Weekly Release #6

10/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Last Week
Wed., Sept. 25 vs. #11 Ohio State, W 3-1 (30-28, 30-26, 29-31, 30-21)
Fri., Sept 27 at #9 Penn State, L, 3-0 (22-30, 21-30, 31-33)

Upcoming
Fri., Oct. 4 at Michigan (Cliff Keen Arena), 7:00 p.m.
Fri, Oct. 5 at #22 Michigan State (Jenison Field House, 8:00 p.m.

Indiana Continues Big Ten Play on the Road: After opening Big Ten play last week with an upset victory over 11th-ranked Ohio State, 3-1, and a 3-0 loss at ninth-ranked Penn State, Indiana returns to the road this weekend to take on Michigan and Michigan State on Friday and Saturday night, respectively.

Indiana enters Friday's action at Michigan with an 11-3 overall record, including a 1-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference. Indiana received a total of five votes in the most recent USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25. It marked the first time that Indiana received votes in the national poll since the final ranking of the 1998 season.

The Hoosiers are led by sophomore outside hitter Christina Archibald (Belleville, Ill./West). Archibald leads the Hoosiers with an average of 4.72 kills per game, while sophomore setter Victoria Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) averages 13.66 assists per game, which ranks her fifth nationally in assists per game in the most recent NCAA statistical report (through matches of September 29).

On Friday evening, Indiana will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the Michigan Wolverines (7-5 overall, 1-1 Big Ten). Michigan is 3-0 at Cliff Keen Arena this fall and four of its five overall losses were against ranked opponents, including setbacks at #4 Nebraska and #8 Minnesota. The Wolverines are led by sophomore Jennifer Gandolph, junior captain Erin Moore, and junior Chantel Reedus, all of whom average over 3.0 kills per game. Fifth-year senior Katrina Lehman is only four blocks shy of tying the Michigan career record.

No. 22 Michigan State has won 16 of its last 17 meetings against Indiana. The Spartans opened their 2002 Big Ten campaign with a 3-0 loss at eighth-ranked Minnesota but bounced back to defeat Iowa in four games. Michigan State is led by junior setter Nikki Colson, who is only seven assists shy of reaching 2,000 for her career. Angela Morley is on pace to become MSU's all-time leader in blocks and block assists.

Head Coach Katie Weismiller on the Wolverines and Spartans: "They are both good. Michigan, I think, runs a little faster offense. They like to attack quickly so we'll need to be tough from the service line to limit their hitters. Michigan State has a very good offense and they are bigger blockers. Defensively, they like to flood a zone and put up the bigger block. We're going to have to be on with our passing and create some offense for ourselves. For both matches we have to come in and pass the ball. When we pass the ball we can terminate. That's a big key to our success so far."

Indiana and Penn State in Review: Indiana began Big Ten play last week with an upset victory over 11th-ranked Ohio State, 3-1. The win marked Indiana's first win over a team ranked as high as 11th since 9/24/94 when Indiana upset sixth-ranked Ohio State in Bloomington. It also marked Indiana's first victory over a ranked opponent since the Hoosiers upset 16th-ranked Clemson in the first-round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. Versus the Buckeyes, junior Academic All-America candidate Melissa Brewer (Bloomington, Ind./North) led the way with 24 kills to go along with a 21-kill, 5-block, performance by sophomore Christina Archibald (Belleville, Ill./West). At Penn State, Indiana dropped a 3-0 decision. Although Indiana trailed only 22-20 in game one, took a 17-14 lead in game two, and secured a 30-29 lead in game three, Penn State rode the momentum of a partisan home crowd of 2,003 and Indiana failed to hold on late in each of the three games as the Nittany Lions won the match, 3-0 (30-22, 30-21, 34-32).

Archibald Named Big Ten Player-of-the-Week: For the first time since Amanda Welter earned similar honors on October 16, 2000, sophomore outside hitter Christina Archibald (Belleville, Ill./West) was recognized by the Big Ten Conference on September 23 as its player-of-the-week. Archibald became only the 11th Indiana volleyball player (on 15 previous occasions) to earn the honor. In 2002, Archibald is averaging 4.72 kills per game.

Spreading the Wealth: Five Indiana volleyball players have earned all-tournament team honors in 2002. At the Northern Illinois Invitational (8/30-31), Archibald and sophomore Katie Pollom (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) earned all-tournament honors and junior middle blocker Melissa Brewer was recognized as the tournament's Most Valuable Player. At the TIS/Taylor Imprinted Sportswear Classic (Sept. 6-7), Pollom and Archibald were named to the all-tournament team. At the Terrapin Invitational (Sept. 13-14), Archibald was named to the all-tournament team for the third consecutive week. She was joined on the team by senior libero Hillary Toivonen (Muncie, Ind./Burris). At the IU Credit Union Classic, junior Nikki Hill got into the mix, earning her first all-tournament recognition of the season, despite being one of the Hoosiers' most consistent players in 2002.

Indiana vs. Michigan and Michigan State: Indiana has recorded a 31-18-1 record vs. Michigan and a 23-28 mark vs. Michigan State. Indiana has recorded a 10-10 mark in matches played at Michigan and a 5-16 record in East Lansing.

Hoosiers Off to Excellent Start: Indiana's 11-3 record through its first 14 matches marks its second-best start to the season in school history, trailing only a 15-0 start in 1997 (finished 18-15).

Win Over 11th-Ranked Ohio State Marks Huge Day for Weismiller: With 150 victories at Indiana, head coach Katie Weismiller (Texas-Arlington, '88) is only nine victories shy of becoming Indiana's all-time winningest volleyball coach in terms of victories (Ann Lawver, 158 wins from 1975-82). Indiana's 3-1 upset victory over 11th-ranked Ohio State on September 25 marked her 200th career coaching victory and her 150th at Indiana. Now in her tenth season at Indiana, Weismiller has led the volleyball program to unprecedented heights. After taking over a program that was 6-23 prior to her arrival, Weismiller led the Hoosiers to a .500 record in only her second season in Bloomington. In her third season, the Hoosiers finished with a 20-14 overall mark, including a 12-8 record in the Big Ten Conference, and earned the school's first-ever NCAA tournament bid. Indiana made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 1998 and 1999, advancing to the second round of the tournament on both occasions. Prior to Indiana, Weismiller was the head coach at Saint Louis University (1989-90), prior to serving as an assistant at the University of Florida (1991-92).

Indiana Connections: Michigan's roster features two products of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana. Freshman middle blocker Ashley Buckingham and sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Gandolph both call Greenwood home. Michigan State's roster does not include any players from the Indiana.

Two New Assistants Join IU Staff: Tenth-year head coach Katie Weismiller's staff underwent major changes this offseason as two new assistant coaches are strolling the IU sidelines for the first time. Cydryce Carter (Indiana '00) joins the Indiana staff after spending two seasons as an assistant at Southwest Texas State. As a standout player at Indiana under Weismiller, Carter finished her impressive career among Indiana's top 10 in digs, service aces, block assists, and total blocks. She twice earned Academic All-America honors.

Ryan Theis (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '00) begins his first season at Indiana after spending the past two seasons as the top assistant and head recruiter for the women's volleyball program at Eastern Illinois University. He helped lead the Panthers to a 21-9 overall mark in 2001.

Brewer an Academic All-America Candidate: Junior Melissa Brewer (Bloomington, Ind./North), a first-team All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection in 2000, is a leading candidate to earn Academic All-America honors before her career reaches its conclusion. In 2001, the 6-foot-1 middle blocker recorded 340 kills and a .242 hitting percentage in 28 matches. She led the team with 110 blocks and finished second on the club with 212 digs. In the classroom, she earned Academic All-District V honors and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team. She also received the Balfour Award, which recognizes student-athletes who have brought honor and distinction to Indiana University. Brewer began the 2002 season where she left off, earning Most Valuable Player honors at the Northern Illinois Best Western Invitational (8/30-8/31). On the weekend, Brewer recorded a .415 hitting percentage, to go along with 46 kills in 10 games.

At the IU Credit Union Classic (9/20-21), Brewer was named to the all-tournament team. In a 3-1 victory over No. 30 Louisville, she recorded 14 kills and a .462 hitting percentage. She also led the Hoosiers in kills with 24 kills in an upset victory over 11th-ranked Ohio State (9/25).

With 55 block assists in 14 matches this fall, Brewer has now moved into fifth place on IU's career block assist list with 264.

The list is as follows:
1. Cydryce Carter (1996-99) 405
2. Julie Goedde (1986-89) 393
3. Liz Armbrustmacher (1985-88) 320
4. Anne Eastman (1991-94) 287
5. Melissa Brewer (2000-present) 264

Four Starters Return:Although libero/outside hitter Hillary Toivonen (Muncie, Ind./Burris) is the Hoosiers' lone senior, Indiana does return four starters to its starting lineup from a year ago, including middle blocker Melissa Brewer (Bloomington, Ind./North) and outside hitter Christina Archibald (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West), both of whom earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors in each of the past two years, respectively. Other returning starters include junior outside hitter Nikki Hill (Muncie, Ind./Central) and junior outside hitter Monique Pritz (Columbus, Ind./East).

Hill Receives National Recognition: Nikki Hill, a 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter from Muncie, Ind. (Central) received national recognition this past spring when she was named as a recipient of the Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar Award, which is sponsored by Black Issues in Higher Education. The award is presented to student-athletes of color who have maintained a grade point average of 3.2 or higher and have demonstrated a record of service to the campus or community. Hill has played very well throughout the season and through 14 matches is averaging 3.15 kills, 2.30 digs, and 0.43 blocks per game. She was named to the all-tournament team at the IU Credit Union Classic.

Pollom Selected as Captain: Junior/sophomore Katie Pollom, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral High School) is serving as Indiana's team captain in 2002. What makes this rare is that Pollom, another potential Academic All-America candidate as her career continues, saw the first action of her career last fall, appearing in 71 games over the course of 23 matches, and is only a sophomore in eligibility, despite having junior academic status. In 2001, Pollom finished second on the team with 68 total blocks and finished fifth on the team with 129 kills. In 2002, she was named to the all-tournament team at the NIU Best Western Invitational. In a 3-0 victory over IUPUI, Pollom recorded a hitting percentage of .875. Pollom was again recognized the next week as she was named to the all-tournament team at Indiana's TIS/Taylor Imprinted Sportswear Invitational. Through 14 matches, she leads the team with a .287 hitting percentage and is third with a 3.19 kills per game average. She recorded a career-high 18 kills in a 3-1 victory over Louisville on 9/21/02.

The Libero Position - Tailor Made for Toivonen: Collegiate volleyball has undergone a major rules change in 2002 with the institution of the libero. The libero is a designated back-row player, intended to be used as a ball-control specialist. The libero is allowed to replace any player in the back row without counting as a substitution. There is no limit to the number of libero replacements a team is allowed. The pronunciation is "LEE-bah-ro." The color of the libero's uniform must contrast from the color of her teammates' uniforms. The libero's shorts must be the same as her teammates'. The style and trip of the designated libero's uniform may differ from her teammates'. The referees will ultimately decide if the contrast is sufficient. Head coach Katie Weismiller strongly believes that the position will benefit senior Hillary Toivonen more than anyone else on the Hoosier roster.

"Playing the libero position will only highlight her best assets, which are passing and defense. She'll also provide great leadership."

As a junior in 2001, Toivonen played in all 28 matches and in 103 of 106 possible games in 2001. An excellent defender, she recorded a team-high 235 digs, joining Melissa Brewer (212) and Christina Archibald (203) as the only other Hoosiers to record 200-or-more. She was third on the team with 194 kills and also recorded five double-doubles.

This fall, Toivonen was named to the all-tournament team at the Terrapin Invitational (Sept. 13-14). She recorded the 1,000th dig of her career in a 3-2 victory over Butler (9/21/02).

Toivonen Records 1,000th Career Dig: With 43 digs at the IU Credit Union Classic (Sept. 20-21), senior libero Hillary Toivonen (Muncie, Ind./Burris) moved from seventh to fourth place in career digs. In doing so, she also recorded her 1,000th career dig in a match vs. Butler. She currently remains in fourth place on the career list is as follows:

1. Jen Magelssen (1995-98) 1,331
2. Cydryce Carter (1996-99) 1,128
3. Lynn Crawley (1991-94) 1,063
4. Hillary Toivonen (1999-present) 1,044
5. Julie Goedde (1986-89) 1,013
6. Kristina Sanderson (1996-99) 1,003
7. Nancy Mason (1988-91) 980
8. Joy Jordan (1987-90) 899
9. Stacie Murr (1992-95) 898
10. Michelle McElroy (1991-95) 882

The Two Freshmen: Indiana's roster will feature two freshmen in 2002 -- 6-foot-1 middle blocker Mandy Eberle (Sussex, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) and 6-foot-1 outside hitter Ashley White (St. Charles, Ill./East). Eberle helped lead her high school team to a No. 2 state ranking as a senior, while White led her team to a No. 7 national ranking and a state title.

Zimmerman to Handle Setting Duties: Sophomore Victoria Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) is the lone setter on Indiana's roster in 2002 and, thus, will handle those duties throughout the season.

"Victoria comes in with an attitude that I love," said head coach Katie Weismiller. "She wants it so badly and she wants to work hard. We've had players in the past who are gamers, and she is truly one of those. Her setting locations are some of the best that we've ever had in the program."

In 2001, Zimmerman appeared in 23 games over the course of 12 matches. In this year's season opening tournament at Northern Illinois, Zimmerman recorded 135 assists (13.5 apg), four service aces, and recorded a .250 hitting percentage. She also played very well at the Indiana TIS/Taylor Imprinted Sportswear Classic (Sept. 6-7) as she recorded 138 assists in a total of 11 games (12.5 assists per game). At the Terrapin Invitational in College Park, Md. (Sept. 13-14), Zimmerman set a career high with 69 assists in a 3-2 win over Loyola Marymount. That mark didn't last long as she recorded a career-high 70 digs in a 3-2 win over Butler at the IU Credit Union Classic. She is currently ranked fifth nationally in assists with 13.66 per game.

Heimann Added to Roster: Indiana received an unexpected boost in late August when Beth Heimann (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont) returned to the program after a one-year hiatus. A defensive specialist, Heimann played for the Hoosiers as a true freshman but did not participate last year. The return of Heimann was a pleasant surprise for head coach Katie Weismiller, who believes the addition of an experienced defensive specialist should immediately improve her team.

"We are very excited to get her back on the court and back in our program," said Weismiller. "She is a great passer and a great defensive player. Now, she's been off a year. There are plenty of reps and conditioning that has to be done."

Heimann, whose sister Erin lettered in volleyball for the Hoosiers from 1996-99, appeared in 25 matches in 2001 and is excited to be back on the floor after a year's absence.

"I just missed playing volleyball," said Heimann, who is currently the roommate of sophomore Katie Pollom and junior Melissa Brewer, and lives next door to junior Monique Pritz and sophomore Christina Archibald. "I live with three of the girls so I am kind of in the middle of it. The opportunity came up so I decided to give it a chance again."

At the Terrapin Invitational (Sept. 13-14), Heimann recorded 26 digs and one service ace in three matches. She played very well at the IU Credit Union Classic as she recorded 34 digs and one service ace in three matches.

Archibald Named to 2001 Big Ten All-Freshman Team: For the third time in as many years, an IU freshman was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Following in the footsteps of Laurie Gardner (1999) and Melissa Brewer (2000), Belleville, Ill., product Christina Archibald was named to the 2001 Big Ten All-Freshman Team after turning in a stellar season that saw her set the freshman record for kills with 364. The members of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team are as follows:

2001 Big Ten All-Freshman Team
Christina Archibald - Indiana
Jennifer Gandolph - Michigan
Stacey Gordon - Ohio State (Freshman-of-the-Year)
Jill Odenthal - Wisconsin
Drew Robertson - Northwestern
Kim Schram - Michigan State

Nine Hoosiers Earn Academic All-Big Ten Honors: In 2001, nine Indiana volleyball players were eligible for Academic All-Conference honors, and all nine delivered by being recognized as such. Indiana's 2001 Academic All-Big Ten honorees are as follows (returning players in bold): Melissa Brewer (Sophomore/Biology), Laurie Gardner (Senior/Marketing), Nicole Hill (Sophomore/Marketing), Crecia Keithley (Senior/Psychology), Anna Makowski (Sophomore/Environmental Science), Katie Pollom (Sophomore/Biology), Monique Pritz (Sophomore/Exercise Science), Meghan Stout (Senior/Exercise Science), Hillary Toivonen (Junior/Health Administration).
Two-Sport Athlete: Sophomore Christina Archibald (Belleville, Ill./West) participated on the IU Track and Field team during the spring of 2002 and finished in a fourth-place tie at the Big Ten Championships with a leap of 5'7 3/4", tying her for the best finish in the event by a freshman. She boasts a career high jump of 5'10". A physically imposing outside hitter, Archibald immediately worked her way into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2001 as she started all 28 matches on her way to earning Freshman All-Big Ten accolades. She played in 99 out of a possible 106 games and led the Hoosiers in kills (364), attacks (964), and service aces (29). Her total of 364 kills was the most every by an IU freshman. She finished third on the team in digs with 203. In the 2002 season opening tournament at Northern Illinois, recorded a career-high tying 23 kills vs. NIU.

At the TIS/Taylor Imprinted Sportswear Classic in Bloomington, Archibald was named to the all-tournament team. She followed up that performance by being named to the All-Tournament Team at the Terrapin Invitational in College Park, Md. (Sept. 13-14). In a 3-2 win over Loyola Marymount, Archibald recorded career-highs in kills (29) and digs (18). She was named MVP of the IU Credit Union Classic and earned Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honors.