Indiana Heads to Ohio State and Penn State

10/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

October 1, 2003

Bloomington, Ind. -- After opening up its first weekend in Big Ten play with two victories, the IU volleyball team hits the road for two weekend matches. The Hoosiers (9-4) travel to Columbus, Ohio for a match against Ohio State (7-5) at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and face off against No. 11 Penn State (13-1) at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday

Last weekend, IU knocked off then-No. 18 Minnesota and Iowa, both in three games. Indiana is 2-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1997 and bring a five-match winning streak into the weekend.

HOOSIER REPORT
Last weekend, the Hoosiers (9-4) opened their Big Ten season with two impressive victories. Friday, IU upset then-No. 18 Minnesota in three games (30-22, 30-25, 34-32) and on Saturday, Indiana disposed of Iowa in three games (30-27, 30-19, 30-19). This is the first time the Hoosiers have opened their Big Ten season with two victories since 1997.
Senior Melissa Brewer led the way with 22 kills, hitting .463 on the weekend. She finished with one block solo and eight block assists. Senior Monique Pritz added eight kills on nine attempts in the victory over Minnesota.
IU rides a five-match winning streak into Columbus, Ohio, and after falling behind Western Kentucky, 0-2, the Hoosiers have won nine-straight games.

HOOSIER OPPONENTS
Ohio State: The Buckeyes (7-5) head into this weekend with a 0-2 record in the Big Ten and a 6-4 overall record. Ohio State dropped a pair of matches last weekend to Big Ten foes, falling at Michigan, 3-0, and at then-No. 14 Michigan State, 3-1. The Buckeyes are led by Stacey Gordon, who moved to second on the OSU career kills list after drilling 35 kills over the weekend. In addition, the junior has recorded double-figure kills in her last 57 matches. Senior Heather Whalen equaled a career-high with six blocks against MSU and set a season-high with 16 digs in the same match.

Penn State: Entering the weekend, the No. 11 Nittany Lions sit atop the Big Ten with a 2-0 record and a 13-1 overall record. Last weekend, PSU traveled to Michigan State and knocked off then-No. 14 Michigan State 30-20, 28-30, 30-28, 26-30, 16-14. Penn State followed the win up with another five-game match at Michigan, downing the Wolverines 31-29, 31-33, 32-30, 26-30, 15-12.
Cara Smith leads the Lions with 214 kills this season, including a team-high 21 kills in the team's victory over MSU. The junior also added seven block assists in the victory. Against Michigan, junior Ashley Pederson led the way with a career-high 25 kills. The junior is second on the team to Smith with 210 kills this season. The duo ranks first and second in the conference in total kills.

Head Coach Katie Weismiller
The winningest volleyball coach in Indiana University history, Katie Weismiller has completely changed the fortunes of the IU volleyball program during her 10 years in Bloomington. Now in her 11th season, Weismiller has led the Hoosiers to three NCAA Tournaments in the last five years, including an NCAA berth last fall. Last year's appearance marked the fourth time in the program's history, (all under Weismiller), an Indiana team advanced to the postseason. After taking over a program that was 6-23 prior to her arrival, Weismiller led the Hoosiers to a .500 record in her second season in Bloomington. In her third season, the Hoosiers finished with a 20-14 overall mark, 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 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).

Assistant Coach Cydryce Carter
Carter is in her second season as an assistant coach at Indiana after spending two seasons as an assistant at Southwest Texas State. Carter coordinates Indiana's recruiting efforts in addition to her on-court responsibilities, which include working with the Hoosiers' middle blockers. Carter's impact was felt immediately in 2002 as she helped lead the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament. As a standout player at Indiana, Carter finished her career among Indiana's top 10 in digs, service aces, block assists and total blocks. She twice earned Academic All-America honors.

Assistant Coach Ryan Theis
Theis is in his second season at Indiana. In his first season, the Hoosiers won 12 more matches than they did in 2001. In addition to his on-court duties, Theis is responsible for a number of administrative functions including team travel, equipment and recruiting. Prior to his arrival at Indiana, Theis spent two seasons as the top assistant for the women's volleyball program at Eastern Illinois University. In 2001, he helped lead the Panthers to a 21-9 overall mark, an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Impressive Start
Indiana began its Big Ten season with victories over then-No. 18 Minnesota, 3-0, and Iowa, 3-0. The last time the Hoosiers started the season winning their first two conference games was the 1997 season when IU downed Purdue and Ohio State. IU looks to increase its conference mark to 4-0 this weekend when it embarks on a weekend road trip against Ohio State and No. 11 Penn State.

Against Ohio State and Penn State
Indiana went 1-3 against Ohio State and Penn State in Big Ten play last season. The Hoosiers were 1-1 against the Buckeyes, including a four-game victory when Ohio State was ranked No. 11, and 0-2 against the nationally-ranked Nittany Lions. Here are results from last season's four matches:

2002 Against Ohio State:
Date W/L H/A Score
9/25/02 W H 30-28, 30-26, 29-31, 30-21
11/13/02 L A 17-30, 30-28, 31-29, 27-30, 16-18

2002 Against Penn State:
Date W/L H/A Score
9/27/02 L A 22-30, 21-30, 31-33
11/16/02 L H 30-25, 30-25, 30-25

Winning Streak Hits Five
Indiana rides a five-match winning streak into this weekend's action. After winning three matches to capture the IU Credit Union Invitational title, IU extended its winning streak to five with victories over then-No. 18 Minnesota and Iowa. In addition, the Hoosiers have won nine-straight games since rallying from an 0-2 deficit against Western Kentucky in the championship match of the IU Credit Union Invitational.

Hit The Road
The Hoosiers take to the road for the first time this conference season. Thus far, Indiana is 0-2 away from University Gym, falling in four games to Miami, Fla., and Notre Dame. IU is 7-1 on its home court and 2-1 on a neutral floor.

Against Ranked Opponents
Penn State enters the weekend ranked No. 11 in the nation. IU is 1-1 against ranked opponents this season, sweeping then-No. 18 Minnesota and falling to then-No. 15 Notre Dame, 3-1 at the Notre Dame Shamrock Invitational.

.300 Is The Mark
The Hoosiers are 7-0 when they hit .300 in a match and 2-4 when they do not reach the .300 mark. Last weekend, Indiana hit over .300 in victories over then-No. 18 Minnesota and Iowa. IU's highest single-match hitting percentage of .358 came in the Hoosiers three-game sweep of IUPUI in the opening match of the TIS/Taylor Invitational, and its highest single-game hitting percentage of .562 came against South Carolina at the Notre Dame Shamrock Invitational.

Dominant Defense
In 13 matches this season, the Hoosiers have not allowed an opponent to hit .300 in a match. UW-Green Bay's .276 hitting percentage is the highest mark IU has allowed. Overall, Indiana has held six opponents under the .200 plateau, going 6-0 in those matches, and the Hoosiers held IUPUI to a season-best .054 hitting percentage in their three-game victory.

Moving Up The Charts
Several Hoosiers are moving up the career lists in the IU record books. Christina Archibald, Melissa Brewer, junior Katie Pollom and junior Victoria Zimmerman are all moving up the all-time ranks. Archibald has moved into the top 10 in kills while Brewer ranks in the top 10 in kills, block assists and total blocks. Pollom has entered the top 10 in block assists and is three blocks away from entering the top 10 in total blocks. Zimmerman sits in sixth place in assists. Here is where the foursome sits in the record books:

Kills
4th Melissa Brewer - 1,339
10th Christina Archibald - 1,146

Assists
6th Victoria Zimmerman - 2,437

Block Assists
3rd Melissa Brewer - 390
7th Katie Pollom - 232

Total Blocks
4th Brewer - 430
11th Pollom - 261

Double-Digit Streak Hits 24
Christina Archibald recorded double-digit kills in both matches last weekend. She has reached the 10-kill mark in all 13 matches this season, and dating back to last season, Archibald has notched at least 10 kills in 24 consecutive matches.

Double-Double
Christina Archibald captured her fifth double-double of the season after nailing 13 kills and corralling 10 digs in the Hoosiers' three-game victory over Iowa last weekend. Last season, the Belleville, Ill., native recorded 11 double-doubles and now has 24 in her career.

Setter Victoria Zimmerman leads the team with six double-doubles this year. In 2002, she garnered 10 double-doubles and now has 16 in her career, second on the team to Archibald's 24.

Big Ten Leaders
Through the first 13 matches of the season, Christina Archibald and Beth Heimann are among the Big Ten leaders in four statistical categories. Archibald is second in the conference with 227 kills and ranks second in the league averaging 4.45 kills per game. Meanwhile, Heimann ranks third in the Big Ten with 166 digs and sits in sixth place averaging 3.32 digs per game.

In conference games, the Hoosiers rank first in hitting percentage (.307) and service aces (12) while ranking second in opponent's hitting percentage (.154). Monique Pritz leads the league with a .500 hitting percentage, Victoria Zimmerman sits third averaging 13.33 assists per game and Melissa Brewer sits fourth in the league with 1.50 blocks per game.

Brewer Academic All-America Candidate
Melissa Brewer, a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, is a leading candidate for Academic All-America honors. The Bloomington, Ind., native was named to the Verizon Academic All-District V Volleyball First Team for the second consecutive season in 2002. Additionally, Brewer was one of eight Hoosiers to earn a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team. On the court, the senior middle blocker became the sixth Hoosier in the program's history and the first since Anne Eastman and Lynn Crawley (1994) to earn Mideast All-Region honors in 2002.

Two-Sport Star
In addition to her volleyball duties, Christina Archibald is a member of the IU track and field team. During the spring of 2002, Archibald finished in a fourth place tie in the high jump at the Big Ten Championship with a leap of 5'7 3/4''. The jump tied her for the best finish in the event by a freshman. The Belleville, Ill., native took last track season off to rehabilitate a foot injury.

Pollom Pounding Away
Middle blocker Katie Pollom is off to a great start in the 2003 campaign. The Indianapolis, Ind., native leads the team with eight block solos and 12 service aces while ranking second with 32 block assists, 40 total blocks and a .314 hitting percentage. She also sits third on the squad with 145 kills and 2.84 kills per game. The junior was named honorable mention All-Big Ten last season after setting an IU single-season record for total blocks (153), and tying current IU assistant coach Cydryce Carter for first on the single-season block assists list (139). Pollom finished third on the team in kills with 446, which ranks seventh all-time on the Hoosiers' single-season list.

Zimmerman Runs the Show
Running the show for Indiana is setter Victoria Zimmerman. Last weekend, against then-No. 18 Minnesota and Iowa, Zimmerman distributed 40 assists in both matches, setting up the team for an impressive .298 hitting percentage on the weekend. Overall this season, the junior has dished out 13.04 assists per game to go along with 129 digs (second on the team), 43 kills and 19 block assists. Last season, displaying great leadership and excitement on the court, Zimmerman set the single-season school record with 1,765 assists. She ranked ninth nationally with 13.58 assists per game and is an All-Big Ten candidate this season.

Heimann Gets Defensive
Junior Beth Heimann has picked up where departed senior Hillary Toivonen left off. She has been a catalyst on the defense registering a team-high 166 digs, averaging 3.32 digs per game appearing in 50 of the team's 51 games as the Hoosier libero.

In addition, the Decatur, Ind., native has gathered 10 or more digs in eight of Indiana's 13 matches this season. Including the final five matches of last season, Heimann has reached the 10-dig plateau in 12 of her last 18 matches. After taking a one-year hiatus from the squad, Heimann returned to the team just weeks prior to the start of the 2002 season. She appeared in all 33 matches and recorded 253 digs, fifth-best on the team.

Pritz Sees Increase In Action
Senior Monique Pritz shined during the offseason and has continued her impressive play into the regular season. Pritz has seen action in all 51 games, pounding 87 kills, hitting .302 (third on the team) and adding 27 block assists, good for fourth on the team. Against then-No. 18 Minnesota, the Columbus, Ind., native hit a season-high .889, the highest hitting percentage of any Hoosier this season. She recorded eight kills on nine attempts with no errors. Head coach Katie Weismiller has been pleased with the senior's progress. Her play on the right side has been tremendous, and she will continue to be called upon this season.

White A Pleasant Surprise
One of the brightest positives from Indiana's performance this season has been the play of sophomore Ashley White. Appearing in only 18 games last season, the St. Charles, Ill., native has appeared in 46 of the team's 51 games this season.
White has contributed 91 kills, fourth on the team, participating in each of the team's 13 matches this season. In the Big Ten openers last weekend, White recorded 17 kills, hitting .317, in the Hoosiers' victories. With her increased playing time, White has terminated 82 more kills than last season, the most significant improvement on the team.

Hill Fights Through Knee Injury
After undergoing surgery just prior to spring break (2003), senior Nikki Hill has looked refreshed and provided IU with a spark this season. Hill has appeared in 46 of the team's 51 games and started 12 of the team's 13 matches. She ranks fourth on the team behind Heimann, Zimmerman and Archibald with 89 digs. In the Hoosiers weekend victories over Minnesota and Iowa, the Muncie, Ind., native delivered five service aces, including a team season-high three against Iowa, and corralled 11 digs in the two matches.

Fantastic Freshmen
Freshmen defensive specialists Sara Diehl and Lindsay Cochrane have seen increased playing time in the last three weekends and have become regular staples in the Hoosier rotation. Cochrane has appeared in 32 games this season with one start. Against Minnesota, the Geneva, Ill., native gathered a match-high 10 digs, the second time this season she has recorded at least 10 digs. Additionally, she matched Nikki Hill with a team season-high three service aces against Iowa. Overall this season, Cochrane has 59 digs and six service aces.

Diehl has appeared in 32 of the team's games, starting four of IU's 13 matches. Brought in for her defense and service game, the Bloomington, Ind., native has served five service aces and compiled 37 digs this season.

IU Credit Union Invitational Champs
The Hoosiers captured their first tournament title of 2003 season at their own IU Credit Union Invitational. After downing Saint Louis (3-0) and Austin Peay (3-1) in its first two matches, IU came back from a 0-2 deficit to defeat Western Kentucky in the championship match. Behind an offensive onslaught and an energetic crowd, Indiana rallied for the 32-34, 23-30, 30-21, 30-25, 15-11 victory.

Christina Archibald led the way for Indiana compiling a season-high 25 kills, 11 digs, eight block assists, two service aces and hitting .364 against the Lady Hilltoppers. Melissa Brewer nailed 18 kills, hitting .325, and Katie Pollom finished with 18 kills and collected two block solos and seven block assists.

Archibald Brings Home MVP
After her performance at the IU Credit Union Invitational, Christina Archibald earned tournament MVP honors. The Belleville, Ill., finished the weekend with 56 kills, 26 digs, 12 block assists and four service aces. Indiana has appeared in four tournaments, and Archibald has been named to the all-tournament team in all four events.

All-Tournament Appearances
In addition to Archibald, Melissa Brewer and Katie Pollom earned spots on the all-tournament team at the IU Credit Union Invitational. Brewer terminated 48 kills along with 19 block assists in the tournament. The Bloomington, Ind., native has been named to three all-tournament teams this season.

Pollom earned her first all-tournament nomination of the season finishing second on the team with 50 kills. She also turned in a dominant performance on the defensive end with four block solos and 10 block assists.

Oh So Close
Two different tournaments, same result. The Hoosiers fell in the championship match for the second-straight tournament at the TIS/Taylor Invitational on September 6. After defeating IUPUI in three games and Southeast Missouri State in four games, Indiana fell to Wisconsin-Green Bay in five games in the finale. It marked the second time in the two-year history of the tournament IU finished second at the event.

Weismiller Remains Perfect
In its 29th season, Indiana has compiled a 22-7 record in season-opening matches. The Hoosiers improved to a perfect 11-0 in season openers under head coach Katie Weismiller after defeating Kent State in five games. Indiana's last loss in a season-opening match was a three-game sweep at Kentucky on September 4, 1992.

Preseason Big Ten Poll
Coming off its third NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons, the Hoosiers were selected fifth in the 2003 Big Ten Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. In addition, league coaches tabbed junior outside hitter Christina Archibald to the preseason All-Big Ten team.

USA Today Poll
Overall, three Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25 and two Big Ten teams sit just outside the top 25 receiving votes. Indiana faces four teams ranked in the top 25 this season and two more teams receiving votes in the poll.

Hoosiers Welcome Six Freshmen
After lacking depth last season, the Hoosiers brought in an infusion of young talent to the 2003 team. Setter Tasha Arsenych (Plano, Texas/East), outside hitter Christine Banas (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central), defensive specialist Lindsay Cochrane (Geneva, Ill./Geneva), defensive specialist Sara Diehl (Bloomington, Ind./South), outside hitter/defensive specialist Anne Grabow (Urbana, Ill./Urbana), and outside hitter Katy Jo Mroski (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) provide IU with a deeper bench and give head coach Katie Weismiller more flexibility and versatility with her lineup.

Hoosiers Dancing
In 2002, Indiana advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in school history. Weismiller has led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament three times in the last five years. Last season, eight Big Ten teams earned a berth into the Tournament. IU matched up against the University of Texas in the first round dropping a heartbreaking five-set match 22-30, 38-36, 17-30, 30-24, 10-15. The Hoosiers are 2-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament in their four appearances.