Indiana University Athletics
VB Heads to Michigan
10/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
October 30, 2003
Bloomington, Ind. -- The Indiana volleyball team continues its Big Ten campaign this weekend with a pair of road matches. The Hoosiers (9-12, 2-8 Big Ten) travel to East Lansing, Mich., to face Michigan State (13-7, 5-5 Big Ten) at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and face Michigan (14-7, 6-4 Big Ten) at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.HOOSIER REPORT
IU heads to the state of Michigan for Big Ten battles against Michigan and Michigan State this weekend. The Hoosiers begin the second half of the Big Ten season with a 9-12 overall record and a 2-8 mark in the Big Ten.
This past weekend, Indiana lost a pair of road matches at Northwestern and Illinois. The Wildcats dropped the Hoosiers in three games 30-24, 30-20, 30-26. Junior Christina Archibald closed the match with 11 kills, while senior Melissa Brewer moved into second place on IU's career list for total blocks with her six block assists.
Against the Fighting Illini, freshman setter Tasha Arsenych recorded her first career start and distributed 42 assists, but it was not enough as U of I knocked off IU, 3-1. Junior Katie Pollom ended the match with 13 kills and a .357 hitting percentage.
HOOSIER OPPONENTS
Michigan State: The Spartans (13-7, 5-5 Big Ten) enter this weekend sitting just outside the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll. Last weekend, Michigan State split a pair of road conference matches, knocking off Iowa, 3-1, before falling to No. 23 Minnesota, 3-1. MSU is tied for sixth place in the league.
Junior Kim Schram led Michigan State with 43 kills in the Spartans' two matches over the weekend. She hit .317 with 19 digs, including a season-best 11 digs at Minnesota. In the first meeting against the Hoosiers, Schram recorded a double-double pounding 16 kills to go along with 10 digs.
Michigan: U-M is coming off a split in its two Big Ten matches over the weekend. The Wolverines fell to No. 23 Minnesota in four games and disposed of Iowa in three games on the road. Michigan heads into this weekend's action with a 14-7 overall mark and a 6-4 record in th e Big Ten, sitting in fifth place in the league.
Senior middle blocker Erin Moore recorded 18 kills and a season-high 17 digs in the team's loss to Minnesota. In U-M's victory over Iowa, Moore tallied 15 kills, eight blocks and seven digs. Against IU on Oct. 10, Moore helped lead the Wolverines to a three-game victory with 11 kills, seven digs and five block assists.
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), and 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.
Making Their Debuts
Sophomore Mandy Eberle and freshman Tasha Arsenych notched their first collegiate starts this past weekend. Eberle got the starting nod against Northwestern and Illinois. The Sussex, Wis., native appeared in four games and pounded five kills to go along with two block assists. Arsenych got the starting nod at setter against U of I. The Plano, Texas, native displayed great poise and leadership, distributing 42 assists.
Brewer Breaks Block Record
Against Purdue on Oct. 15, senior middle blocker Melissa Brewer etched her name into the Hoosier record books, recording seven block assists, becoming the Indiana all-time leader with 407 in her career. She broke current IU assistant coach Cydryce Carter's record of 405. The senior also added a match-high 17 kills, hitting .389 in the match.
"That is quite an accomplishment," said Weismiller of Brewer's record. "When you look at how good Cydryce Carter was, that's a hard record to break. She put a lot of time and effort into it, and she has gotten better and better. She had such a great night and hopefully, we can all pick it up around her."
Against The Spartans
The Hoosiers lost to then-No.16 Michigan State, 3-1 when the teams met earlier this year in Bloomington, Ind. Freshman Katy Jo Mroski kept IU competitive with a career-high eight kills and a .417 hitting percentage. In 2002, Indiana lost to MSU in three games in East Lansing, Mich., and defeated the Spartans, 3-0 in Bloomington, Ind.
Against The Wolverines
Indiana dropped its first match of the season against Michigan, 3-0 in Bloomington, Ind. Archibald finished with a match-high 14 kills and Brewer added 12 kills. Last season, the two teams split a pair of matches, with IU falling at Ann Arbor, Mich., in four games.
Hit The Road
The Hoosiers wrap up their four-match road trip at the Michigan schools this weekend. IU is looking for its first road win of the season after dropping consecutive matches at Northwestern and at Illinois. Thus far, Indiana is 0-7 away from University Gym, dropping five conference road matches and two non-conference battles. In contrast, IU is 7-4 on its home court and 2-1 on a neutral floor in 2003. The Hoosiers return home for matches against Ohio State and No. 17 Penn State next weekend.
.300 Is The Mark
The Hoosiers are 7-1 when they hit .300 in a match and 2-12 when they do not reach the .300 mark. 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 21 matches this season, the Hoosiers have only allowed four opponents to hit .300 or higher in a match. Overall, Indiana has held seven opponents under the .200 plateau, going 6-1 in those matches, and the Hoosiers held IUPUI to a season-best .054 hitting percentage in their three-game victory.
Moving Up The Charts
In addition to Brewer breaking the career block assists record, several Hoosiers are moving up the career lists in the IU record books. Juniors Christina Archibald, Katie Pollom and Victoria Zimmerman are all moving up the all-time ranks. Archibald has moved into the top 10 in kills while Brewer also ranks in the top 10 in kills and total blocks, moving into second place against Northwestern. Pollom has entered the top 10 in block assists and entered the top 10 in total blocks against then-No. 11 Penn State. Zimmerman sits in sixth place in assists. Here is where the foursome sits in the record books:
Kills
2nd Melissa Brewer - 1,429
8th Christina Archibald - 1,261
Assists
6th Victoria Zimmerman - 2,735
Block Assists
1st Melissa Brewer - 422
6th Katie Pollom - 255
Total Blocks
2nd Brewer - 463
6th Pollom - 292
Double-Digit Streak Hits 32
Christina Archibald recorded double-digit kills in both matches last weekend. She has reached the 10-kill mark in all 21 matches this season, and dating back to last season, Archibald has notched at least 10 kills in 32 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 on Sept. 27. 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
Thus far this season, Christina Archibald and Beth Heimann are among the Big Ten leaders in four statistical categories. Archibald is third in the conference with 342 kills and ranks sixth in the league averaging 4.28 kills per game. Meanwhile, Heimann ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 246 digs and sits in seventh place averaging 3.32 digs per game. In conference matches, Melissa Brewer is seventh averaging 1.20 blocks per game. Heimann ranks ninth averaging 3.10 digs per game and Archibald sits 10th with 3.94 kills 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 rolling along in this 2003 campaign. The Indianapolis, Ind., native leads the team with 16 block solos and 19 service aces while ranking second with 55 block assists, 71 total blocks and a .295 hitting percentage. She also sits third on the squad with 225 kills and 2.85 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. During the Hoosiers' matches against Purdue, and then-No. 23 Wisconsin, Zimmerman distributed 55 assists with three block assists against Purdue while recording 58 assists and six digs against then-No. 23 Wisconsin. Overall this season, the junior has dished out 12.75 assists per game to go along with 168 digs (second on the team), 62 kills and 28 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 246 digs, averaging 3.32 digs per game appearing in 74 of the team's 80 games as the Hoosier libero.
Heimann turned in her best performances of the season two weeks ago, setting a career high with 22 digs against Purdue and following that with a 16-dig performance against then-No. 23 Wisconsin. 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 80 games, pounding 133 kills, hitting .282 (third on the team) and adding 43 block assists, good for fourth on the team. Against Illinois and Northwestern this past weekend, the Columbus, Ind., native pounded nine kills to go along with three block assists. She also holds the Hoosiers highest hitting percentage of .889, drilling eight kills on nine attempts with no errors in a victory against then-No. 18 Minnesota. 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 69 of the team's 80 games this season.
White has contributed 124 kills, good for fifth on the team, participating in each of the team's 21 matches this season. White recorded seven kills apiece against Purdue and then-No. 23 Wisconsin. With her increased playing time, White has terminated 115 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 69 of the team's 80 games and started 16 of the team's 21 matches. She ranks fourth on the team behind Heimann, Zimmerman and Archibald with 135 digs and sits fourth on the team with 12 service aces. In the Hoosiers' Big Ten matches against Northwestern and Illinois, Hill corralled 13 digs.
Fantastic Freshmen
Freshmen defensive specialists Sara Diehl and Lindsay Cochrane and outside hitter Katy Jo Mroski have seen increased playing time in the last month and have seen extended time in the Hoosier rotation. Cochrane has appeared in 61 games this season with two starts. Against Northwestern and Illinois, the Geneva, Ill., native appeared in all seven of the Hoosiers' games with one start, recording 11 digs in the two matches. Overall this season, Cochrane has reached the double-digit digs plateau three times, with a career-high 12 digs against Michigan. On the season, she has 97 digs and 10 service aces.
Diehl has appeared in 47 of the team's games, starting six of IU's 21 matches. Brought in for her defense and service game, the Bloomington, Ind., native has served seven service aces and has compiled 46 digs this season.
Mroski's playing time has risen sharply the last three weeks, The Hubbard, Ohio, native turned in her best performance of the season with eight kills and a .417 hitting percentage against then-No. 16 Michigan State.
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 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., native finished the weekend with 56 kills, 26 digs, 12 block assists and four service aces. Indiana appeared in four tournaments this season, and Archibald was 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 was 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 Sept. 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 Sept. 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, four Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25 and one Big Ten team sits just outside the top 25 receiving votes. Indiana faces five teams ranked in the top 25 this season and one more team receiving votes in the poll.
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.
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