No. 9 Volleyball Opens At No. 4 Hawaii – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 26, 2002
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s volleyball team will travel to Hawaii this week to open the 2002 season at the 15th Annual Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. The ninth-ranked Buckeyes will begin the season against No. 4 Hawaii Aug. 30. The Buckeyes then face No. 21 Colorado Saturday, Aug. 31 and conclude tournament play against No. 11 UCLA Sunday, Sept. 1.
BUCKEYES BEGIN 32ND YEAR OF VOLLEYBALL
OSU’s match with Hawaii will begin the 32nd season of women’s volleyball at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 21-10 in season opening matches. OSU has only lost one match on the court in the last 15 openers, excluding forfeits in 1999 and 2000.
BUCKEYES MAKE FOURTH TRIP TO THE ISLANDS
Ohio State has traveled to the Hawaiian Islands three previous times. The first trip came in 1984 with back-to-back 3-0 losses to Hawaii (11-15, 10-15, 13-15 and 7-15, 8-15, 7-15). In 1990 at the Wahine Invitational, OSU lost 1-3 (15-12, 7-15, 5-15, 7-15) to Hawaii (played in Maui), 1-3 (4-15, 11-15, 15-12, 13-15) to UCLA and 1-3 (9-15, 15-8, 14-16, 9-15) to Nebraska. The Buckeyes last traveled to Hawaii in 1998. OSU upset Florida 3-2 (9-15, 11-15, 15-4, 15-5, 20-18), lost to Hawaii 0-3 (11-15, 8-15, 8-15) and upset UCLA 3-2 (1-15, 15-3, 11-15, 15-8, 15-11).
OHIO STATE TABBED AS PRESEASON BIG TEN FAVORITE
The Ohio State women’s volleyball squad has been voted as the preseason favorite to win the 2002 Big Ten Conference Championship by the conference coaches. The Buckeyes, who finished second at 17-3 last season, finished ahead of 2001 conference champion Wisconsin in the preseason poll. THREE BUCKEYES NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
By a vote of the Big Ten coaches, Ohio State student-athletes Stacey Gordon (So., Oshawa, Ontario), Suzie Stiling (Sr., Glenview, Ill.) and Katie Virtue (Sr., St. Charles, Ill.) have been named to the 13-player 2002 Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Gordon, an outside hitter, was an All-Big Ten selection as a freshman and was the Big Ten and American Volleyball Coaches Association Freshman of the Year. She also was named a second team AVCA All-American. Stiling has been honored as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection the last two seasons. Virtue, a two-time All-Big Ten selection, was a Volleyball Magazine honorable mention All-America selection last year. The Buckeyes, with three student-athletes on the team, lead the preseason team. Michigan State, Minnesota and Penn State placed two players each to the squad.
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes, coached by Jim Stone, were 27-4 last season. Ohio State finished second in the Big Ten Conference with a 17-3 league record. OSU returns four starters, Shelly Draeger (Sr., Milwaukee, Wis.), Suzie Stiling, Katie Virtue and Stacey Gordon from the 2001 season and has a pool of eight freshmen to complete the starting lineup.
A LOOK AT HAWAII
The Wahine, coached by Dave Shoji, is coming off a 29-6 season in 2001 that saw Hawaii earn its sixth-consecutive Western Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 13-0 record. Hawaii welcomes back two All-Americans and former WAC Player of the Year honorees, Lily Kahumoku and Kim Willoughby.
OHIO STATE – HAWAII SERIES
Hawaii has won all four contests with Ohio State. The four matches have all been played in Hawaii. The squads played back-to-back matches in 1984 and the Buckeyes and Wahine have played in tournaments twice. The last meeting, in 1998, was a 3-0 (15-11, 15-8, 15-8) win for the Wahine.
9/11/84 A L 0-3 11-5, 10-15, 13-15 9/12/84 A L 0-3 7-15, 8-15, 7-15 9/ 6/90 N L 1-3 15-12, 7-15, 5-15, 7-15 Wahine Invitational at Maui, Hawaii 9/ 5/98 A L 0-3 11-15, 8-15, 8-15 Hawaiian Airlines Wahine VB Classic at Hawaii
A LOOK AT COLORADO
The Buffaloes, coached by Pi’i Aiu, were 19-11 last season. Colorado finished fourth in the Big 12 Conference with a 13-7 league record. Colorado has three returning starters in Meghan Barkman, Monique Gerlach and Elizabeth Gower.
OHIO STATE – COLORADO SERIES
The Buckeyes have won two of three meetings with Colorado. The Buffaloes won the last meeting, in 1995, 3-1 (9-15, 15-4, 15-7, 15-7).
9/11/92 N W 3-2 13-15, 15-11, 15-6, 10-15, 15-13 Illini Classic at Illinois 9/11/94 H W 3-0 15-2, 15-12, 15-12 Buckeye Classic at Ohio State 9/ 1/95 A L 1-3 15-9, 4-15, 7-15, 7-15 Colorado Powerbar Invitational
A LOOK AT UCLA
The Bruins, coached by Andy Banachowski, were 21-9 last season. UCLA finished fourth in the Pac-10 Conference with a 12-6 league record. The Bruins lost three four-year starters from last season. Top returning players include Lauren Fendrick, Angela Eckmier, Brynn Murphy and Chrissie Zartman.
OHIO STATE – UCLA SERIES
UCLA has won six of seven matches, excluding the Bruin 1999 NCAA Tournament win that was vacated by the NCAA. OSU’s win came in 1998, at this tournament, a 3-2 (1-15, 15-3, 11-15, 15-8, 15-11) come-from-behind victory.
12/10/76 N L 0-2 3-15, 6-15 AIAW Championship at Texas 9/24/83 N L 0-3 6-15, 12-15, 8-15 Louisiana State Invitational 9/ 7/90 N L 1-3 4-15, 11-15, 15-12, 13-15 Wahine Invitational at Honolulu, Hawaii 12/19/91 N L 0-3 8-15, 8-15, 5-15 NCAA National Semifinal at UCLA 9/ 9/95 N L 2-3 15-11, 11-15, 15-10, 9-15, 11-15 Michigan Vb Challenge 12/ 8/95 N L 0-3 6-15, 6-15, 9-15 NCAA Central Regional Semifinal at Nebraska 9/ 6/98 N W 3-2 1-15, 15-3, 11-15, 15-8, 15-11 Hawaiian Airlines Wahine VB Classic at Hawaii 12/ 5/99 A V 0-3 10-15, 12-15, 10-15 (Vacated) NCAA Second Round match at UCLA
VIRTUE TAKES NCAA NATIONAL STATISTICAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2001
With a 14.23 assist per game average, setter Katie Virtue was the NCAA national statistical champion in 2001. The two-time All-Big Ten selection also has been the Big Ten statistical champion the last three years. Her 13.93 assist per game average is the best mark in OSU history. Virtue has 4,430 career assists ranking second for the Buckeyes and needs 1,054 to pass current record holder Laura Davis (1991-94) who has 5,483.
STILING PROVIDES HITTING AND BLOCKING
Ranking sixth in OSU career hitting percentage (.296), 12th in kills per game (3.08) and fourth in blocks per game (.99), Suzie Stiling has give the Buckeyes a solid player in the middle. A two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, Stiling hit .378 last season and averaged 3.49 kills and .90 blocks per game.
DRAEGER AN ACE IN SCORING OFF THE SERVE
With a season-high 57 ace serves last season, Shelly Draeger twice recorded a career-high seven aces in a match. Her seven aces against Purdue and Tennessee Tech tied the Ohio State match record. She has 119 career aces, ranking 11th in OSU records, and is seventh in aces per game at .36.
GORDON THE 2001 AVCA NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Outside hitter Stacey Gordon was honored last season as the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Freshman of the Year. She also was named to the second team of the AVCA All-America squad. Gordon finished her freshman season ranked 19th in the country with a 4.75 kills per game average. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year finished third in the conference with a 5.07 kills per game average.
USA TODAY/AVCA PRESEASON POLL HAS OSU NINTH
The Ohio State women’s volleyball team is ranked ninth in the 2002 preseason USA TODAY/American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll announced in mid-August. The Buckeyes are the highest-ranked squad in the Big Ten and is one of five conference teams ranked in the Top 25, leading all conferences. OSU’s No. 9 ranking marks the third time the Buckeyes have begun the season in the Top 10. OSU was ranked fifth in the opening poll in 1994 and 10th in 1995.
VOLLEYBALL MAGAZINE RANKS OSU 10TH IN PRESEASON POLL
In the Volleyball Magazine preseason poll, Ohio State is ranked 10th and is the highest ranked Big Ten squad in the poll. OSU was ranked 10th in the final regular season poll by the magazine.
TV MATCHES INCLUDE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL BROADCAST
Ohio State will be featured in a national and regional broadcast this season. The Buckeyes will face Wisconsin in a Saturday, Nov. 2 match that will be cablecast by ESPN2 Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. CST. OSU will play at Michigan State Friday, Oct. 4 in a match that will be cablecast by Fox Sports Chicago at 3 p.m. CST Sunday, Oct. 6.
ONN TO CARRY FIVE BUCKEYE CONTESTS
The Ohio News Network will cablecast five Ohio State matches this season. Four matches will be broadcast on a delayed basis while the fifth match against Iowa at 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27 will be carried live. The other contests include OSU’s matches against Cleveland State (Friday, Sept. 6, broadcast Saturday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m.), Loyola-Chicago (Friday, Sept. 13, broadcast Saturday, Sept. 14, 1 p.m.), Miami (Ohio) (Wednesday, Sept. 18, broadcast Saturday, Sept. 21, 1 p.m.) and Minnesota (Friday, Oct. 25, broadcast Saturday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m.)
BUCKEYE HEAD COACH JIM STONE
Jim Stone is in his 21st season at Ohio State. He has a 409-229 record with the Buckeyes and is 236-131 in Big Ten play. His squads have won Big Ten Championships in 1989, 1991 and 1994 and in the last 13 years have finished in the Top 3 in the league 10 times. 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 in 11 of the last 13 years, advancing to the national semifinals in 1991 and 1994. Stone’s coaching career record includes three years at Wyoming (1979-1981). His 23-year career record is 459-271.
NEXT WEEK FOR OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes return home to host the Buckeye Classic next weekend. On Friday, Sept. 6 Kent State faces Eastern Kentucky and Ohio State hosts Cleveland State in semifinal matches. Saturday’s consolation match is scheduled for 5 p.m. with the championship match set for 7 p.m. OSU’s match against Cleveland State will be rebroadcast by ONN at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 7.
