Weekly Release #5
9/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Friday, Sept. 27 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 7 p.m. CDT
Saturday, Sept. 28 -- at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 7 p.m. CDT
Friday, Oct. 4 -- vs. Indiana (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5 -- vs. #11 Ohio State (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Complete Release in PDF (5 pages, 114 KB)
Michigan Starts Conference Play on the Road
The University of Michigan volleyball team (6-4, 0-0 Big Ten) opens the Big Ten Conference season with a pair of road matches. The Wolverines kick things off with a match against the Iowa Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. CDT on Friday (Sept. 27) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. They face No. 8 Minnesota the following night (Saturday, Sept. 28) at 7 p.m. CDT at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minn. The Wolverines are looking for their first victory in a conference season opener since 1999.
About Iowa
Michigan and Iowa are meeting for the 44th time in series history. Iowa leads the series with a 30-13 record and has won the last three meetings in Iowa City. Iowa won the last meeting 3-1 (30-23, 23-30, 22-30, 25-30) on Nov. 3, 2001. The Hawkeyes are 6-4 but have dropped their last two matches, a 3-1 loss to Eastern Michigan and a 3-0 loss to No. 7 Northern Iowa. Iowa has played just one match at home this year, the season opener against Drake on Sept. 4. Freshman Echaka Agba leads the team with an average of 3.67 kills per game, junior Renee Hill is right behind her with an average of 3.32 kills per game, and junior setter Jitka Stehnova is averaging 11.48 assists per game. On defense, junior Pam Kavadas digs an average of 3.55 attacks per game and junior Abby Tjaden blocks an average of 1.16 attacks per game. Head coach Rita Buck-Crockett has a 42-81 record in five years as a collegiate head coach, all at Iowa. Iowa on the Internet: www.hawkeyesports.com
About Minnesota
Michigan and Minnesota are meeting for the 42nd time in series history. U-M trails in the series 7-34 but split the two matches last season. The Gophers have already played 15 matches this season, posting a 13-2 record. Three of their 13 wins have come against ranked opponents -- then-No. 8 Pepperdine, then-No. 7 UCLA, then-No. 20 North Carolina and No. 19 Santa Clara, while their only two losses were to then-No. 1 Stanford and then-No. 9 Northern Iowa. The Gophers have been pacing themselves, as senior defensive specialist Lisa Axel is the only player to have appeared in all 51 games this season. Junior Cassie Busse leads the offense with 4.28 kills per game. Preseason All-Big Ten selection Bethany Brafford is a two-way threat averaging 2.07 kills per game and 1.22 blocks per game. Head coach Mike Hebert has an overall record of 665-299 and a record of 153-63 in seven years at Minnesota. Minnesota on the Internet: www.gophersports.com
Wolverines Split Final Non-Conference Matches
Michigan displayed its finest hitting of the season with a .385 attack percentage (41-11-78) in a three-game sweep (30-17, 30-25, 30-21) of the Toledo Rockets on Thursday (Sept. 19) at Cliff Keen Arena. Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) and Chantel Reedus (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) each posted nine kills to lead the offense, while Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) posted a match-high seven blocks. Michigan put up 14 blocks, its second-highest total of the year, and held the Rockets to a .073 hitting percentage (31-24-96). On Saturday (Sept. 21), Gandolph drove home 20 kills and a season-high 17 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. However, it was not enough to help the Wolverines past Notre Dame at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish forced Michigan into its second-worst hitting night of the season (.175, 61-31-171) for a 3-1 victory (30-22, 30C24, 23-30, 30-20) in the Wolverines' final non-conference match.
The Big Ten Season
In the Big Ten preseason coaches poll, Michigan was selected to finish seventh. Last year, the Wolverines finished the conference season in seventh place with a record of 9-11, including a win over No. 17 Minnesota early in the year and a three-game sweep of No. 11 Penn State in mid-October. It marked the third consecutive season in which Michigan increased its number of conference victories from the previous year.
Opening the Big Ten Season
Traditionally, the Wolverines have not fared well when opening the Big Ten season. In 20 years of conference play, Michigan has a record of 5-15 in the first match of the conference season. Since dropping the league opener in each of the first nine years of conference play (1982-90), U-M has won five of the last 11 Big Ten season-opening matches. Head coach Mark Rosen is 1-2 in his three conference-opening matches.
Road Block
Michigan is 3-4 away from Cliff Keen this season. However, the squad is looking for its first victory over an opponent in their home gym, having lost at then-No. 8 Pepperdine, at then-No. 4 Nebraska and at Notre Dame.
Road Block II
Michigan has dropped its last five consecutive conference road matches. U-M's last win on the road against a Big Ten team was a 3-2 (30-25, 28-30, 30-28, 28-30, 15-11) triumph at Indiana on Oct. 13, 2001. The Wolverines posted a record of 2-8 on the road in conference play last year.
Mark Your Calendars for Rock the House
The 11th annual Rock the House is scheduled for Michigan's next home match, a showdown against Big Ten rival Indiana on Friday, Oct. 4. Year after year, Michigan fans pack Cliff Keen Arena to cheer on the Wolverines, who have won seven consecutive Rock the House matches. Rock the House is a chance for all Michigan volleyball fans to pack the stands and make Cliff Keen a place no team wants to play. The first 400 fans will receive free t-shirts, courtesy of Pepsi Blue. Following the contest, fans can pickup free team photo cards and meet their favorite Wolverines at an autograph session on the court.
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, members of 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 Rosen at 734-647-3035 or speak with him following a match.
One Blocking Record in the Books
Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS) recorded five block assists against Bowling Green (Sept. 10) to break the U-M record in the category. She passed Linsey Ebert (1995-98), who held the previous mark with 305 career block assists, for the school record. Lehman currently has 328 block assists.
Block Assist / Career
| 1. | Katrina Lehman (1999-present) | 328 |
| 2. | Linsey Ebert (1995-98) | 305 |
| 3. | Julia Sturm, 1987-90 | 303 |
| 4. | Sarah Jackson (1994-97) | 288 |
| 5. | Fiona Davidson (1990-93) | 268 |
Will the Other Fall This Weekend
Katrina Lehman is on track to become Michigan's all-time blocks leader. She entered the season sixth on the list but has moved up to third with 49 blocks so far this season. She now stands at 365 career blocks. Lehman needs two more to tie Kim Clover (1986-89) for second place and 10 more to tie Julia Sturm (1987-90) for the all-time record of 375 total blocks.
Total Blocks / Career
| 1. | Julia Sturm (1987-90) | 375 |
| 2. | Kim Clover (1986-89) | 367 |
| 3. | Katrina Lehman (1999-present) | 365 |
| 4. | Linsey Ebert (1995-98) | 355 |
| 5. | Sarah Jackson (1994-97) | 329 |
Blocking Bonanza
Michigan set a season high with 19.5 team blocks against then-No. 22 Santa Clara (Sept. 14). The Wolverines had not recorded that many team blocks since putting up 21.0 against Northwestern on Nov. 25, 2000. The team proved it wasn't a fluke with 14 team blocks against Toledo (Sept. 19), the second-highest total of the season.
Blocking Bonanza II
Michigan is on pace to have its best blocking year ever. The Wolverines have played just over one-quarter of their matches and have 180 block assists and 108 team blocks. If the team maintains the current pace, it will break the current school records of 466 block assists set in 2000 and 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 (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) and Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) -- were regular starters during the 2001 season. The sixth starter, sophomore setter Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS), played in 16 of the team's 27 matches last season and started seven times.
Setter Making Her Mark in the National Stats
Sophomore setter Lisa Gamalski has made a smooth transition in taking over the setting duties full-time for the 2002 season. She started this season by recording a then-career-high 55 assists against then-No. 8 Pepperdine (Aug. 31). She increased her career high to 63 assists in the match against Cincinnati (Sept. 6). Through Sept. 15, she was averaging 13.00 assists per game, the 18th-best average in the country. Missouri's Lindsey Hunter was in the top spot with 15.06 assists per game.
Michigan in the National Rankings (through Sept. 15)
Kills per game 1 Wisconsin 18.33 25 Michigan 16.47 Assists per game 1 Southern California 17.00 18 Michigan 14.93 Blocks per game 1 Notre Dame 3.89 16 Michigan* 2.97 * Highest-Ranked Big Ten School
Not Just a Setter
Lisa Gamalski was not a setter when she started playing volleyball, and it shows. She is third on the team in attack percentage and second in digs per game. She has recorded 42 kills with just 11 errors in 107 attempts for a .290 attack percentage. On the defensive side of the ball, Gamalski has 105 digs for an average of 2.84 digs per game, second to Jennifer Gandolph's 119 digs and 3.22 digs per game mark.
Balanced Attack
Michigan has had at least three players reach double digits in kills in seven of 10 matches this season. Against Alabama (Sept. 13), Michigan had five of its six starters reach double-digit kills, while setter Lisa Gamalski, the only one not to reach double digits, chipped in with four kills.
Century Mark at Keen Coming Up Fast
Michigan volleyball has posted a record of 95-79 (.546) in 14 years at Cliff Keen Arena. In each of the last two seasons, U-M has won a record 11 matches at home (11-4 in 2000; 11-3 in 2001). The team needs just five more wins to reach the century mark, making the Saturday, Oct. 26, match against Purdue the earliest possible date for the accomplishment.
Non-Conference Action Has Been Good to the Wolverines
Head coach Mark Rosen has the best non-conference winning percentage of any Michigan volleyball coach in the history of the program. His record of 30-11 is good for a .732 winning percentage. The next best career non-conference winning percentage is .689, held by Joyce Davis (42-19 from 1986-89).
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.
On the Radar Screen
Michigan received 10 points in the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 preseason poll (Aug. 12). The Wolverines were one of seven Big Ten Conference teams receive votes in the preseason polling.
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 opened the season with South Florida, which received votes, and then-No. 8 Pepperdine before returning home to face Cincinnati, which received votes. The team played preseason No. 2 Nebraska, preseason No. 24 Santa Clara and Alabama, which received votes, at the Nebraska U.S. Bank/Arby's Classic (Sept. 13-14). The final non-conference match was at preseason No. 25 Notre Dame. The Wolverines face preseason No. 9 Ohio State, preseason No. 10 Wisconsin, preseason No. 15 Michigan State, preseason No. 16 Penn State, preseason No. 19 Illinois and Minnesota, which received votes but is now ranked No. 8, for two matches each during the conference season.
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.
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
