four meetings in Cincinnati. Last season Ohio State won, in Columbus, 3-0 (15-11, 15-8, 15-6).
A LOOK AT WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers of coach Veronica Hammersmith are 2-5 overall. Last week at the Duke Invitational, West Virginia defeated UNC Greensboro 3-0 (30-23, 31-29, 30-25) and lost to Duquesne 3-0 (30-25, 30-19, 30-25) and Duke 3-0 (30-15, 30-14, 30-16). The Mountaineers host Marshall Tuesday.
THE OHIO STATE – WEST VIRGINIA SERIES
Ohio State has won the only two meetings with the Mountaineers. The first meeting was in 1978. The squads last played in 1992, in Columbus, a 3-0 (15-5, 15-3, 15-5) Buckeye win.
A LOOK AT SAN DIEGO STATE
The Aztecs of coach Mark Hardaway are 6-1 overall. San Diego State suffered a 3-1 (31-29, 21-30, 30-23, 30-19) loss to Southern Methodist last weekend after collecting wins over Louisiana-Monroe 3-0 (30-4, 30-11, 30-15) and Tulane 3-0 (32-30, 30-13, 30-15). The Aztecs defeated Seton Hall 3-0 (30-22, 30-23, 30-25) Monday.
THE OHIO STATE – SAN DIEGO STATE SERIES
San Diego State won the only meeting with the Buckeyes in 1978. The 2-0 (15-6, 15-3) Aztec win was at the AIAW Championship at Alabama.
A LOOK AT WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Broncos of coach Cathy George are 5-2 overall and have won their last three matches. Last weekend they defeated Valparaiso 3-0 (30-28, 30-26, 30-22), Kentucky 3-1 (30-20, 25-30, 30-21, 30-24) and James Madison 3-0 (30-25, 30-28, 30-27).
THE OHIO STATE-WESTERN MICHIGAN SERIES
The series with Western Michigan is tied at two wins each. The squads first played in 1974. The last meeting was in 2000 at the Ameritech Invitational at Western Michigan, a 3-0 (15-11, 15-9, 15-9) OSU win.
STILING SPARKLES IN LOYOLA INVITATIONAL
Last weekend at the Loyola Invitational, Suzie Stiling had an outstanding three-match performance. Stiling hit a career-high .688 with 12 kill against Loyola. She added 12 kills (.455) against South Florida and hit .611 with 13 kills against Evansville in the Saturday matches. For the three matches, she averaged 4.11 kills per game and hit .571. Stiling is the team leader in hitting at .507 for the season and currently is the top hitter in the Big Ten Conference
VIRTUE PROVIDING LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
Katie Virtue has directed Ohio State to a 7-0 record this season and was rewarded for her efforts last week by being named to the All-Tournament Team of the Loyola Adidas Invitational. She averaged 12.33 assists and 2.56 digs in the three-match tournament, helping Ohio State to the championship. She had a season-high 11 digs against South Florida.
BOTICA, TEAM LEADER IN KILLS
With 102 kills in seven matches, Anne Botica has a team-high 4.64 kills per game average. Last weekend she equaled her season-high of 19 kills against South Florida and recorded 13 kills against Loyola and Evansville. Botica has had double-figure kills in her last 19 matches. She has also recorded 15 aces (.68 per game) and 70 digs (3.18 per game) this season, ranking second on the team in each category.
DRAEGER FINDS THE MARK ON THE SERVE
With a team-high 19 aces on the season, Shelly Draeger has made her mark on the Ohio State record book. She equaled an Ohio State match record with seven aces against Tennessee Tech and had two matches with four aces against Ohio and at Loyola. Draeger has had one or more aces in six of the seven matches this season
GORDON PROVIDING SOLID NUMBERS AS A FRESHMAN
With a 3.42 kills and 3.27 digs per game average, Stacey Gordon has contributed to Ohio State’s 7-0 start. Gordon, one of two starting players from Canada (Anne Botica), has had double-figure kills in six of the seven matches and has had four matches with double-figure digs, including a career-high 17 against Ohio.
BAKER BLOCKING BALLS FOR THE BUCKEYES
Middle blocker Erin Baker has proved to the top blocker for the Buckeyes so far this season. She has a 1.38 blocks per game average on four solos and 25 assists. Against South Florida last weekend, she set career highs for solo (2), assist (7) and total blocks (9). Baker was involved in nine of the 12 blocks against the Bulls.
WISSLER ENTERS OHIO STATE ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Leisa Wissler (Rosen), a middle blocker from 1988 to 1992 will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame this Friday. Wissler, a 1991 All-American, was a three-time All-Big Ten selection, the 1988 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the 1991 Big Ten Player of the Year and the 1992 Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year. Her squad won Big Ten Championships in 1989 and 1991, playing in the NCAA Tournament her final three seasons and advancing to the NCAA national semifinals in 1991. She is currently an assistant women’s volleyball coach at the University of Michigan. Wissler becomes the sixth women’s volleyball player to be inducted. The others are Mary Ormsby (1977-80), Lisa Bettio (1982-85), Karen Alsbrooks (1976-79), Holly O’Leary (1987-90) and Laura Davis (1991-94)
NEWCOMERS JOIN THE BUCKEYES
Two additions have been made to the squad this summer. Freshman 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 Championships. 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.
BUCKEYES RANKED 15TH AND 14TH IN NATIONAL POLLS
In the national polls released on Monday, Ohio State was ranked 15th in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll. OSU is 14th in the Volleyball Magazine Poll. Nebraska is ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll with Long Beach State topping the Volleyball Magazine Poll. The Big Ten has four teams ranked in the Coaches Top 25. They included Penn State at sixth, Wisconsin ninth, Ohio State 15th and Minnesota 17th. Michigan State comes in at 27th. In the Volleyball Magazine Poll, Penn State is sixth, Wisconsin seventh, Ohio State 14th and Minnesota 17th. Michigan State is listed under others.
OSU LAST WEEK
The Buckeyes won four matches last week picking up a 3-0 win at Wright State on Tuesday and then winning the Loyola (Ill.) Adidas Invitational with three, 3-0, wins over Loyola (Ill.), South Florida and Evansville. OSU’s Katie Virtue and Suzie Stiling were named to the All-Tournament team.
Ohio State 3, Wright State 0
Playing on the road for the first time this season, Ohio State defeated Wright State 30-23, 30-24, 30-12. Anne Botica and Suzie Stiling had 11 kills each with Stacey Gordon adding 10. The Buckeyes hit .183 for the match to .017 for the Raiders. OSU added 11 aces with Botica collecting five of them.
Ohio State 3, Loyola (Ill.) 0
The Buckeyes opened play in the Loyola Adidas Invitational with a 30-15, 30-24, 30-26 win over the host Ramblers. Anne Botica and Stacey Gordon recorded 13 kills each for Ohio State with Suzie Stiling adding 12. OSU hit .321 for the match while Loyola hit .025.
Ohio State 3, South Florida 0
South Florida held leads in all three games but OSU overcame the Bulls leads to win 30-27, 30-28, 30-20 in round two of the Loyola Adidas Invitational. Game two saw South Florida lead 28-27 before Stacey Gordon scored three consecutive kills to capture the game. OSU’s Anne Botica scored a match-high 19 kills with Suzie Stiling adding 12 and Gordon 10. The Buckeyes hit .250 for the match to .127 for the Bulls.
Ohio State 3, Evansville 0
The Buckeyes completed a three-match sweep of the Loyola Adidas Invitational with a 30-22, 30-18, 30-14 win over Evansville. Anne Botica and Suzie Stiling shared match-high honors with 13 kills each. The Buckeyes hit .386 in the match to .105 for the Aces.
BUCKEYE HEAD COACH JIM STONE
Jim Stone enters his 20th season at Ohio State. He has a 431-188 record with the Buckeyes and is 242-105 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 481-230.
TELEVISED MATCHES
Ohio State will appear in three of the 11 matches that are part of the Big Ten television package that will be broadcast by ESPN2 and Fox Sports Chicago. The Buckeyes will also have five Big Ten contests shown by the Ohio News Network on a tape delay OSU will host Michigan State (Fri., Nov. 16) in one of three Big Ten matches on ESPN2 in a delayed broadcast. The match will be shown at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, Nov. 18. The Buckeyes will host two of the eight matches to be broadcast by Fox Sports Chicago. OSU matches included are Minnesota (Sunday, Oct. 14) and Wisconsin (Friday, Oct. 26). The Minnesota match will be shown at 7 p.m. CT, Monday, Oct. 15 with the Wisconsin match shown at 3 p.m. CT, Sunday, Oct. 28.
This marks the seventh-consecutive season that the conference has had at least three matches on ESPN2 and the fifth-straight year that the Big Ten has allied with the Fox Sports Chicago network. The Fox Sports Chicago Big Ten volleyball broadcasts are annually seen in 18 million Midwest and Eastern homes, while ESPN2 reaches 71 million-plus viewers around the nation.
The Ohio News Network will feature five Big Ten contests as part of its overall Ohio State sports package. ONN will show the Illinois match at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 22, the Indiana match at 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 23, the Purdue match at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, the Northwestern match at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 28 and the Michigan match at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 18.
2001 Big Ten Conference Volleyball Broadcasts on ESPN2 Date Match Time Broadcast Date/Time Oct. 19 Wisconsin at Minnesota 7 p.m. CT Sun., Oct. 21, 4 p.m. ET Oct. 27 Wisconsin at Penn State 7 p.m. ET Sun., Oct. 28, 4 p.m. ET Nov. 16 Michigan State at Ohio State 7 p.m. ET Sun., Nov. 18, 2 p.m. ET
2001 Big Ten Conference Volleyball Broadcasts on FoxSports Chicago Date Match Time Broadcast Date/Time Sep. 29 Northwestern at Indiana 7 p.m. ET Mon., Oct. 1, 7 p.m. CT Oct. 5 Penn State at Wisconsin 7 p.m. CT Sun., Oct. 7, 3 p.m. CT Oct. 14 Minnesota at Ohio State 2 p.m. ET Mon., Oct. 15, 7 p.m. CT Oct. 19 Illinois at Purdue 7 p.m. CT Sun., Oct. 21, 3 p.m. CT Oct. 26 Wisconsin at Ohio State 7 p.m. ET Sun., Oct. 28, 3 p.m. CT Nov. 3 Michigan at Iowa 7 p.m. CT Sun., Nov. 4, 3 p.m. CT Nov. 17 Michigan State at Penn State 7 p.m. ET Sun., Nov. 18, 3 p.m. CT Nov. 23/24 TBA-Wildcard TBA Sun., Nov. 25, 3 p.m. CT
2001 Ohio News Network Volleyball Broadcasts Date Match Time Broadcast Date/Time Sep. 21 Illinois at Ohio State 7 p.m. ET Sat., Sep. 21, 7 p.m. ET Sep. 22 Indiana at Ohio State 7 p.m. ET Sun., Sep. 23, 1 p.m. ET Sep. 28 Purdue at Ohio State 7 p.m. ET Sat., Sep. 29, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27 Northwestern at Ohio State 7 p.m. ET Sun., Oct. 28, 2 p.m. ET Nov. 17 Michigan at Ohio State 7 p.m. ET Sun., Nov. 18, 7 p.m. ET
VOLLEYBALL RULE CHANGES
Several new playing rules will be in effect for the 2001 season. Match scoring will move from sideout to a rally-scoring format where each play results in a point. The first four games will be scored to 30 points. The fifth game will be played to 15 points. All games must still be won by two points.
The collegiate game will mimic the international game with the let serve. A serve ball will remain in play if it hits the net and continues its path to the opposition’s court.
The international pursuit, an experimental rule for 2001-2002, can be implemented in a match by agreement of both coaches. The rule allows for a player to retrieve a ball (on the second contact) that has crossed the plane of the net to the opponent’s free space, provided that player does not touch the opponent’s court and sends the ball back to their court, over or outside the antennas, for an opportunity for the third contact.
NEXT UP FOR THE BUCKEYES
The Buckeyes open Big Ten play with home matches against Illinois (Friday, Sept. 21) and Indiana (Saturday, Sept. 22).
