Weekly Release #9
10/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
This Week's Schedule
Michigan (9-8, 3-5 Big Ten) vs. Northwestern (11-7, 2-6 Big Ten)
Friday, Oct. 22 7 p.m. Cliff Keen Arena Rock the House
Michigan (9-8, 3-5 Big Ten) vs. #7 Wisconsin (15-2, 7-1 Big Ten)
Saturday, Oct. 23 7 p.m. Cliff Keen Arena
Radio/Internet: Both matches will air LIVE on MGoBlue.com (subscription) and WCBN 88.3 FM will carry Friday night's match against Northwestern.
ROCK THE HOUSE ...
Friday night's match with Northwestern is Michigan's annual Rock The House night where the Wolverine faithful pack Cliff Keen Arena for prizes, fun and great Big Ten volleyball action. This year's Rock The House features a commemorative Rock the House t-shirt giveaway and a Kid Rock look-a-like contest. The Wolverines are 11-2 during Rock The House nights and have won each of the last 10 years on Rock The House night. This season will be the first time Northwestern faces Michigan on Rock The House night.
Don't Forget to Come Out on Saturday ...
Come and watch the Wolverines face No. 7 Wisconsin on Saturday night at 7 p.m. and take part in a pre-match youth clinic and a post-match autograph session. The Wolverines will be giving away free team cards during the match and then the entire team will sign autographs after the match with the Badgers. Fans are also admitted to the volleyball match free with a hockey ticket for the Michigan/Michigan State tilt later that night.
The Scouting Report ...
An Inside Look at Northwestern (Michigan leads the series, 29-21)
Northwestern struggled last season with a 10-20 overall record, posting a 5-15 Big Ten mark and finishing ninth in the conference, but under Keylor Chan, the Wildcats have had 17 and 18 win seasons and are currently ahead of Illinois and Michigan State in the conference rankings. The Wildcats knocked off Illinois and Indiana in conference play so far and upset then-No. 20 Georgia Tech early in the preseason. Michigan has won each of the last five meetings, while Michigan head coach Mark Rosen has only lost to Wildcats twice in 12 meetings. Northwestern ranks near the bottom half of the Big Ten in all statistical categories except service aces, where the Wildcats list fifth with 1.52 aces per game. Michigan swept Northwestern in a pair of 3-0 matches in 2004, led by 15 kills from Katie Bruzdzinski in the second meeting and 13 total kills in two matches by Megan Bowman.
An Inside Look at Wisconsin (Wisconsin leads the series, 37-14)
Behind undefeated Penn State, Wisconsin is second in the Big Ten with a 7-1 record in conference play, dropping its lone conference match to the Nittany Lions in Madison. Wisconsin's only other loss on the season came at Missouri on Sept. 10. The Badgers are the only Big Ten program to foil head coach Mark Rosen -- winning each of the last 17 meetings. Michigan's last win over Wisconsin came in the first meeting of 1996 -- a nine year drought. In 2004, Erin Cobler nailed 15 and 12 kills in two meetings with the Badgers, while Danielle Pflum tallied 15 and nine terminations in a 3-1 loss in Madison and a 3-0 loss at home. Wisconsin is predicatably near the top of the Big Ten in several statistical rankings, heading the conference in blocks (3.65), while second in digs (16.85), hitting percentage (.275) and opponent hitting percentage (.124).
This Week's Storylines ...
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 499-511 record.
Records Can Be Deceiving
Seven of Michigan's eight losses have come to teams that have appeared or currently reside in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll., including four defeats to teams currently in the top 10.
Big Ten Parity
Nearly halfway into the Big Ten season 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. Michigan is currently tied for sixth place in the conference with Iowa.
Draves Debuts
Filling in this weekend, sophomore Sarah Draves played all three games at Ohio State (Oct. 15), recording a career-best 10 kills and adding two digs. Draves tallied two kills the previous night at Penn State giving her 12 kills on the weekend -- or 150% more than her previous collegiate career total. Draves has played in just 11 matches in her career, tallying 20 kills.
Bowman Chasing the Blocking Record
Junior Megan Bowman sits seventh on the all-time blocks list with 348 rejections. She needs seven blocks to climb to sixth place and 16 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.
Katie Bruzdzinski Stars in Terminator 4
Sophomore Katie Bruzdzinski is fifth in the conference in kills, averaging 3.93 terminations per game. Bruzdzinski is also tied for eighth in the Big Ten in service aces with 0.35 per game.
Martin Making Her Mark
Freshman Mara Martin leads all Big Ten freshman setters and is fifth in the conference with 12.48 assists per game.
Selsky is Digging 'Em Up Some
Sophomore Stesha Selsky is second in the conference with 5.43 digs per game, moving ahead of Michigan State's Nicole Colaluca after the weekend. Three-time All-American Paula Gentil leads the conference with 5.71 digs per game.
Miller Blocks With the Best
Sophomore Lyndsay Miller stands sixth in the Big Ten in blocks per game, tallying 1.35 rejections per game through 17 matches. 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. Bruzdzinski currently has 591 kills in her career -- second-most on the current roster.
Miller and Selsky Play in 50th Matches
Sophomores Lyndsay Miller and Stesha Selsky each competed in their 50th-career matches this weekend when Michigan took on Ohio State (Oct. 15).
Happy Birthday to You
Junior Danielle Pflum celebrates her birthday on Sunday (Oct. 23).
Wolverine Streaks
Sophomore Stesha Selsky has recorded double-digit digs in each of the last eight matches, including four 20+ dig outings in that span ... After seeing her first collegiate action vs. Purdue, freshman Elizabeth Raschke has competed in three straight matches.
Wolverine Streaks Snapped
Junior Danielle Pflum's streak of consecutive matches with double-digit kills ended at six when she sat at Penn State (Oct. 14).
Michigan Milestones
Freshman Kerry Hance tallied the 100th dig of her career this past weekend against Ohio State (Oct. 15).
Milestones Upcoming
Junior Megan Bowman is two blocks shy of 350 in her career and seven blocks away from sixth all-time ... Michigan volleyball is one win shy of 500 in program history ... Junior Megan Bowman needs two kills to hit 500 for her career ... Sophomore Stesha Selsky needs 11 digs to record the 10th-most single-season digs in program history. She is also 22 digs shy of the ninth-most single-season digs ... Sophomore Lyndsay Miller is nine blocks shy of tallying 250 in her career ... Sophomore Stesha Selsky is 22 digs away from tallying 750 in her career ... Sophomore Lyndsay Miller needs 26 kills to hit the 500 mark in her career ... Sophomore Katie Bruzdzinski will play in her 50th-career match against Northwestern (Oct. 21), while junior Megan Bowman will make her 75th-career start and senior/junior Erin Cobler will play in her 75th consecutive match.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
Despite the result at Penn State this past weekend, the ESPN2 broadcast of the Michigan/Penn State match was very well done. Coach Rosen and his charges showed their athleticism and class in a hard-fought match. It had been a while since Michigan graced the ESPN airwaves, which is why last week I asked "When is the last time Michigan volleyball appeared on one of the ESPN networks (which include ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNU)"
The correct answer was 1996. November 16, 1996 to be exact. On that day, ESPN2 carried the Michigan/Ohio State match live from Cliff Keen Arena. It was the first Michigan volleyball match to be televised on national television and, sadly, the Wolverines lost to the 11th ranked Buckeyes, 3-1.
For the first time all year there were no correct answers to the Trivia Challenge. Kevin Thomas did take a guess that Michigan had never appeared on the ESPN family of networks before, but no one else took a stab at it. Here is photographic proof that Michigan did appear on national TV during the Linnea Mendoza era and that ESPN2's old graphic looked kind of silly.
This week's question is also a difficult one. Sophomore Sarah Draves had a breakout match against Ohio State last weekend, recording a career-high 10 kills -- well above her previous best of three. Draves has already made Michigan history by being the tallest U-M volleyballer ever to don the Maize and Blue. So, "Who is the second tallest player in Michigan volleyball history" There is only one answer to this stumper, so don't expect there to be multiple athletes who tie for second. As always, best of luck.
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
