Indiana University Athletics
HOOSIER VOLLEYBALL REMAINS UNDEFEATED
9/8/1997 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
IU TRAVELS TO MARSHALL UNIVERSITY TOURNAMENT
PERFECT STARTS - Not since 1977 has a Hoosier squad jumped out to an undefeated 7-0 record. That year, IU went 9-0 before losing its first match. If the Hoosiers can sweep play this weekend, they will boast not only the school's best season opening record, but will also have the longest winning streak in IU volleyball history with 10-straight wins.
HOOSIERS WIN TOURNEY - Indiana captured its second-straight tournament title this past weekend, winning its own Ameritech Cellular and Paging Classic held at University Gym. The Hoosiers won the tournament title with four victories over the course of two days, defeating Dayton 15-12,15-3, 16-18, 15-13; Tennessee 15-12, 15-3, 15-13; Miami (Ohio) 11-15,15-7, 16-14, 14-16, 17-15; and Oklahoma 15-12, 15-8, 9-15, 12-15, 15-8. Senior Julie Flatley earned MVP honors while leading her team with 74 kills, 43 digs and 15 blocks. Sophomores Ryann Connors and Kristina Sanderson also made the all-tournament team.
HOOSIERS COACH - Katie Weismiller is in her fifth season as Indiana's head coach with a 64-70 (.478) school record and a seven-year career mark of 114-94 (.548). Prior to coming to Indiana, Weismiller spent two years as the assistant coach at Florida where she helped lead the Gators to the school's first Final Four appearances in 1992. She began her coaching career at St. Louis University, where she was head coach from 1989-91. There, she guided the Billikens to a 50-24 record, and in 1989, the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship.
BACK IN FORM - After struggling with injuries throughout last season, it looks as if senior Julie Flatley is back healthy and ready to deliver the same performance that earned her All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore. Through seven matches, Flatley's play has been nothing less but impressive. As team captain, she currently leads the Hoosiers in kills, averaging 4.29 per game. The right side hitter has also stepped up her all-around play with 59 digs and 18 blocks. This past weekend she was named MVP of the Ameritech Cellular and Paging Classic after tallying 74 kills, 43 digs and 15 blocks. Currently, Flatley ranks fifth all-time at IU with 960 career kills.
EQUAL DISTRIBUTION - Spreading the wealth seems to be the key for the Hoosiers this season. Through seven matches, Indiana has had four different match kill leaders and currently boasts four players with 60-plus kills. Julie Flatley leads the Hoosier arsenal with 103 kills (4.29 kpg), while teammate Jen Magelssen follows close behind with 92 (3.54 kpg). Sophomore Ryann Connors has 77 kills on the season (4.28 kpg) while junior Melissa Rooney has registered 61 (2.44 kpg). Most impressive is the fact that all four players are attacking above .200.
WATCH THE BLOCK - Sophomore middle blocker Cydryce Carter is providing the Hoosiers with something that has been missing in the past - blocking. Carter is currently averaging 1.17 blocks per game and has 28 blocks on the season.
ACCURACY COUNTS - Junior middle blocker Melissa Rooney once again leads the Hoosiers in hitting efficiency. Currently, she boasts a .407 attack percentage while averaging 2.44 kills per game. Rooney has already made her way into the IU record books, ranking second all-time with a .274 career attack percentage.
IU'S TERMINATOR - Outside hitter Ryann Connors has wasted little time in becoming the Hoosiers' terminator. With limited playing time due to a stress fracture in her tibia, Connors has still managed to lead the Hoosiers in kills in three matches. This past weekend, Connors played sparingly against Tennessee and Dayton, but answered the call in five-game match wins over Miami (Ohio) and Oklahoma, pounding home a team-high 24 and 23 kills, respectively, to earn all-tournament honors. Against Miami (Ohio), Connors registered 24 kills on 52 attempts with just seven errors for an impressive .327 attack percentage.
GIRL FRIDAY - For the third-straight year, Jen Magelssen has proven that she is Indiana's all-around player. The junior outside hitter currently averages 3.54 kills, 3.0 digs and an incredible .81 service aces per game. Magelssen, the only IU player to ever record 300-plus kills and digs in back-to-back seasons, currently ranks ninth all-time for digs (778), 10th for kills (804) and third in service aces (134).
THE SETTER STANDS ALONE - Taking on the responsibility as the team's lone setter this season, sophomore Kristina Sanderson has responded well, averaging 15.08 assists per game. This past weekend, Sanderson earned all-tourney honors in the Ameritech Cellular and Paging Classic with 276 assists. Against Miami (Ohio), she tallied a career-high 30 digs, while against Oklahoma, she register a career-high 79 assists to become just the sixth IU player to ever record 1,000-plus career assists (1,209).
NUCLEUS RETURNS - The Hoosiers will have a blend of youth and experience this fall with a combined eight freshmen and sophomores and just four upperclassmen. However, all six starters return along with nine letterwinners. Indiana's arsenal includes both the sophomore and junior classes which accounted for 71 percent of the Hoosiers' kills last year. Leading the way is outside hitters Julie Flatley and Jen Magelssen. Last season Flatley averaged 3.21 kills per game while attacking at a .215 rate on the rightside. Teammate Jen Magelssen led the team in kills and digs a year ago, averaging 3.39 kills and 2.95 digs per game, respectively. She also finished the year first in the league with 51 service aces. Also returning for the Hoosiers is setter Kristina Sanderson, outside hitter Ryann Connors and middle blockers Melissa Rooney and Cydryce Carter.
NEW FACES - Indiana's freshmen class will add height to the Hoosier lineup as all three newcomers stand 6-0 or taller. Jill Mudge, Lombard, Ill., competed for the past five years for Sports Performance Club Team which won the National 18s championship title this past summer. As a senior at Glenbard East she averaged 4.0 kills and 2.8 digs per game. Outside hitter Amanda Welter, Cincinnati, Ohio, collected 226 kills and 115 blocks playing for McAuley High School. The 6-2 freshman holds her school record for most kills and blocks in a game, season and career. Most recently, she was named to the all-tournament team at the 1997 National 18s Championship. She was also a Volleyball Monthly's "Fab 50" selection. Newcomer Laura Dewitz, Maumee,Ohio, will add height and depth at middle blocker. At 6-0, Dewitz tallied 264 kills, 156 digs, 21 service aces and 108 blocks as a senior at Springfield High School. A first-team all-Ohio selection, Dewitz was named 1996 Gatorade Circle of Champions Ohio High School Volleyball Player of the Year.
HOOSIERS IN THE BIG TEN - In the Big Ten Conference's preseason poll announced, Aug. 14, the 11 Big Ten Volleyball coaches picked Penn State to defend its'1996 Co-Conference championship title. The Nittany Lions received all 11 possible first-place votes for 121 points, just edging out Michigan State with 109 votes. Indiana was chosen to finish eighth.
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