In this issue

Greetings from the Golddiggers’ President

PointU! (betcha)

Upcoming Match Previews

Meet the Gophers

Coach’s Corner

From Coach Hebert:

It’s been a long stretch of road matches for the Gophers and are we ever happy to be playing in the Sports Pavilion this weekend! In fact, we have twelve matches remaining in the regular season and seven of them are at home.

Both Purdue and Illinois played very hard against us this past weekend. Both teams decided to bomb the ball at us from the service line hoping to challenge our ability to pass the ball well enough to keep our offense in system. And both teams had success using this tactic. We did not pass the serve at a high enough level to beat Purdue. They passed well. This was the difference. We had just enough ball control to get past Illinois. When they were in system with their offense they were awesome. They are the first team all season to hit over .200 against us (.205).

As we head into the midway mark of the Big Ten season I have the following observations:

1. Penn State seems to be playing at a level higher than any other team.

2. Purdue is very underrated and will contend for a top four spot in the conference.

3. The Gophers are playing a little above my expectations heading into the season.

4. Wisconsin is solid and will finish in the top four.

5. There are five teams that seem to be separating themselves from the rest of the pack (PSU, WI, MN, PUR, OSU).

6. The bottom half of the conference is playing at a higher level than I have ever seen.

What about the Gophers?

We are still evaluating line-ups, combinations and sub patterns. We have been looking long and hard into how to best utilize our personnel. My goal all along was to start the second half of the Big Ten season with a set line-up. I think we are on course to do that.

One real bright spot so far has been the play of our two middle blockers, Meredith Nelson and Jessy Jones. After being viewed in the recent past as a questionable part of our line-up, both have become great blockers and attackers. We can now read block against certain offensive alignments for the first time. This is a huge step forward for our defensive outlook. On the offensive side Jessy is hitting .358 and Meredith is at .349. These are elite numbers.

Another incredible statistic is that we continue to lead the nation in holding our opponents to a low kill efficiency. Our opponents are hitting an average of .113 against us. This is probably the most important defensive statistic in the sport of volleyball.

Your Gophers are in great shape. We are working hard to shore up our deficiencies. We want to be better as we head into the month of November and later into the NCAA tournament.

I hope I’ll see all of you at the Pavilion this weekend for some really good volleyball!!

Head Coach

Minnesota Volleyball

Greetings from the Golddiggers’ President

From John Oravis:

Hello Golddiggers!

It’s nearly the end of October already -- can you believe it? The Gophers are nearly halfway through the Big Ten portion of their schedule. This coming weekend is a huge home weekend, with Ohio State and Penn State coming to town. I encourage everyone to come out to the Sports Pavilion, provide a large and loud home crowd for the Gophers, and cheer them on to victory.

A quick update -- and “pat on the back” -- about Golddiggers booster club membership for 2005: we just went over 100 memberships for this season, the highest season total ever! Thanks to the Wards (Associate Head Coach Dave Boos’s in-laws) for becoming Golddiggers membership #100. Your continued membership and financial support is very important, and it allows us to support your top-notch Minnesota volleyball program in a top-notch way.

We distributed 2005 Golddiggers membership packets and materials at the Michigan State/Michigan home weekend, and at the mid-week Iowa match. Some were also mailed to our out-of-state/non-local members. Please see any board member or myself if you didn’t receive yours. Be sure to take advantage of and attend our coaches’ “Chalk Talks”, and the post-match receptions after most Saturday home matches. The Chalk Talks are held in the Williams Arena Media Room, and the post-match receptions are in the Sports Pavilion Club Room. Our booster club website has all the details. Be sure to check out the large 2005 “unofficial” Gopher volleyball photo banner on the wall beneath the Pavilion Club Room ... your booster club with your great support provided it for the VB team and the program. Go Gophers!

Our treasurer and I attended mandatory annual NCAA Compliance Training last week. It was hosted by the U of M Intercollegiate Athletics Department. There is more information at the links below. Please review it when you get a chance. All of us need to know and observe the NCAA and University rules and policies.

Finally, October 21st & 22nd is a big, big home weekend for Gophers volleyball. Invite your friends to come out to the U of M Sports Pavilion, and support your Golden Gophers volleyball team -- it’s STILL the best ticket and entertainment in town! Thanks again for your support and membership!

Point U!

John Oravis, President, Golddiggers

http://www.gophersports.com/Compliance/pdf/SAExtraBenefit.pdf

http://www.gophersports.com/Compliance/index.asp

Gophers/Golddiggers News

Gophers at Williams Arena

The Gophers volleyball team set the single-match attendance record for 2004, when nearly 11,000 people came to Williams Arena to watch Minnesota defeat Illinois. We want to do that again on Saturday October 29th, when Indiana comes up to face the Gophers. But this time, we want every seat in Williams Arena filled!

General admission tickets are just $1 -- and that includes plenty of seats down near the court, so get there early, and grab a great seat for a great price. Tell all your friends and family to come along and experience Big Ten volleyball on a raised stage. If you’re on a high school or club team, you can find an even better deal by arranging for the whole team to come see the match for free.

One Match - One Night - One Time - $1 (pdf file)
High School / Club Team Information (pdf file)

Chalk Talks

The coaching staff is again holding “Chalk Talks” before most Saturday matches during the Big Ten season. These are open only to Golddiggers members, and will be held from 5:30 PM until about 6:15 PM in the Williams Arena Media Room (2nd floor, next to the elevator). If you want to learn more about how the coaches develop their strategy, what the players are going to be doing out on the court, and why they’re going to be doing it, this is the place to be! Chalk Talks will be held on:

Oct 22 - before the Penn State match
Nov 12 - before the Wisconsin match
Nov 26 - before the Purdue match

Because of the extra activity surrounding the Williams Arena match on October 29th, there will not be a Chalk Talk prior to the match against Indiana that night.

Golddiggers Apparel

Golddiggers apparel is now available. Information will be available at the reception this Saturday if you have not seen the flyer.

Team Banner

The Golddiggers were also involved with producing the photo-banner for the 2005 Gophers squad, now on the east wall of the Pavilion. Watch for details about 8x14 photos available for sale.

PointU! (betcha)

Larry Mickelson came up to me at the last reception and, quite politely, told me all this talk about “Pablo” in the newsletter was going to leave a bunch of the Golddiggers scratching their heads -- or their Gopher ears, I suppose. But that might just be because those ears can bring on the Golden Itch. My immediate reaction was to knock the rice krispie bar out of his hand and douse him with what was left of my Coke. How dare he? I thought.

But I restrained myself.

Upon further reflection, and with a lot less sugar in my system, I have to concede Larry has a point. And for that reason alone, I am breaking with longstanding (two months anyhow) tradition and moving this column up one section, so it appears before I start rambling on about Pablo. I’m going to take the easy route out, however, and ask you to refer to the description and FAQ link which is provided in the Rankings section of this newsletter. The short explanation is that it’s a ranking system based solely on results and is a convenient way to talk about the relative strengths of volleyball programs around the country -- very much like the RPIs in college football and basketball.

See? And you thought your suggestions would go unheeded. Of course, they probably will, but that’s not the point. The point is Larry has made a difference. For this, we bestow upon him a resounding PointU! (betcha).

But enough about Larry. And Pablo.

Our Gophers are finally coming home to play some volleyball! But talk about out of the microwave and into the blender! -- what a welcome awaits them: the #20 Buckeyes and the #3 Nittany Lions. Can the Gophers keep some space between themselves and the nuts from Ohio? Can they do the rest of the league a huge favor and knock off the cats from Pennsylvania? Pablo says YES! to the first and NO! (no?) to the second.

We say to heck with Pablo and Go Gophers!

(And, seriously, thanks Larry.)

Upcoming Match Previews

Minnesota leads the Big10 in assists per game (15.64) and is 2nd in opponent hitting percentage (.142). They are also 3rd in blocks (3.11 per game) and aces (1.39 per game), and 2nd in digs (16.93 per game).

Jessy Jones is currently 9th in Big10 hitting percentages (.345), Sarah Florian 6th in kills per game (3.86), Meredith Nelson 9th in blocks per game (1.14), and Paula Gentil 1st in digs per game (5.89).

Friday October 21 7:00 PM Ohio State

The Buckeyes come to town at 5-3 in the Big10 and 12-5 overall. Their best wins are over Long Beach State (3-0) and Purdue (3-1) at home. Their worst loss would appear to be to Illinois (3-2) at home -- 18-20 in the 5th. They are 2nd in the Big10 in hitting percentage (.269) and assists per game (15.57). They lead in kills per game (17.10) and aces per game (1.77). On the other hand, Big10 opponents are hitting .256 against the Buckeyes.

Nicole Britenriker is currently hitting .371 in conference play and Danielle Meyer is averaging 4.47 kills per game. Marisa Main is setting, and her 13.50 assists per game is 2nd in the Big10.

http://ohiostatebuckeyes.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/osu-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://ohiostatebuckeyes.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/osu-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://ohiostatebuckeyes.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2005-2006/teamcume.html (stats)

Saturday October 22 7:00 PM Penn State

The Nittany Lions are roaring. There’s no getting around it. They are 17-2 overall (losses to Stanford and Nebraska) and 8-0 in Big10 play. PSU is hitting a robust .322 as a team in Big10 play (OSU is 2nd at .269), while holding their Big10 opponents to a .125 percentage. They also lead the league in blocks, at 3.58 per game. All in all, PSU leads in 6 out of 13 team statistical categories and are 2nd or 3rd in 5 more. It’s enough to make a Gopher fan sick.

Individually, the numbers continue to impress. Frosh Christa Harmotto (.397) and Nicole Fawcett (.374) are in the top 4 in Big10 percentages. Meanwhile, Melissa Walbridge (.352) and Cassy Salyer (.346) are also in the top 10. All-American setter Sam Tortorello is averaging 13.69 assists per game, the best in the league.

http://www.gopsusports.com/VolleyballW/home.cfm (website)

http://www.gopsusports.com/VolleyballW/People/players/rosterbody.cfm (roster)

http://www.gopsusports.com/docs/wvb05/stats/teamcume.htm (stats)

Saturday October 29 7:00 PM Indiana

The Hoosiers are still struggling. They are 8-12 overall, and 1-7 in the Big10 -- their lone win at home, in 5, over Michigan. This is a very young team, with two freshmen and two sophomores seeing significant playing time, and TEN freshmen on their roster. Indiana has, however, been one of the nation’s leading teams, statistically, in blocking -- although those numbers are down in Big10 play. Big10 opponents are hitting a league high .282 against the Hoosiers.

Erica Short is 10th in the conference in kills per game (3.48) and Mandy Eberle 2nd in blocks per game (1.48).

http://iuhoosiers.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/ind-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://iuhoosiers.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/ind-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://iuhoosiers.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2005-2006/teamcume.html (stats)

Road matches

The Gophers play Iowa this coming Wednesday 10/26 and travel to Michigan/Michigan State on 11/4 and 11/5. You can follow these matches at the Gophers web site. Look for the Next Event/Gameday section for audio and LiveStats links (when available).

http://www.gophersports.com/Sports/Sport.asp?option=repeat&sport_id=wvoll

Meet the Gophers

We sent the following Q&A to transfer Meghan Cumpston (and we thank her for taking the time to respond).

Q: What was the main reason you chose Minnesota (after you decided to transfer)?

MC: The main reason I chose Minnesota was because of the atmosphere. The coaches were positive and honest. The players were extremely close and seemed as if they had great team chemistry. Everyone was after the same ultimate goal of winning a national championship.

Q: What do you like most about being a part of the Minnesota Gophers?

MC: The thing I like most about being a Gopher is the fans. The energy in the gym is so encouraging and uplifting. I love that our fans are dedicated and involved.

Q: How would you compare Pac10 and Big10 volleyball? (Maybe biggest similarity and biggest difference? Be honest. We won't be offended. ;) )

MC: Both the Pac 10 and the Big 10 are great conferences. The competition is steady throughout. The Big 10 seems to draw more fans than the Pac10. Both conferences have teams that are waiting to beat you. There isn’t a moment when you can relax or have a bad game. There is always a team waiting for you to slip up.

Q: What do you like most about volleyball?

MC: The thing I like most about volleyball is the competition. I love competing against other athletes and proving which team is the best. I love how players sacrifice their bodies to make plays. I love watching myself and teammates improve. The battle within oneself and against the competition is what is exciting and fun for me.

Q: What do you like the least about the sport?

MC: There isn’t anything about volleyball that I dislike. The thing I dislike most about being a college volleyball player is running! I hate running! I hate sprinting, long distance, any form of running. But I have to do it to make me a better athlete.

Q: Did the 2002 Arizona recruiting class feel any added pressure when they/you were named the top class for that year?

MC: Yes there was a lot of added pressure. There wasn’t as much pressure in the begining because we had four years to excel. However, as time went on and it became closer to our senior year, the pressure from our fans, our coaches and our school increased.

Q: What advice would you give to a high school player who hopes to play college ball?

MC: The advice that I would give to a high school player is that they need to play club volleyball. The more time a player spends practicing the better they will be. If they are dedicated then they need to join a good club team to receive coaching and experience.

Q: What is your favorite song (besides the Rouser)?

MC: My favorite song is You Don’t Have to Let Go by Jessica Simpson.

Q: Are you ready for a Minnesota winter?

MC: No I don’t think I will ever be ready for a Minnesota winter! I am freezing already! I have already experienced the coldest day of my life and that was today [two weeks ago]. My plan is to wear 5 layers of clothing and never go outside.

Rankings

The CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll was released 10/17/2005. The link to the complete rankings follows, but the top 10 were: 1--Nebraska, 2--Washington, 3--Penn State, 4--Florida, 5--Stanford, 6--Louisville, 7--Wisconsin, 8--Arizona, 9--Notre Dame, and 10--Missouri. The Gophers fall to #12 this week. In addition, Purdue moves up to #17 and Ohio State comes in at #20.

http://www.avca.org/collegiate/dipoll/dipoll10-17-05.asp

Two other rankings we have been following come from the RichKern.com site, the first creatively named the RichKern.com Volleyball Poll. This is a poll compiled from rankings by fans around the country. The Gophers are #10 in this poll.

http://www.richkern.com/vb/rankings/rankw.asp?VBYear=2005&Div=DI&poll=d1wvb&week=7-Oct+17&sort=team&avg=all

The second is the Pablo ranking system, based on an algorithm developed by a fan of the sport, and it is based solely on match results. You can read more about it in the FAQ at the RichKern.com site. The actual rankings link and the FAQ link are below. If nothing else, it’s an interesting alternative to the polls. The Gophers are ranked #14 there.

http://www.richkern.com/vb/rankings/rankw.asp?VBYear=2005&Div=DI&poll=Pablo&week=7-Oct+17&sort=team&avg=all

http://www.richkern.com/vb/rankings/PabloFAQ.asp

National Update

For statistical leaders -- individuals and teams -- check out the following link (updates are slow, but do come):

http://www.ncaasports.com/volleyball/womens/stats/stats

Here’s another quick trip around the Top 15 (excluding Big10 teams).

#1 Nebraska (18-0 overall, 9-0 Big12, #2 Pablo)

The Huskers have already posted wins over two other conference teams in the top 25 -- at Missouri (3-1) and Texas at home (3-0). Nebraska remains the #1 team in the country, garnering 55 of the 60 first-place votes. Their 5-game match with our Gophers is still their closest match of the year.

#2 Washington (16-0 overall, 7-0 Pac10, #1 Pablo)

The Huskies were playing their 13th match of the year before they finally dropped a game. That match, against California, was their closest call so far this season. They were down 2-1, before rallying to win. They followed up that nailbiter with a dominant win the next night over then #3 Stanford. Both of these matches were on the road.

#4 Florida (18-1 overall, 8-0 SEC, #11 Pablo)

The Gators have bounced back from a September loss to Notre Dame (a sweep) to win 33 of their last 34 games. Although the SEC has no Top 25 teams at this point in the season, they have several very good teams, including Tennessee, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas (all top 50 in Pablo). The conference will not be a cakewalk for Florida.

#5 Stanford (17-3 overall, 6-2 Pac10, #4 Pablo)

Last year’s national champions have lost to Washington and Arizona in the Pac10, the Arizona loss in 5, on the road. It would appear they are in a battle for 2nd-place with California, USC, and Arizona, but never count the Cardinal out, not with their usual abundance of talent.

#6 Louisville (18-0 overall, 6-0 Big East, #15 Pablo)

The Cardinals have been climbing steadily in the polls, one of four undefeated teams in the country. However, their best wins of the year remain victories over Ohio (#25 Pablo) and Long Beach State (#22 Pablo). Both Michigan State and Tennessee took them to 5 games. This is a good club; the question is: how good?

#8 Arizona (14-2 overall, 6-1 Pac10, #10 Pablo)

The Wildcats vault into the Top Ten after defeating Stanford and California at home, pushing them into second place in the Pac10. They were swept by Washington in Seattle (30-23, 30-17, 30-19). It remains to be seen how well they will travel.

#9 Notre Dame (16-1 overall, 6-0 Big East, #17 Pablo)

The only blemish on the Irish’s record is a 5-game loss to LSU, after they had beaten Texas, USC and Florida in the preceding two weeks. They play Louisville 10/29 for the Big East lead.

#10 Missouri (13-2 overall, 7-2 Big12, #5 Pablo)

After a very competitive match versus Nebraska, at home, Missouri stumbled on the road against Texas. That loss dropped them to #10 in the poll. Pablo indicates this team is seriously under-rated.

#11 Hawai’i (13-6 overall, 7-0 WAC, #11 Pablo)

The Wahine are stomping through the WAC again this year. They did have a 5-game match with New Mexico State, but subsequently dispatched the consensus conference #2, Nevada, in 3 games -- 30-7 in the 2nd! Five of Hawai’i’s six losses are to Top 4 teams.

#13 Santa Clara (16-1 overall, 5-0 WCC, #7 Pablo)

The Broncos just defeated their chief rival in the WCC, San Diego, this past weekend. They are first in a very competitive conference and another team Pablo really likes.

#14 California (13-4 overall, 6-2 Pac10, #16 Pablo)

Cal’s still savoring their best weekend ever, when they knocked off UCLA and USC at home. A recent loss at Arizona puts them in 3rd in their conference.

#15 BYU (15-0 overall, 8-0 MWC, #21 Pablo)

The lowest ranked of the undefeated teams, the Cougars are not without some significant wins, most notably at Colorado State, at home against Utah, and at Ohio State. Their match at Utah 11/4 may be their last chance to stumble in the MWC. BYU may very well head into the NCAAs undefeated.

It should be noted that Pablo also indicates Purdue (#9) and USC (#11) are being under-rated by the voters.

Big10 Update

First of all, the standings:

Penn State	8-0	(17-2)
Wisconsin	7-1	(15-2)
Minnesota	6-2	(16-3)
Ohio State	5-3	(12-5)
Purdue	5-3	(16-3)
Iowa	3-5	(13-8)
Michigan	3-5	(9-8)
Illinois	2-6	(11-8)
Michigan State	2-6	(9-9)
Northwestern	2-6	(11-7)
Indiana	1-7	(8-12)

Illinois

Rachel VanMeter was #2 in the nation in kills per game (as of 10/9/05) at 5.70. But this has not been a great season for the Illini. They have been battling injuries from the start, and -- amazingly -- are yet to win at home in the Big10, including upsets by Northwestern and Iowa. Illinois is also last in the conference in digs per game and have been aced by almost 1 ace per game more than any other team in the Big10.

http://fightingillini.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/ill-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://fightingillini.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/ill-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://fightingillini.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/ill-w-volley-CumulativeStats.html (stats)

Iowa

The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, have won all three of their Big10 matches on the road, as they continue to show improvement. Their biggest problem appears to be their offense, next to last in the conference in hitting percentage (.172) and assists (11.93 per game).

http://hawkeyesports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/iowa-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://hawkeyesports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/iowa-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://hawkeyesports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2005-2006/teamcume.html (stats)

Michigan

The Wolverines are now 0-6 on the year against Top 25 opponents, but, aside from a loss at Indiana, they have been more than holding their own against the teams they should beat. Stesha Selsky (as of 10/9/05) was 19th in the country in digs per game (5.41).

http://www.mgoblue.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=201&top=2&level=2 (website)

http://www.mgoblue.com/roster.cfm?section_id=340&top=2&level=3 (roster)

http://www.mgoblue.com/statistics.cfm?section_id=343&top=2&level=3 (statistics)

Michigan State

The Spartans remain much more competitive than many thought they would be this year. Katie Johnson continues to lead their offense (#7 in the country as of 10/9/05 in kills per game at 5.41) and Nicole Colaluca their defense (#11 in the country as of 10/9/05 in digs per game at 5.62).

http://msuspartans.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/msu-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://msuspartans.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/msu-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://msuspartans.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/msu-w-volley-CumulativeStats.html (statistics)

Northwestern

The Wildcats stumbled out of the gate, but then knocked off Illinois in Champaign. Their reward? Their next four matches were against Purdue, Penn State, Ohio State and Wisconsin. After dropping those four, they did bounce back with a win, at home, against Indiana.

http://nusports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/nw-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://nusports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/nw-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://nusports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2005-2006/teamcume.html (stats)

Purdue

The Boilermakers have also been plagued by injuries, the most serious being season-ending knee injuries to Leah Wischmeier and Melanie Ukovich. They are still making a lot of noise in the Big10, however. After an 0-3 start, they have won their last 5, including last Friday’s big win over the Gophers. That win was their first regular season win over a Top 10 opponent since 1990. Stephanie Lynch is currently hitting .376 in Big10 play. Renata Dargan, their setter, is currently 12th in all-time Big10 career assists, with 5,229. Dargan, as well as Sam Tortorello at Penn State, have a legitimate shot at the #1 mark of 6,024 set by Minnesota’s Sharon Oesterling from 1986-1989.

http://purduesports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/pur-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://purduesports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/pur-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://purduesports.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/pur-w-volley-CumulativeStats.html (stats)

Wisconsin

The Badgers have made a surprising switch at setter, considering their 2nd place standing. They have gone with Katie Lorenzen over Jackie Simpson the last couple of matches. No doubt they are still looking for ways they can overtake Penn State. Wisconsin is 3rd in the Big10 in hitting percentage (.260) and opponents’ hitting percentage (.150), so they are obviously doing a lot of things right. They are also 2nd in the Big10 in blocks per game (3.54), and were 5th in the country as of 10/9/05.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/vb/headlines/index.aspx (website)

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/vb/bios/ (roster)

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/vb/stat_poll/2005_09_02_22_05_03_vb.pdf (stats--PDF)

Miscellaneous

Three questions, no doubt on all your minds, are answered by the website of each school:

1. Why a buckeye?

“A small, shiny, dark brown nut with a light tan patch that comes from the official state tree of Ohio, the buckeye tree.

According to folklore, the Buckeye resembles the eye of a deer and carrying one brings good luck. “Buckeyes” has been the official Ohio State nickname since 1950, but it had been in common use for many years before.

The first recorded use of the term Buckeye to refer to a resident of the area was in 1788, some 15 years before Ohio became a state. Col. Ebenezer Sproat, a 6’4” man of large girth and swashbuckling mannerisms, led the legal delegation at the first court session of the Northwest Territory in Marietta. The Indians in attendance greeted him with shouts of “Hetuck, Hetuck” (the Indian word for buckeye), it is said because they were impressed by his stature and manner. He proudly carried the Buckeye nickname for the rest of his life and it gradually spread to his companions and to other local settlers. By the 1830s, writers were commonly referring to locals as “Buckeyes.” ”

2. What's a Nittany Lion?

“Penn State’s athletic symbol, chosen by the student body in 1906, is the mountain lion which once roamed central Pennsylvania. H.D. “Joe” Mason, a member of the Class of 1907, conducted a one-man campaign to choose a school mascot after seeing the Princeton tiger on a trip with the Penn State baseball team to that New Jersey campus. A student publication sponsored the campaign to select a mascot and Penn State is believed to be the first college to adopt the lion as a mascot.

Since Penn State is located in the Nittany Valley at the foot of Mount Nittany, the lion was designated as a Nittany Lion. In regional folklore, Nittany (or Nita-Nee) was a valorous Indian princess in whose honor the Great Spirit caused Mount Nittany to be formed. A later namesake, daughter of chief O-Ko-Cho, who lived near the mouth of Penn’s Creek, fell in love with Malachi Boyer, a trader. The tearful maiden and her lost lover became legend and her name was given to the stately mountain.”

3. Who is a Hoosier?

Basically, they say they haven’t a clue, but here’s the gist:

“Still, the many theories are fascinating in their diversity. Take the one that has a contractor in 1825 named either Samuel Hoosier or Hoosher. His workers, who helped build a canal on the Ohio River, were predominantly from Indiana. They were called “Hoosier’s men” or “Hoosiers.”

A more colorful tale has the word deriving from the phrase fearful early settlers called out when startled by a knock on their cabin door: “Who's here?” -- a call that over time degenerated into Hoosier.

And then there’s the tongue-in-cheek explanation of Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, who related the term to the roughness and ferocity of the state’s early residents. Hoosier pioneers fought so violently, Riley contended, that noses were bitten off and eyes jabbed out during these brawls. Hoosier, said Riley, descends from the question posed by a stranger after entering a southern Indiana tavern and pushing a piece of human flesh with his boot toe: “Who’s ear?”

Not nearly so clever but perhaps more plausible is the suggestion by Peckham and others that the term may derive from “hoozer” -- a word that in the Cumberland dialect of Old England means “high hills.” ”

And there you have it, more than you wanted to know.