Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Travel to South Bend
9/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Bloomington, Ind. -- The Indiana volleyball team heads to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Shamrock Invitational. The team will face #15 Notre Dame at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and South Carolina at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
IU enters the tournament with a record of 4-2. The Hoosiers are coming off their second-straight runners-up finish after falling in the championship match of the TIS/Taylor Invitational last weekend. Indiana lost the championship match to UW-Green Bay in five games after defeating IUPUI, 3-0, and SEMO, 3-1.
Last Week
Runner-up at TIS/Taylor Invitational (Bloomington, Ind.)
Fri. Sept. 5 vs. IUPUI, W 3-0 (30-23, 30-15, 30-25)
Sat. Sept. 6 vs. SE Missouri St., W 3-1 (30-32, 30-27, 30-15, 30-26)
Sat. Sept. 6 vs. UW-Green Bay, L 3-2 (30-22, 21-30, 30-27, 25-30, 15-5)
Coming Up
Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Fri. Sept. 12 at # 15 Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 13 vs. South Carolina, 4:30 p.m.
HOOSIER REPORT
Last weekend, the Hoosiers advanced to the championship match at the TIS/Taylor Invitational before falling to Wisconsin-Green Bay in five games; the second-consecutive runner-up finish for IU. After downing IUPUI in three games and knocking of Southeast Missouri State in four games, the Hoosiers appeared poised to capture their first championship of the 2003 season. However, the Phoenix were too much to handle in the championship match.
For the second time in as many weeks, junior Christina Archibald and senior Melissa Brewer earned spots on an All-Tournament team. Archibald ended the weekend with 52 kills and 29 digs, while Brewer led Indiana with 54 kills, nine block assists and six service aces in the three matches.
IU opened its 2003 season with a runner-up finish at the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Fla. The Hoosiers defeated Kent State and Manhattan before falling to Miami (Fla.) in the tournament championship. IU's victory over Kent State marked head coach Katie Weismiller's 11th-consecutive season-opening victory at Indiana.
HOOSIER OPPONENTS
Notre Dame: The host Fighting Irish enter the weekend ranked No. 15 in the country, the program's highest ranking since 1996. Notre Dame improved to 5-1 on the season after a three-game victory over Valparaiso on Tuesday evening. Last weekend, the Irish captured the championship at the Longhorn Classic, defeating Houston in five games and finishing off Texas in the championship match, 3-0. ND is led by junior Emily Loomis, who earned Big East Conference Player of the Week honors on September 1. After her performance at the Longhorn Classic, sophomore Lauren Kelbley was named Big East Co-Player of the Week on September 8.
South Carolina: South Carolina comes into the tournament with a 2-4 record. The Gamecocks have faced four ranked opponents, compiling a 1-3 record. Last weekend, the team went 1-1 at the Carolina Classic, falling to No. 25 Michigan State (3-1) before rebounding with a victory over No. 17 North Carolina (3-1). Tuesday, the Gamecocks dropped a four-game match against Clemson, 33-31, 30-26, 22-30, 30-26. Leading the way for South Carolina are middle blockers Niece Curry and Lauren Ford. Curry leads the team hitting .282 while Ford is the team leader averaging 1.05 blocks per game and with 20 blocks on the season.
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 entering 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 enters 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.
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. 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 event IU finished second at the event.
The previous weekend, Indiana wrote the exact same script. After downing Kent State (3-2) and Manhattan (3-0), the Hoosiers fell in the championship match to Miami (Fla.), finishing second at the Hurricane Invitational.
Back-To-Back All-Tournament Appearances
Two Hoosiers earned spots on the All-Tournament team at the TIS-Taylor Invitational last weekend. Senior Melissa Brewer and junior Christina Archibald represented IU with their second-straight All-Tournament performances. Brewer led Indiana with 54 kills while hitting .394. She added nine block assists and six service aces in the three matches. Archibald finished the tournament with 52 kills and 29 digs. Both players earned a spot on the Hurricane Invitational All-Tournament team as well.
Notre Dame Invitational
This year marks IU's first appearance in the Notre Dame Invitational. The Hoosiers will square off against the Fighting Irish on Friday at 7:00 p.m. In its second and final match of the weekend, IU will take on South Carolina at 4:30 p.m. Here is a look at the tournament schedule:
Date Match Time
Fri. South Carolina vs. Utah 4:30 p.m.
Fri. Indiana at Notre Dame 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Indiana vs. South Carolina 4:30 p.m.
Sat. Utah at Note Dame 7:00 p.m.
Sun. South Carolina at Notre Dame 1:30 p.m.
Notre Dame Invitational Opponents
Indiana has faced Notre Dame 10 times, with the most recent match taking placing September 12, 1998. The teams have split the 10 matches. The Hoosiers are a perfect 4-0 against South Carolina. Below is a look at IU's history against both schools:
Against Notre Dame:
Date W/L H/A Score
10/6/84 W H 15-4, 15-4
9/13/85 W N 30-20, 30-28, 30-14
9/5/86 L A 15-4, 15-4
9/4/87 W H 30-20, 30-28, 30-14
9/3/88 L A 15-4, 15-4
10/12/90 W A 12-15, 15-13, 15-11, 15-8
9/4/93 L N 15-6, 15-13, 15-4
9/10/94 L N 15-7, 13-15, 15-8, 15-10
9/7/96 L A 15-12, 15-11, 15-7
9/12/98 W N 15-12, 15-6, 5-15, 5-15, 15-11
Against South Carolina:
Date W/L H/A Score
9/26/80 W N 15-3, 15-6
9/19/87 W N 15-3, 14-16, 15-8, 15-5
9/16/89 W N 13-15, 15-8, 15-6, 15-3
9/4/99 W N 15-11, 15-9, 13-15, 15-9
.300 Is The Mark
The Hoosiers are 3-0 when they hit .300 in a match and 1-2 when they do not reach the .300 mark. Against SEMO, IU hit .556 in the second game, its highest single-game percentage of the season, en route to hitting .333 in the match. Below is a look at the Hoosiers hitting percentage match-by-match:
Hit Pct. Opponent Result
.260 Kent State W, 3-2
.328 Manhattan W, 3-0
.140 Miami, (Fla.) L, 3-1
.358 IUPUI W, 3-0
.314 SE Missouri St. W, 3-1
.276 UW-Green Bay L, 3-2
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 with Zimmerman sitting in sixth place in assists. Here is where the foursome sit in the record books:
Kills
7th Melissa Brewer - 1,237
10th Christina Archibald - 1,025
Assists
6th Victoria Zimmerman - 2,075
Block Assists
3rd Melissa Brewer - 357
10th Katie Pollom - 213
Total Blocks
4th Brewer - 394
Double-Digit Streak Hits 17
Christina Archibald recorded double-digit kills in all three matches at the TIS/Taylor Invitational. She has reached the 10-kill mark in all six matches this season, and dating back to last season, Archibald has notched at least 10 kills in 17 consecutive matches.
Archibald's teammate, Melissa Brewer, has the next longest streak at four matches. Brewer has recorded 10 or more kills in five of the Hoosiers' six matches this season, and nine of the last 10 matches she has played in.
Double-Double
Christina Archibald captured her second double-double of the season after nailing 14 kills and digging 13 balls in the championship match of the TIS/Taylor Invitational against Wisconsin-Green Bay. Last season, the Belleville, Ill., native recorded 11 double-doubles and now has 21 in her career.
Heimann Gets Defensive
Junior Beth Heimann has picked up where departed senior Hillary Toivonen left off. She has been tremendous on the defensive side, gathering 10 or more digs in five of Indiana's six matches this season. Including the last five matches of last season, Heimann has reached the 10-dig plateau in nine of her last 11 matches.
Big Ten Leaders
Through the first two weeks of the volleyball season, Christina Archibald and Beth Heimann are amongst the Big Ten leaders in four statistical categories. Archibald leads the conference with 106 kills and ranks fourth in the league averaging 4.42 kills per game. Meanwhile, Heimann ranks third in the Big Ten with 100 kills and sits in fourth place averaging 4.17 digs per game.
TIS/Taylor Invitational
This year marked the second season the Hoosiers hosted the TIS/Taylor Invitational. This season, IU finished with a 2-1 record in the event, falling in the championship match to Wisconsin-Green Bay. In 2002, Dayton took home the inaugural championship. Again, Indiana finished with a 2-1 record. Here's a look at how the Hoosiers have fared in the event:
'03 Opponents W/L Score
IUPUI W 30-23, 30-15, 30-25
SE Missouri St. W 30-32, 30-27, 30-15, 30-26
UW-Green Bay L 30-22, 21-30, 30-27, 25-30, 15-5
'02 Opponents W/L Score
Dayton L 20-30, 30-27, 24-30, 30-26, 15-12
Evansville W 30-19, 30-21, 30-19
CS-Fullerton W 31-29, 30-24, 30-26
Hoosiers Runners-Up
Indiana opened its season with a 2-1 record and runner-up finish at the Hurricane Invitational hosted by Miami (Fla.) in Coral Gables, Fla. The Hoosiers downed Kent State in the first match of the event, 3-2, followed by a three-game sweep of Manhattan. Miami and IU entered the championship match with identical 2-0 records, but the Hurricanes, who are receiving votes in the AVCA/USA Today Top 25, defeated the Hoosiers, 3-1 (30-19, 26-30, 30-23, 30-19).
All-Tournament Team
Christina Archibald and Melissa Brewer represented the Hoosiers on the All-Tournament team at the Hurricane Invitational. Archibald led the Hoosiers with 54 kills, including a match-high 22 against Kent State. She also recorded 31 digs, including 15 against the Golden Flashes. Brewer added 40 kills and seven block assists. In her biggest match of the event, the senior helped IU down Kent State with 18 kills, hitting .368.
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.
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 earning 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. On the volleyball court, Archibald has helped guide the Hoosiers to a 4-2 record this season. The outside hitter was honorable mention All-Big Ten after setting Indiana's single-season record in kills with 555 last season. Additionally, she was named Big Ten Player of the Week (9/23) along with being named to the All-Tournament team at the NIU/Best Western Invitational and being selecting MVP at the IU Credit Union Classic.
Pollom Named All-Big Ten
Another Hoosier earning a spot on the 2002 All-Big Ten team was middle blocker Katie Pollom. The junior was named honorable mention All-Big Ten 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 also finished third on the team in kills with 446, which ranks seventh all-time on the Hoosiers' single-season list. The Indianapolis, Ind., native has started the season off on the right foot, ranking second on the team with 13 block assists and third with 59 kills. Pollom stepped up this past weekend against IUPUI, pounding 12 kills while hitting .688 in the Hoosiers three-game victory.
Zimmerman Runs The Show
Running the show for Indiana is junior setter Victoria Zimmerman. Displaying great leadership and excitement, Zimmerman set the single-season school record with 1,765 assists last season. She ranked ninth nationally with 13.58 assists per game and is an All-Big Ten candidate this season. At the Hurricane Invitational, the Barrington, Ill., native was instrumental in the Hoosiers' successful attack. On the weekend, Zimmerman averaged 11.58 assists per game, setting up All-Tournament members Christina Archibald and Melissa Brewer all weekend. Overall this season, the junior has dished out 12.62 assists per game to go along with 62 digs (second on the team), 18 kills and 10 block assists.
Hill Fights Through Injury
Fighting a knee injury her entire junior season, outside hitter Nikki Hill showed her toughness and will to stay on the court, managing to play in all 130 Hoosier games. After undergoing surgery just prior to spring break, Hill looked refreshed and provided IU with an offensive spark in Miami. Against Kent State, the senior ended several Golden Flash runs with timely kills, helping the Hoosiers earn a tough five-game victory. In the TIS/Taylor Invitational, the Muncie Ind., native added 16 digs in IU's four-game victory over SEMO and 10 digs in the championship match against UW-Green Bay. Despite her injury, Hill tied for fourth on the team in 2002 with a career-high 320 kills and led the squad with 40 service aces. She was named to the All-Tournament Team at the IU Credit Union Classic and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Heimann Gets Defensive
One of the most pleasant surprises of the 2002 campaign was the emergence of Beth Heimann. After taking a one-year hiatus from the squad, Heimann returned to the team just weeks prior to the start of the season and provided Hillary Toivonen with support at the libero position. She appeared in all 33 matches (118 of 130 possible games) and recorded 253 digs, fifth-best on the team. Thus far this season, Heimann has proved last year's play was no fluke. She has been a catalyst on the defense registering a team-high 100 digs, averaging 4.17 digs per game appearing in all 24 games as the Hoosier libero.
Pritz Sees Increase In Action
Senior Monique Pritz has shined during the offseason and continued her impressive play in both tournaments this season. Pritz has seen action in all 24 games pounding 37 kills and adding 11 block assists. 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. In 2002, Pritz appeared in all 33 matches and 124 of 130 possible games. She was fifth on the team with 147 kills. Pritz also showed her versatility by delivering 49 assists, second on the team only to setter Victoria Zimmerman. Off the court, an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Pritz also received the Varsity Club Scholastic Achievement Award in 2002-03.
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 appeared in eight of the team's 12 games in Miami. She contributed 20 kills and provided a much-needed boost to the IU offense. In the TIS/Taylor Invitational, White helped guide the Hoosiers over SEMO hitting .320 with 11 kills.
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
Indiana received votes in the first installment of the USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25. Overall, five Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25. The Hoosiers' third opponent of the season, the Miami Hurricanes, sit just outside the top 25 receiving the 26th most votes in the nation. Indiana faces five teams ranked in the preseason top 25 and three 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.
Pollom Selected As Captain
Katie Pollom will serve as Indiana's team captain in 2003. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Indianapolis, Ind., served as the captain last season as well.
New Statistic
The Big Ten Conference will be experimenting with a new statistic this season tallying total points for each individual player. The statistic is calculated by adding the number of kills (1 point), aces (1 point) block solos (1 point) and block assists (.5 points) divided by two. This gives the fans a chance to see how many points an individual player contributes to the team. Other conferences have used the statistic before, but this is the first year the Big Ten will use it.
Hoosiers Dancing
In 2002, Indiana advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in school history, all under head coach Katie Weismiller. Weismiller has led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament three times in the last five years in arguably the toughest volleyball conference in the nation - the Big Ten. 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.
Indiana's 2002 Academic All-Big Ten Honorees
Eight Hoosiers overall, including six returners, were recognized by the Big Ten last year for academic excellence. Indiana's 2002 Academic All-Big Ten honorees are as follows:
Melissa Brewer (Senior/Biology)
Beth Heimann (Junior/Marketing)
Nikki Hill (Senior/Marketing)
Katie Pollom (Junior/Biology)
Monique Pritz (Senior/Exercise Science)
Hillary Toivonen (Graduated)
Victoria Zimmerman (Junior)
Academic Honor
Always a staple under head coach Katie Weismiller, the Hoosiers garner recognition for academic excellence. Last year was no different as the team was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as a recipient of the 2002-03 Team Academic Award. Indiana was one of 35 Division I volleyball programs to earn the honor. The award honors college and high school teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the 2002-03 academic school year.
Returning Starters
The Hoosiers return five starters to a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2002. Overall, the team brings back 10 letterwinners from the 12 last season. The lineup is expected to feature several returnees including Melissa Brewer, Christina Archibald, Katie Pollom, Victoria Zimmerman, Nikki Hill, Monique Pritz and Beth Heimann.
