Michigan State University Athletics
Volleyball Travels To Ohio State And Penn State
10/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 19, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Spartan Match Notes
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The Spartan volleyball team begins a stretch of four conference road matches when it travels to to No. 24 Ohio State and No. 2 Penn State in weekend play. Michigan State is 13-5, with a 4-4 mark against Big Ten opponents having won three of its last four matches, including its first victory over Michigan since the 2004 campaign. Ohio State holds a 39-24 advantage in the all-time series, while Penn State holds a 25-6 lead in the series between the two schools.
Weekend Recap
State won by scores of 30-27, 30-28, and 30-26 in its first sweep of Michigan since 1999, and first victory in Ann Arbor since the 2003 campaign. The sweep marked the first win of Spartan head coach Cathy George's tenure at Michigan State versus the Wolverines, and the first time MSU has held a lead in the State Pride Flag series since the 2000 season. The Green and White returned home to defeat Iowa, 3-0, on Saturday. Outside hitter Ashley Schatzle paced the Spartan offense with 8.00 kpg against Michigan, adding 15 kills versus the Hawkeyes. Saturday's win marked the 13th of the year, one better than 2005's 12-18 record.
Last Season Against Ohio State
Ohio State swept the season series against the Spartans, 3-1 and 3-2. The teams met in the final match of the regular season, where MSU played in its 10th five-game match of the year. Ashley Schatzle led the Green and White with 27 kills against the Buckeyes last season.
Scouting The Buckeyes
• Ohio State enters weekend play with a 3-5 mark against Big Ten opponents after suffering back-to-back conference losses last weekend to Illinois and Northwestern.
• Setter Marisa Main ranks sixth in the conference with 12.70 assists per game, while outside hitter Briana McCarthy is fourth with a .357 attack percentage.
• OSU has played four ranked opponents this season, all in Big Ten play, having gone 1-3 in those matches.
• Ball State alum Jim Stone is in his 25th season at the helm of the Buckeye program.
Last Season Against Penn State
Penn State posted 3-0 victories in both contests in 2005 to improve its winning streak to six matches against the Spartans. Katie Johnson missed the first matchup of the year due to injury, but returned to post nine kills and one block assist in the second meeting between the two schools.
Scouting the Nittany Lions •The Nittany Lions are 19-0 and rank second in the latest AVCA/USA Today coaches poll (Oct. 16).
•Penn State boasts one of the toughest defending tandums in the Big Ten. Christa Harmotto (1.65 blocks per game) and Melissa Walbridge (1.63 bpg) anchor a Penn State defense that leads the nation with 3.66 bpg.
•PSU has defeated six ranked opponents in 2006, including a come-from-behind win versus No. 7 Texas in early September, and wins over conference rivals No. 12 Ohio State, No. 11 Purdue, No. 24 Minnesota, and No. 13 Wisconsin.
• Head coach Russ Rose is in his 28th season at the helm of the Penn State program.
National Spotlight
Michigan State ranks second in the nation in kills per game (17.53), fourth in assists per game (16.08) and sixth in hitting percentage (.298) in the most recent NCAA statistics (Oct. 10). Individually, setter Allison Ianni ranks 12th in assists per game (13.35), and outside hitter Katie Johnson ranks 16th with 4.95 kills per game.
Big Ten's Depth Unmatched in Conference History
Four weeks into the conference season, the Big Ten is the lone major conference (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC) to boast all its member volleyball squads with an overall winning percentage of .500 or better. Prior to this year, the Big Ten had never experienced this top-to-bottom success with all teams at .500 or better after two weeks into the conference season. In addition, an impressive eight teams this year have won two-thirds (67 percent) or more of their overall schedule.
Five-Game Matches
Following an Oct. 7 loss to Northwestern, MSU is 0-3 in five-game matches this season.Michigan State played in 10 five-game matches in 2005, going 4-6 in those contests. Two of those five-game victories came against Iowa, while State also defeated Northwestern and Virginia Commonwealth in matches that went the distance.
Big Ten Player Of The Week
Junior outside hitter Ashley Schatzle was honored by the conference with her first-career Big Ten Player Of The Week selection. The Monroe, Mich., native averaged 6.5 kills per game and hit .423 on the week to help lead the Spartans to a pair of wins over Michigan and Iowa. The selection marked the first Spartan honoree since the 2003 season (Nikki Colson).
Leading The State Pride Series
State defeated Michigan for the first time since the 2004 season and took its first lead in the State Pride Series since 2000. The sweep marked the first win of Spartan head coach Cathy George's tenure at Michigan State versus the Wolverines.
`Quarterback' Setter
Allison Ianni has proven she can compete in the Big Ten, and has directed the Spartans to 17.53 kills per game, and 16.08 assists per game. The totals lead the league, and rank second and fourth, respectively, in the NCAA statistics. The senior most recently spread out 48 assists versus Iowa, a season high for three-game matches.
Meet Ms. Schatzle
Ashley Schatzle had a breakout performance in the sweep over Michigan on Oct. 11. The junior outside hitter averaged 8.00 kills per game, and served the Green and White to eight-straight points in the third game to spark a Spartan comeback. Schatzle ranks second in the Spartan lineup with 4.54 kills per game, while the mark is fifth in the Big Ten standings.
 Allison Ianni is 12th in the nation with 13.35 assists per game.  | |
The number 13 is a lucky one for the Spartans. MSU's 13th win of the season game against Iowa on Oct. 14, boosting its record to 13-5, one better than the total from both the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Strictly Big Ten
Through the first four weekends of conference play, State ranks first in hitting percentage (.294), and freshman middle blocker Vanessa King leads Big Ten competitors with a .414 attack percentage.
NCAA Depth
As the Spartans surpass the 13-win plateau, sights on the NCAA tournament become much brighter. Twice the Big Ten conference has sent eight teams to the tournament (1999, 2002), and has sent a total of six teams on six different occassions (1994, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 05). Michigan State made 10 consecutive NCAA appearances from 1994-2003, including trips to the National semifinals in 1995, and regional semifinals in 2002.
The `King' Of The Net
Freshman middle blocker Vanessa King has made significant offensive and defensive contributions throughout the conference season. King has posted double-digit kill totals in four of eight Big Ten contests, including a career-high 16 versus Indiana. On Oct. 7 versus Northwestern, King accounted for 9.0 blocks (1 solo, 8 assists), and a floor-high .636 attack percentage (15k-1e-22ta).
By The Numbers
Offensively, the Spartans have dominated their opponents through the first 18 matches of the year. MSU averages 17.53 kills per game compared to 13.32 by its opponents, while the Spartans hold a higher hitting percentage (.298/.208) and tally more assists (16.08/12.27) per game. At the net, State ranks seventh in the Big Ten standings with 2.50 blocks per game and ninth with 14.82 digs per game, compared to 2.07 blocks per game and 11.50 digs per game, respectively, by its opponents.
On Pace
The Spartan volleyball team is on pace to have its best offensive performance in recent seasons. The Green and White ranked atop the NCAA in kills per game for the first five weeks of the 2006 campaign, and rank second (17.53) the most recent report (Oct. 17). State has failed to finish the season with a kill-per-game mark of 17.00 or above since the 1996 season (17.16) when the Spartans advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.
Around The Big Ten
In the current Big Ten statistics, Michigan State ranks first in kills per game (17.53), first in assists (16.08) and second in hitting percentage (.298). Among Big Ten competitors, Allison Ianni is second in assists per game (13.35), and ranks third in hitting percentage (.360). Katie Johnson (4.95) and Ashley Schatzle (4.54) rank second and fifth, respectively, in kills per game, while Nicole Colaluca is third in digs per game (4.97).
 Katie Johnson leads the Spartan offense with 4.95 kills per game. | |
Katie Johnson recorded the 1,000th kill of her career against Minnesota on Oct. 1, posting a team-best 22 kills in the five-game contest. The Brooklyn, Mich., native added a career-high 35 kills against Purdue (Sept. 22), posting her first double-double of the season (11 digs), and tallied back-to-back matches with 24 kills against Illinois (Oct. 6) and Northwestern (Oct. 7).
Top Marks
Setter Allison Ianni is one of 34 volleyball players from around the nation, and the only member of the Big Ten Conference, to record a triple-double thus far in 2006. Ianni kicked off the season by posting 11 kills, 55 assists and 10 digs on Aug. 25 against IPFW. The feat marked the first Spartan triple-double since the 2000 season, when Erin Hartley tallied 18 kills, 11 digs and 10 blocks.
Double-Double Strong
A trio of Spartans posted double-doubles in the opening weekend of conference play, led by Allison Ianni with 67 assists and 14 digs versus Purdue (Sept. 22), and 56 assists and 10 digs against Indiana (Sept. 23). Katie Johnson dominated the Green and White offensive attack against the Boilermakers, posting a career-high 35 kills and a season-high 11 digs, while Ashley Schatzle contributed 22 kills and 11 digs in the match.
Bring on the D-D-Defense
Thus far in 2006, junior defensive specialist Miken Trogdon has posted double-digit dig totals in seven matches. Trogdon has also contributed from the service stripe, posting 16 aces for the year, including three each against EMU, Oakland and Indiana.
What A Difference A Year Makes
Through the non-conference portion of the 2005 season, the Spartan offense posted a meager .203 hitting percentage and had recorded just four sweeps. In 2006, MSU tallied eight sweeps, ranked as high as sixth in the nation with a .328 hitting percentage (Sept. 5 report) and first in the nation in both kills per game (18.32) and assists per game (16.87 -Sept. 19 report).
Quick Note
Libero Nicole Colaluca had a streak of 37-consecutive matches snapped with double-digit dig totals when she managed just nine digs in the Spartan backcourt against Tennessee Tech (Sept. 9). The junior from Naperville, Ill., has tallied double-digit dig totals in 10 consecutive matches heading into Friday's match versus Ohio State.
Spartan Honors
Junior outside hitter Jessica Hohl was named the 2006 Spartan Invitational MVP, while teammates Allison Ianni and Ashley Schatzle also garnered all-tournament accolades. In opening weekend action, outside hitter Katie Johnson was named the Ball State Nike/Active Ankle Weekend tournament MVP, while Ianni and libero Nicole Colaluca also garnered all-tournament honors.
TV Airtime
Michigan State will compete in eight televised matches this season. Seven of those matches will be tape delayed on Comcast Local, while MSU's Nov. 10 contest against Indiana will be tape delayed on Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
Schedule Note
This season, Michigan State will face six teams that competed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, (Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue and Minnesota) including five (Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue and Minnesota) that were ranked in the final poll by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
Captain Salute
Senior libero Nicole Colaluca and junior outside hitter Katie Johnson serve as captains of the 2006 Spartan volleyball team. Johnson also served as co-captain of the 2005 squad.
Homecoming Debut
Spartan setter Allison Ianni, a former Okemos High School standout, played her first match in Green and White on Aug. 25 after transfering from the University of the Pacific last January. The senior tallied her second career triple-double (11 kills-55 assists-10 digs), and the first Spartan triple-double since the 2000 season, against IPFW.
Preseason Picks
The Michigan State volleyball team was selected seventh in the Big Ten preseason poll. In addition, Spartan outside hitter Katie Johnson was selected to the 12-member Preseason All-Big Ten Team for the first time in her career. The league's head coaches chose the Spartans seventh in the 2006 poll, which is two spots up from a ninth-place preseason ranking in 2005.
Head Coach Cathy George
Spartan head coach Cathy George finished her first season at the helm of the Michigan State program with a 12-18 overall record, including a 5-15 Big Ten Conference mark. George entered the 2006 campaign ranked as one of the 50 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I (377 wins) and is one of the top 80 coaches in NCAA Division I history with a career .609 winning percentage. In 1989, she was the first female head coach to lead a team to the NCAA Final Four when she did so in just her first season at Texas-Arlington.
2005 Ohio State Series
• Ohio State won both games of the 2005 series, 3-1 and 3-2.
Game 1 - Columbus, Ohio • Oct. 14, 2005 • Ohio State, 3-1 Ohio State won by scores of 26-30, 30-18, 30-18, and 30-14 in the opening contest of the 2005 series. Setter Mickey Davis tallied 35 assists in the loss, while outside hitter Ashley Schatzle paced the Spartans with 12 kills and one block solo for the match. Defensively, Brooke Langston and senior co-captain Megan Wallin combined for 5.0 total blocks, while libero Nicole Colaluca tallied 13 digs in the backcourt.
Game 2 - East Lansing, Mich. • Nov. 26, 2005 • Ohio State, 3-2 The Buckeyes swept the season series with a five-game win in the regular-season finale for both schools. OSU won by scores of 30-28, 30-22, 29-31, 26-30, and 15-9. With the loss, the Spartans ended the 2005 campaign with a 12-18 record, finishing with a 5-15 Big Ten mark. Senior outside hitter Brooke Langston led the Spartan offense with 18 kills on 34 attempts (.382), while fellow senior Megan Wallin added 16 in the match.
• The Series: Ohio State leads the all-time series, 39-24, and has won the last four contests between the two schools.
2005 Penn State
• Penn State won both games of the 2005 series, 3-0.
Game 1 - State College, Pa. • Oct. 15, 2005 • PSU, 3-0
Penn State won by scores of 30-19, 30-17, and 30-21 to record its fith straight victory over the Spartans. The duo of Brooke Langston and Megan Wallin tallied double-digit kill totals in the loss, posting 11 and 12, respectively. The PSU defense out-blocked the Spartans, 10.5-6.0, while MSU tallied four service aces, compared to two by the Nittany Lions.
Game 2 - East Lansing, Mich. • Nov. 25, 2005 • PSU, 3-0
The Nittany Lions swept the season series, winning by scores of 30-25, 30-21, and 30-15, in the final matchup between the two schools. Ashley Schatzle led the Spartan hitters with 10 kills, while Katie Johnson and Brooke Langston added nine and seven, respectively. Outside hitter Nicole Fawcett led the Penn State offense with 17 kills, hitting .394 for the contest.
• The Series: Penn State leads the all-time series with the Spartans, 25-6, and has won six consecutive meetings between the two schools.
