Indiana University Athletics
INDIANA TO FACE NO. 16 CLEMSON IN NCAA FIRST ROUND
11/30/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
INDIANA TO FACE NO. 16 CLEMSON IN NCAA FIRST ROUND
ROUND ONE -- The Indiana Volleyball team will be making its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament Dec. 2 when they travel to Clemson, S.C. to face Clemson University at 7:. Ball State will play Northern Iowa in the second match of the first round. The two winners will continue play in the second round Dec. 3.
ABOUT THE HOOSIERS -- Indiana (19-10 overall, 10-10 Big Ten) finished the season with two home victories over Iowa and No. 20 Minnesota. Last Friday the Hoosiers swept Iowa in three games 15-6, 15-12, 15-4. Outside hitters Hillary Toivonen and Amanda Welter led the Hoosiers at the net with 11 kills apiece. Welter also recorded a team-best .474 attack percentage for the evening. On Saturday, the Hoosiers upset No. 20 Minnesota in five games 15-7, 14-16, 15-12, 1-15, 15-13. Freshman outside hitter Hillary Toivonen led the team with 19 kills and 14 digs while Amanda Welter added 16 kills respectively. Freshman setter Laurie Gardner handed out 64 assists and added nine digs.
FOR THE SEASON -- Outside hitter Ryann Connors leads the Hoosiers' attack this season, averaging 3.91 kills per game. Teammate Amanda Welter follows with a 3.58 kill per game average. Welter also leads the team with a .259 hitting percentage. Senior Cydryce Carter leads the team in digs and blocks, averaging 2.96 digs and 1.07 blocks per game. Senior Erin Heimann is tops in serving with 50 aces, while freshman Laurie Gardner sets the attack for the Hoosiers, averaging 12.55 assists per game.
COACH KATIE WEISMILLER -- Katie Weismiller is in her seventh season as Indiana's head coach and carries a 110-110 (.500) school record and an eight-year career mark of 160-132 (.548). Since coming to IU, Weismiller has now led the Hoosiers to three postseason NCAA Tournament appearances, the program's first-ever NCAA tournament win and the school's first Top 25 ranking. 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 appearance 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.
ON A ROLL -- The Hoosiers won their last three matches of the season which put them in a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten. Indiana was in a must win situation if they wanted to be considered for post-season play. The Hoosiers put together wins over Michigan, Iowa and then No. 20 Minnesota in the season finale to earn their place in the 64 team field.
THE LAST TIME -- Last year, the Hoosiers made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament after defeating Northern Iowa in the first round 17-15, 15-7, 15-5. Arkansas defeated the Hoosiers in the second round 15-8, 15-5, 15-4. Prior to 1998, Indiana's only other appearance came in 1995 where they lost to George Mason in the first round.
HOOSIERS VS. THE FIELD -- Indiana has faced seven NCAA tournament teams 14 times during the regular season and posted a 4-10 record. All seven of the teams are from the Big Ten Conference. Those schools include: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin.
BIG TEN TOUGHNESS -- The Big Ten had a record eight teams qualify for the 1999 NCAA Volleyball Championship, the most ever in Tournament history. All eight teams were placed in the Central and East Regions, while Penn State will be the only Conference school selected to host first and second round action.
FIRST ROUND OPPONENT
NO. 16 CLEMSON -- Clemson (31-2, 15-1 ACC) enters the tournament ranked 16th in the nation. The Lady Tigers are making their fifth appearance in the tournament. They are led by seniors Cindy Stern and Alison Coday and freshman Jessi Betcher. Stern, a middle hitter, leads the team with 4.73 kills per game, 1.14 blocks per game and a .371 attack percentage. Stern was named the ACC Conference Player-of-the-Year. Adding to the offensive attack is senior outside hitter Alison Coday. Coday averaged 4.51 kills and 2.71 digs per game while posting a .274 attack percentage. Freshman setter Jessi Betcher was named the ACC Conference Rookie-of-the-Year as she led the team with 14.18 assists per game. Coach Jolene Jordan Hoover has led the Tigers to five tournament appearances in the last seven years. She has compiled 174-62 school record and a 268-93 career record as she led her team to Clemson's first ACC Championship Title, five NCAA Tournament appearances, produced winning records in all seven seasons, and was named the ACC Coach-of-the-Year last year. The Series: This will be the first ever meeting between the Hoosiers and the Tigers.
Indiana Clemson
19-10 record 31-2
.213 Hitting Pct. .279
1,781 Kills 1,865
4,540 Attempts 4,581
1,599 Assists 1,711
193 Service Aces 182
1,638 Digs 1,967
216.5 Blocks 282
SECOND ROUND OPPONENTS
NO. 17 NORTHERN IOWA -- Northern Iowa (28-0, 18-0 Missouri Valley Conference) comes into the tournament ranked 17th in the nation and also is the only undefeated team in the 64 team field. This will be their seventh appearance in the tournament. Leading the way for Panthers is sophomore outside hitter Kim McCaffrey. McCaffrey averaged 3.82 kills per game. Other key players for the Panthers include junior outside hitter Alexandra Auker who averages 3.55 kills per game and Holly VanHofwegan who averaged 2.88 kills per game and 1.55 blocks per game. Senior setter Shannon Perry sets up the attack as she averages 11.98 assists per game. Coach Iradge Ahrabi-Fard is in his 18th season and has compiled a 472-136 school and career record. The Series: A possible second-round matchup will be the second meeting between Indiana and Northern Iowa. Indiana defeated Northern Iowa last year in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament.
BALL STATE -- Ball State (28-6, 16-2 MAC) will be making their fifth appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Cardinals are led by sophomore outside hitter Megan Hammons, sophomore middle hitters Susie Meshberger and Julie Zylka and sophomore setter Emily Sallee. Hammons led the Cardinals with 4.59 kills per game. Meshberger added 3.54 kills per game while Zylka tallied 3.01 kills per game and 1.26 blocks per game. Sallee heads the attack as she handed out 14.65 assists per game. The Cardinals are coached by Randy Litchfield who has a 231-100 career record. The Series: Indiana leads the series with Ball State 21-13. In their last meeting, Ball State won in four games 15-5, 7-15, 15-10, 15-7 in 1996.
BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMEN -- Redshirt freshman Laurie Gardner has been named to the 1999 Big Ten All-Freshmen Team. In just her first season of collegiate competition, Gardner has already inked her name in the record books. Serving up 1,054 assists this season, Gardner ranks seventh all-time for career assists and eighth in single season assists. Gardner is the only freshman in school history to break the 1,000 assist mark in a single season.
HONORABLE MENTION -- Senior Ryann Connors has been named to the
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention team. Connors became the all-time school
record holder for career kills Oct. 29 when she passed former Hoosier standout
Jen Magelssen's 1,387 career kills (1995-98) record. The 5-11 outside hitter
now boasts 1,509 career kills.
