Women’s Volleyball: Buckeyes Host No. 11 Minnesota Friday and Iowa Sunday – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s volleyball team (10-10 overall, 1-7 Big Ten) closes out the first half of the Big Ten round-robin conference season by hosting No. 12 Minnesota (17-3, 7-1) at 7 p.m. Friday and Iowa (12-8, 4-4) at 2 p.m. Sunday. The matches against the Golden Gophers and Hawkeyes will be played in St. John Arena.
Last week, the Buckeyes lost 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 25-18, 29-27) at Indiana (10-10, 2-6) and 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-12) at top-ranked Penn State (20-0, 8-0).
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
Head coach Geoff Carlston is in his first season with the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 10-10 overall on the season and 1-7 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes lost 3-1 at Indiana and 3-0 at top-ranked Penn State last week.
Leading the active Buckeyes in points per set is Katie Dull at 3.84. Kristen Dozier ranks second at 3.54 with Kaila Calhoun third at 3.42. Dull is the team leader in kills per set at 3.26. Dozier ranks second at 2.93 with Calhoun third at 2.08. OSU’s top percentage hitter is Dozier at .255. Dull is second at .220 with Calhoun third at .202. At setter, Ashley Hughes is averaging 7.56 assists per set with Betsy Hone having a 7.23 average. Chelsea Noble has a team-high .29 aces per set average with a team-high 19 aces. Susan Halverson ranks second at .20 with 10 aces. Hone ranks third at .19 with nine aces. Kelli Barhorst leads the team in blocks per set at 1.20 with eight solos and 46 assists. Dozier ranks second at .93 with 13 solos and 52 assists with Dull third at .74 with six solos and 26 assists. Leading the team in digs per set at 2.86 is Calhoun. Noble ranks second at 2.71 with Halverson third at 2.30. Calhoun has a team-leading .968 serve reception percentage. Laura Kastein ranks second at .966 with Halverson third at .952 and Noble fourth at .950.
Ohio State is averaging 16.51 points, 12.69 kills and 11.93 assists per set and is hitting .209. The Buckeyes average 1.19 aces, 12.61 digs and 2.64 blocks per set and have a .939 serve reception percentage. OSU opponents are averaging 14.93 points, 11.71 kills and 10.71 assists per set and are hitting .181. They are averaging 1.14 aces, 11.64 digs and 2.03 blocks per set and have a .940 serve reception percentage.
A LOOK AT MINNESOTA
Head coach Dr. Mike Hebert is in his 13th season with the 11th-ranked Golden Gophers. Minnesota has a 17-3 overall record and is 7-1 in the Big Ten. Last week in home matches, Minnesota defeated Iowa, 3-0 (25-11, 25-17, 25-23) and Michigan State, 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-13, 25-19).
Lauren Gibbemeyer leads Minnesota in points per game with a 4.44 average. Brook Dieter ranks second at 4.23 with Kyla Roehrig third at 3.13. Dieter has a team-high 3.60 kills per set average. Gibbemeyer ranks second at 3.37 with Roehrig third at 2.68. Gibbemeyer has a team-leading attack percentage of .330. Kelly Schmidt ranks second at .300 with Dieter third at .261. At setter, Rachel Hartman has an 11.12 assists per set average. Hailey Cowles has a team-high .21 aces per set average with 15 aces. Ranking second is Christine Tan at .18 with 13 and Gibbemeyer third at .15 with 11. Defensively, Tan has a team-high 5.37 digs per set average. Cowles ranks second at 2.72 with Jessica Granquist third at 2.25. Tan leads the team in serve reception percentage at .983. Pamela Luiz ranks second at .976 with Dieter third at .967. At the net, Gibbemeyer has a team-high 1.49 blocks per set average with 25 solos and 81 assists. Dieter ranks second at .71 with 19 solos and 29 assists with Schmidt third at .67 with five solos and 40 assists.
Minnesota is averaging 17.81 points, 13.87 kills and 12.96 assists per set while hitting .237. The Golden Gophers average 1.01 aces, 17.87 digs and 2.92 blocks per set and have a .966 serve reception percentage. Opponents average 14.51 points, 12.23 kills and 11.23 assists per set while hitting .144. Minnesota opponents average .61 aces, 15.41 digs and .168 blocks per set and has a .954 serve reception percentage.
OHIO STATE – MINNESOTA SERIES
The series between Minnesota and Ohio State is tied at 30 matches each. In Columbus, the Buckeyes are 16-10 having lost the last three matches in St. John Arena. In Minneapolis, Ohio State is 12-15 and the Buckeyes are 2-5 at neutral sites. The squads split the two matches last season with Minnesota winning 3-2 (30-27, 30-24, 21-30, 30-32, 15-10) in Columbus. In Minneapolis, Ohio State won 3-2 (24-30, 23-30, 30-27, 31-29, 15-10) to stop a four-match Golden Gopher win streak.
A LOOK AT IOWA
Head coach Sharon Dingman is in her first season with the Hawkeyes. Iowa has a 12-8 overall record and a 4-4 Big Ten record. The Hawkeyes lost 3-0 (25-11, 25-17, 25-23) at 12th-ranked Minnesota and defeated Michigan State, 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 16-25, 25-18) at home.
Leading the Hawkeyes in points per set is Megan Schipper with a 3.71 average. Catherine Smale ranks second at 3.70 with Aimee Huffman third at 2.52. Smale has a team-high 3.45 kills per set average. Schipper ranks second at 3.13 with Huffman third at 2.11. Huffman leads the team in attack percentage at .254. Laura Kremer ranks second at .240 with Schipper third at .232. At setter, Kiley Fister has a 9.03 assists per set average with Mara Hilgenberg second at 3.46. Schipper has a team-high .31 aces per set average with 22 aces. Emily Hiza ranks second at .32 with 21 aces and Hilgenberg third at .23 with eight. Defensively, Hiza ranks first in digs per set at 3.77. Smale ranks second at 2.38 with Schipper third at 2.01. Smale ranks first in serve reception percentage at .959. Hiza ranks second at .953 with Schipper third at .952. At the net, Katie Kennedy leads the team with a .87 blocks per set average with five solos and 42 assists. Kremer ranks second at .82 with seven solos and 51 assists. Ranking third is Huffman at .60 with four solos and 34 assists.
Iowa is averaging 15.94 points, 12.83 kills and 11.72 assists per set while hitting .226. The Hawkeyes average 1.18 aces, 13.14 digs and 1.92 blocks per set and have a .949 serve reception percentage. Opponents are averaging 15.33 points, 12.15 kills and 11.28 assists per set while hitting .196. Hawkeye opponents average .96 aces, 12.94 digs and 2.22 blocks per set and has a .942 serve reception percentage.
OHIO STATE – IOWA SERIES
Ohio State has a 47-8 lead in the series with Iowa. In Columbus, the Buckeyes are 24-4. Ohio State has a 20-4 record in Iowa City and is 3-0 in neutral-site matches. The Buckeyes have won the last 40 matches against the Hawkeyes on the court. The official streak is 14 because of four forfeits during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
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 203-74.
DULL TIES HER CAREER-HIGH OF 14 DIGS AT INDIANA
Katie Dull equaled her career-high 14 digs at Indiana last week. She set her career high last year against Youngstown State. Dull had a team-high 15 kills against the Hoosiers, adding an ace serve and two assist blocks. At Penn State, she had eight kills, five digs and an ace serve. On the season, Dull is averaging 3.84 points, 3.26 kills, .77 digs and .74 blocks per set.
DOZIER POSTS A MATCH-HIGH FIVE BLOCKS AT INDIANA
Kristen Dozier had a match-high five assist blocks last week at Indiana. She added 11 kills and two digs against the Hoosiers. At Penn State, Dozier recorded four kills, a solo and an assist block in the match. She is averaging 3.54 points per set on the season. Dozier is averaging 2.93 kills and .93 blocks per set.
CALHOUN HAS DOUBLE-FIGURE KILLS/DIGS AT INDIANA
Kaila Calhoun posted her fourth double-double of the season against Indiana with 12 kills and 11 digs. She added two assist blocks and handled 30 of 32 reception attempts in the contest. Calhoun had four kills and six digs at Penn State and handled 15 of 17 reception attempts against the Nittany Lions. For the season, she is averaging 2.42 points, 2.08 kills, 11 aces, 2.86 digs and .44 blocks per set and has a .968 serve reception percentage with 374 attempts and 12 errors.
BARHORST EQUALS HER CAREER-HIGH IN POINTS AGAINST INDIANA
Kelli Barhorst had 14 points at Indiana to equal her career high. She posted 14 points earlier this season against Duquesne. Barhorst had 12 kills against the Hoosiers and hit .444 with no errors. She added four assist blocks and a dig in the match. Barhorst is averaging 2.38 points, 1.64 kills and a team-high 1.20 blocks per set for the season.
HONE STARTS AGAINST INDIANA AND PENN STATE
Betsy Hone started in both matches last week picking up 37 assists, two kills, eight digs and three assist blocks at Indiana and 15 assists, three kills, four digs and a solo block at Penn State. She has played in 17 matches this season with nine starts. Hone is averaging 7.23 assists per set on the season. She is averaging 1.28 points, .79 kills, .19 aces, 1.38 digs and .56 blocks per set.
HUGHES SEES ACTION AT INDIANA
Ashley Hughes started at Indiana, playing in three of the four sets. She recorded 11 assists and had one assist block against the Hoosiers. Hughes did not play at Penn State. She has started 14 of the 18 matches she has played in this season. Hughes is averaging 7.56 assists, 1.30 points, .84 kills, .18 aces, 1.36 digs and .48 blocks per set.
KASTEIN AT LIBERO AGAINST INDIANA
Laura Kastein had her fourth start at libero in the Indiana match, recording 15 digs and two assists. She handled 44 of 45 reception attempts against the Hoosiers. Kastein saw action in one set at Penn State. With her four starts at libero, she has had five starts at defensive specialist in the 20 matches this season. She is averaging 1.71 digs per set and has six ace serves this season. Kastein has a .966 reception percentage handing 144 of 149 attempts.
NOBLE MAKES EIGHTH START AT LIBERO
Chelsea Noble returned to action at Penn State as the starting libero in her eighth start at that position. She also has 11 starts at outside hitter. Noble had five digs and an assist against the Nittany Lions and handled 30 of 32 reception attempts. She did not play at Indiana. Noble for the season has played in 19 matches and is averaging 2.71 digs per set. She has a .950 reception percentage with 521 attempts and 26 errors. Noble is averaging 1.50 points, 1.06 kills, .29 aces, and .27 blocks per set.
MIGNIN POSTS A CAREER-HIGH 13 DIGS AT INDIANA
Sarah Mignin recorded a career-high 13 digs at Indiana last week. Her previous high was nine this season at Loyola Marymount. Mignin added her first career ace serve against the Hoosiers and handled 10 reception attempts without an error. At Penn State, she recorded a career-high two ace serves against the Nittany Lions, adding two assists and a dig and handled five of six reception attempts. Mignin has played in 12 matches this season and is averaging 1.80 digs per set. She has an .882 reception percentage handling 51 attempts with six errors.
HOYING SEES HER FIRST ACTION
Betsy Hoying saw competition in two of the three sets last week at Penn State. She collected a kill and one dig in the contest.
MOHR JOINS SQUAD
Jill Mohr, a 5-10 outside hitter from Mentor, Ohio, has joined the team. A sophomore, she is a member of the Ohio State rowing team. Named the Ohio State Novice of the Year, Mohr competed on the 2007-08 novice team. She attended LaSalle University for one semester, playing middle hitter in 15 matches. At Lake Catholic High School, Mohr won letters in volleyball and basketball. She was the volleyball team’s MVP in 2006 leading the squad to the district championship. A first-team all-conference selection, Mohr was the recipient of the United States Army National Scholar Athlete Award.
HOYING JOINS SQUAD
Betsy Hoying, a 5-11 outside hitter from Celina, Ohio has joined the team. A sophomore, she played for the Ohio State women’s volleyball club team as a freshman. Hoying was an all-Ohio selection as a senior at St. Henry High School. Her team won the 2004 Division IV State Championship. Hoying was an all-tournament selection at the 2004 Junior Olympics.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Ohio State begins the second half of the Big Ten schedule with road matches at No. 18 Purdue (16-4, 5-3) and No. 19 Illinois (14-5, 5-3). The Buckeyes will face the Boilermakers at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31 in Holloway Gymnasium and play the Illini at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 in Huff Hall.
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