Weekly Release #11
11/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Nov. 8 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 15 -- vs. No. 7 Minnesota (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16 -- vs. Iowa (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Complete Release in PDF (5 pages, 98.7 KB)
Wolverines Take Four-Match Winning Streak on the Road
The University of Michigan volleyball team (14-8, 8-4 Big Ten) takes on Ohio State at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 8) at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and closes out the weekend with a match against Indiana at 7 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 9) at the University Gym in Bloomington, Ind. The Wolverines take a four-match winning streak into Columbus, where they are looking for their first win. The odds are a little better at Indiana, as Michigan has won six of the last 11 meetings in Bloomington. U-M built its winning streak by defeating then-No. 25 Michigan State (Oct. 30) and then-No. 11 Penn State (Nov. 2) last weekend. The victory over the Spartans gave the Wolverines their first State Pride Series victory since 1999 and their first sweep of the two-match season series since 1992. Michigan, with an 8-4 Big Ten Conference record, is tied with No. 13 Wisconsin and No. 14 Penn State for second place in the league standings.
Internet Extras
The official website for Michigan Athletics (MGoBlue.com) will carry live audio of all home Wolverine volleyball games for the 2002 season. MGoBlue.com will also feature live stats for all home matches.
About Ohio State
Michigan and Ohio State are meeting for the 51st time in series history. OSU leads the series 41-9. The Wolverines knocked off the then-16th-ranked Buckeyes 3-0 (30-21, 30-25, 30-28) on Oct. 5 at Cliff Keen Arena. It was the fourth win in the last 10 meetings between the teams, but Michigan is 0-22 against OSU in Columbus. Ohio State has won five of its last seven matches. The Buckeyes enter the weekend 11-10 overall and 5-7 in Big Ten play. Sophomore Stacey Gordon, the 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, leads the team on offense with 5.77 kills per game and 0.35 service aces per game and on defense with 3.43 digs per game. She is fifth in the nation in kills per game (5.95) in the latest NCAA rankings (Oct. 27). Head coach Jim Stone has a record of 470-280 in 24 years as a head coach and is 420-238 in 20 years at OSU. Ohio State on the Internet: www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com
About Indiana
Michigan and Indiana are meeting for the 50th time in series history. Michigan has won the last three meetings, but Indiana leads the series with a 30-18-1 record. The Hoosiers are 16-8 overall and 6-6 in the Big Ten and have won five of their last seven to move into a tie for sixth in the conference standings. Sophomore Christina Archibald leads the team with an average of 4.38 kills per game, and sophomore setter Victoria Zimmerman is averaging 13.68 assists per game. Zimmerman is seventh in the nation with an average of 13.64 assists per game in the latest NCAA rankings (Oct. 27). On defense, senior Hillary Toivonen has played as the libero and digs an average of 3.09 attacks per game, while sophomore Katie Pollom blocks an average of 1.12 attacks per game. Head coach Katie Weismiller has an overall record of 205-173 in 12 years as a collegiate head coach and a record of 155-149 in 10 years at Indiana. Indiana on the Internet: www.iuhoosiers.com
Michigan Moves into Tie for Second in Big Ten with Weekend Sweep
Michigan defeated then-No. 25 Michigan State (Oct. 20) and then-No. 11 Penn State (Nov. 2) last weekend to move into a tie with No. 13 Wisconsin and the Nittany Lions for second place in the Big Ten standings. The Wolverines captured the State Pride Series outright by defeating the Spartans 3-1 (30-24, 30-27, 24-30, 30-18) to sweep the two-match season series. Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) led all players with 17 kills as U-M captured its first win at Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Mich., since 1993. Chantel Reedus (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) and Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) added 16 and 12 kills, respectively, while setter Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS) recorded a match-high 56 assists and team-high 14 digs. Michigan closed out the weekend and captured its fourth consecutive win with a 3-2 (31-29, 38-30, 30-20, 15-30, 15-10) victory over PSU at Cliff Keen Arena. Gandolph, Moore and Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) recorded kill-dig double-doubles and combined for 48 kills, 45 digs and 10 blocks. The crowd of 1,515 was the sixth largest for a volleyball match at Cliff Keen Arena.
Two in a Row... Gandolph is Big Ten Player of the Week
For the second consecutive week, the Big Ten Player of the Week for volleyball is a Michigan Wolverine. Sophomore Jennifer Gandolph became the ninth Wolverine to earn the honor just one week after teammate Erin Moore won the award (Oct. 28). Gandolph earned the honor for her efforts against then-No. 25 Michigan State (Oct. 30) and then-No. 11 Penn State (Nov. 2). She led all attackers with 17 kills against the Spartans and 22 kills against the Nittany Lions. Her 22 kills against PSU were one less than her career high and marked the fifth time this season she has recorded 20 or more kills in a match. She also posted her 13th double-double of the season by adding 16 digs against Penn State. Gandolph tallied four block assists at MSU, one less than her career high for block assists and total blocks in a match. Gandolph recorded 4.33 kills per game in the two matches to increase her season kills per game to 3.95.
First Time for Everything
The selections of Erin Moore (Oct. 28) and Jennifer Gandolph (Nov. 4) for the Big Ten Player of the Week mark the first time two Michigan volleyball players have earned the conference honor in the same season. Prior to this year, seven Wolverines had combined to win the award eight times, with Linnea Mendoza (1994-97) as the only Michigan player to earn the award more than once in their career (Dec. 2, 1996 and Oct. 7, 1997).
Votes Again
Michigan received 97 points, the 27th highest total, in the latest USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll (Nov. 4). It is the third time this season U-M has received votes, as the Wolverines received 10 points in the USA Today/AVCA preseason poll (Aug. 12) and two points in the Oct. 7 poll.
Working Overtime
Michigan's match against then-No. 11 Penn State on Saturday night (Nov. 2) was just the second five-game match this season for the Wolverines. The only other time U-M has gone the distance was a 3-2 (24-30, 30-26, 26-30, 30-21, 15-9) loss to then-No. 22 Santa Clara (Sept. 14) at the Nebraska U.S. Bank/Arby's Classic.
Nearing Uncharted Territory
Head coach Mark Rosen has helped Michigan increase its number of conference wins each of the three years he has been in charge of the program. The Wolverines won seven Big Ten matches in 1999, eight in 2000 and nine in 2001. Through 12 of 20 conference matches this season, U-M has won eight times.
Nearing Unfamiliar Territory
Michigan has won 10 or more Big Ten matches just four times in 20 years of conference play. The squad won 10 conference matches in 1991 under the guidance of Peggy Bradley-Doppes, while Greg Giovanazzi led the Wolverines to 11 Big Ten wins in 1992 and 1995 and a school-record 13 conference wins in 1997.
Streaks
Michigan has a four-match winning streak heading into this weekend's matches at Ohio State (Nov. 8) and at Indiana (Nov. 9). The last time Michigan won five consecutive matches was last year from Sept. 28 against Iowa to Oct. 9 against Oakland. U-M has never won five consecutive Big Ten matches in 20 years of conference play. The Wolverines' longest winning streak in program history was a 12-match stretch from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3 during the 1981 season. That run included two matches against a two-year school (Schoolcraft Community College) and occurred during a season in which Michigan played 54 matches.
Thank You for Your Support
A season-high 1,515 fans saw Michigan upset then-No. 11 Penn State on Saturday (Nov. 2). That was the first time in five years that more then 1,500 fans have attended a volleyball match at Cliff Keen Arena. The last time U-M reached the mark was Oct. 3, 1997, when a record 2,346 fans packed Keen to see the Wolverines knock off 16th-ranked Michigan State 3-1 (13-15, 15-9, 15-3, 15-9).
Keep the Home Fire Burning
Michigan is a perfect 9-0 this season at Cliff Keen Arena and is the only team in the Big Ten to remain undefeated at home. Dating back to a 3-0 (30-17, 30-20, 30-21) sweep of Northwestern on Nov. 10, 2001, the Wolverines are 11-1 in their last 12 at home. Including all of 2001, U-M is 20-3 at home in the last two years.
Nearing Record for Consecutive Home Victories
Michigan's 9-0 mark at Cliff Keen Arena this season ties the second-longest home winning streak in school history. Set between Nov. 5, 1983, and Sept. 25, 1984, the nine-match streak includes five best-of-three tournament matches, one of which was against a two-year school (Lake Michigan Community College). If U-M wins its next home match (vs. Minnesota, Nov. 15), it will tie the longest home winning steak at 10 consecutive victories. The record streak was set from Sept. 8 to Sept. 25, 1983, and includes seven best-of-three tournament matches.
Pair of Wolverines in National Rankings
Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS) and Lisa Gamalski both appear in the latest NCAA rankings (Oct. 27). Lehman remained 30th in the country with an average of 1.37 blocks per game. Ivana Kuzmic of Arkansas-Little Rock took over the top spot with 2.08 blocks per game. Gamalski moved up three spots to 11th in the nation in assists per game with an average of 13.24. Santa Clara's Kelli Sousa leads the way with an average of 14.70 assists per game.
Michigan in the National Rankings
Michigan is nationally ranked in three categories -- kills per game, assists per game and blocks per game -- in the latest NCAA rankings (Oct. 27). U-M jumped six spots to move into 15th in kills per game (16.68) and moved up nine spots to 13th in assists per game (15.13). In blocks per game, Michigan is tied with Texas for 26th with an average of 2.78. No. 13 Wisconsin, which is second with 17.62 kills per game and fourth with 15.93 assists per game, is the only team in the Big Ten ranked higher than U-M in those two categories.
Kills per game 1 Hawai'i 18.34 15 Michigan 16.68 Assists per game 1 Hawai'i 16.97 13 Michigan 15.13 Blocks per game 1 Notre Dame 3.79 26 Michigan 2.78 Texas 2.78
Balanced Attack
Michigan has had at least three players reach double digits in kills in 16 of 22 matches this season. Twice -- Alabama (Sept. 13) and then-No. 11 Penn State (Nov. 2) -- Michigan has had five of its six starters reach double-digit kills. In each of those matches, setter Lisa Gamalski, the only one not to reach double digits, chipped in with four kills. At Iowa (Sept. 27), four Wolverines reached double-digit kills, with Erin Moore and Jennifer Gandolph each posting a match-high 21 kills.
Blocking Bonanza
Michigan is on pace to have its best blocking year ever. The Wolverines have played just over 70 percent of their matches and have 362 block assists and 220 team blocks. If the team maintains the current pace, it will break the current school record of 466 block assists set in 2000 and approach the record of 304.5 team blocks set in 1988.
Haven't I Seen This Before
Five of Michigan's six starters this season -- Katrina Lehman, Jennifer Gandolph, Erin Moore, Chantel Reedus and Nicole Poquette -- were regular starters during the 2001 season. The sixth starter, sophomore setter Lisa Gamalski, played in 16 of the team's 27 matches last season and started seven times.
Lehman Blocks Her Way to the Top of the Record Book
Katrina Lehman became Michigan's all-time blocks leader with a block assist in the fourth game of the match against Indiana (Oct. 4). She entered the season sixth on the list but now stands first with 426 career blocks. Lehman passed Julia Sturm (375, 1987-90) for the all-time record. Lehman also holds the block assists career record with 379, having passed Linsey Ebert (305, 1995-98) for the school record.
More Blocking Records in Lehman's Future
Katrina Lehman, U-M's career blocks (426) and block assists (379) leader, is on track to break the records for most blocks in a single season and in a conference season. She currently has 110 blocks and is headed for the mark of 132 set by Lindsey Ebert in 1997. In Big Ten play, Lehman has 61 blocks and should come close to the record of 100 blocks in a conference season which she set last year.
Not Just a Setter
Lisa Gamalski was not a setter when she started playing volleyball, and it shows. She leads the team in attack percentage and is second in digs per game. She has recorded 98 kills with just 29 errors in 240 attempts for a .287 attack percentage. Her hitting percentage had been above .300 for much of the season, but she suffered her first negative hitting game with one attack and two errors in seven chances against then-No. 9 Penn State (Oct. 11). On defense, Gamalski has 218 digs for an average of 2.72 per game, second to Jennifer Gandolph's 269 digs and 3.36 digs per game.
Postseason Reputation
Michigan head coach Mark Rosen has been to the NCAA Tournament in eight of his 10 seasons as a collegiate head coach. His California State-Bakersfield and Northern Michigan teams participated in the NCAA Division II Championship tournament six times, and he led to U-M to the NCAA Division I Championship tournament in his first two seasons at the helm of the Wolverines. The only two years he has not participated in the tournament were 1998 as the head coach at Boise State and last season at Michigan.
Bring It On
The 2002 volleyball schedule includes 19 matches against nine teams which appeared among the top 25 and other four teams which received votes in the USA Today/AVCA preseason poll (Aug. 12). U-M faced then-No. 8 Pepperdine in the first weekend of the season, and then played preseason No. 2 Nebraska and preseason No. 24 Santa Clara at the Nebraska U.S. Bank/Arby's Classic (Sept. 13-14). The final non-conference match was at preseason No. 25 Notre Dame. Five Big Ten schools were also ranked in the preseason poll -- No. 9 Ohio State, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 15 Michigan State, No. 16 Penn State and No. 19 Illinois. No. 7 Minnesota, which received votes in the preseason poll, has climbed as high as No. 6. In addition, Indiana has received votes twice (Sept. 30 and Oct. 21) and Northwestern received votes in the Oct. 28 USA Today/AVCA poll.
Serving Up Europe!
Michigan volleyball is planning a trip to Europe for the spring of 2003. The trip will be a chance for the athletes to compete against some of the best volleyball players in the world and experience the unique cultures in the countries they will visit. In an effort to help pay their own way, the team organized the Serving Up Europe! fund-raising program. Friends, family and fans of the program can sponsor an amount to donate for every Michigan service ace this season. Based on last season's 136 aces, a commitment of 25 cents per ace would equal a $34 donation. The team is also planning a winter volleyball camp for adults to help raise money. To sponsor the team, call coach Mark Rosen at 734-647-3035 or speak with him following a match.
Preseason Award
Erin Moore was selected to the 2002 preseason All-Big Ten volleyball team. She is the first Wolverine to be selected for the preseason all-conference squad since Sarah Jackson (1994-97) earned the honor prior to the 1997 season.
Moore Takes on Role of Captain
Erin Moore will serve as the captain of the 2002 Michigan volleyball team.
Big Ten Standings (Through 11/3/02)
Big Ten Overall 1. Minnesota 11-1 .917 24-3 .889 2. Penn State 8-4 .667 18-5 .783 Wisconsin 8-4 .667 17-6 .739 MICHIGAN 8-4 .667 14-8 .636 5. Michigan State 7-5 .583 15-7 .682 6. Indiana 6-6 .500 16-8 .667 Northwestern 6-6 .500 13-11 .542 8. Ohio State 5-7 .417 11-10 .524 9. Illinois 4-8 .333 10-11 .476 10. Iowa 2-10 .167 8-14 .364 11. Purdue 1-11 .083 11-14 .440
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
