2004 Men’s Volleyball Season Outlook – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Dec. 4, 2003
With five of six starters returning from 2003 and the return of 2002 starting outside hitter Ricardo Garcia, the Ohio State men’s volleyball team has a solid core to open the 2004 season. The Buckeyes were 16-12 overall last season and 11-5 in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. OSU finished tied for third in the conference and lost in the quarterfinals of the MIVA Tournament. With 11 letter winners returning and with an excellent freshman class, the Buckeyes should challenge for the conference crown.
SENIOR CLASS HAS STRONG LEADERSHIP
The senior class has two true seniors. Setter Mark Peckham and middle blocker Adam Pedersen both started all 28 matches last season. Outside hitters Mike Wauligman and Ricardo Garcia both have junior eligibility. Libero Mike Fipp, a junior college transfer, came from Golden West College in California. Peckham, a scholar-athlete, was a second team MIVA selection. He ranked fifth nationally in assists per game at 13.91. Pedersen finished fifth nationally last season in hitting percentage at .478. He recorded a team-high 104 blocks (6 solos, 98 assists) for a 1.06 per game average. Wauligman, a starter in 15 matches, came on strong at the end of the season, recording double-figure kills in his last six matches and a career-high 26 kills against Indiana-Purdue to end the season. Garcia, a scholar-athlete, miss all of the 2003 season after starting all 30 matches in 2002. Fipp saw limited action last season in five matches.
JUNIOR CLASS ADDS DEPTH AT MIDDLE HITTER
The junior class has middle hitters Scott Spurlock, Brett Hamilton and libero/outside hitter Stuart Katz, who has sophomore eligibility. Spurlock, a starter in 18 matches, ranked 13th in the country with a 1.28 blocks per game average. Hamilton had 10 starts, playing in 17 matches. He produced 41 assist blocks for a 1.00 per game average. Katz, a scholar-athlete, started at libero in 21 matches last season
SOPHOMORE CLASS HAS BREAKOUT POTENTIAL
The sophomore class has outside hitters Andy Cole and Mark Greaves who both saw extensive playing time last season. Red shirt freshman middle hitter Layne Dreven and outside hitter Sam Stevens complete the class. Cole was the MIVA Freshman of the Year and a second team All-MIVA selection. He started 27 matches, averaging 3.48 kills per game and hitting .275. Greaves, a scholar-athlete, had 19 starts, playing in 22 matches. He had a career-high 17 kills against Ball State. Dreven and Stevens, both scholar-athletes, did not play last season. Dreven was a two-time club All-American and finished second in the Pennsylvania State High School Championship in 2001. Stevens was the most valuable player for his high school and played on the USA Youth National Team.
FRESHMEN CLASS BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Ohio State has four student-athletes in the freshmen class. Setter Joerel Morales and outside hitters Matthew Hankey, Dan Meske and Brett Versen comprise a solid class for the future. Morales had an outstanding high school career and saw extensive action in the Junior Olympics. Hankey and Meske played for the Sports Performance volleyball club. Hankey earned Player of the Year honors for the Daily Herald and Naperville Sun in Illinois. Meske played volleyball, basketball and ran cross-country in high school. Versen was named to the Volleyball Magazine “Fab 50”. A two-time state champion, he was first team all-state as a senior.
DEPARTING PLAYERS PLAYED KEY ROLES
Two seniors completed their eligibility last season for the Buckeyes. Starting outside hitter Tom Trantow had two outstanding seasons for the Buckeyes. A scholar-athlete, he was a second team All-MIVA selection as a junior and a first team selection as a senior. Outside hitter Mark Lehman was an outstanding utility player, filling in as needed. Outside hitters Aaron Dillon and Matt Strapko both chose to skip their final year of play. Each was a scholar-athlete. Outside hitter Greg Randolph also chose not to return to the team.
SCHEDULE FEATURES THE BEST OF THE BEST
Ohio State’s 28-match schedule will feature home and away matches with six teams that finished ranked in the top-15 in the country last season. The exception will be in hosting No. 2 Brigham Young in back-to-back home matches. OSU will face three of the four teams that played for the NCAA National Championship last season. This includes defending NCAA champion No. 1 Lewis, runner-up No. 2 Brigham Young and semifinalist No. 6 Penn State. Including Lewis, the Buckeyes will face four Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association conference opponents including No. 11 Loyola-Chicago, No. 13 Ball State and No. 14 Indiana-Purdue.
BUCKEYES HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR GREATNESS
With a solid core of players returning, Ohio State looks to improve its standing in the MIVA and shoot for a berth in the NCAA Championship.
