Oct. 5, 2005
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Illinois at Michigan
Oct. 7, 6 p.m., Cliff Kean Arena,
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Radio: Illini Sports Network
(Dave Loane & Steve Layman)
Series Notes: Illinois has a 34-14 lead in the series...The Illini swept both matches last year vs. the Wolverines winning 3-2 in Champaign and 3-1 in Ann Arbor...Don Hardin is 10-8 vs. Michigan at Illinois...The Illini have won six of the last eight matches vs. the Wolverines.
A look at Michigan:
• The Wolverines are 8-5 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten. In the conference, Michigan has defeated Michigan State (3-2) and Iowa (3-1) and lost at Indiana (3-2) and #9 Minnesota (3-0). • Three of the five losses have come to ranked opponents -- #24 Long Beach State, #1 Nebraska, and #9 Minnesota.
• Michigan is a perfect 4-0 at home and is playing its first conference games at Cliff Kean Arena this week.
• Michigan is hitting .245 as a team while limiting opponents to just .184.
Illinois at Michigan State
Oct. 8, 6 p.m., Jenison Fieldhouse, E. Lansing, Mich.
Radio: Illini Sports Network
(Steve Layman & Mike Koon)
Series Notes: Illinois leads the all-time series, 34-20...The teams split a pair of matches last season with the Illini winning 3-0 in Champaign and falling 3-1 in East Lansing...The Illini have won three of the last four meetings with the Spartans....Don Hardin is 11-7 vs. Michigan State at Illinois.
A look at the Spartans: Michigan St. is 9-5 on the season, 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans have won at Indiana (3-1) and Iowa (3-2) and lost to Michigan (3-2) and at #9 Minnesota (3-2). MSU lost to #9 Louisville 3-2 on Sept. 16, losing game five 15-13.
Illinois AT A GLANCE:
VanMeter posts Big Ten attack high
•
Rachel VanMeter has the top two attack performances in the Big Ten this year. She had 79 attacks vs. Illinois State in the season opener on Aug. 27, then topped that mark with 82 attacks on Friday vs. Northwestern.
• The 82 attacks are fourth most in school history and her 79 attacks are tied for six all-time. Erin Borske holds the all-time Illinois record with 92 on Nov. 24, 1995 vs. Penn State.
Injury update
Illinois has been without two of its players for parts of this season. Rasa Virsilaite had a procedure for a rapid heart rate this summer and wasn't cleared to play front row until a week before the season. Then on Sept. 16, Virsilaite broke her finger and sat out the next three matches (vs. Rice, Ohio State, and Penn State). She returned for matches vs. Northwestern and Wisconsin, but was cleared just to play back row. Virsilaite has now been cleared to play front row.
• Freshman hitter Rachel Henderson missed eight matches in September with mononucleosis. She returned on Sept. 30 vs. Northwestern, but is still working into full strength.
The block I
Illinois is averaging 2.18 blocks per game and limiting opponents to just 1.79 bpg. The Illini have four double-digit block matches, including 13 against Northwestern on Sept. 30. In addition Illinois had the same number of blocks (8) as league-leading Wisconsin in the Oct. 1 match.
Five-game magic
The five-game match vs. Northwestern was the fifth match taken to the limit for Illinois this year. The Illini have victories over Illinois State, Eastern Illinois, UNLV, and Ohio State. The loss to Northwestern was the first five-game defeat for the Illini this season.
VANMETER THIRD NATIONALLY IN KILLS
Rachel VanMeter ranks third in the nation in kills per game.
1 Kate McCullagh, NIU 5.82
2 Laura Jones, Texas A&M 5.74
3 Rachel VanMeter, Illinois 5.71
4 Lindsay Stalzer, Bradley 5.69
5 K. Billingy, Marshall 5.63
6 Katie Johnson, Mich. St. 5.60
7 Sara Radosevic, Tulane 5.59
8 Kelly Paiva, Fla. Atlantic 5.56
9 Kristen Carlson, San Diego 5.49
10 Tatyana Menshikova, SLU 5.42
BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE
Rachel VanMeter has already had a strong season individually. So far Van Meter:
• Earned the first Big Ten Player of the Week honor. She smoked the host Redbirds for an Arena Record 39 kills and 10 digs in 79 attacks for a .342 hitting percentage. That figure not only a) broke the arena record, but also b) ranks third best in Illinois history behind Erin Borske's 44 and 41, respectively in matches in 1995 and c) is tied for 10th best in Big Ten history.
• Earned the MVP award at the Northern Illinois Tournament, her third MVP honor of her career after totaling 89 kills and hitting .360 for the tourney.
• Was named to the all-tournament team at the UNLV Tournament.
• Has surpassed the 30 kills mark twice, including 32 kills vs. UNLV and 39 vs. Illinois State.
WHAT'S THE VRD?
• Beth Vrdsky has the second best digs performance by a Big Ten player this season.
1. 45 Nicole Colaluca (MSU) at Sacramento State (Sept.17,2005)
2. 36 Beth Vrdsky (IL)
vs Eastern Illinois (Sep 16, 2005)
3. 33 Stesha Selsky (UM)
at Georgia (Sep 16, 2005)
4. 32 Christie Gardner (NU)
at Illinois (9/30)
5. 28 Volaluca, Nicole (MSU) vs. Michigan (9/21/05)
• Vrdsky was named to the All-Tournament Team at NIU after posting 58 digs in four matches.
• Vrdsky, a member of the Illinois ROTC, has earned a scholarship for her last two seasons.
MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Rachel VanMeter has moved into seventh in Illinois' all-time kills list. A season of 500 kills would move her into the top five. Bridget Boyle is currently fifth with 1,484.
• VanMeter is in a similar situation in attack attempts. Last year, VanMeter took 1,281 swings, fourth most in a season in Illinois history. If she duplicates that effort, she would move into third on the career attack list.
Career Kill Leaders
1. Mary Eggers 1,761
2. Mary Coleman 1,707
3. Nancy Brookhart 1,669
4. Tracey Marshall 1,657
5. Bridget Boyle 1,484
6. Rachel VanMeter 1,304
7. Betsy Spicer 1,245
8. Shadia Haddad 1,228
9. Tina Rogers 1,195
10. Erin Borske 1,192
Career Attack Leaders
1. Mary Coleman 4,374
2. Tracey Marshall 4,208
3. Bridget Boyle 3,480
4. Rachel VanMeter 3,456
5. Mary Eggers 3,417
6. Nancy Brookhart 3,329
7. Shadia Haddad 3,297
8. Petra Laverman 2,894
9. Lorna Henderson 2,772
10. Erin Borske 2,769
TAKE A BEITZ OUT OF RECORD
Stephanie Obermeier, who ranked 15th in the nation in assists last season, has 1,737 assists for her career through 45 matches. Through the same number matches, all-time assists leader Melissa Beitz had 1,791.
VANMETER LEADS BIG TEN IN KILLS
Rachel VanMeter leads the Big Ten in kills at 5.71 per game. The last Illinois player to lead the conference in kills was Erin Borske in 1995.
DYNAMIC DUO
Kayani Turner and Vicki Brown have emerged as forces this year for Illinois. The Illini team have dubbed them the Batman and Robin of the team, taking the court by force.
• Turner had an especially big tournament at UNLV with 48 kills in the three matches, including a career-high 20 kills vs. UNLV. Turner also filled in a pair of games vs. Austin Peay after Rachel VanMeter had been hit in the head with a ball. In that match, Turner had 16 kills.
• Turner had a string of eight straight matches with double-digits in kills (including 18 at Ohio State) snapped against Wisconsin.
• Vicki Brown, who played primarily the middle in high school, but was an outside hitter last year, is returning to the middle this season. She had 13 kills and seven block assists in the win over UNLV and is hitting .307 for the year, which is second on the team.
• Turner and Brown are second and third on the team in kills per game.
MILESTONES NEARING
• Rachel VanMeter is 196 kills from 1,500
• Beth Vrdsky is one dig from 650
• Vicki Brown needs 13 kills for 200
• Rasa Virsilaite needs 59 kills for 400
FAMILY AFFAIR
With the addition of Lizzie Bazzetta to the squad this year, the family continues a tradition at Illinois. Her sister, Kathleen, was a four-year regular at defensive specialist following aunts Kathleen and Eileen Garland, who played volleyball for the Illini in the 1970s. Her parents, Bob and Mary Jean Bazzetta and several family members also attended Illinois.
Illinois picked fifth
Illinois is picked fifth in the conference behind four conference teams ranked in the top 12 in the nation. Defending conference champion Penn State, national runner-up Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio State garnered the first four positions ahead of Illinois and Purdue, who tied with for fifth. Michigan is predicted seventh followed by Northwestern, Michigan State, Iowa, and Indiana.
