Weekly Release #8
10/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
This Week's Schedule
Michigan (9-6, 3-3 Big Ten) at No. 4 Penn State (15-2, 6-0 Big Ten) (ESPN2)
Friday, Oct. 14 7 p.m. Rec Hall
Michigan (9-6, 3-3 Big Ten) at No. 19 Ohio State (10-5, 3-3 Big Ten)
Saturday, Oct. 15 7 p.m. Jenison Field House
TV: ESPN2 will broadcast Friday night's match and air it Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m.
Radio/Internet: Both matches will air LIVE on MGoBlue.com (subscription).
The Scouting Report ...
An Inside Look at No. 4 Penn State (Penn State leads the series, 26-3)
Penn State is the toast of the Big Ten so far this season, remaining the only undefeated school in conference play and boasting wins over Wisconsin, Purdue and Ohio State. Penn State's only losses this year have come against No. 1 Nebraska and No. 3 Stanford. Head coach Mark Rosen has helped Michigan win two of the last 10 meetings, but the Wolverines have yet to defeat the Lions on their home court.
An Inside Look at No. 19 Ohio State (Ohio State leads the series, 44-10)
Michigan has won four of the last 10 meetings against the Buckeyes, but were swept in 2004 when OSU star Stacy Gordon downed the Wolverines, 3-1 in Columbus and 3-0 at home. Michigan and Ohio State are tied with three wins each in conference play, with the Buckeyes losing to Wisconsin, Penn State and Illinois, while downing Purdue, Indiana and Northwestern
This Week's Storylines ...
Rosen Coaching in His 450th-Career Match
U-M head coach Mark Rosen is coaching in the 450th match of his career.
Michigan One Win Shy of 500
The University of Michigan volleyball program is two victories shy of tallying 500 all-time wins. In 33 years of existence, Michigan volleyball has posted a 499-509 record.
Records Can Be Deceiving
Five of Michigan's six losses have come to teams that have appeared or currently reside in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll., including three defeats to teams currently in the top 10.
Big Ten Parity
Six matches into the Big Ten season and just one conference team sports a record below .500. In the chase for the Big Ten title, only one conference school (PSU) remains undefeated in conference play.
Bowman Chasing the Blocking Record
Junior Megan Bowman sits seventh on the all-time blocks list with 346 rejections. She needs nine blocks to climb to sixth place and 18 to move into fifth. Katrina Lehman is the all-time leader in blocks with 472, 40 more than the next-best total. If Bowman equals her 2004 block totals (143) she will finish her junior season in second place with 439 blocks.
Acing the Illini
Michigan's 12 service aces vs. Illinois (Oct. 7) were the most in a match since the Wolverines tallied 13 on September 17, 1999 against South Carolina.
Katie Bruzdzinski Stars in Terminator 4
Sophomore Katie Bruzdzinski is sixth in the conference in kills, averaging 3.81 terminations per game. Bruzdzinski is also fifth in the Big Ten in service aces with 0.39 per game. Three Big Ten athletes rank among the nation's top 30 in kills per game this season.
Martin Making Her Mark
Freshman Mara Martin leads all Big Ten freshman setters and is fourth in the conference with 12.44 assists per game.
Selsky is Digging Em Up Some
Sophomore Stesha Selsky is third in the conference with 5.41 digs per game, up a whopping 2.09 digs per game from her freshman year. Three-time All-American Paula Gentil leads the conference with 5.87 digs per game.
Miller Blocks With the Best
Sophomore Lyndsay Miller stands sixth in the Big Ten in blocks per game, tallying 1.43 rejections per game through 15 matches. Miller has improved her blocks per game by 0.12 this season from last. She finished second in the league in blocks per game (1.31) in 2004.
The Katie Bruzdzinski 500
Sophomore Katie Bruzdzinski reached the 500 kill milestone in Michigan's win over Michigan State, becoming the second-fastest Wolverine to hit the mark in program history. Bruzdzinski did it in 42 matches, while all-time kills leader Jennifer Gandolph completed the feat in 38 matches.
Rosen's 200th is Michigan's 150th
Head coach Mark Rosen coached his 200th match at the helm of the Maize and Blue in the match against Iowa, helping the Wolverines capture their 150th Big Ten Conference victory. Rosen is 114-89 at U-M and holds the best winning percentage in program history.
Bowman and Cobler Pass 75th-Match Mark
Senior/junior Erin Cobler and junior Megan Bowman each played in their 75th-career matches for the Wolverines in a weekend series with Iowa and Minnesota. The school record for most matches played is 128, set by Sarah Jackson (1994-97).
Wolverine Streaks
Senior/junior right side Erin Cobler has made 44 consecutive starts and has played in 72 consecutive matches -- both team highs ... Sophomore Lyndsay Miller has started 46 consecutive matches -- a team high ... junior Danielle Pflum has hit double-digits in kills each of the last six matches ... sophomore Stesha Selsky has recorded double-digit digs in each of the last six matches.
Wolverine Streaks Snapped
Senior Megan Knoebel saw action in 13 straight matches but her streak was snapped when she did not see the floor vs. Illinois (Oct. 7).
Michigan Milestones
Senior/junior Erin Cobler had a career-best 16 digs against No. 22 Purdue (Oct. 8) ... Freshman Elizabeth Raschke competed in her first collegiate match vs. No. 22 Purdue (Oct. 8) ... Freshman Kerry Hance had her first collegiate kill vs. No. 22 Purdue (Oct. 8).
Milestones Upcoming
Junior Megan Bowman is four blocks shy of 350 in her career and nine blocks away from sixth all-time ... Michigan volleyball is one win shy of 500 in program history ... Freshman Kerry Hance needs seven digs to reach 100 in her young career ... Junior Megan Bowman needs nine kills to hit 500 for her career ... Sophomores Stesha Selsky and Lyndsay Miller are two matches shy of their 50th collegiate appearances ... Sophomore Lyndsay Miller is 13 blocks shy of tallying 250 in her career ... Sophomore Stesha Selsky is 56 digs away from tallying 750 in her career ... Sophomore Lyndsay Miller needs 44 kills to hit the 500 mark in her career.
All The News That's Fit to Print ...
Bruzdzinski and Selsky Named Big Ten Players of the Week
Sophomore Katie Bruzdzinski was named Big Ten Player of the Week and sophomore Stesha Selsky was honored as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for their exploits against Eastern Michigan, Georgia and Georgia Tech last week. It was the first time since the Big Ten added the defensive player of the week honor that a school has monopolized the weekly awards. Bruzdzinski had career highs in kills and blocks last week, recording the second-most single-match kills in program history with 33 against Georgia. Selsky had a career-best 33 digs against Georgia (tied for third-most in a single match in U-M history) and added 27 digs against the Eagles. The honor was the first for both players and the first for Michigan since November of 2002 when Jennifer Gandolph earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
Three For the Record Books
Michigan's 3-2 victory over Georgia (Sept. 16) in the Georgia Invitational put three Wolverines into the record books for single-match kills, digs, assists and attempts. Below are the recordbreakers and their feats:
Katie Bruzdzinski - 33 kills (third most), 72 attempts (tied for third most)
Mara Martin - 81 assists (fourth most)
Stesha Selsky - 33 digs (tied for third most)
Bruzdzinski was the closest to setting a new school record, falling just one termination shy of equaling the program record (34 kills by Sarah Behnke in 1999). Bruzdzinski is the first Wolverine since Behnke to crack the 30-kill mark, while Martin is just one of three setters to top 80 assists.
Katie Bruzdzinski's Breakout Season
Sophomore Katie Bruzdzinski set the freshman record for most kills in a season in 2004 and has already installed herself in the record books, thanks to a 33-kill performance against Georgia (Sept. 16) -- the second-most single-match kills in program history. Bruzdzinski is just nine kills shy of 500-career terminations and at this pace will finish with over 400 kills on the year -- a feat only eight Wolverines have accomplished in 32 years of U-M volleyball.
Georgia Invitational Champions
Michigan captured its second-straight tournament of the season with wins over Georgia and Georgia Tech at the Georgia Invitational. U-M's, 3-2 win over the host Bulldogs and a 3-0 sweep of the Yellow Jackets paved the way for a season tourney crown (following the Michigan Pepsi/Nike Invitational title) and three spots on the all-tournament team.
Sophomores Katie Bruzdzinski and Lyndsay Miller and senior/junior Erin Cobler each earned their second all-tournament team honor in as many weeks. Bruzdzinski recorded 33 kills against Georgia and 17 against the Yellow Jackets, while totaling 17 digs in the tourney and hitting .327. Miller had a career-best 17 kills vs. the Bulldogs and seven vs. Georgia Tech, while totaling nine blocks. Cobler recorded 14 kills vs. Georgia and eight against Georgia Tech, hitting a career-best .667 against the Yellow Jackets. The all-tournament team honors are the third of each student-athlete's career.
Martin Sets For the First Time and Makes History Doing It
Sophomore/freshman setter Mara Martin is not only the first freshman setter to start a season opener for the volleyball program but at 6-2, she is the tallest setter in Wolverine volleyball history. The redshirt freshman is also one of only three setters in U-M history to record 80 or more assists in a single match, tallying 81 in a 3-2 win over Georgia (Sept. 16) for the fourth-most single-match assists in program history. Martin finished one assist behind Shannon Melka's (1998-2001) 82 at Pacific in 1999, four short of Melka's 84 vs. Houston in 2000 and 14 shy of Linnea Mendoza's (1994-97) 95 vs. Illinois in 1996. Mendoza is the all-time assists leader in U-M volleyball history (5,072), while Melka ranks third (4,582). Last year's starter, Lisa Gamalski, ranks second all-time with 4,762, but never recorded more than 73 assists in a single match in her career.
These Kids Like to Block
Michigan's 35 block assists against Illinois State (Sept. 10) fell two shy of the school record for most block assists in a single match. The record of 37 was set in 1989 against Bowling Green. Three Wolverines (Lyndsay Miller, Danielle Pflum and Mara Martin) had career bests for blocks against the Redbirds.
Speaking of Blocks
Sophomore Lyndsay Miller's 11 total blocks against Illinois State (Sept. 10) tie the fourth-best total in a single match in U-M history, and her 11 block assists tie her for third on the single-match list. The last Wolverine to record 11 blocks in a match was junior Megan Bowman vs. No. 11 Texas in the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
One More Hand For Lyndsay Miller
Sophomore Lyndsay Miller had the first double-double of her career with 16 kills and 11 blocks vs. Illinois State (Sept. 10). The 16 kills tie a career-high, equaling her total against Western Michigan in 2004.
Freshman Debut For Karpiak
Freshman middle blocker Beth Karpiak earned her first-career start in the season opener at Notre Dame (Aug. 27), leading U-M with three blocks and recording four kills in her collegiate debut. Katie Bruzdzinski and Lyndsay Miller were the only freshman opening night starters for the Wolverines in 2004 and both went on to set freshman records in their debut campaigns.
Super Happy Trivia Challenge ...
Though Saturday night's match against No. 22 Purdue was not what Wolverine fans wanted to see, last week's question had to do with the Boilermakers ... : "One member of the Illinois or Purdue volleyball family is very familiar with the U-M coaching staff. Who is this person and what is their relationship to Michigan volleyball"
The correct answer is Purdue assistant coach Kathy Jewell. Kathy played at Northern Michigan for Mark and Leisa Rosen and was a member of the Wildcats' 1994 NCAA Division II National Championship squad. She was a three-time captain for the Rosens and wrote her name all over the Northern Michigan recordbooks in four seasons of play.
Congratulations to Karen Draves, Kevin Thomas, Joe Bruzdzinski and (a name from WAYYYY back) JENNIFER GANDOLPH, who all answered the challenge correctly. By my count, Mr. Thomas appears in the winner's circle for the sixth time, while Mr. Bruzdzinski and Mrs. Draves (not a bad front row, if you ask me) take home their third invisible trophies. This is Jennifer Gandolph's first time on the medal podium and we hope she plays the rest of the season (we need someone to catch Kevin T!).
Now, with this week's match against Penn State being broadcast on ESPN2, I, for one, am making sure that I look my best for the national audience. The question is, when is the last time Michigan volleyball appeared on one of the ESPN networks (which include ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNU).
A new feature to the Michigan volleyball weekly release, the Super Happy Trivia Challenge is a chance for U-M volleyball fans to test their knowledge of the program, its players, its coaches and other random facts. Answers can be sent to rretyi@umich.edu and each winner will be recognized the following week in the weekly release.
Page Three ...
Michigan Welcomes Ed Tolentino
U-M Interim Assistant Coach Ed Tolentino joins the Wolverines for the 2005 campaign. Tolentino served as an assistant coach at Michigan State last season and has served as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan and as a head coach at Oakland University.
Captain Kirk Ain't Got Nothing on Them
Senior/junior Erin Cobler and sophomores Katie Bruzdzinski and Lyndsay Miller were named captains for the 2005 squad. Bruzdzinski and Miller are the first-ever sophomore captains in U-M volleyball history.
Michigan Seventh in the Preseason Polls
The Wolverines were voted seventh in the Big Ten Conference Preseason Poll, down one spot from their sixth-place finish in 2004.
2005 Freshman Class
Four freshmen join the Wolverines in 2005, including Liz Andary, Kerry Hance, Beth Karpiak, and Liz Raschke. Andary is a right side/outside hitter who was all-state third team and a Detroit News/Free Press All-Conference first team selection in 2005. Hance is a defensive specialist who won a national championship with her club team (Sports Shack Volleyball Club) and was selected to the California State Volleyball Tournament All-Tournament Team in her senior year of volleyball. She is also a former high school teammate of sophomore Stesha Selsky. Karpiak is a middle blocker who was named Suburban Life Player of the Year and Champaign News-Gazette All-State first team in 2005. Raschke is a setter who was a Michigan Miss Volleyball finalist and all-state first team selection in 2005.
Cliff Keen Arena Updates
After a record-setting season at Cliff Keen Arena, the Michigan volleyball program has added a brand new, state-of-the-art, full color scoreboard that displays video animations, scores, graphics and real-time stats during home matches.
Rosen Leads USA Selects in Argentina
Head coach Mark Rosen traveled to Argentina in June 2005 to coach a team of USA Selects, competing against the Argentina Junior National Team as well as a number of club and professional squads. A demanding 10-day schedule - including stops in Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Santa Fe - featured six matches in six different cities against some of the best volleyball players in Argentina.
Bruzdzinski and Bowman Tour Italy
Katie Bruzdzinski and Megan Bowman competed abroad this summer, playing with a group of United States collegiate selects on Team VolleyHut in the Sibillini Tournament in Comunaza, Italy, which will feature some of the top under-20 teams in Europe. Bowman and Bruzdzinski competed against some of the top under-20 teams in Europe, including three-time Slovakian champions Slavia Bratislava, Olomuc from the Czech Republic, Postar Belgrade from Serbia and Vasas Budapest from Hungary.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
