Weekly Release #12
11/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Nov. 15 -- vs. No. 6 Minnesota (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16 -- vs. Iowa (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 -- at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 7 p.m. CST
Complete Release in PDF (5 pages, 99.3 KB)
Wolverines Return Home for Tough Teams and Television
The University of Michigan volleyball team (14-10, 8-6 Big Ten) returns home to host the No. 6-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 15) in Cliff Keen Arena. The following night (Saturday, Nov. 16), the Wolverines face the Iowa Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. for a televised match. The contest will be shown tape-delayed at 4 p.m. Sunday (Nov. 17) on Fox Sports Chicago. U-M is looking forward to getting back to Cliff Keen for a match. The Wolverines are the only team in the Big Ten Conference undefeated at home, and their nine-match winning streak is just one shy of tying the school record for consecutive victories in Ann Arbor. Michigan had a four-match winning streak halted with a loss at Ohio State last Friday (Nov. 8) and dropped a five-game heartbreaker at Indiana on Saturday (Nov. 9). With a conference record of 8-6, the Wolverines are tied with Indiana for fourth place in the Big Ten 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.
Non-Perishable Food and Ticket Stubs Reduce Admission
Fans who donate a non-perishable food item at Friday's match (Nov. 15) against Minnesota will receive half-price admission ($2 for adults and $1 for kids). All items will help the efforts of the Food Gatherers of Ann Arbor. Fans who attend the football game against Wisconsin Saturday afternoon will receive free admission for the televised match against Iowa on Saturday (Nov. 16) just by showing their ticket stub.
About Minnesota
Michigan and Minnesota are meeting for the 43rd time in series history. Michigan trails in the series 7-35 and has won just once in the last eight meetings, a 3-1 (30-26, 30-27, 26-30, 30-27) victory on Sept. 29, 2001, at Cliff Keen Arena. The Gophers started the season unranked and picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten. However, they own an overall record of 26-3, are ranked No. 6 in the latest USA Today/America Volleyball Coaches Association poll (Nov. 11) and have taken a commanding lead in the conference standings with a 13-1 record. They enter the weekend with an eight-match winning streak and have won 19 of their last 20 matches. Minnesota's lone conference loss was a 3-2 (28-30, 30-28, 27-30, 30-22, 15-11) defeat by Illinois on Oct. 12 in Minneapolis, Minn., while its other two losses were to No. 1 Stanford on Aug. 24 and then-No. 9 Northern Iowa on Sept. 7. Junior Cassie Busse leads the offense with 4.09 kills per game, and setter Lindsey Vander Well averages 12.63 assists per game. Preseason All-Big Ten selection Bethany Brafford helps on defense with 1.22 blocks per game, while defensive specialist Paula Gentil contributes 4.39 digs per game. Head coach Mike Hebert has an overall record of 678-300 and a record of 166-64 in seven years at Minnesota.
Minnesota on the Internet: www.gophersports.com
About Iowa
Michigan and Iowa are meeting for the 45th time in series history. Iowa leads the series with a 30-14 record but has not won in its last seven matches in Ann Arbor. Michigan won the first meeting this season with a 3-1 (28-30, 30-22, 30-23, 30-18) victory on Sept. 27 in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 8-16 overall (2-12 Big Ten) and enter the weekend with an eight-match losing streak. Four juniors lead the way, as Renee Hill has a team-high 3.76 kills per game, Jitka Stehnova has 11.24 assists per game, Abby Tjaden blocks 1.20 attacks per game and Pam Kavadas, the only Hawkeye to play in all 86 games this season, digs 3.50 attacks per game. Head coach Rita Buck-Crockett has a 44-93 record in five years as a collegiate head coach, all at Iowa.
Iowa on the Internet: www.hawkeyesports.com
Michigan Falls to Fourth in Big Ten After Dropping Two Road Matches
Michigan's four-match winning streak came to a halt on Friday (Nov. 8) with a 3-1 (28-30, 30-20, 30-20, 30-28) loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Katrina Lehman (Bloomfield, Hills, Mich./Marian HS) and Nicole Poquette (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) led the Wolverines with 10 kills each, while Jennifer Gandolph (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) posted a team-high 11 digs. Setter Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial HS) tied her career high with nine kills and chipped in 36 assists. The Wolverines' usual hitting leaders struggled in the match, as Gandolph (7-5-31, .065), Chantel Reedus (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) (6-5-19, .053) and Erin Moore (Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS) (8-9-32, -.031) combined to hit just .024 (21-19-82). The following night (Saturday, Nov. 9), Gandolph led U-M with 21 kills and three other Wolverines added double-digit kills, but it was not enough to overcome the Indiana Hoosiers at the University Gymnasium in Bloomington, Ind. The five-game loss (30-19, 29-31, 26-30, 30-21, 15-13) dropped the Wolverines into a tie with Indiana for fourth place in the Big Ten Conference standings.
Votes Again
For the second consecutive week, Michigan received votes in the USA Today/AVCA poll (Nov. 11). The Wolverines collected 11 points this week, down from a season-high 97 points, the 27th highest total, in last week's poll (Nov. 4). This week marks the fourth 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
In Michigan's first 20 matches, it played in 10 three-game matches, nine four-game matches and one five-game match. However, each of the last four contests have taken four or five games to complete.
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 14 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.
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. In that span, Michigan has upset five ranked opponents, including each of the last three ranked foes (No. 16 Ohio State, Oct. 5; No. 18 Michigan State, Oct. 9; No. 11 Penn State, Nov. 2) to enter Cliff Keen Arena.
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 other 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. 8-25, 1983, and includes seven best-of-three tournament matches.
First Time in Front Row for Ritchie
Carrie Ritchie (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison Comprehensive HS) played in the front row for the first time this season against Indiana (Nov. 9), filling in for Chantel Reedus, who saw limited action in the match due to an injury. Ritchie's debut as an attacker went well. She recorded 12 kills in 34 attempts with seven errors for a .147 hitting percentage. She also nailed down three service aces and contributed a team-high 14 digs in the match.
Lehman on Offense
Michigan's lone senior, Katrina Lehman, has been drawing attention for her blocking skills, but she has also been playing well on offense this season. She has posted double-digit kills in six of her last eight matches, including each of the last three. So far this season, she has recorded 10 or more kills in 11 of 24 matches. She posted a career-high 13 double-digit kill matches as a sophomore in 2000.
Making 20 or More Look Easy
Last season, Erin Moore and Jennifer Gandolph each had two matches in which they recorded 20 or more kills. So far this year the duo has combined for eight matches in which they have posted 20 or more kills. Moore has reached the mark twice, while Gandolph has done it six times, including two of the last three contests.
Pair of Wolverines in National Rankings
Katrina Lehman and Lisa Gamalski both appear in the latest NCAA rankings (Nov. 3). Lehman moved up one spot into a tie with Southwest Missouri State's Linette White for 29th in the country with an average of 1.38 blocks per game. Ivana Kuzmic of Arkansas-Little Rock took over the top spot with 2.09 blocks per game. Gamalski fell one spot to 12th in the nation in assists per game with an average of 13.25. Santa Clara's Kelli Sousa leads the way with an average of 14.64 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 (Nov. 3). U-M remained 15th in kills per game (16.58) but fell one spot to 14th in assists per game (15.10). In blocks per game, Michigan is tied with Akron for 30th with an average of 2.75. No. 14 Wisconsin, which is fourth with 17.49 kills per game and fifth with 15.77 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 18.31 15 Michigan 16.58 Assists per game 1 Hawai'i 16.86 14 Michigan 15.10 Blocks per game 1 Stanford 3.73 30 Michigan 2.75 Akron 2.75
Balanced Attack
Michigan has had at least three players reach double digits in kills in 17 of 24 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 one of its best blocking years ever. The Wolverines have played 80 percent of their matches and have 405 block assists and 244.5 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 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 439 career blocks. Lehman passed Julia Sturm (375, 1987-90) for the all-time record. Lehman also holds the block assists career record with 389, 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 (439) and block assists (389) leader, is on track to break the records for most blocks in a single season and in a conference season. She currently has 123 blocks and is headed for the mark of 132 set by Lindsey Ebert in 1997. In Big Ten play, Lehman has 74 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 111 kills with just 32 errors in 274 attempts for a .288 attack percentage. Her hitting percentage had been above .300 for the first half 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 233 digs for an average of 2.62 per game, second to Jennifer Gandolph's 289 digs and 3.25 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. Minnesota, which received votes in the preseason poll, has climbed to No. 6 in the latest poll (Nov. 11). In addition, Indiana has received votes three times (Sept. 30, Oct. 21 and Nov. 11) 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 11-10-02)
Big Ten Overall 1. Minnesota 13-1 .929 26-3 .897 2. Penn State 10-4 .714 20-5 .800 3. Wisconsin 9-5 .643 18-7 .720 4. Indiana 8-6 .571 18-8 .692 MICHIGAN 8-6 .571 14-10 .583 6. Michigan State 7-7 .500 15-9 .625 Ohio State 7-7 .500 13-10 .565 Northwestern 7-7 .500 14-12 .538 9. Illinois 5-9 .357 11-12 .478 10. Iowa 2-12 .143 8-16 .333 11. Purdue 1-13 .071 11-16 .407
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
