Indiana University Athletics
The 2002 Season: A Look Ahead
8/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
While Indiana will look to challenge for an upper-division finish in the 2002 Big Ten title chase, the league looks to be as challenging as ever as five conference teams finished the 2001 campaign ranked among the final USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25.
"For the last seven years the Big Ten's been one of the top conferences in the country," said Indiana head coach Katie Weismiller. "That tradition is going to continue. Not only are we doing well in conference but our teams are also doing well when they get into the tournament. We know that the competition is going to be fierce. This year is no exception. We had a lot of teams who were a little bit younger last year that are going to be more experienced. You may see some changes on the leaderboard, but everybody is going to be in contention."
Despite returning four starters, the IU roster features only one senior, libero Hillary Toivonen (Muncie, Ind./Burris).
"We were a young team last year, and we'll be a young team this year, but I think we'll be a team that no one will want to play," said Weismiller. "Indiana's going to line up, and we're bigger physically than we've ever been. We're more talented offensively. Also, our defense has really picked up, and we are blocking more balls. I think you're going to see that Indiana is going to creep up in the Big Ten and we might be a surprise early but hopefully our opponents understand that our kids are
maturing."
For Indiana to continue its maturation and to be in contention, the Hoosiers must successfully insert a new setter into a starting lineup. That job -- to quarterback the fast-paced IU offense -- will fall on the shoulders of Victoria Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill/Barrington). The 5'9" sophomore saw limited action as a true freshman but has the ability to be an upgrade at the position from one year ago, when Hoosier setters struggled at times running the IU offense.
"We return almost everybody," said Weismiller. "The one position that we'll have new is the setting position, and that's actually the position we struggled with last year. I think Victoria (Zimmerman) has come on and been very, very strong. Last fall she was definitely an option for us at setter but she was the most inexperienced on the roster. She had a great spring and she is very competitive. She loves to play the game, and I think she's going to mature quickly. We're going to go through some tough times with her early in the season as she goes through the learning stages but she's good, and she understands the game. That's not going to be as big a deal as maybe it has been in years past."
Taking the pressure off of Zimmerman will be four returning starters, headlined by Brewer and Archibald.
"Melissa has put together two great seasons," said Weismiller. "She's been a go-to-player and is one of, if not the smartest, players on our team. She knows how to get quick points. She's very coachable, she listens well, she executes and she'll again be one of our best all-around players from her passing to her offense and blocking."
Added Weismiller on Archibald, "Christina is just a great athlete. This preseason is going to be very important for her. Most teams know that she's going to be a go-to-player for us. She did that her freshman year, and she's an entirely new player after the spring. She's much smarter, she runs faster, and she's more confident. This fall she's going to carry a big part of the load. That's something that she is now starting to accept, and she wants that responsibility. That's a good thing."
A product of Bloomington (Ind.) North High School, Brewer continued her solid play during an impressive sophomore campaign that saw her play in 28 matches, including appearing in 106 of 106 possible games. During pre-conference play, the middle blocker was named to the all-tournament team at both the Loyola Marymount Invitational and the IU Blimpie/Holiday Inn Classic. The 6-foot-1 Brewer trailed only freshman Christina Archibald with 340 kills. Brewer led the team with 110 blocks and finished second on the club with 212 digs. She was also extremely successful in the classroom as she earned Academic All-District V honors and was named Academic All-Big Ten.
Joining Brewer in the starting lineup will be Christina Archibald. The 6' 2" sophomore turned in a tremendous freshman campaign in 2001. The Belleville, Ill., product became the third IU freshman in as many years (Melissa Brewer, 2000; Laurie Gardner, 1999) to be named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. A physically imposing outside hitter, Archibald immediately worked her way into the starting lineup as a freshman in 2001 as she started all 28 matches. 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 ever by an IU freshman. This past spring, she finished in a fourth-place tie in the high jump at the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Along with the continued maturation of Archibald and Brewer, junior Nikki Hill's (Muncie, Ind./Central) rapid offseason improvement and senior Hillary Toivonen's move to the newest position in the collegiate game, "The Libero," should positively impact the Hoosiers.
Weismiller has raved about the progress Hill has made since the conclusion of the 2002 season.
"Nikki was by far our most improved player this past spring. She put everything into the spring, and it really paid off. She worked her tail off in the weight room, conditioning, and on the court. She's improved her passing game and her offense."
The 5'11" Hill was a key role-player for the Hoosiers in 2002 as she saw action in 54 games and trailed only Archibald and Brewer in kills per game with a 2.13 average. She capped off her solid campaign by being named as a recipient of the Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar Award, which is sponsored by Black Issues in Higher Education.
The offseason benefited Toivonen in other ways. In addition to joining Zimmerman and a number of other Big Ten players to form a team that played at the USAV Open Nationals last spring, Toivonen is penciled in as the starter at the libero position, which is a designated back-row player. The player used in this position is a ball-control specialist, and this position is allowed to replace any player in the back row without counting as a substitution.
"Hillary is going to have her best year ever," said Weismiller. "Playing the libero position will only highlight her best assets, which are passing and defense. She'll provide great leadership."
Toivonen played in all 28 matches and in 103 of 106 possible games as a junior and was one of nine Hoosiers to earn Academic All-Big Ten honors. 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 digs. She was third on the team with 194 kills and also recorded five double-doubles on the season.
Team captain and redshirt sophomore Katie Pollom (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) should also see extensive playing time in 2002.
Pollom, who at 6'3" is an imposing presence, sat out the 2000 season as a redshirt before earning the first playing time of her career last fall as she appeared in 71 of a possible 106 games. She finished second on the team with a total of 68 total blocks. She finished fifth on the team with 129 kills and earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades.
"Katie Pollom is our captain, and she's just an incredible player and person," said Weismiller. "I can't speak highly enough about her. She stepped in this spring and took over the leadership role. On the court, she's battling for a middle/rightside position, meaning she can play a couple different positions. Offensively, she's one of our best weapons. Her defensive game has definitely picked up in terms of blocking."
Junior Monique Pritz (Columbus, Ind./East) will likely challenge for a starting position in 2002 after playing in 26 matches last season.
"Monique is probably our best blocker. She reads opponent hitters well and will definitely add to our blocking abilities as a team."
Sophomore Stephanie Blevins (Windsor, Pa./Red Lion Area) and junior Anna Makowski (Bloomington, Ind./North) have seen limited playing time and will look to compete for court time in 2002.
Said Weismiller of Blevins, "She was injured for most of the spring, and that was a big loss for her to not have the spring of her freshman year. She's a player who has a ton of potential. She has great hops, is fast, and can contribute on the outside. Her ball control has improved. It's going to be interesting to see how she steps up to reach her potential."
Added Weismiller regarding Makowski, "Anna is coming off of an injury so it's day-to-day. She has such great drive and a wonderful attitude and she's going to find different ways to contribute to our team."
Rounding out the IU roster will be freshmen Mandy Eberle (Sussex, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) and Ashley White (St. Charles, Ill./East).
Eberle is a 6-foot middle blocker who played club volleyball for the Milwaukee Sting. She led her team to the 17-Open championship at the 2001 nationals, while being named to the all-tournament team. She played for Mark Steiner at Wisconsin Lutheran.
White helped lead St. Charles East to the 2001 Class AA Illinois State championship as she earned first-team all-conference and special mention all-state accolades.
The Coach's Corner
Head Coach Katie Weismiller on the non-conference schedule: "Our non-conference schedule is strong again. Northern Illinois is coming off a very good year and Drake has a very strong program. That should be a great opening match for us. We'll then come home and have Cal.-State Fullerton coming in from the west coast. Dayton is strong and has been at the top of their league for the last couple of years. We then go out to Maryland and see Loyola Marymount again, which we are all looking forward to. I think this is our year, our turn. They've been to the (NCAA) tournament the last couple of years and they are very strong. Louisville should win its conference, and they have some international players who are very experienced and seasoned. We're going to have a lot of very strong teams on the preseason schedule but also a lot of teams that we're excited to play. Any time we line up across the net from Indiana State, or Butler, or any of those in-state rivalries, Indiana is going to be one of the biggest matches on their schedule. It's always a good competition for us. Our preseason is going to be tough but it should be a good test and give us an opportunity to see how we're going to do in the Big Ten."
Weismiller on the importance of fan support: "Fan support is incredibly important. For the past 10 years I've talked about what wonderful fans we have. It's so important to get people in the stands. When we're in the confines of the University Gymnasium and those fans are loud, it's truly a home-court advantage. The student-athletes, along with our staff, are working hard getting people in the stands. Winning is going to do this for us as well. If we get some early wins and get people excited about volleyball, we're going to get people in the stands. That's such an important part of our success. When you look over the years at our NCAA tournament berths, I can remember how loud it was in that facility. Our fans are great. They are very well educated. We've got young fans and older fans, and it's a great atmosphere. I'm hopeful that we'll continue that tradition."
Weismiller on the strengths and weaknesses of the 2002 Hoosiers: "What are the things that we have to do to be successful? In the past, we've been one of the best serving teams in the Big Ten. We have to reestablish that strength. You're going to score points from the service line. Start with that. Our defensive blocking picked up this spring incredibly. That's going to happen automatically because we're going to have a team that understands the system. One, is the focus from the service line. We're going to become a much better team from the service line. (Victoria) Zimmerman is going to be jump serving for us. Nikki Hill may be jump serving or on the ground. Christina Archibald is probably our best server. She hits a great floater, as her ball moves and is very hard to control. Katie Pollom, who came out from the back row last year, will have to serve. Katie has a great serve when it's under control. She's tough to stop. She serves a bullet. Melissa Brewer is more of our finesse server. She can hit all of her zones and can take people out from the service line. She's a little bit more of a controlled server when the others are going to go hard and aggressive. We're going to be very fast offensively. With Hillary on the court controlling the ball, we're going to run a much faster offense. We have the offensive firepower but we have to be able to run it fast. In the Big Ten, everybody is so big and physical that what we are looking for is one-on-ones. At this level, if you have a one-on-one situation, you ought to terminate.
Weismiller on the addition of former IU star Cydryce Carter to her staff: Bringing Cydryce back and to work with her in a different role as a peer is a lot of fun for me as a coach. She brings the same motivation she had as a player into the office every day. She's very driven. She's very determined, and you can't tell Cydryce no. That's what I love."
