Weekly Release #10
10/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Nov. 2 -- at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 7 p.m. CST
Saturday, Nov. 3 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 7 p.m. CST
Friday, Nov. 9 -- vs. Wisconsin (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 10 -- vs. Northwestern (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
U-M Looks for Series Sweeps Against Minnesota and Iowa
The University of Michigan volleyball team (11-8, 7-5 Big Ten) hits the road looking to complete two-match series sweeps of both No. 24 Minnesota and Iowa. The Wolverines, fifth in the Big Ten Conference standings, face the Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. CST Friday (Nov. 2) at the Sports Pavilion on the Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, Minn. U-M visits the Hawkeyes on Saturday (Nov. 3) for a 7 p.m. CST match in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The match against Iowa will be broadcast Sunday (Nov. 4) at 3 p.m. CST on Fox Sports Chicago. In the first half of the conference season, Michigan defeated the Hawkeyes (3-2 on Sept. 28) and then-No. 17 Minnesota (3-1 on Sept. 29) on back-to-back nights at Cliff Keen Arena.
Catch the Michigan-Iowa Match at Damon's Restaurant
The Damon's Restaurant in Ann Arbor will have Saturday night's (Nov. 3) Michigan-Iowa volleyball match on one of its screens at 4 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 4). Fans should get there early as the Detroit Lions have a game at the same time.
On No. 24 Minnesota
Michigan and Minnesota are meeting for the 40th time. Minnesota leads the series 32-7. On Sept. 29, U-M defeated the then-No. 17 Gophers 3-1 (30-26, 30-27, 26-30, 30-27) at Cliff Keen Arena. The Golden Gophers (12-8, 6-6 Big Ten) have played just four of 12 conference matches at home but three of those matches have been wins. Their only home loss was a 3-0 sweep by then-No. 6 Wisconsin on Oct. 19. Seniors Stephanie Hagen and Kathy Tilson lead the team with averages of 3.13 and 3.03 kills per game, respectively. Senior setter Lindsey Berg leads the Gophers with 11.98 assists per game. Head coach Mike Hebert, in his sixth season at Minnesota, has a record of 133-56 as a Gopher and is 705-313 in 26 years as a collegiate volleyball coach. Minnesota on the Web: www.gophersports.com.
On Iowa
Michigan and Iowa are meeting for the 38th time. Iowa leads the series 20-17 but the two teams have split the last 10 matches in Iowa City. Michigan's 3-2 (30-24, 26-30, 30-18, 26-30, 15-8) victory on Sept. 28 at Cliff Keen Arena was part of a 10-match losing streak for the Hawkeyes. Iowa (3-16, 1-11 Big Ten) broke the streak with a 3-1 win over Northwestern on Oct. 19 but has lost three consecutive matches since the win over the Wildcats. Before meeting Michigan on Saturday (Nov. 3), the Hawkeyes play at Northern Illinois on Tuesday (Oct. 30) and against Michigan State on Friday night (Nov. 2). Junior Sara Meyermann leads the Big Ten with 5.37 kills per game and leads the Hawkeyes defensively with 2.71 digs per game. Sophomore setter Renee Hill is averaging 9.91 assists per game. Head coach Rita Buck-Crockett, in her fourth season at Iowa, has a record of 29-74 at the school. Iowa on the Web: www.hawkeyesports.com.
Two-Match Split Keeps Wolverines in Fifth Place
Michigan split last week's matches to remain fifth in the Big Ten standings with a 7-5 conference record. Michigan fell 3-1 (30-18, 15-30, 19-30, 30-22) at Michigan State Wednesday night (Oct. 24) but bounced back to defeat the Purdue Boilermakers 3-2 (30-27, 29-31, 30-18, 24-30, 15-11) on Saturday (Oct. 27). Despite nursing a sore back muscle, junior Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS) turned in 26 kills and 14 blocks in the pair of matches. Sophomore Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) paced the offense with 34 kills, while freshman Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) shined defensively with 31 digs, including a career-high 18 against Purdue.
Wolverines Keep Earning Points in AVCA Poll
For the second week in a row, Michigan has received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll (Oct. 29). After earning 17 points last week, the Wolverines collected 12 in the latest poll. Michigan also received 26 points in the AVCA preseason poll (Aug. 13).
Making a Case for the NCAA Tournament
Besides playing in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, Michigan has compiled a record of 3-6 against eight teams that earned bids to the 2000 NCAA Championship tournament. Michigan was scheduled to face a ninth opponent, Notre Dame, but the match was cancelled due to the Sept. 11 tragedies. The Wolverines have four matches remaining with teams from last season's tournament (at Minnesota, at Ohio State, at Penn State and vs. Wisconsin).
U-M vs. 2000 NCAA Tournament Teams (3-6)
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| Aug. 31 | #7 UCLA | L, 0-3 (25-30, 17-30, 21-30) |
| Sept. 1 | #5 Hawaii | L, 1-3 (24-30, 30-24, 23-30, 14-30) |
| Sept. 2 | #19 Kansas State | L, 0-3 (25-30, 22-30, 21-30) |
| Sept. 12 | #23 Notre Dame | Cancelled |
| Sept. 22 | #9 Wisconsin | L, 1-3 (13-30, 24-30, 30-24, 17-30) |
| Sept. 29 | #17 Minnesota | W, 3-1 (30-26, 30-27, 26-30, 30-27) |
| Oct. 3 | Michigan State | W, 3-2 (19-30, 28-30, 30-26, 30-23, 15-9) |
| Oct. 19 | #10 Ohio State | L, 0-3 (27-30, 26-30, 23-30) |
| Oct. 20 | #11 Penn State | W, 3-0 (30-18, 30-28, 30-27) |
| Oct. 24 | Michigan State | L, 1-3 (18-30, 15-30, 30-19, 22-30) |
| Nov. 2 | #24 Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. (7 p.m. CST) |
| Nov. 9 | #7 Wisconsin | Ann Arbor, Mich. (7 p.m.) |
| Nov. 16 | #11 Penn State | State College, Pa. (7:30 p.m.) |
| Nov. 17 | #10 Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio (7 p.m.) |
Locking in a Spot in the Postseason
The Big Ten has received at least five NCAA Tournament bids in each of the last eight seasons (since 1993). In each of the last four seasons, the conference has received at least six tournament bids, including a record eight bids in 1999. Michigan sits in fifth place, one game behind Illinois and one game ahead of Minnesota and Michigan State, with four weeks remaining the regular season.
Everyone Chipped in on Defense
Michigan set a season high with 86 digs in the match against Purdue (Oct. 27), and for the first time this season had five players reach double digits in digs -- Jennifer Gandolph, 18; Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS), 18; Carrie Ritchie (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison Comprehensive HS), 17; Erin Moore, 11; and Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS), 10. The team's previous high in digs was 68 in the match at Illinois (Oct. 12).
Movin' on Up
Freshman Carrie Ritchie played in the front row the first time this season against Purdue (Oct. 27) and quickly made an impact. With the fifth game on the line, Ritchie recorded a kill, four digs and the first block of her career to help turn the momentum to the Wolverines. She also put together a service series that turned a 9-9 tie into a 13-9 lead to help Michigan close out the win over the Boilermakers. In the match, Ritchie set career highs in kills (3), assists (4), digs (17) and blocks (1).
At the Net
Junior Katrina Lehman is seventh on the U-M career block assists list with 243. She needs just six more to catch Joanna Fielder (1997-2000), who is sixth on the list with 249. With 86 total blocks this year, Lehman is over halfway to U-M's single-season record of 132 (Linsey Ebert, 1997). She has 272 career blocks; the U-M record is 375 (Julia Sturm, 1987-90).
Still Digging Away
Jennifer Gandolph has recorded double-digit digs in 14 of the last 16 matches. She posted a career-high 18 digs against Purdue last Saturday (Oct. 27). She leads the Wolverines with 211 digs and an average of 3.01 digs per game in 19 matches. In conference play, she has dug 147 attacks in 49 games for an average of 3.00 digs per game. She is second in the Big Ten in both overall and conference digs per game and is one of just two freshmen among the top 10 in each category.
Senior Setter Near the Top of the Stats
Senior setter Shannon Melka added 105 assists last weekend and increased her assist total to 596 this season. Melka is third in the Big Ten with an average of 12.66 assists per game in league play. She has 4,162 career assists, good for second on the U-M all-time career assist list. Linnea Mendoza (1994-97) holds the U-M career record with 5,072 assists.
Rosen Nearing Another Milestone
Head coach Mark Rosen, with a record of 46-35 at Michigan, is just four wins away from his 50th victory as a Wolverine. He will be the fourth of Michigan volleyball's six head coaches to reach the mark. Currently, Rosen's winning percentage of .568 gives him the highest winning percentage of any volleyball head coach at Michigan and makes him one of just two coaches to have winning record at the school (Sandy Vong, 177-151-7, .539).
Blue Aces Organizing a "Beat the Buckeyes" Charter
The Blue Aces, Michigan volleyball's booster club, is organizing a bus trip to Ohio State for the Saturday, Nov. 17, match. The charter will depart from Cliff Keen Arena and stop in Findlay, Ohio, to pick up additional fans. Following the match, fans will participate in a dinner with the team in Columbus. Tickets -- $35 for Blue Aces members, $50 for non-members -- are on sale now through Nov. 10. The cost of the dinner is not included in the price of the trip. Contact the Michigan volleyball office at 734-647-3035 for more information.
NCAA Tournament Selection Show
The NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 26, at 3 p.m. EST. The show will be live on Fox Sports South, Fox Sports West 2 and Fox Sports Arizona.
Ask the Coach
Log on to MGoBlue.com to submit your questions to head coach Mark Rosen. Coach Rosen's responses to selected questions will be posted on Wednesdays throughout the season.
Co-Captains
The 2001 Michigan volleyball team has co-captains leading the squad, seniors Annie Maxwell (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) and Shannon Melka. Melka was a captain in 2000 as a junior as well.
Big Ten Standings (through 10/27/01)
BIG TEN OVERALL Teams W-L Pct. W-L Pct. 1. Wisconsin 11-1 .917 17-3 .850 2. Ohio State 10-2 .833 18-2 .900 3. Penn State 9-3 .750 16-4 .800 4. Illinois 8-4 .667 15-5 .750 5. MICHIGAN 7-5 .583 11-8 .579 6. Michigan State 6-6 .500 13-6 .684 Minnesota 6-6 .500 12-8 .600 8. Northwestern 4-8 .333 8-11 .421 9. Indiana 3-9 .250 6-14 .300 10. Iowa 1-11 .083 3-16 .158 Purdue 1-11 .083 3-17 .150
USA Today/AVCA Top 25 (10/29/01)
Rank, School (1st-place) Points Record Prev 1. Long Beach State (62) 1622 18-0 1 2. Nebraska (3) 1563 19-1 2 3. Stanford 1459 18-2 4 4. Arizona 1400 15-3 7 5. Southern Cal 1377 15-2 3 6. Colorado State 1253 19-0 8 7. Wisconsin 1221 17-3 5 8. UCLA 1194 11-5 6 9. Florida 1130 16-1 9 10. Ohio State 991 18-2 10 11. Penn State 956 16-4 13 12. Hawaii 945 17-4 11 13. Pepperdine 896 15-3 12 14. Texas A&M 780 16-3 14 15. Utah 701 16-4 15 16. Brigham Young 623 15-4 16 17. Pacific 582 18-6 17 18. Northern Iowa 511 20-1 18 19. South Carolina 368 16-3 T21 20. Santa Clara 303 15-7 19 21. UC Santa Barbara 274 12-9 23 22. Colorado 205 13-7 24 23. Notre Dame 196 14-5 20 24. Minnesota 143 12-8 T21 25. Illinois 110 15-5 NR
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
