WVB: Buckeyes Opens Big Ten Play at Wisconsin Friday and #9 Illinois Saturday – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s volleyball team (12-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) begins Big Ten Conference play with matches at Wisconsin (11-0, 0-0) and ninth-ranked Illinois (8-2, 0-0). Ohio State opens league play at 8 p.m. EST Friday with the Wisconsin Badgers in the Wisconsin Field House. The Buckeyes close out the month of September with their 12th consecutive road match at 8 p.m. EST Saturday with the Illini of Illinois in Huff Hall. Both matches will be streamed live for a fee by the Big Ten Network at www.bigtennetwork.com.
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
Coached by Geoff Carlston, the Buckeyes (12-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) won the Kennesaw State Owl Invitational last weekend with 3-0 victories over Presbyterian (25-19, 25-16, 25-20) and Kennesaw State (25-16, 25-14, 25-10) and a 3-1 win over Coastal Carolina (25-16, 22-25, 25-15, 25-10).
For the season, Katie Dull is averaging a team-high 3.57 kills per set. Anna Szerszen ranks second at 2.37 with Emily Danks at 2.16. Kelli Barhorst is hitting a team-high .377 with Allie Schwarzwalder second at .305 and Danks third at .297. At setter, Betsy Hone is averaging 9.90 assists per set with Amanda Peterson second at 6.50. In aces per set, Danks leads the team with a .91 per set average with 40. Tied for second at .30 is Sarah Mignin and Szerszen, each with 13. Defensively, Mignin is averaging a team-high 3.14 digs per set. Dull ranks second at 2.02 with Hone third at 1.49. Mignin is the team leader in serve reception percentage at .966 handling 342 of 354 attempts. Susan Halverson ranks second at .949 (149of 157) and Davionna DiSalvatore is third at .933 (153 of 164). At the net, Allie Schwarzwalder is averaging 1.54 blocks per set to lead the team with eight solos and 46 assists. Mariah Booth ranks second at 1.31 with four solos and 43 assists with Dull third at .82 with seven solos and 29 assists.
Ohio State is averaging 13.34 kills and 11.95 assists per set while hitting .295 (10th in the NCAA). The Buckeyes average 2.27 aces (2nd in the NCAA), 3.24 blocks (2nd in the NCAA) and 11.41 digs per set average. Opponents are averaging 10.05 kills and 9.36 assists per set while hitting .104. They are averaging 1.09 aces, 1.06 blocks and 11.23 digs per game.
A LOOK AT WISCONSIN
The Badgers, coached by Pete Waite, are undefeated at 11-0. Last week, Wisconsin won 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18) at Northern Illinois and defeated Green Bay, 3-0 (25-9, 25-18, 25-20) at home.
Elise Walch has a team-high 3.23 kills per set average. Allison Wack ranks second at 3.00 with Alexis Mitchell third at 2.55. Mitchell is the team leader in attack percentage at .452. At .244, Wack ranks second with Walch third at .233. At setter, Janelle Gabrielsen has an 11.31 assists per set average for the Badgers. Wack has a team-high .55 aces per set average with 18. Gabrielsen ranks second at .34 with 11 and Annemarie Hickey is third at .24 with eight. Defensively, Kim Kuzma has a team-high 4.63 digs per set average. Ranking second is Gabrielsen at 3.56 with Hickey third at 1.97. Kuzma leads the team in serve reception percentage at .987 handing 148 of 150 attempts. Ranking second is Wack at .974 (188 of 193) with Hickey third at .951 (116 of 122). At the net, Dominique Thompson has a team-high 1.09 blocks per set average with two solos and 34 assists. Mitchell, at 1.00 (4-29), ranks second with Gabrielsen third at .72 (2-21).
Wisconsin is averaging 14.69 kills and 13.69 assists per set while hitting .272. The Badgers average 1.58 aces, 14.69 digs and 2.38 blocks per set and have a .966 serve reception percentage. Wisconsin opponents average 9.64 kills and 8.86 assists and are hitting .107. Badger opponents average .56 aces, 12.94 digs and 1.61 blocks per set and have a .929 serve reception percentage.
SERIES RECORD WITH WISCONSIN
Wisconsin leads the series with Ohio State, 31-29. The Badgers are 16-13 in Madison while OSU leads 14-13 in matches played in Columbus. The squads are 2-2 at neutral sites. Last season, Ohio State won, 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-19) in Madison (Nov. 7). Earlier last season, Wisconsin won 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21) in Columbus (Oct. 2).
A LOOK AT ILLINOIS
The ninth-ranked Illini, coached by Kevin Hambly, are 8-2 on the season. Last weekend, in Louisville, Ky., Illinois lost to Cincinnati, 3-2 (22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-16, 15-13) and defeated Louisville, 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-18). Laura DeBruler leads the team in kills per set with a 4.38 average. Colleen Ward ranks second at 4.32 with Michelle Bartsch third at 3.21. In attack percentage, Johannah Bangert has a team-high .434. Erin Johnson ranks second at .343 with Ward third at .324. At setter, Hillary Haen has a 12.67 assists per set average. In aces per set, Ward is the team leader at .43 per set with 16. Jazmine Orozco ranks second at .33 with nine and Haen is third at .28 with 10. Defensively, Jennifer Bonilla has a team-high 4.73 digs per set average. Orozco is second at 2.89 with Ward third at 2.49. Bonilla leads the team in serve reception percentage at .986 handling 215 of 218 serve receptions. Ward ranks second at .956 (175 of 183) and Orozco is third at .951 (98 of 103). At the net, Bangert has a 1.16 blocks per set average to lead the squad. She has two solos and 41 assist blocks. Bartsch, at .76, ranks second (1-25) with Johnson third at .68 (2-23).
Illinois averages 15.62 kills and 14.59 assists per set while hitting .293. The Illini average 1.43 aces, 15.49 digs, 1.93 blocks per set and have a .952 serve reception percentage. Opponents average 10.92 kills and 10.16 assists per set while hitting .192. Illinois opponents average .86 aces, 13.62 digs, 1.85 blocks per set and have a .931 serve reception percentage.
SERIES RECORD WITH ILLINOIS
Ohio State holds a 34-33 lead in the series with Illinois. In Champaign, the Illini are 17-14 while Ohio State is 15-13 in Columbus. In neutral site matches, Ohio State leads 5-3. Illinois has won the last three meetings including twice last season. Ohio State opened the 2009 Big Ten season (Sept. 25) at 15th-ranked Illinois with the Illini winning 3-1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-23, 25-17). In Columbus (Nov. 5), the fifth-ranked Illini won 3-1 (25-17, 25-8, 18-25, 25-21).
SZERSZEN NAMED THE MVP AT THE OWL INVITATIONAL
Anna Szerszen was named the Kennesaw State Owl Invitational Most Valuable Player for her play in the three victories last week. She averaged 3.95 points, 3.00 kills, .40 aces, 1.60 digs and 1.00 blocks per set while hitting .314 in the weekend matches. Against Presbyterian, Szerszen had eight kills, one ace serve, six digs and a season-high six blocks with a solo and five assists. She collected 12 kills, a career-high tying three ace serves, a season-high eight digs and three assist blocks in the Coastal Carolina match. Szerszen closed out play against Kennesaw State with 10 kills, two digs and one assist block. She has played in all 13 matches and started seven. Szerszen, for the season, is averaging 3.07 points, 2.37 kills, .30 aces (13), 1.00 digs and .67 blocks per set while hitting .273.
DULL NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT AT THE OWL INVITATIONAL
Katie Dull was named to the Owl Invitational All-Tournament Team after averaging 4.40 points, 3.50 kills, 2.00 digs, 1.20 blocks and .20 aces per set while hitting .360 for the three matches. She recorded a match-high 10 kills and hit a career-high .667 (10-0-15) against Presbyterian, adding one dig and two assist blocks. Dull had a match-high 13 kills against Coastal Carolina adding one ace serve, five assist blocks and a career-high tying 18 digs. She posted 12 kills, one ace serve, one dig and five total blocks (two solo, three assists) in the Kennesaw State match. Dull has played in all 13 matches this season and has 11 starts. For the season, she is averaging team highs of 4.33 points and 3.57 kills per set. Dull is averaging .27 aces, 2.02 digs and .82 blocks per set. Dull also earned Ohio State Athlete of the Week honors this week.
BOOTH ENJOYS HER HOMECOMING WITH A CAREER-HIGH 11 ASSIST BLOCKS AGAINST PRESBYTERIAN AND EARNS BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Mariah Booth, a native of Kennesaw, Ga., earned all-tournament honors at the Owl Invitational last weekend and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. For the three matches, she averaged a team-best 1.90 blocks per set with a solo and 18 assist blocks. Booth averaged 3.10 points and 2.10 kills per set while hitting .410 for the weekend. Against Presbyterian, she recorded career highs of 11 assist blocks and nine kills. Booth had eight kills and five assist blocks against Coastal Carolina and recorded four kills, one dig and three total blocks (1-3) in the Kennesaw State match. Booth has played in 12 matches, starting 10. For the season, she is averaging 2.12 points, 1.39 kills and 1.31 blocks per set while hitting .272.
DANKS RECORDS 15 POINTS AGAINST COASTAL CAROLINA, HER SECOND BEST MARK OF THE SEASON
Emily Danks recorded 15 points in the Coastal Carolina match for her second best mark of the season. She had 11 kills, two ace serves, five digs and three total blocks (1-2) in the match. Danks posted three kills, five assist blocks and one ace serve against Presbyterian and added six kills, two ace serves and four digs in the Kennesaw State contest. A starter in all 13 matches this season, she is averaging 3.45 points, 2.16 kills, .91 aces (40), .86 digs and .70 blocks per set. Danks has at least one ace in every match this season and leads the NCAA and Big Ten Conference at .91 per set.
SCHWARZWALDER, THE TOP BLOCKER FOR THE BUCKEYES
Allie Schwarzwalder has a team-high 1.54 blocks per set average on the season recording eight solos and 46 assist blocks in the 13 matches. Her average ranks second in the Big Ten Conference and fourth in the NCAA. Last weekend against Presbyterian, Schwarzwalder posted four kills, one dig and four total blocks (1-3). She recorded six kills, four digs and five assist blocks against Coastal Carolina and had six kills, one ace serve and three assist blocks against Kennesaw State. Schwarzwalder has played in all 13 matches and has started eight. She is averaging 2.66 points, 1.60 kills, .63 digs and 1.54 blocks per set while hitting .305.
HONE IS THE TEAM LEADER IN ASSISTS AT 9.90 PER SET
Betsy Hone played in all three matches last weekend and started twice. She started and played in two sets against Presbyterian, recording seven assists and one dig. Hone came off the bench against Coastal Carolina to record 30 assists, two kills, six digs and two assist blocks. She started against Kennesaw State picking up 32 assists and adding three kills, nine digs and two total blocks (1-1). Hone has started 11 matches this season, playing in all 13. She is averaging 9.90 assists, 1.55 points, 1.10 kills, 1.49 digs and .51 blocks per set.
PEDERSON SEES ACTION AGAINST PRESBYTERIAN AND COASTAL CAROLINA
Amanda Pederson came off the bench against Presbyterian to record 20 assists, four kills, two ace serves, two digs and three total blocks (1-2) last weekend. She started against Coastal Carolina and collected 12 assists, three kills, one ace serve, one dig and three total blocks (1-2) playing in two sets. Pederson did not play against Kennesaw State. Playing in six matches this season with two starts, she is averaging 6.50 assists, 2.40 points, 1.30 kills, .40 aces, .90 digs and 1.10 blocks per set.
MIGNIN RECORDS A CAREER-HIGH 20 DIGS AGAINST COASTAL CAROLINA
Libero Sarah Mignin recorded a career-high 20 digs in the four-set Coastal Carolina match. Her previous high was 16 this season against Virginia Commonwealth. Mignin added three assists in the match and handled 39 serve receptions without an error. Against Presbyterian, she recorded eight digs and three assists while handling 26 of 32 serve receptions. Mignin had her seventh double-figure dig match of the season against Kennesaw State with 10. She added four assists and handled 26 of 27 serve receptions. The Buckeye starter at libero in all 13 matches, Mignin is averaging a team-high 3.14 digs per set and has a .30 aces per set average. She has a team-high .966 serve reception percentage handling 342 of 354 attempts.
HALVERSON IN THE BACKROW
Susan Halverson, as a backrow specialist, has played in all 13 matches this season. She is averaging .80 digs per set and has a .949 serve reception percentage handling 149 of 157 attempts. Halverson posted three digs and handled five serve receptions without an error in the Presbyterian match. She had one dig and three assists against Coastal Carolina while handling 16 serve receptions without an error. Against Kennesaw State, Halverson had six digs and one assist while handling two serve receptions without an error.
DISALVATORE EQUALS HER CAREER HIGH OF SIX DIGS AGAINST PRESBYTERIAN
Davionna DiSalvatore, with six digs in the Presbyterian match, equaled her career high set against Western Michigan. She added three assists and handled six serve receptions without an error in the match. DiSalvatore posted five digs and handled four serve receptions without an error against Coastal Carolina and had five digs and handled 10 of 11 serve receptions in the Kennesaw State match. DiSalvatore has played in all 13 matches with eight back row starts. She is averaging 1.16 digs per set and has a .933 serve reception percentage handing 153 of 164 attempts.
MARIAH BOOTH NAMED BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sept. 20, 2010
Mariah Booth was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her play in the three matches of the Kennesaw State Owl Invitational. Returning to her hometown, the Kennesaw, Ga., native averaged a team-high 1.90 blocks per set for the three matches in helping the Buckeyes hold the three opponents to a combined .013 attack percentage and win the invitational.
Booth began the weekend with career highs of 11 assist blocks and nine kills in the 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-20) victory over Presbyterian. She hit .438 (9 kills, 2 errors) 16 attempts) in the match. In the 3-1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-15, 25-10) win over Coastal Carolina, Booth recorded eight kills and five assist blocks while hitting .375 (8-2-16). She closed out the weekend with four kills, one dig and three total blocks (1-2) while hitting .429 (4-1-7) against Kennesaw State.
Booth was named to the Kennesaw State Owl Invitational All-Tournament Team after averaging 1.90 blocks, 2.10 kills and 3.10 points per set for the weekend.
A starter in 10 of the 12 matches she has played, Booth is averaging 1.31 blocks, 1.39 kills and 2.12 points per set for the season.
ALLIE SCHWARZWALDER NAMED BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sept. 13, 2010
Allie Schwarzwalder was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her play in the four Buckeye victories at the Madison Bingaman Memorial Tournament. She was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 2.08 blocks per set in the tournament.
Schwarzwalder had eight kills, four assist blocks and one dig in the 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-18) win over Brown. She had five kills, four digs and four assist blocks in the 3-0 (25-22, 25-11, 25-19) victory at UMBC. Schwarzwalder produced her first career double-double with 10 kills and 10 total blocks in the 3-1 (27-29, 25-22, 25-21, 25-18) win over Sacred Heart. She added thee digs and an ace serve in the match and her 10 total blocks and nine assist blocks were career highs. In the final match of the tournament, a 3-0 (25-13, 30-28, 25-14) win over Towson, Schwarzwalder had five kills, a career-high four ace serves, one dig and nine total blocks with a solo and eight assists.
For the weekend, Schwarzwalder averaged 3.65 points, 2.08 blocks, 2.15 kills, .38 aces and .69 digs per set.
OHIO STATE RECEIVING VOTES IN THE AVCA POLL
In the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll this week, Ohio State received 70 votes and is one spot out of the Top 25. Four Big Ten squads are ranked in the Top 25 with Penn State second, Illinois ninth, Minnesota 14th and Michigan ranked 22nd. Ohio State, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Purdue received votes.
BUCKEYES HAVE THREE BIG TEN NETWORK APPEARANCES
The Big Ten Network will have three Ohio State matches shown live this season. Buckeye home matches against Minnesota (Oct. 16, 6 p.m.) and Penn State (Oct 20, 7 p.m.) and OSU’s road match at Michigan (Nov. 6, 6 p.m.) are part of the conference broadcast schedule.
BIG TEN COACHES PICK OHIO STATE TO FINISH FOURTH
By a vote of the Big Ten coaches, Ohio State has been picked to finish fourth in the 2010 season. The Buckeyes finished tied for fourth last season. Six-time defending champion Penn State was picked to finish first, Illinois season and Minnesota third. Rounding out the top six is Michigan fifth and Michigan State sixth.
KATIE DULL IS NAMED TO THE 2010 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Senior outside hitter Katie Dull was a unanimous selection to the 2010 preseason All-Big Ten team by a vote of the Big Ten coaches. Joining Dull on the team is Johannah Bangert, Michelle Bartsch, Laura DeBruler and Hillary Haen of Illinois; Ashley Benson of Indiana; Alex Hunt and Lexi Zimmerman of Michigan; Kyndra Abron of Michigan State; Lauren Gibbemeyer, Tabitha Love and Hailey Cowles of Minnesota; Sabel Moffett of Northwestern and Blair Brown, Alyssa D’Errico and Arielle Wilson of Penn State.
HEAD COACH GEOFF CARLSTON
Geoff Carlston is in his third season at Ohio State. He directed the Buckeyes to a fourth place tie (12-8) in the Big Ten in 2009 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship finishing with a 25-10 overall record.
Carlston 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 242-95.
***OhioStateBuckeyes.com***
