No. 19 Women’s Volleyball Closes Out the Regular Season at Michigan and Michigan State – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 22, 2005
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 19th-ranked Ohio State (19-8 overall, 12-6 Big Ten) women’s volleyball team concludes regular season play this week at Michigan and Michigan State. The Buckeyes play at Michigan, Friday, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. and at Michigan State, Saturday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. Last week Ohio State, in home matches, defeated Iowa, 3-0 (30-23, 30-25, 30-27) and lost to No. 19 Minnesota, 0-3 (19-30, 25-30, 23-30).
NCAA SELECTION SHOW SUNDAY
The NCAA Division I women’s volleyball selection show will be on Sunday, Nov. 27 from 2:30-3:30 EDT on ESPNews. The 64-team bracket will be announced at that time.
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes are coached by Jim Stone. Ohio State is 19-8 overall and 12-6 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes defeated Iowa, 3-0 (30-23, 30-25, 30-27) and lost to No. 19 Minnesota, 0-3 (19-30, 25-30, 23-30) in home matches last week. Danielle Meyer (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) leads the Buckeyes in kills per game with a 4.65 per game average. Ami Stevens (So., Centerburg, Ohio) ranks second at 3.51. Setter Marisa Main (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) is the top percentage hitter at .377 with Meyer second at .283. Main has a 12.51 assist per game average. Ashley Kiel (Jr., Allenton, Wis.) has a team-high 34 ace serves (.34 per game) with Meyer second with 28 (.28). Defensively, Stevens has a team-high 2.94 digs per game average with Meyer second at 2.55. At the net, Meyer is averaging a team-leading 1.05 blocks per game with 14 solos and 90 assists. Nicole Britenriker (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) ranks second in blocking with a .84 average on eight solos and 75 assists. The Buckeyes are averaging 16.82 kills and 15.35 assists and are hitting .254. OSU averages 1.36 aces, 15.44 digs and 2.09 blocks per game. Opponents average 13.97 kills and 12.40 assists and are hitting .215. They average 1.06 aces, 12.86 digs and 2.58 blocks per game.
A LOOK AT MICHIGAN
The Wolverines are coached by Mark Rosen. Michigan is 13-14 overall and 7-11 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines lost road matches last week at No. 15 Wisconsin, 0-3 (27-30, 14-30, 27-30) and at Northwestern, 1-3 (24-30, 28-30, 30-22, 24-30). Katie Bruzdzinski leads Michigan with a 3.93 kills per game average with Lyndsay Miller second at 3.27. Miller is the top percentage hitter on the squad at .268 with Erin Cobler second at .250. Setter Mara Martin is averaging 12.51 assist per game. Bruzdzinski leads the team with 30 ace serves (.31 per game) with Cobler second with 18 (.19). Defensively, Stesha Selsky has a team-high 5.75 digs per game average with Bruzdzinski second at 2.49. At the net, Miller leads the team with a 1.23 blocks per game average with 28 solos and 90 assists. Megan Bowman is second in blocks at .83 with eight solos and 49 assists. Michigan averages 15.30 kills and 14.29 assists per game and is hitting .227. The Wolverines average 1.09 aces, 16.98 digs and 2.36 blocks per game. Opponents average 15.32 kills and 14.20 assists per game and are hitting .204. Michigan opponents average 1.22 aces, 16.17 digs and 2.89 blocks per game.
OHIO STATE-MICHIGAN SERIES
Ohio State leads the series with Michigan, 42-12. The Buckeyes have won the last three meetings with the Wolverines overall. In Ann Arbor, Ohio State is 17-6. Last season the Buckeyes won, 3-1 (30-22, 28-30, 30-24, 30-23) in Columbus and 3-0 (30-28, 30-24, 30-17) at Michigan. Earlier this season in Columbus, Ohio State won, 3-0 (30-27, 30-27, 32-30).
THE LAST TIME AGAINST MICHIGAN (Oct. 15, 2005)
The 19th-ranked Ohio State (12-5 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) women’s volleyball team rallied from eight down (19-11) in game three to sweep Michigan (9-8, 3-5), 3-0 (30-27, 30-27, 32-30) Saturday night in front of 1,586 fans in St. John Arena. Leading the Buckeyes in points was Danielle Meyer with 21 (18 kills, 1 solo block, 4 assist blocks) with Nicole Britenriker (11 kills, 2 assist blocks) and Marisa Main (11 kills, 2 assist blocks) adding 12 each and Amanda Miller contributing 11.5 (11 kills 1 assist block). Main’s 11 kills combined with 47 assists and 10 digs produced her second triple-double of the season. Michigan’s Katie Bruzdzinski had a team-high 17 points (15 kills, 2 solo blocks) for the Wolverines with Lindsay Miller (9 kills, 2 assist blocks) and Sarah Draves (10 kills) adding 10 points each.
In a close game one that saw neither team take more than a two-point lead until the final play, Michigan overcame an OSU 2-1 lead with a Bruzdzinski kill, and OSU error and a Mara Martin ace serve to take a 4-2 lead. Tied at 16, Buckeye kills from Nicole Britenriker and Miller gave Ohio State an 18-16 lead. With OSU leading 20-18, a Draves kill, a Buckeye error and a Miller kill put Michigan ahead, 22-20. Michigan held a 24-23 lead when kills from Main and Ami Stevens with a Michigan error put Ohio State ahead, 26-24. At 28-26, OSU, a Buckeye error cut the lead to 28-27. A Meyer kill set game point and a Wolverine hitting error ended the game at 30-27. Ohio State hit .409 for the game to .273 for Michigan.
Trailing 10-6 in game two, Michigan scored five consecutive points to take the lead at 11-10. The run began with kills from Draves, Bruzdzinski, Martin and Miller and a Miller-Martin block. At 12-11, Michigan, the Buckeyes scored five straight points with kills from Meyer, Miller and Main and an ace serve from Ashley Kiel to take a 16-12 lead. At 17-14, two kills from Main, one from Meyer and a Main-Britenriker block made it 21-14, OSU. The Buckeyes took the lead to nine at 24-15 with kills from Stevens and Britenriker and a Stevens-Britenriker block. Michigan rallied with a 12-2 run to take a 27-26 lead. A Meyer kill tied the game at 27 and the Buckeyes took a 28-27 lead with a Main kill. A Wolverine error set game point at 29-27. Ohio State won the game, 30-27, with a Meyer-Miller block. Ohio State hit .302 for the game to .192 for Michigan.
After OSU opened game three with a 2-0 lead, Michigan responded with kills from Erin Cobler and Draves and an OSU error to take a 3-2 lead. Leading 8-7, Michigan had a 7-1 run to open a 15-8 lead. The Wolverines expanded the lead to eight at 19-11. With a five-point Buckeye run, Ohio State cut the lead to 19-16 with kills from Kiel, Meyer and Main, a Meyer-Main block and an ace serve from Kiel. A Michigan kill from Cobler and a Miller-Martin block put Michigan ahead, 21-16. A Meyer kill and a UM error made it 21-18. Michigan kills from Martin and Bruzdzinski and two Wolverine errors moved the score to 23-20. Kills from OSU’s Meyer and UM’s Bruzdzinski and two errors on both sides moved the score to 26-23. A Meyer kill made it 26-24 but Michigan kills from Draves and Cobler made the lead four at 28-24. A Meyer kill and a UM error cut the lead to 28-26. Cobler’s kill set game point for Michigan at 29-26. Buckeye kills from Miller and Meyer stopped game points to close the UM lead to 29-28. A Michigan error tied the game at 29. An OSU block from Stevens and Meyer gave OSU match point at 30-29. Michigan’s Miller responded with a kill to tie the game at 30. Main’s kill put OSU at match point at 31-30. A kill from Meyer kill ended the game at 32-30 for a 3-0 Ohio State victory. Ohio State hit .208 for the game to .174 for Michigan.
Ohio State hit .303 for the match to .211 for Michigan. The Buckeyes had a 65-49 advantage in kills and a three to one edge in ace serves. OSU gave up seven service errors to four for Michigan. Defensively, Ohio State had a 63-42 margin in digs with Stevens recording a match-high 17 for the Buckeyes. At the net, Ohio State had a seven to four edge in team blocks with Meyer producing a match-high five total blocks with a solo and four assists. OSU’s Main recorded a match-high 47 assists while Martin had 39 for Michigan
A LOOK AT MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans are coached by Cathy George. Michigan State is 12-16 overall and 5-13 in the Big Ten. Last the Spartans lost road matches at Northwestern, 0-3 (31-33, 21-30, 29-31) and at No. 15 Wisconsin, 0-3 (17-30, 28-30, 30-32). Leading Michigan State in kills per game is Katie Johnson at 5.10. Ashley Schatzle ranks second at 3.42. Megan Wallin is the top percentage hitter on the squad at .249 with Schatzle second at .203. Setter Mickey Davis is averaging 13.16 assist per game for the Spartans. Nicole Colaluca has a team-high 28 ace serves (.26 per game) with Davis second with 21 (.19). Defensively, Colaluca leads the team in digs per game at 5.47. Marley Bellwood ranks second at 2.07. At the net, Wallin has a team-high .77 blocks per game average with 14 solos and 69 assists. Jessica Hohl ranks second at .66 with 10 solos and 60 assists. Michigan State averages 16.18 kills and 14.93 assists per game while hitting .195. The Spartans average 1.25 aces, 15.77 digs and 2.04 blocks per game. Opponents average 13.86 kills and 12.81 assists while hitting .206. Michigan State opponents average 1.14 aces, 13.57 digs and 2.97 blocks per game.
OHIO STATE-MICHIGAN STATE SERIES
Ohio State leads the series with Michigan State, 34-24. The Buckeyes have won the last three contests against the Spartans. In East Lansing, Ohio State has a 14-13 edge over Michigan State. In matches last season, Ohio State won 3-0 (30-26, 30-23, 30-26) in Columbus and 3-0 (30-24, 30-25, 30-20) at Michigan State. Earlier this season in Columbus, OSU won 3-1 (26-30, 30-18, 30-18, 30-14).
THE LAST TIME AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE (Oct. 14, 2005)
No. 19 Ohio State women’s volleyball team defeated Michigan State, 3-1 (26-30, 30-18, 30-18, 30-14) Friday night in St. John Arena. OSU’s Danielle Meyer recorded a match-high 23.5 points for the Buckeyes with Nicole Britenriker adding 17. Meyer had a match-high 19 kills, adding three ace serves and three assist blocks. Britenriker had 14 kills, an ace serve and four assist blocks for the Buckeyes. Michigan State’s Ashley Schatzle had a team-high 13 points for the Spartans with Megan Wallin adding 12.5. Schatzle had a team-high 12 kills with a solo block while Wallin recorded 11 kills and three assist blocks.
Ohio State opened game one with five straight points off two MSU errors, two Ami Stevens’s kills and her solo block. At 15-12, a Meyer kill and two from Britenriker gave OSU a six-point lead at 18-12. The Spartans scored six of the next seven points to cut the margin to 19-18. At 20-19, two MSU errors and a Britenriker ace serve gave OSU a 23-19 lead. Spartan kills from Jessica Hohl and Schatzle and an OSU error cut the lead to 23-22. At 25-23, Michigan State scored five straight points to lead 29-25. A Meyer kill cut the run but an OSU service error ended the game at 30-26. Michigan State hit .480 for the game to .154 for Ohio State.
With a 5-4 lead in game two, Ohio State scored four consecutive points to take a 9-4 lead with two Meyer kills and two ace serves from Ashley Kiel. With two kills from Katie Johnson, a block by Brooke Langston and two OSU errors, Michigan State tied the game at nine. At 10-all, a Marisa Main (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) kill followed by her solo block gave OSU a 12-10 lead. Leading 16-14, the Buckeyes would out score Michigan State 14-4 to win the game, 30-18, on a Stevens kill. Ohio State hit .485 for the game to .205 for the Spartans
Ohio State took a 2-0 lead in game three with on a solo block and kill by Stevens. At 12-8, a Meyer kill and a Stevens’ ace serve along with an MSU error gave Ohio State at 15-8 lead. The Buckeyes continued to expand the lead and won the game with an Amanda Miller at 30-18. OSU hit .344 for the game to .069 for Michigan State.
The Buckeyes scored the first nine points of game four collecting three kills from Stevens, one each from Meyer and Britenriker, an ace serve by Meyer, a solo block from Main and two MSU errors. The Buckeyes continued to build on the lead and held a 15-3 margin. At 23-9, Buckeye kills from Stevens and Britenriker gave Ohio State at 16-point lead at 25-9. At 26-10, two OSU errors and a Johnson kill cut the lead to 26-13. At 27-14, two Meyer kills and a Meyer-Main block ended the game at 30-14. The Buckeyes hit .500 for the game to .029 for Michigan State.
For the match, Ohio State hit .364 to Michigan State’s .181. OSU had a 70-46 margin in kills and a nine to two advantage in ace serves. The Buckeyes gave up nine service errors to eight for the Spartans. Defensively, Ohio State had a 49-45 edge in digs with MSU’s Nicole Colaluca recording a match-high 13. At the net, the Buckeyes had a nine to six advantage in team blocks. OSU’s Britenriker recorded a match-high four assist blocks for the Buckeyes. At setter, Main had 56 assists for Ohio State while Mickey Davis recorded 35 for Michigan State.
LAST WEEK AGAINST IOWA
No. 17 Ohio State won 3-0 (30-23, 30-25, 30-27) over Iowa Friday night in St. John Arena in front of 1,608 fans. OSU’s Danielle Meyer scored a match-high 20.5 points for the Buckeyes with Nicole Britenriker adding 13.5. Meyer had a match-high 15 kills (.368), a solo block and five assists while Britenriker recorded 10 kills (.368), a solo block and five assists. Iowa’s Catherine Smale had a team-high 15.5 points for the Hawkeyes with 15 kills (.250) and an assist block.
Ohio State took an early 6-1 lead in game one opening with a block by Britenriker and Ashley Kiel and a kill by Felicia Jones. After an OSU error a second kill from Jones made it 3-1. Three Hawkeye errors made it 6-1. At 11-5, two kills from Ami Stevens and one from Meyer opened a nine point lead at 14-5. At 19-13, OSU, a five-point Iowa scoring run cut the margin to 19-18. At 23-21, a kill from Laura Kremer cut the lead to one at 23-22. Two Hawkeye errors, a Kiel block, a triple block by Jones, Meyer and Kiel and kills from Jones and Meyer gave Ohio State a 29-22 lead. A Kremer kill made it 29-23 but a Meyer kill ended the game at 30-23. The Buckeyes hit .354 for the game to .156 for Iowa.
Trailing 11-10 in game two, Iowa, with a Melanie Meister kill tied the game and took the lead with a Kremer-Stacy Vitali block. The Hawkeyes took a 13-11 lead with a Lauren Bruckner ace serve. Buckeye kills from Kiel and Jones tried the game at 13 and an Iowa error gave OSU a 14-13 lead. A Smale kill tied the game at 14. Two Marisa Main kills and one from Meyer gave Ohio State a 17-14 lead. At 22-17, OSU, kills from Megan Gatens, Meister and Kremer cut the lead to 22-20. With a 6-1 scoring run, OSU opened a 28-21 lead. The run began with a Kiel kill and two ace serves from Stevens. Kills from Jones, Britenriker and Meyer completed the run. Iowa cut the lead to 28-24 with two kills from Kremer and one from Vitali. A Meyer kill set game point at 29-24. A Smale kill stopped the point at 29-25 but Meyer ended the game with a kill at 30-25. Ohio State hit .452 in the game to .184 for Iowa.
Game three opened with Buckeye blocks by Britenriker and Kiel and Britenriker and Jones for a 2-0 lead. Leading, 9-7, OSU had a 7-2 run to open a 16-9 lead. The run saw Britenriker and Meyer record two kills each with Jones adding one and blocks by Meyer and Kiel and Meyer and Main. Iowa responded with a Kremer-Smale block and with three OSU errors cut the lead to 16-13. Iowa cut an OSU 23-19 lead with two Smale kills and an OSU error to trail, 23-22. Ohio State responded with a Kiel kill and two from Meyer to lead 26-22. A Smale kill and two OSU errors cut the lead to one at 26-25 and another Smale kill tied the game at 26. A Meyer kill gave OSU a 27-26 lead. Vitali responded with a kill to tie the game at 27. The Buckeyes, with a Meyer kill took a 28-27 lead. An Iowa error set match point at 29-27. Ohio State closed out the game with a kill from Stevens to win, 30-27, taking the match, 3-0. The Buckeyes hit .295 in the game to .205 for the Hawkeyes.
For the match, Ohio State hit .358 to .190 for Iowa. The Buckeyes had a 59-43 advantage in kills while each squad recorded three ace serves. The Buckeyes gave up nine service errors to five for Iowa. Defensively, Ohio State had a 50-39 edge in digs with OSU’s Main recording a match-high 12. OSU’s Stevens had 11 and Iowa’s Emily Hiza picked up 10. At the net, the Buckeyes had a 13 to 3 margin in team blocks. Buckeyes Kiel, Britenriker and Meyer each had six total blocks in the match. Kiel recorded six assists while Britenriker and Meyer picked up a solo and five assists each. OSU’s Main had a match-high 44 assists while Iowa’s Kiley Fister recorded 28.
LAST WEEK AGAINST MINNESOTA
No. 19 Ohio State dropped a 3-0 (30-19, 30-25, 30-23) decision to No. 19 Minnesota Saturday night in St. John Arena. OSU’s Danielle Meyer had a team-high 11.5 points for the Buckeyes with nine kills, an ace serve, a solo block and an assist block. Minnesota’s Sarah Florian had a match-high 16 points for the Gophers with 14 kills, an ace serve and a solo block.
Minnesota took an early 8-3 lead in game one and built the lead to 11 to win the game, 30-19. The Gophers hit .294 for the game to -.079 for the Buckeyes. Florian had five kills in the game while Jessy Jones recorded three solo blocks.
Game two saw the Buckeyes break an 8-8 tie with an Ami Stevens kill, a Nicole Britenriker (So., Cincinnati, Ohio)-Ashley Kiel block and a Meyer kill to hold an 11-8 lead. Minnesota tied the game at 13 on an OSU error. At 21-21, the Gophers with a kills from Jones, a block from Meredith Nelson and Kyla Roehrig and two OSU errors took a 25-21 lead. The Buckeyes would close the lead to 26-24 before kills from Meghan Cumpston and Nelson and a block from Florian set game point at 29-24. A Meyer kill made it 29-25 but Minnesota won the game with a Nelson kill at 30-25. The Gophers hit .231 for the game to .050 for Ohio State.
Ohio State took a 6-5 lead in game three with a kill by Stevens but a Buckeye error tied the game at six. A four-point Gopher run gave Minnesota a 10-6 lead. OSU trailed 24-15 before a 5-2 Buckeye run cut the lead to 26-21. A Cumpston kill and an ace serve from Rachel Hartmann made it 28-21. A Gopher error made it 28-22 but an OSU error set match point at 29-22. A kill from Meyer made it 29-23 but a Nelson kill ended the game at 30-23. Minnesota hit .225 for the game to .075 for the Buckeyes.
For the match, Minnesota hit .248 to .017 for Ohio State. The Gophers enjoyed a 43-35 margin in kills and had a seven to two advantage in ace serves with Gopher Malama Peniata recording a match-high three. Defensively, Ohio State had a 49-40 margin in digs while Minnesota’s Paula Gentil recorded a match-high 14 digs. At the net, the Gophers had a 13 to four margin in team blocks. Minnesota’s Nelson and Jones shared match-high honors with five total blocks each. Nelson had a solo and four assists while Jones recorded four solos and an assist. Gopher setter Kelly Bowman had a match-high 24 assists in the match while teammate Hartmann recorded 15. OSU’s Marisa Main had 22 assists for the Buckeyes.
STEVENS LEADS THE BUCKEYES IN DIGS
Ami Stevens leads Ohio State in digs with 265 and has a team-high 2.94 digs per game average. She is one of five Buckeyes who average 2.12 digs or more per game. She had 11 digs against Iowa adding nine kills (.304), two ace serve and two assists. Stevens posted a team-high 12 digs against Minnesota and added eight kills. She has 627 digs in her career and ranks fifth for Ohio State in career digs per game at 2.99.
MEYER NOW 15TH IN OSU CAREER ASSIST AND TOTAL BLOCKS
Danielle Meyer has moved to 15th in career assist blocks (211) and total blocks (235) for the Buckeyes. She passed Shelly Draeger (1999-02) in assist blocks with 207. Meyer needs four assist blocks to move past No. 13 Margie Meyers (1984-87) with 215. In total blocks, Meyer moved past Stacey Gordon (2001-04) with 232 (37-195) and Audrey DiPronio (1988-90) with 228 (37-191). She needs three total blocks to move past No. 14 Holly O’Leary (1987-90) with 237 (45-192). Meyer ranks fourth in career block per game with a 1.08 per game mark. She had a solo and five assist blocks against Iowa adding 17 kills (.368) and six digs. She posted a solo and one assist block against Minnesota adding nine kills, one ace serve and 11 digs.
JONES HAS FOURTH DOUBLE-FIGURE KILL MATCH AGAINST IOWA
Felicia Jones contributed 10 kills (.300), three digs and two assist blocks against Iowa last week. It marked her fourth match with double-figure kills. She had seven kills and a dig against Minnesota. Jones has started the last three matches for Ohio State and has 12 starts this season.
BRITENRIKER PROVIDING OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
Nicole Britenriker ranks third on the squad in kills per game at 2.69 and ranks third in hitting percentage at .276. Defensively, she ranks second in blocks per game at .84 and averages 1.60 digs per game. In recent weeks she has been playing the backrow rotations and produced a career-high 25 digs at Indiana. She had 10 kills (.368) at Iowa adding six total blocks (1-5) and five digs. Against Minnesota she had 10 digs, three kills and two assist blocks.
MAIN PASSES 3,000 ASSISTS AT OHIO STATE
Marisa Main had 66 assists last weekend (44 vs. Iowa, 22 vs. Minnesota) and now has 3,023 in her two-year career with the Buckeyes. She is the sixth player at OSU to pass 3,000 assists. Including her freshman season at Xavier, Main has recorded 3,969 assists in her collegiate career. Against Iowa, she was one kill from a triple double with nine kills (.583), 44 assists and 12 digs. She added two assist blocks and an ace serve against the Hawkeyes. She had two kills, seven digs, an assist block and 22 assists against Minnesota.
KIEL RANKS SIXTH IN ACES PER GAME IN BIG TEN OVERALL STATISTICS
Ashley Kiel has a team-high 34 ace serves this season and ranks sixth in the Big Ten overall statistics with a .34 per game average. She produced a season-high six assist blocks, six digs and four kills against Iowa last week and had an ace serve, three kills, three digs and two assist blocks against Minnesota. Kiel also had a career-high six assists against the Hawkeyes.
DAHMS PLAYS THE LIBERO POSITION
Brittany Dahms returned to the libero position last week giving her 18 starts at libero and two at defensive specialist this year. She produced six digs and two assist against Iowa and added three digs against Minnesota. Dahms has 191 digs on the season for a 2.12 per game average. She also has recorded 10 ace serve and 28 assists.
MEYER, STEVENS AND MAIN RECEIVE ACADEMIC HONORS
Three Ohio State student-athletes have been honored a ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selections. Daniell Meyer was named to the second team while Ami Stevens and Marisa Main were third team selections. To be considered for the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in academic standing, own a grade-point average of 3.2 and must be a starter or key reserve for their team. Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools who are named to district teams prior to being voted upon on the national level. CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) has been selecting Academic All-America teams since 1952.
OHIO STATE IN THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE STATISTICS
Four Buckeyes are ranked in the conference only Big Ten statistics released by the Big Ten Conference. Danielle Meyer ranks fourth in kills per game with a 4.26 average, seventh in ace serves at .28 per game and tied for eighth in blocking at 1.17 per game. Marisa Main ranks second in hitting percentage at .393 with Nicole Britenriker sixth at .335. Main ranks third in assists per game with a 12.85 while Ami Stevens ranks 10th in kills per game at 3.38 average. In team statistics, the Buckeyes rank first in kills (16.94) and assists (15.54) and is second in hitting percentage (.259) OSU is fourth in service aces (1.37), eighth in digs (15.52) and eighth in blocks (2.25) per game.
OSU 19TH IN CSTV/AVCA COACHES POLL
The CSTV (College Sports Television/AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll released this week by the AVCA has Ohio State ranked 19th nationally this week, falling two spots from last week.. The Buckeyes received 456 points. The Buckeyes had 548 points last week and were ranked 17th. OSU finished the 2004 season with a 30-4 overall record and was ranked sixth in the final 2004 poll. The Buckeyes are one of five Big Ten squads ranked in the top-22 of the poll. Others include Penn State at second, Wisconsin 14th, Minnesota 17th and Purdue 22nd. Additionally, Northwestern received votes.
HEAD COACH Jim Stone
Jim Stone is in his 24th season at Ohio State. He has a 490-269 record with the Buckeyes and is 275-157 in Big Ten play. His squads have won Big Ten Championships in 1989, 1991 and 1994 and finished tied for second in 2004 being named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. He was the 1991 Volleyball Monthly National Coach of the Year and the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1989, 1991, 1994 and 2004. Under Stone, Ohio State has participated in the NCAA championship in 13 of the last 16 years, advancing to the national semifinals in 1991 and 1994. Stone’s coaching career record includes three years at Wyoming (1979-1981). His 26-year career record is 540-311.
MAIN NAMED THE SPORTS IMPORTS/AVCA DIVISION I NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK, Oct. 24, 2004
Marisa Main has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Player of the Week. Main earned her second-consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week honor and her first National Player of the week as she posted back-to-back triple-doubles in wins at No. 12 Minnesota and Iowa last weekend. She had 12 kills, 37 assists and 13 digs in an upset sweep at Minnesota and 10 kills, 60 assists and 10 digs in a 3-1 victory at Iowa. Main, who has now posted three straight triple-doubles, has four this season and seven in her career. Running the offense, Main had three players with double-figure kills at Minnesota and five at Iowa. For the two matches, she had a .858 percentage in her assists with 97 of 113 leading to kills. She was 37 of 45 (.822) against Minnesota and 60 of 68 (.882) at Iowa. Main’s 97 assists on the weekend gives her 2,690 in her two-year career at Ohio State and has moved to sixth on the OSU career list passing Marlene O’Brien (1983-86) with 2,621.
BRITENRIKER NAMED BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK, Oct. 24, 2004
Nicole Britenriker earned her first-ever Defensive Player of the Week award and is the first Buckeye to ever earn the Defensive award, which was implemented this season. Last weekend, the OSU sophomore had nine kills, five assist blocks, and career-highs of six assists and 11 digs in a 3-0 upset at Minnesota. The following night, she had 17 kills while hitting a career-high .609 (17 kills, 3 errors, 23 attempts) at Iowa, adding five assists blocks while setting a new career-high of 14 digs. Britenriker also posted her first career double-figure dig matches in back-to-back contests.
For the weekend, Britenriker averaged 3.71 kills and hit at a .413 clip. Her 25 combined digs and 3.57 per game average were both Buckeye team-highs. Her 10 assist blocks on the weekend for a 1.43 per game average was good for second on the squad.
MAIN NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK, Oct. 17, 2004
Setter Marisa Main was named the Big Ten Volleyball Player of the Week by the Big Ten Conference office Monday. She directed the Buckeye offense to a 3-1 (26-30, 30-18, 30-18, 30-14) win over Michigan State Friday and a 3-0 (30-27, 30-27, 32-30) victory over Michigan Saturday in home matches.
Main had seven kills and 56 assists against Michigan State Friday. She added an ace serve, three digs and equaled her season-high of four total blocks (one solo and three assists) against the Spartans. She produced her second triple-double of the season against Michigan with 11 kills, 47 assists and 10 digs. She added two assists against the Wolverines and hit a season-high .786 with 11 kills in 14 attempts with no errors. Main previously recorded a triple-double this season at Cleveland State when she had 14 kills, 54 assists and 14 digs against the Vikings. She also had three as a freshman at Xavier.
For the two matches, Main was the Buckeyes’ top hitter at .500 (18-3-30) and totaled 103 assists for an average of 14.71 per game. She ran a balanced offense for Ohio State by having four players with double-figure kills against both Michigan and Michigan State.
In Big Ten Conference statistics for league matches, Main ranks second in assists per game at 13.50 and is sixth in hitting percentage at .368
BUCKEYES HAVE FOUR TELEVISED MATCHES
Ohio State is scheduled to appear in four televised matches this season. The Buckeyes will appear twice in the eight regional broadcasts scheduled by Comcast SportsNet Chicago. OSU will host Purdue Friday, Sept. 23 in a match that will be delayed telecast Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. ET. Ohio State’s Friday, Oct. 21 match at Minnesota will be delayed telecast Saturday, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes have two additional televised matches this season. OSU will host Wisconsin Saturday, Oct. 29 in match with will be delayed telecast by ESPN2 Sunday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. ET and will play at Penn State, at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2 in a live CSTV (College Sports Television) broadcast.
MAIN AND STEVENS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
The Big Ten Conference announced that Ohio State setter Marisa Main (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) and outside hitter Ami Stevens (So., Centerburg, Ohio) have been named to the 2005 Preseason All-Big Ten Volleyball Team by a vote of the conference coaches. The Buckeyes were picked to finish fourth in the coaches’ preseason poll. Penn State was picked to finish first with Minnesota second and Wisconsin third.
JOBST AND DIPRONIO JOIN THE OSU ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Outside hitter Gabriele Jobst (1991-94) and setter Audrey DiPronio (1988-90) were inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall Of Fame, Friday, Sept. 16 and were honored at halftime of the Ohio State-San Diego State football game on Saturday, Sept. 17. Previous women’s volleyball players in the Hall of Fame include Karen Alsbrook (1977-79), Lisa Bettio (1982-85), Laura Davis (1991-94), Holly O’Leary (1987-90), Mary Ormsby (1977-80) Vanessa Wouters (1996-97) and Leisa Wissler (1988-91).
STEVENS SPENDS THE SUMMER WITH US JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM
Outside hitter Ami Stevens was selected to the 12-player United State Junior National Team that traveled to Turkey to play in the FIVB Junior Women’s U-20 Volleyball World Championship, July 23-28. The squad finished 1-4 in pool play. She had been in training at the United States Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. since July 8. Stevens was also selected to the team in 2004.
MEET THE BUCKEYES
#1 Rebecca Kastein (Libero/Defensive Specialist, 5-8, Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) – 2005 played in 17 matches, starting five matches as a defensive specialist and four at libero – season-high 13 digs at Cleveland State 2004 started 22 matches at libero and three at defensive specialist in 2004 – averaged 3.27 digs per game with 18 matches with double-figure digs – career-high 29 digs at Minnesota in the NCAA Regional Championship match.
#2 Brittany Dahms (Libero/Defensive Specialist, 5-5, So., Bryon, Ill.) – 2005 played in 26 matches with two starts at defensive specialist and 18 at libero – season-high 25 digs at Cleveland State 2004 started seven matches at libero and three as a defensive specialist – averaged 2.23 digs per game with a career-high 19 against Michigan – double-figure digs in 10 matches.
#3 Anna Tengnas (Libero/Defensive Specialist, 5-5, Jr., Hyletbruk, Sweden) – 2005 has played in 13 matches with two starts at libero 2004 played in 16 matches with three starts at libero – averaged 1.43 digs per game in 2004 with a season-high of nine against Dayton and North Carolina.
#4 Megan Blake (Libero/Defensive Specialist, 5-3, Jr., West Jefferson, Ohio) – 2005 played in one match 2004 did not play – named to the 2005 Buckeye Power Club for strength and conditioning.
#5 Nicole Britenriker (Middle blocker, 5-11, So., Cincinnati, Ohio) – 2005 played in 27 matches with 22 starts – career-high 18 kills against Illinois – career-high .609 hitting percentage at Iowa – career-high 25 digs at Indiana – career-high seven assist blocks at Northwestern – 14 matches with double-figure kills and four double-figure dig matches – named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her play at No. 12 Wisconsin and at Iowa 2004 played in 22 matches with one start – USA National experience includes the Youth National Team in 2001 and 2003 and the Junior National Team in 2004.
#6 Danielle Meyer (Middle Blocker, 6-1, So., Cincinnati, Ohio) – 2005 a second team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection – started all 27 matches – career-high 29 kills at Cleveland State – career-high 31 points at Bowling Green – career-high 19 digs at Indiana – tied her career-high nine blocks at Iowa (1-8) and at Purdue (2-7) – equaled her career-high of four aces at Northwestern – 22 matches with double-figure kills – nine matches with 21 or more kills – 11 matches with double-figure digs – named to the Buckeye Classic All-Tournament Team – named to the Bowling Green Invitational All-Tournament Team 2004 started all 34 matches – averaged 2.91 kills, .75 digs and 1.10 blocks per game – career-high nine blocks against Illinois – USA National experience includes the Youth National Team in 2003.
#7 Ami Stevens (Outside Hitter, 6-1, So., Centerburg, Ohio) – 2005 a third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection – started and played in 25 matches – career-highs of 26 kills at Bowling Green – career-high 28.5 points at Northwestern – season-high .422 (25-6-45) hitting percentage at Northwestern – season-high 22 digs against Brigham Young – double-figure kills in 17 matches – double-figure digs in 13 matches – Ohio State Athlete of the Week for her play at Wisconsin and Northwestern – 2005 Preseason All-Big Ten Selection – named to the Buckeye Classic All-Tournament Team – named to the Bowling Green Invitational All-Tournament Team 2004 started all 34 matches – named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team – averaged 2.78 kills, 3.02 digs and .43 blocks per game – career-high 17 kills against Northwestern and vs. Tennessee in the NCAA Regional Semifinals – career-high 27 digs vs. Tennessee – double-figure kills in 18 matches – double-figure digs in 16 matches – USA National experience includes the Junior National Team in 2004 and 2005.
#8 Briana McCarthy (Outside hitter, 6-2, Jr., Beaver Dam, Wis.) 2005 has not played 2004 started 26 matches – averaged 1.33 kills, .58 digs and .88 blocks per game in 2003 started 26 matches at setter and two at outside hitter in – averaged 11.53 assists per game with a career-high 66 assists against Temple.
#9 Felicia Jones (Outside Hitter, 5-11, Jr., Concord, Ontario/Southwest Missouri State-West Plains) 2005 played in 21 matches, starting 12 – career-high four digs at Penn State – career-high 13 kills at Illinois – double-figure kills in last four of the last five matches – hit a career-high .421 at Penn State 2003-04 played two years at Southwest Missouri State-West Plains Junior College – first team American Volleyball Coaches Association Junior College All-American and a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American in 2004 – averaged 4.12 kills, 3.68 digs and .33 blocks per game in 2004 – a second-team AVCA and NJCAA JC All-American – career-highs of 23 kills against Southern Idaho in 2003 and 27 digs against Tennessee in 2004.
#11 Amanda Miller (Outside hitter, 5-11, Sr., Littleton, Colo.) – 2005 played in 26 matches, starting 17 – hit a season-high .632 against Michigan State – season-high 15 kills against Northwestern – career-high eight digs at Iowa and against Cleveland State – double-figure kills in seven matches 2004 played in 27 matches 2003 had 16 starts.
#13 Marisa Main (Setter, 5-9, Jr., Louisville, Ky./Xavier) – 2005 a third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection – started all 27 matches – named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Player of the Week for her play at No. 12 Wisconsin and at Iowa – named the Big Ten Player of the Week for her play against Michigan State and Michigan – season-high 70 assists against Purdue – season-highs of 14 kills at Cleveland State – career-high 22 digs against Purdue – has five triple-doubles this season – 14 kills, 54 assists, 14 digs at Cleveland State – 11 kills, 47 assists and 10 digs against Michigan – 12 kills, 37 assists and 13 digs at Minnesota – 10 kills, 60 assists and 10 digs at Iowa – 12 kills, 42 assists and 15 digs against Northwestern- hit a season-high .786 against Michigan – seven matches with double-figure kills and 11 matches with double-figure digs – twice named the Ohio State Athlete of the Week – 2005 Preseason All-Big Ten Selection 2004 second-team AVCA All-American – first team AVCA Mideast All-Region – All-Big Ten – started 34 matches in 2004 averaging 14.88 assists, 2.35 digs and .46 blocks per game – career-high 85 assists against Tennessee in the NCAA Regional Semifinals in Minneapolis – Ohio State season assist leader with 1,785 – Big Ten statistical champion at 14.68 assists per game and finished second nationally in NCAA statistics at 14.88 – double-figure digs in 13 matches 2003 played at Xavier University – named to the Atlantic-10 All-Conference and All-Rookie teams.
#14 Caitlin Slevin (Libero/Defensive Specialist, 5-5, Fr., St. Joseph, Mich.) 2005 has not played / high school team was 2004 and 2005 district champions – honorable mention all-conference in 2005 – also played setter.
#15 Ashley Kiel (Outside Hitter, 5-11, Jr., Allenton, Wis./Northern Michigan) 2005 played in 27 matches, starting 25 – season-high 17 kills against Purdue – hit a season-high .538 at Purdue (9-2-13) – season-high 20 digs at Indiana – season-high six assist blocks against Iowa – eight matches with double-figure kills and ten matches with double-figure digs 2003-04 played two seasons at Division II Northern Michigan – 2004 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Selection – averaged 2.58 kills, 3.24 digs and 1.10 blocks per game in 2004 – career-high 23 kills at Ashland in 2004 – career-high 26 digs at Hillsdale in 2004 – second team GLIAC All-Conference selection in 2003 – named the 2003 AVCA Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year – 2003 Great Lakes All-Region honorable mention selection.
#16 Jackie Schardt (Setter, 5-10, Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) 2005 has played in 18 matches – season-high 13 assists and three assist blocks against Chicago State – season-high four digs against Northwestern 2004 played in six matches 2003 had nine starts at middle blocker 2002 career-high 62 assists at Michigan State.
