Big 10 Volleyball news

[Barefoot In Kailua]

September 17, 2004 MGoBlue.com

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: Michigan def. Virginia Tech 3-0 (30-16, 30-18, 30-24)
Records: U-M (8-0)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sep. 17 -- vs. Western Michigan at Michigan/Nike Invitational (Cliff Keen Arena), 7:30 p.m.

Bruzdzinski Serves Eight Aces as U-M Improves to 8-0


ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball program set two school records in a 3-0 (30-16, 30-18, 30-24) win over Virginia Tech Friday morning (Sept. 17) in the opening match of the Michigan/Nike Invitational at Cliff Keen Arena. Freshman Katie Bruzdzinski (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) had a program-best eight service aces, leading U-M to only its second 8-0 start in school history.

Bruzdzinski added 12 kills and nine digs to her eight-ace effort, hitting .440 for the match. Michigan held the Hokies to just .051 hitting thanks to seven blocks from freshman Lyndsay Miller (Ida, Mich./Ida) and three blocks each from Megan Bowman (St. John, Ind./Lake Central), Lisa Gamalski (Milwaukee, Wis./Catholic Memorial) and Erin Cobler (Dexter, Mich./Dexter).

U-M's serving dominated game one as Bruzdzinski turned a close match into a 21-11 lead with four service aces to give the Wolverines the first game.

Freshman Stesha Selsky (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) found her serving touch in game two, recording an ace and forcing Virginia Tech into two ball handling errors to give U-M an early lead. Bruzdzinski added four aces to the cause, including service aces on the final two points to help U-M take game two.

Michigan will play Western Michigan in a nightcap at 7:30 p.m. tonight.


Q U O T E S

U-M Head Coach Mark Rosen
How significant is the team's 8-0 start? ... "I didn't know it until you just told me. I don't think it's significant at all. It's a different schedule every year. We're just trying to get better and worry about tonight's match."

What are the challenges of playing in-state non-conference rivals like WMU?... "This is going to be a big challenge for us. It's a big opportunity for them to come in and play against a Big Ten team. They've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. This is a match that they've probably got circled on their schedule. So I think it's going to be a tough match for us."

What has been the number one component of the team's early success? ..."There's a few things that I can point to as components of our success early in the season. Our work ethic--This team will work to improve every day. I like our chemistry. These girls feed off each other and communicate very well. Also our athleticism--We're a young team and as we get more experience the girls' athleticism can come into play."

Comment on the team's serving ..."We served well in the match as a team, but obviously Katie (Bruzdzinski) was a huge factor. She had one span where she served six or seven points in a row. In game three our serving dropped off somewhat, but with nine aces against seven errors that's pretty good."

N O T E S

• Katie Bruzdzinski set a school record for service aces in a match with eight against Virginia Tech. The previous best was held by Katrina Lehman and Sarah Jackson. Lehman recorded six aces in a five-game match against Michigan State in 2000 and Jackson hammered six aces against Notre Dame in 1996.

• U-M is 8-0 to start the season, tying a school record for perfect starts. No U-M team has begun a season 9-0.

• Michigan has taken 24 of 25 games this season.

• Jennifer Gandolph needs four digs to break the all-time school record.

[Barefoot In Kailua]

UW Badgers.com

Volleyball Hosts InnTowner Invitational

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin volleyball team (3-2) returns to the UW Field House this weekend as host to the InnTowner Invitational. Head coach Pete Waite goes for career win No. 400 as the Badgers take on Virginia (8-1) today at 7 p.m., with matches against Marshall (4-3) and Cincinnati (5-2) on Saturday. A complete schedule is below.

“It’s going to be a great challenge,” Waite said. “But for us, it’s more or less getting our act together on our side of the net, and I think if we create the tempo that we need to, we’re going to be fine.”<br>
Last weekend, the Badgers competed at the Kansas Invitational where they went 2-1 with wins over Denver and Rhode Island while their loss came to now-24th-ranked Kansas..

“I’d say between that weekend and the weekend before, we’re off to a good but not great start,” Waite said. “I think our underclassmen are doing very well. Actually, over the weekend, we at times had three freshmen and a sophomore on the court of our starting six. And this was the first time we also saw a new freshman, Taylor Reineke, step on court and do some great things in the middle blocker position.”<br>
Reineke had a career-high 10 kills against host Kansas, and posted three kills in each of Wisconsin’s other two games in the tournament. Reineke leads the team with a .433 hitting percentage.

This weekend’s tournament is the final tune-up before conference play for the Badgers, who open the Big Ten season against Ohio State and Penn State next weekend.

“We’re a team trying to find where we’re going to be before Big Ten play because have so many new kids out there,” Waite said. “The upperclassmen are learning to adjust with the young ones.”<br>
Waite is optimistic about the development of his young team and is confident about the remainder of Wisconsin’s schedule.

“They’re making progress and I like that and they’re very competitive,” Waite said. “They have great spirit and they’ve got great skills. So those things are good to start with, and then as they mature, it’s going to get better and better.”<br>

2004 INNTOWNER INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE

Friday Cincinnati vs. Marshall 5 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Virginia 7 p.m.
Saturday Cincinnati vs. Virginia 10 a.m.
Wisconsin vs. Marshall Noon
Marshall vs. Virginia 5 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Cincinnati 7 p.m.

All matches at the UW Field House.
Tickets are available at the gate: $5 for adults;
$3 for youth/senior citizens/students.

[Barefoot In Kailua]

Purdueexponent.org

Volleyball team ends preseason with mortar board tournament

www.purdueexponent.org/2004/09/17/images/Vball.jpg[/img]

Brent Drinkut/Photo Editor

Junior outside hitter Marie Franke and the volleyball team host the Mortar Board Premier tonight and Saturday.

By David Heckard
Senior Writer

The Purdue volleyball team concludes the pre-conference schedule this weekend at the Mortar Board Purdue Premier.

The tournament includes Central Michigan, East Tennessee State, Kentucky, and host Purdue. All matches will be played on Friday and Saturday at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility.

Freshman Sammi Mader, who had a career high in kills against Valparaiso on Tuesday, said her inaugural preseason has gone quickly.

"It’s gone well. It’s gone better than I expected," she said.

The Boilers begin at 7 p.m. today against Central Michigan.

The Chippewas (2-4) are led by senior Emily Lovejoy, who averages six kills and 3.41 digs per game.

Purdue coach Dave Shondell anticipates the competition.

"Central Michigan finished runner-up in one of the Mid-American Conference’s two division’s last year," Shondell said. "I think they obviously lost some people from that team, but they’re still supposed to be in the thick of the MAC conference race this year.

"It’ll be a good match, they’re a pretty good team."

Purdue returns for two matches on Saturday. The squad begins with East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers (1-6), a Southern Conference member, are led by junior Sara Scandiffio, who has a 3.28 kills per game average.

"They’ve only won a couple," Shondell said. "Hopefully, they won’t bring in a truckload of new players on us. That’s a match if we play well, we should be OK."

The nightcap features the Boilers and Kentucky. The Wildcats (6-2) are led by three frontcourt players. Junior Danielle Wallace averages 4.44 kills per game, senior Sarah Spinner averages 3.78 and freshman Alex Montefalco has 3.19 kills per game.

"They, like us, beat Valpo in four games in their gym," Shondell said. "They’re a young team, but a team trying to build a program similar to what we’re trying to do here.

"I think, of the three teams, Kentucky is probably the show pony."

With the start of the Big Ten season next week, senior Kim McConaha said the team isn’t focusing on the future yet.

"I don’t think anyone’s really thought about the Big Ten right now, because we’re focused on finishing the preseason strong," she said.

"By the end of the weekend, we’ll be fully focused on the Big Ten. When that rolls around, everyone’s going to be so excited with our opponents."

After two tournaments on the road, Mader is glad to be at home.

"It’s going to be nice to have a home tournament with all of our fans there and playing three competitive teams," Mader said. "We don’t know much about them, and (we’ll) just go out and play and see what happens."

[Barefoot In Kailua]

Top-Ranked Gophers Head To UNC Tourney

Minnesota faces three matches in two days

Sept. 17, 2004

By Kent Erdahl Minnesota Daily

MINNEAPOLIS (U-WIRE) -- Before Minnesota's volleyball team hosted the Diet Coke Classic last weekend, coach Mike Hebert pointed to the Gophers' seven remaining nonconference matches as the key to securing a top seed and home-court advantage for a regional round of the NCAA Tournament.

A week later, Minnesota has three wins in three tries, and its first No. 1 ranking in school history.

The Gophers head to North Carolina for three more matches this weekend, and they'll be defending that ranking for the first time.

So, how close are the Gophers to securing home court advantage now?

"I think we have to at least split these next four matches," Hebert said of this weekend's tournament and Monday's home game versus Cincinnati. "Then I think we'll have to finish in the top four in the Big Ten, and I think that will probably give us a pretty good spring board into a top-16 seed - which would ensure a hosting gig."

A split in the next four matches might not seem like asking a lot from the team that took over the No. 1 ranking from Southern California, which held the title for 22 consecutive weeks.

But Minnesota's next four matches come in four days, and fatigue, as well as the competition, will pose a challenge.

"It's going to be extremely important that we go out there and play our best," Trisha Bratford said. "Now that we are ranked No. 1, the saying is, 'now you have a target on your back.' "

Minnesota squeaked out every win it had last weekend, defeating then-No. 15 Kansas State, No. 4 Florida and Northern Iowa in a total of 14 games.

This weekend, the Gophers will face No. 20 Loyola Marymount, Rice and North Carolina. The matches against Loyola Marymount and the Tar Heels will both be Saturday.

"I scheduled this way for that reason, to give us practice and to sustain our energy level and our focus," Hebert said. "Those are tremendous challenges no matter how good you are. (The Tar Heels) are waiting there with their home crowd, thinking, 'Hey we get a ranked team in here, and we can pull off the upset.' I know what they're thinking."

With all the competition, Hebert said he isn't worried about his players getting caught up in being ranked No. 1. He even said he reminded them to enjoy it.

Senior setter Lindsey Taatjes said she and her teammates had addressed the ranking, but their play will dictate their success.

"We're just looking to come out and play the best we possibly can without any let-downs," Taatjes said.

Hebert said he doesn't expect to be disappointed by the effort of his senior-laden team.

But just in case, he gave them a little motivation.

"I reminded them that Rice University, on Friday at 4:30 eastern time, is actually going to come out on the court wanting to beat us. They're not just going to lie down because we're No. 1," Hebert said. "If that doesn't wake you up, I don't know what will."

(C) 2004 Minnesota Daily via U-WIRE

[bucky415]

Michigan is 8-0. Good for them. Unfortunately, I would guess most of the teams in the Big Ten are better than the teams that they have played. Their best wins are at Valpo and at home against a Florida State team that played a really horrible last three games against Florida earlier this week. I think the Wolverines could use a test, and Tennessee should provide that, since they could very well finish second in the SEC this year.

[Serendipity]

Michigan is always dangerous on their home floor, though. They may not play the top 10 teams in the country, but I think during the Big Ten season they're going to hang with a lot of people. Their setter is fiesty, if I remember correctly.