Indiana University Athletics
2003 Season Preview
7/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
July 14, 2003
Bloomington, Ind. - Indiana isn't going to sneak up on anyone in 2003. While the element of surprise may have played a role last fall as Indiana produced a 12-match improvement on the left side of the win-loss ledger from 2001 to 2002, the expectations for the Indiana volleyball program entering the 2003 campaign have reached a fever pitch.
The excitement is certainly understandable. Indiana finished its 2002 campaign with a 20-13 overall record, including a 10-10 mark in Big Ten play, which was made even more impressive by the fact that the conference placed eight teams in last year's NCAA Tournament. One of those eight conference teams to earn a tournament berth, Indiana traveled to Tucson, Ariz., to face off against highly regarded Texas. While the Longhorns escaped with a hard-fought five-game victory (22-30, 38-36, 17-30, 30-24, 10-15), the Hoosiers served notice that they may very well be a team to watch in 2003.
Bolstering the anticipation for the 2003 campaign is the fact that Katie Weismiller's charges will include five returning starters.
Weismiller, who is entering her 11th season in Bloomington this fall, has led the Hoosiers to three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last five years. Her 2003 lineup is expected to include 2002 First-Team All-Big Ten and All-Mideast Region selection Melissa Brewer (Bloomington, Ind./North), along with honorable mention All-Big Ten picks Christina Archibald (Belleville, Ill./West) and Katie Pollom (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral). Joining the all-conference trio will be junior setter Victoria Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), who set a school single-season record in assists with 1,765. In addition to Zimmerman's record-setting marks, Pollom set the single-season school record with 153 total blocks, while Archibald broke the single-season kills record with 555. Remarkably, Archibald, Brewer, and Pollom, all broke into the school's top 10 list for single-season kills.
Also returning to the IU lineup will be seniors Nikki Hill (Muncie, Ind./Central) and Monique Pritz (Columbus, Ind./East). Hill played in all 130 games last season and led the Hoosiers in service aces with 40. She also recorded 320 kills, which was good for fourth on the team. Indiana joined Minnesota as the only teams in the Big Ten Conference to have four different players tally 300-plus kills. Pritz played in all 33 matches and 124 of 130 possible games and was fifth on the team in kills with 147.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the 2002 campaign was the emergence of Beth Heimann (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont), who will begin her junior season this fall. After taking a one-year hiatus from the squad, Heimann returned to the team just weeks prior to the start of the 2002 campaign and provided senior Hillary Toivonen with tremendous support at the libero position. It is certainly arguable that the Hoosiers would not have had nearly the success they did a year ago without Heimann's solid play. She appeared in all 33 matches (118 of 130 possible games) and recorded 253 digs.
It is the steady play of Toivonen that will sorely be missed. One of the top defensive players in the Big Ten Conference, she finished her career ranked second on Indiana's career digs list with 1,295. The Muncie, Ind., product was also extremely versatile as she spent the early portion of her career as an outside hitter. Toivonen is someone who may be even more appreciated in her absence than she was while on the court.
"I think replacing Hillary is going to be the first thing to look at," said Weismiller. "The future is going to be bright because we have so many returning players but we certainly have big shoes to fill following Hillary's graduation. Hillary touched a lot of balls for us but it wasn't only ball control, it was defense too. Our advantage is that we have a lot of players coming in who may be able to fill that role."
Also returning from last year's roster will be sophomore middle blocker Mandy Eberle (Sussex, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) and sophomore outside hitter Ashley White (St. Charles, Ill./East). Both played sparingly as freshmen but, in their limited action, displayed skills that will likely allow their playing time to increase in the years to come.
Indiana will also feature a large freshman class in 2003 with as many as six new players expected to join the roster, including 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).
THE INDIANA SENIORS
Indiana's lineup will feature three seniors in 2003. Melissa Brewer, Nikki Hill, and Monique Pritz have all seen extensive playing time during their respective careers and will all be looked upon to be major contributors this fall.
Any discussion of the senior class will logically start with Brewer. A first-team All-Big Ten and All-Mideast Region selection, the Bloomington, Ind., product truly came into her own as a junior as she recorded 486 kills and a hitting percentage of .312. She also tallied 27 service aces and finished second on the team in total blocks with 142. While not necessarily overpowering, she has increased her hitting power and has a tremendous knack for putting balls away. She is expected to be one of the top returning players in the Big Ten Conference in 2003. Also an excellent student, she earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and was a Verizon Academic All-District selection as a junior.
"Coming off an All-Big Ten performance a year ago, expectations are that and more for Melissa this year," said Weismiller. "She's probably one of the smartest players to play for Indiana. She's just a very smart player--she can kill the ball, she's very disciplined in her blocking, and gets quite a few block touches. Our goal is that her best year is her senior year and that's going to take quite a performance from her after last year."
After struggling with a knee injury throughout much of her junior season, Nikki Hill underwent surgery just prior to spring break but she should be 100 percent by the beginning of the pre-Big Ten schedule. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter did manage to play in 130 games for the Hoosiers in 2003 and provided a steady presence throughout the year. She was named to the All-Tournament Team at the IU Credit Union Classic and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection. She tied for fourth on the team with a career-high 320 kills and led the squad in service aces with 40.
"Nikki is coming off some knee surgery so it's really going to be a question mark for her," said Weismiller. "Her improved ball control and passing last year was a huge step forward from her sophomore season. Now the question mark is how she is going to rebound from her knee. She basically went without the spring so we're looking forward to getting her back. We're hopeful her knee can handle the repetitions."
Monique Pritz played in all 33 matches and 124 of 130 possible games and was fifth on the team in kills with 147. Pritz also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and, during the 2002-03 school year, received the IU Varsity Club Scholastic Achievement Award for the sport of volleyball. A solid offensive threat throughout her career, she will be looked upon to increase her offensive output this fall and is expected to be on of the team's top passers.
"Monique was our most improved player this spring," said Weismiller. "She had a great spring even playing out of position. She is hitting a much faster ball, is playing with more confidence, and has improved her all around skills. She did a really nice job passing and playing defense, playing the whole game, using her hands. Because we were beat up this spring, she had to play outside. She's reaching higher and has a faster arm. I think, by far, this will be Mo's best year ever."
THE INDIANA JUNIORS
Indiana's junior class features two honorable mention All-Big Ten selections, the leading single-season assist leader in school history, and one of the keys to the success of the 2002 campaign. Christina Archibald and Katie Pollom earned all-conference recognition, while Victoria Zimmerman notched 1,765 assists. She ranked ninth nationally with 13.58 assists per game. All three will be All-Big Ten candidates this fall. Beth Heimann joined the squad just prior to the 2002 season and made great contributions throughout the year.
After being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2001, outside hitter Christina Archibald's maturation progressed at an impressive pace last fall as she set Indiana's single-season kill record with 555. An explosive leaper, Archibald currently ranks 11th on IU's career kills list with 919 and has become one of Zimmerman's favorite offensive weapons. Archibald was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Northern Illinois/Best Western Invitational, the Indiana TIS/Taylor Invitational, the University of Maryland's Terrapin Invitational, and was the MVP of the IU Credit Union Classic.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Christina play healthy," said Weismiller. "She played with injuries throughout last fall. She was also out all spring so we are looking forward to having her back healthy. She had a great year last year but was really limited as she missed a number of practices. We worked on her arm swing this spring as that's about all we could do. The staff is excited because we expect her to be back and better than ever."
Pollom, who served as team captain in 2002, may be the glue that holds the Hoosiers together. An excellent student, she also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors last fall in addition to her honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades. At 6-foot-3, she provides a big and athletic presence in the middle for the Hoosiers. Pollom set Indiana's single-season record for total blocks (153), tied current IU assistant coach Cydryce Carter for first on the single-season block assists list (139), and was third on the team in kills with 446, which ranks seventh all-time on Indiana's single-season list. She made the all-tournament teams at both the Northern Illinois Best Western Invitational and Indiana's TIS/Taylor Invitational.
"Katie Pollom is coming off a great sophomore season," said Weismiller. "Offensively, she's a go-to player for us. The key for her is, even though she set records with her blocks, she's worked even harder to become a better blocker and will continue to do that this fall. We're hoping for a repeat performance from Katie."
Entering the 2002 campaign, Victoria Zimmerman was the lone setter for the Hoosiers. She quickly grasped the position and, despite her inexperience, performed like a veteran. She played with great confidence, ran a fast offense, and distributed the ball throughout the IU lineup. Displaying great leadership and excitement, Zimmerman quickly became a fan favorite. She set the single-season school record with 1,765 assists and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
"I would say that if you look at all of our hitters and the percentages that they hit a year ago, Vic was directly responsible for that," said Weismiller. "She ran a fast offense, is a very confident player, and worked a lot on location. Vic had a great fall. We're hoping with a little more experience, she'll be even better this season."
An Academic All-Big Ten selection, Beth Heimann was a welcome late addition to the 2002 roster. Although she played as a freshman in 2000, Heimann was returning to the IU roster after a one-year hiatus. She provided the Hoosiers with another solid defender to spell senior Hillary Toivonen. Heimann played in 32 of 33 possible matches and 118 games and was fifth on the team in total digs with 253.
Added Weismiller, "Thank goodness for Beth. She was such an instrumental part of our team last year. The excitement for Beth is that she's going to be in much better shape when she starts this fall and will be able to focus on skills rather than survival technique."
THE INDIANA SOPHOMORES
After seeing limited playing time as freshman, middle blocker Mandy Eberle and outside hitter Ashley White will both look to compete for more extensive action this fall. Eberle is an intelligent player who, much like Brewer during the early stages of her career, finds a way to terminate without being overpowering. Increased work in the weight room should greatly assist her all-around game. Eberle played in 12 matches (21 total games) in 2002. In a match at Wisconsin, she recorded seven kills in a total of 13 attacks, to go along with two digs.
"Mandy has gained a lot of strength over the last year," said the IU head coach. "Her hard work in the weight room should pay tremendous dividends. We expect that with her increased strength and power, she should be one of our top blockers. Her intelligence and understanding of the game is certainly to her benefit."
Ashley White may be the antithesis of Eberle as she is big, physical, and overpowering. She has a quick, powerful arm swing and is rapidly improving her leaping ability. She appeared in 18 games (11 matches) in 2002.
"I think opponents are going to be surprised to see Ashley White," said Weismiller. "She had a very strong spring and became a go-to player for Vic. Athletically, she can be a great player. She's starting to mentally understand the game more and she's working harder in practice. She certainly will be one of the players fighting for a starting spot on the outside."
THE INDIANA FRESHMEN
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) will look to provide the Hoosiers with an infusion of young talent and depth this fall. Arsenych is expected to have the ability to effectively relieve Zimmerman when the need arises, while Banas and Mroski are athletic players with excellent leaping ability. Cochrane, Diehl, and Grabow will be looked upon to attempt to fill the role vacated by Toivonen.
"We have a number of freshmen who may be able to come in and contribute," said Weismiller. "Lindsay and Sara should come in and help us defensively. The group as a whole will provide us much better depth than we had a year ago."
THE 2003 SCHEDULE
Indiana's schedule is the toughest in recent memory. In addition to 14 matches against Big Ten teams who made the 2002 NCAA Tournament, the non-conference slate features matches against 2002 tourney participants Manhattan, Miami (Fla.), Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Western Kentucky. Indiana opens its 2003 campaign on Friday, August 29, at the Miami Tournament in Coral Gables, Fla. In addition to hosting two tournaments, the Hoosiers will also appear at the Notre Dame Invitational.
