Weekly Release #3
9/11/2001 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Wednesday, Sept. 12 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 7 p.m. EST/CDT
Fri-Sat., Sept. 14-15 -- host Michigan Nike Invitational (Cliff Keen Arena)
Sept. 14 -- Montana vs. Virginia Tech, 11 a.m.
Sept. 14 -- Michigan vs. Central Michigan, 2 p.m.
Sept. 14 -- Central Michigan vs. Virginia Tech, 5 p.m.
Sept. 14 -- Michigan vs. Montana, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 -- Montana vs. Central Michigan, 5 p.m.
Sept. 15 -- Michigan vs. Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 21 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 7 p.m. CDT
Saturday, Sept. 22 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 7 p.m. CDT
Wolverines Head to Notre Dame ...
The University of Michigan volleyball team (3-3, 0-0 Big Ten) plays a mid-week match at No. 23 Notre Dame on Wednesday (Sept. 12) at the Joyce Center before hosting its second consecutive home tournament, the Michigan Nike Invitational, this weekend (Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15). The Wolverines take a three-match winning streak to South Bend, Ind., after defeating Pittsburgh, Eastern Michigan and Georgia to win the Pepsi Volleyball Challenge last weekend (Sept. 7-8). In the series with Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish lead the series 6-3; however, Michigan has won the last two matches between the teams.
... and Return to Host the Michigan Nike Invitational
The Wolverines welcome Central Michigan, Montana and Virginia Tech to the Michigan Nike Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 14-15). For the Hokies, this is their first trip to Ann Arbor for volleyball, while Central Michigan and Montana have both faced Michigan in Cliff Keen Arena. The action begins on Friday at 11 a.m. with Montana and Virginia Tech facing off. Michigan opens the tournament with a match against Central Michigan at 2 p.m. Following a match between Central Michigan and Virginia Tech at 5 p.m., Michigan returns to the court to face Montana at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Montana and Central Michigan play at 5 p.m., with Michigan and Virginia Tech closing the tournament at 7:30 p.m.
Meet the Wolverines
Members of the 2001 volleyball squad will be signing autographs at the Michigan Experience prior to the football game on Saturday (Sept. 15). From 10-11 a.m., fans can meet the team and get autographs while taking in the football pregame atmosphere. The Michigan Experience is located in the South Blue lot, off of Stadium Blvd., across from the U-M Golf Course.
Keep the Good Times Rolling with Free Admission to Volleyball
Help pack Cliff Keen Arena to cheer on the Wolverines in their match against Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 15). Fans with a ticket stub from the afternoon football game against Western Michigan will receive free admission to the volleyball match just by showing their ticket stub.
Get to Keen Early for Prizes
The first 250 fans to arrive at Cliff Keen Arena on Friday for the match against Montana at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday for the match against Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. will receive free Nike water bottles.
Michigan Nike Invitational History
This is the first season for the Michigan Nike Invitational. The Wolverines hosted seven tournaments called the Michigan Invitational over a span of six years (1979-1984), but that tournament gave way to the annual Volleyball Challenge matches which started in 1993. This marks the first year that the Wolverines have hosted two home tournaments in the same year since they hosted two Michigan Invitationals in 1979.
Unfamiliar Territory
Central Michigan and Montana have each played volleyball against Michigan in Ann Arbor, but it has been a while. Montana participated in the 1997 All Sport Challenge, while the Chippeawas haven't been to Cliff Keen Arena since a regular-season match in 1989. Virginia Tech has never played volleyball in Ann Arbor, as both games in the series history took place in Blacksburg, Va.
But First, Notre Dame
Michigan takes a three-match winning streak to South Bend, Ind., to face the Fighting Irish. The Wolverines trail the all-time series 3-6 but have won the last two matches between the schools. In 1999, current junior middle blocker Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Marian HS) came off the bench to hit .296 (12-4-27) and help Michigan snap a six-match series winning streak by the Irish. Last season, Michigan swept then-No. 21 Notre Dame 3-0 at Cliff Keen Arena. Sarah Behnke led the way with an attack percentage of .650 (14-1-20).
Associate Head Coach Leisa Rosen Honored by Alma Mater
Michigan associate head coach Leisa Rosen is one of 14 former Ohio State athletes who will be inducted to the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday (Sept. 14). Rosen, then Leisa Wissler, lettered for the Buckeyes from 1988-91. During her career, she led OSU to its first two Big Ten Conference titles and its first three NCAA Championship tournament appearances. Following her senior season, in which she led the Buckeyes to the national semifinals, she was selected as Big Ten Player of the Year for volleyball and the Ohio State Female Athlete of the year as well as being named to the All-America first team.
Back for Moore
Sophomore Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) earned a spot on the Pepsi Volleyball Challenge all-tournament team as the MVP of the tournament. She posted 39 kills on 58 attempts, registered an attack percentage of .379 and added 31 digs and 10 total blocks in the three matches. She was also an all-tournament selection at the Hawaiian Airlines Classic (Aug. 31-Sept. 2).
Moore Not Alone
Three other Wolverines joined Erin Moore on the Pepsi Volleyball Challenge all-tournament team. Also selected by the head coaches of the four teams were Katrina Lehman, Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS) and Chantel Reedus (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS). Lehman led the Wolverines with 35 kills and 19 total blocks, while Gamalski led the team with 120 assists and Reedus hit .368 with 28 kills and four total blocks.
Big Time
Freshman Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) had a break-out weekend in the Pepsi Volleyball Challenge. Over the three-match tournament, she recorded a .458 attack percentage and was second on the team with 31 kills in 10 matches. She led the team in digs with 38 and added three block solos and three block assists to her totals. Making her accomplishment even more notable is the timing of several of her kills. Against Georgia (Sept. 8), she recorded three consecutive kills at the end of game one to give Michigan a 31-29 victory.
Tournament Tidbits
The three wins in the Pepsi Volleyball Challenge gave Michigan its second consecutive title in the annual tournament ... As a team, the Wolverines hit .384 (165-42-320) while holding the opposition to just .149 (121-71-335) in the three matches ... Against Eastern Michigan, the Wolverines hit .512 as a team ... Michigan recorded double-digit team blocks in each match (Pittsburgh, 11; Eastern Michigan, 10; Georgia, 13) for a total of 34 ... Michigan's opponents tallied just eight team blocks ... Senior Annie Maxwell (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) entered the match against Eastern Michigan (Sept. 8) and killed all seven of her attack attempts ... Senior Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS) entered seven games, primarily to serve, and did her job, recording three service aces ... Also playing two matches was senior Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS), who posted 16 assists and killed her only attempt ... Katrina Lehman with 15 and Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) with 13 each totaled double-digit block assists in the tournament ... Lehman added four block solos for 19 total blocks ... Eight of the 10 Wolverines who saw action in the tournament posted attack percentages of at least .364.
Working the Net
Michigan has controlled the net, posting 52 team blocks in six matches this season. While the Wolverines are tied with their opponents with 10 block solos this season, Michigan has recorded 84 block assists to the opponents total of just 41.
Co-Captains
The 2001 Michigan volleyball team has co-captains leading the squad, seniors Annie Maxwell and Shannon Melka. Melka was a captain in 2000 as a junior as well.
USA Today/AVCA Top 25 (9/10/01)
Rank, School (1st-place) Points Record Prev 1. Nebraska (38) 1595 6-1 1 2. Long Beach State (26) 1581 5-0 2 3. Arizona (1) 1434 5-0 5 4. Stanford 1379 6-0 9 5. Southern Cal 1316 4-1 6 6. Penn State 1254 6-1 4 7. Pacific 1240 8-1 8 8. UCLA 1232 5-1 7 9. Wisconsin 1180 6-2 3 10. Florida 1015 4-1 11 11. Colorado State 982 6-0 12 12. Hawaii 875 4-4 10 13. Pepperdine 724 4-2 15 Brigham Young 724 5-1 16 15. Ohio State 670 7-0 17 16. Texas A&M 627 6-1 18 17. Minnesota 538 6-2 14 18. Cal-Santa Barbara 516 2-3 13 19. South Carolina 451 6-0 21 20. Santa Clara 400 7-1 24 21. Utah 278 4-2 19 22. Kansas State 257 4-2 22 23. Notre Dame 225 3-3 20 24. Northern Iowa 187 6-0 NR 25. Texas 133 5-1 25
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
