Women’s Volleyball: Buckeyes Travel to Northwestern Friday and No. 20 Wisconsin Sunday – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State (9-5 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) women’s volleyball team travels to Northwestern (6-7, 0-2) and 20th-ranked Wisconsin (10-4, 0-2) this week for Big Ten Conference matches. The Buckeyes will face the Northwestern Wildcats Friday at 8 p.m. EDT in Welch-Ryan Arena and then travel to play the Wisconsin Badgers Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT. Last week, Ohio State lost at home to No. 21 Michigan, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20) and at Michigan State, 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23).
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
Head coach Geoff Carlston is in his first season with the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 9-5 overall on the season and 0-2 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes lost 0-3 to Michigan at home and 1-3 at Michigan State last week.
Leading the Buckeyes in points per set is Anna Szerszen at 4.69. Katie Dull ranks second at 4.38 with Kristen Dozier third at 3.89. Szerszen is the team leader in kills per set at 3.81. Dull ranks second at 3.67 with Dozier third at 3.21. OSU’s top percentage hitter is Dull at .380. Kaila Calhoun ranks second at .272with Dozier third at .270. At setter, Ashley Hughes is averaging 8.03 assists per set with Betsy Hone having a 6.94 average. Chelsea Noble has a team-high .31 aces per set average with a team-high 15 aces. Hone ranks second at .25 with eight aces. Hughes is third at .24 with nine aces. Kelli Barhorst leads the team in blocks per set at 1.22 with six solos and 22 assists. Szerszen ranks second at 1.19 with five solos and 14 assists with Dozier third at .98 with 10 solos and 37 assists. Leading the team in digs per set at 3.36 is Calhoun. Noble ranks second at 2.62 with Susan Halverson third at 2.46. Calhoun has a team-leading .977 serve reception percentage with five errors in 213 attempts. Halverson ranks second at .959 with six errors in 147 attempts. Noble has a team-high 367 attempts with 17 errors and a .954 percentage to rank third.
Ohio State is averaging 17.53 points, 13.46 kills and 12.56 assists per set. The Buckeyes average 1.29 aces, 12.98 digs and 2.78 blocks per set. OSU opponents are averaging 13.98 points, 11.25 kills and 10.35 assists per set. They are averaging 1.08 aces, 11.56 digs and 1.65 blocks per game.
A LOOK AT NORTHWESTERN
Head coach Keylor Chan is in his ninth season with the Wildcats. Northwestern has a 6-7 overall record and is 0-2 Big Ten mark. The Wildcats lost 0-3 (22-25, 23-25, 24-26) at Minnesota and 1-3 (18-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-19) at Iowa last week.
Leading Northwestern in points per set is Sabel Moffett with a 3.66 average. Chelsey Hyser ranks second at 3.60 with Brittani Gray third at 3.28. Hyser is the team leader in kills per set at 3.04. Moffett ranks second at 2.92 with Gray third at 2.71. Leading the squad in attack percentage is Moffett at .387. Hyser is second at .327 with Elyse Glab third at .172. At setter, Glab has a 10.24 assists per set average for the Wildcats. Gray is the team leader in aces per set at .27 with a team-high 12 aces. Madalyn Shalter, at .28, ranks second with seven and Alexandra Ayers and Hyser are tied for third at .18 with nine each. Kate Nobilio leads the team in digs per set with a 5.12 average. Glab ranks second at 2.26 with Ayers third at 2.12. At the net, Moffett has a team-high 1.18 blocks per set with 15 solos and 44 assists. At .60, Hyser ranks second with eight solos and 22 assists with Glab third at .52 with eight solos and 18 assists. Ariel Baxterbeck leads the squad with a .968 serve reception percentage with 216 attempts and seven errors. Ayers ranks second at .955 with 11 errors in 245 attempts and Nobilio is third at .946 with 240 attempts and 13 errors.
Northwestern is averaging 16.78 points, 13.42 kills and 12.10 assists per set. The Wildcats average 1.20 aces, 15.02 digs and 2.16 blocks per set. Opponents are averaging 15.80 points, 12.94 kills and 12.00 assists per set. Northwestern opponents average 1.06 aces, 14.86 digs and 1.80 blocks per set.
OHIO STATE – NORTHWESTERN SERIES
Ohio State leads the series with Northwestern, 41-18. The Buckeyes are 15-10 at Northwestern, 20-6 in Columbus and 6-2 at neutral sites. Ohio State fell twice to the Wildcats last season, losing 2-3 (30-28, 22-30, 24-30, 30-26, 13-15) in Columbus and 1-3 (27-30, 30-28, 20-30, 25-30) in Evanston.
A LOOK AT WISCONSIN
Head coach Pete Waite is in his 10th season with the 20th-ranked Badgers. Wisconsin has an overall record of 10-4 and is 0-2 in the Big Ten. The Badgers lost 0-3 (23-25, 19-25, 10-25) at Iowa and 1-3 (23-25, 25-10, 26-24, 25-20) at Minnesota last week.
Wisconsin’s Brittney Dolgner leads the Badgers in points per set with a 3.88 average. Katherine Dykstra ranks second at 3.12 with Audra Jeffers third at 2.95. Dolgner leads the team in kills per set at 3.30. Dykstra ranks second at 2.69 with Jeffers third at 2.31. In attack percentage, Jeffers leads the team with a .313 average. Dykstra ranks second at .279 with Caity DuPont third at .257. At setter, Nikki Klingsporn has a team-high 6.27 assists per set average with Janelle Gabrielsen second at 5.70. In aces per set, Klingsporn leads the team with a .31 per set average with a team-high 16. Dolgner ranks second at .24 with 12 and Gabrielsen is third at .21 with 10. Defensively, Kim Kuzma has a team-high 4.25 digs per set average. Gabrielsen ranks second at 2.19 with Dolgner third at 1.90. At the net, Jeffers leads the team with a 1.18 blocks per set average with five solos and 55 assists. Elle Ohlander ranks second at 1.00 with three solos and 34 assists with Dykstra third at .78 with four solos and 34 assists. Kuzma leads the team with a .966 serve reception percentage with 10 errors in 296 attempts. Allison Wack ranks second at .929 with 11 errors in 156 attempts and Dolgner third at .888 with 24 errors in 214 attempts.
Wisconsin is averaging 17.58 points, 13.78 kills and 12.61 assists per set. The Badgers average 1.16 aces, 13.08 digs and 1.88 blocks per set. Opponents average 14.10 points, 11.02 kills and 10.24 assists per set. Wisconsin opponents average 1.20 aces, 13.08 digs and 1.88 blocks per set.
OHIO STATE – WISCONSIN SERIES
Ohio State and Wisconsin each have won 28 matches in the series. In Madison, the Buckeyes are 12-15. OSU is 14-11 in matches played in Columbus and each team has won twice at neutral sites. The Badgers have won the last three matches with Ohio State including 3-0 wins last season at Wisconsin (30-17, 30-27, 30-21) and at Ohio State (30-21, 30-19, 30-14).
OHIO STATE HAS THREE MATCHES ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK
Ohio State will have three Big Ten matches telecast live on the Big Ten Network this season. Both Michigan matches and OSU’s home match with Northwestern will be broadcast. The Buckeyes opened the Big Ten Conference season by hosting Michigan Sept. 24, losing 0-3. OSU will face the Wolverines in Ann Arbor at 7 p.m. Nov. 12. The Buckeyes will host Northwestern at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 in St. John Arena as part of a Big Ten Network doubleheader.
HEAD COACH GEOFF CARLSTON
Geoff Carlston is in his first season at Ohio State. He came to Ohio State after spending five years as head coach of Ohio University where he built an outstanding program. His squads played in five NCAA tournaments, reaching regional play in 2005. At Ohio, Carlston guided the Bobcats to five-consecutive Mid American Conference championships with an overall record of 144-22. He had a MAC conference record of 78-2 and was 14-1 in the conference tournament, winning four of five.
Carlston was named the MAC Coach of the Year four times and was twice named the Mideast Region Coach of the Year.
He began collegiate coaching with three years at Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) where he posted a 49-42 record. His career record is 202-69.
SZERSZEN HAS SEASON-HIGHS OF 19.5 POINTS AND 18 KILLS AT MICHIGAN STATE
Anna Szerszen collected match-highs of 19.5 points and 18 kills at Michigan State for her season highs. She added four digs, three assist blocks and an assist against the Spartans. Against Michigan Szerszen collected a match-high 15.5 points with 10 kills, an ace serve and six total blocks including a career-high three solos. For the season, she has started and played in five of the last six matches and leads the team with averages of 4.69 points and 3.81 kills per set. Szerszen is averaging 1.44 digs and 1.19 blocks per set on the season.
DOZIER HAS TWO DOUBLE-FIGURE POINTS MATCHES LAST WEEKEND
Kristen Dozier had 10 points against Michigan and 13.5 at Michigan State last weekend. She had eight kills against the Wolverines adding three digs and three total blocks (1-2). At Michigan State, Dozier had nine kills and six total blocks including a career-high three solo blocks. In starting all 14 matches this season, she is averaging 3.89 points, 3.21 kills, and .98 blocks per set.
BARHORST HAS NINE TOTAL BLOCKS ON THE WEEKEND
Kelli Barhorst was one of three Buckeyes to record nine total blocks last weekend. She had five total blocks (1-4) against Michigan, adding three kills and a dig. At Michigan State, Barhorst had four assist blocks and added seven kills in the match. After missing the first seven matches of the season, she had started seven straight matches and is averaging 2.74 points, 2.00 kills and 1.22 blocks per set.
SCHWARZWALDER PROVIDES
OFFENSE OFF THE BENCH
Allie Schwarzwalder came off the bench in both matches last weekend to help provide offense. She recorded 7.5 points with six kills and two total blocks (1-1) against Michigan and had six points with five kills and a solo block at Michigan State. Schwarzwalder has played in 12 matches this season with eight starts. She is averaging 1.95 points, 1.48 kills and .82 blocks per set.
HONE HAS TIME AT SETTER
Betsy Hone did not start against Michigan but played the majority of the match, recording 22 assists and collecting four kills, five digs and an ace serve. She started at Michigan State and posted 34 assists while collecting three kills, seven digs and four assist blocks. Hone has played in 11 matches with five starts. She is averaging 6.94 assists per set.
NOBLE PLAYING WHERE NEEDED
Chelsea Noble began the weekend as the starting libero and ended up at outside hitter. She played the first set against Michigan at libero before moving to outside hitter for the rest of the match. She recorded six digs, four kills and handled 14 reception attempts without an error against the Wolverines. At Michigan State, Noble was the starting outside hitter collecting eight digs, an ace serve and one assist block. She handled 40 of 42 reception attempts against the Spartans. Noble has played in all 14 matches this season with 11 starts and three matches at libero. She is averaging 1.98 points, 1.46 kills, .31 aces and .38 blocks per set. She is second on the team in digs per set with a 2.62 average. Noble has a .954 reception percentage with a team-high 367 attempts with 17 errors.
DULL RETURNS TO ACTION
Katie Dull saw limited action last weekend playing in the final two sets at Michigan State. She had missed the seven previous matches. Dull had four kills in five attempts against the Spartans and added an assist block in the match. For the season, she has played in seven matches with four starts. Dull is averaging 4.38 points, 3.67 kills, .19 aces and .86 blocks per set.
HUGHES SEES LIMITED ACTION
Ashley Hughes started at setter against Michigan recording seven assists, two kills, a dig and an assist block in the first set of the match. She did not start against Michigan State, playing in two sets, recording five assists, a kill and four digs against the Spartans. Hughes has played in 13 matches this season with 11 starts. She has a team-high 8.03 assists per set average on the season. She is averaging 1.49 points, .92 kills, .24 aces and .57 blocks per set. Hughes has a 1.19 digs per set average on the season.
CALHOUN SWITCHES TO LIBERO
Kaila Calhoun played the majority of matches last week at libero. She did start at outside hitter against Michigan but moved to libero in the second set. Against the Wolverines, Calhoun had a kill and one assist block while recording a match-high 14 digs. She handled 37 of 38 reception attempts in the contest. At Michigan State, she started at libero and had 10 digs against the Spartans. Calhoun handled 26 reception attempts without an error in the match. For the season, she has played in 13 matches with 12 starts and one at libero. Calhoun is averaging 2.80 points, 2.36 kills, .16 aces and .53 blocks per set. She leads the team with a 3.36 digs per set average and has a team-high .977 reception percentage with five errors in 213 attempts.
HALVERSON HAS DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST STARTS
Susan Halverson started both matches last week as a defensive specialist. She recorded eight digs and an assist against Michigan and handled 10 of 12 reception attempts. At Michigan State, Halverson collected eight digs and handled 10 reception attempts without an error. She has played in all 14 matches this season and has sevens starts at libero. Halverson is averaging 2.46 digs per set and has handled 141 of 147 reception attempts for a .959 percentage.
HOYING JOINS SQUAD
Betey Hoying, a 5-11 outside hitter from St. Henry, Ohio has joined the team. A sophomore, she played for the Ohio State women’s volleyball club team as a freshman. Hoying was a 2005 honorable mention all-state selection and was an all-tournament selection at the 2004 Junior Olympics.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
OSU returns home for matches against Illinois (10-3, 1-1) at 7 p.m. Friday and Purdue (12-2, 1-1) at 2 p.m. Sunday in St. John Arena.
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