In this issue

Gophers On The Road

Announcements

Get To Know The Gophers

Upcoming Match Previews

National Rankings

National Update

Big Ten Update

Lot’s O’ Links

Contact Us

Coach’s Corner

I wish more of you could have watched the Gophers during last weekend’s road swing to Illinois and Purdue. We played a very tough match against the Illini and an almost flawless match against the Boilers. Coming home with a 2-0 record off this road trip against two nationally ranked teams was HUGE. Not everyone in the conference will be so fortunate.

Illinois played great defense for four sets as we geared up the fifth and deciding set. And then it happened. Brook Dieter finally emerged as the dominant player we all were waiting to see. She absolutely took over in the fifth set and carried the Gophers to a 15-8 win…and it wasn’t really that close. She scored points in every way possible...kills, aces, blocks! And she led the team in verbal inspiration as well.

Our performance against Purdue was crisp. We simply frustrated them at every turn. We did everything well. The most significant aspect of our performance was our serving. After a so-so serving night against Illinois we turned up the heat at Purdue and served more aggressively. They were out of system most of the night. It was a runaway victory for Minnesota. The Gophers have won 17 of the last 19 matches in this series!

And now the fun begins. We host a vastly improved Indiana team on Friday night at the Pavilion. Make sure you are in attendance. This will be a very competitive match. They remind me of North Carolina. They can play!

Then on Saturday night we move to Williams Arena for the Battle of the Barn against Penn State. Our dream is that both teams enter the match with 5-0 conference records. This would set up a showdown for first place in the Big Ten. How special is that!!!

Not many give us a chance against the Nittany Lions. And I understand why. They are possibly the best collegiate volleyball team ever assembled. They have not lost a SET to anyone this season. Their team attack efficiency is over .400. I have never heard of any other team doing this. But you know what? There is always a chance. Otherwise they would just mail in the result.

With your help in spreading the word, we might be able to assemble a gigantic crowd that could be the equalizer. With enough crazed, screaming Gopher fans in the arena you might be able to lift the team to a level of confidence that would push us over the top. Anything is possible when everyone pulls on the same end of the rope.

So get ready for a great weekend of volleyball. We will see you Friday night at the Pavilion, and Saturday night at Williams Arena.

Go Gophers!

From Coach Hebert:

Head Coach – Minnesota Volleyball

From the Golddiggers’ President

From Larry Mickelson:

Ain’t technology grand? This past weekend I went on a golf weekend to northern Wisconsin with some friends. On the ride up on Friday evening I was able to follow the Illinois/MN match on my Blackberry via my friends on the chat room Volleytalk. Same on Saturday evening. While my friends were lamenting their golf game (my wasn’t any better) I was happy in the fact that my favorite team went 2-0 on a very tough road trip.

This coming weekend is a big one for Minnesota. Big in terms of competition as they face Indiana and Penn State, big in terms of trying to fill the Barn Saturday against Penn State, and big in terms of an opportunity to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and research. Matches used as vehicles to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness have been gaining in popularity across the country including this past Saturday in Purdue in which the Gophers participated. That match raised $1,596. I hope that Gopher fans will be able to raise much more than that this coming weekend. And remember, with technology you can contribute to the cause by going to www.sideoutvolleyball.org/mainevent/minievent/Minnesot.

This weekend also allows us to see Penn State in action. They have been rolling thru the competition this year and have not yet lost a set. I have confidence in our team that they will be able to give Penn State all they want this weekend. And, hopefully, we will have over 10,000 screaming fans urging them along.

So, grab your friends, neighbors, family members, and volleyball teammates and come on down to the Pav for BOTH matches for a great time and root on the Gophers!

See you at the PAV!

Point U!

Larry Mickelson, President, Golddiggers

Also, please consider joining us for a trip to Madison and Evanston on November 14-16 to see the Gophers take on the Badgers and Wildcats. We have chartered a bus for the trip and reserved a block of rooms in northern Chicago. See below in the “Announcements” section for more details. We need a minimum of 40 people for the trip to happen and we need to make a decision by October 15^th. The trip promises to be a great time and I hope you will make plans to go.

Gophers On The Road

Ever wonder what the Gophers do while they are on the road?  Kelly Schmidt gives us a typical itinerary:

THURSDAY

1:15 - get to the gym early to get packed up for the weekend and dressed and ready for practice

2:00 - video scouting meeting

3:00 -5:00 - practice and run through of how we will adjust our defense to stop Friday night’s opponent

5:15 - dinner, ice, shower and hop on the bus as fast as possible. Depending on the weekend we will either go to a private airport and charter or we will go to MSP international and catch a flight.

FRIDAY

10:00 - breakfast

11:30 - treatment and tape up with Ronni

12:00 - leave for Serve and Pass

3:30 - pre-game meal (sometimes we go out to lunch and sometimes they cater in to the hotel)

5:00 - leave for the match

7:00 - match

9:30 - grab dinner on the way back to the hotel (usually preordered and served fast so we can get back to the hotel to sleep)

SATURDAY

8:00 - video scouting meeting on Sat night's opponent

9:00 - breakfast

9:30 - hop on the bus to drive to next match (dressed for practice)

1:00 - arrive at serve and pass

3:00 - pre-game meal

5:00 - leave for match

7:00 - match

9:00 - grab dinner on the way back to the hotel or head to the airport (depending on whether we charter or not).

If we do not charter we leave the hotel Sunday morning around 5 or 6am.

Announcements

BUS TRIP TO MADISON AND EVANSTON!!!

We are planning on a bus trip to see the Gophers take on Wisconsin and Northwestern the weekend of November 14-16. We would leave around mid-day on Friday, November 13^th, traveling to Madison for the Wisconsin match. After cheering on our Gophers we will travel to the Evanston area for the night. Saturday will be a leisure day with the possibility of traveling into Chicago before cheering on the team against the Wildcats. We will leave for the Twin Cities after the match arriving back to the area early Sunday morning. Cost will be $75/person for the bus trip plus the cost of the hotel rooms. The go/no go date is October 15^th so please contact JT or myself if you would like to go.

+ + +

MEMBERSHIP PACKETS

Membership packets will be available Saturday evening. Family and Coach’s Club memberships receive a team autographed poster and media guide. If you have not yet received your packet please see JT or Larry.

+ + +

RECEPTIONS

We will be having a reception Saturday evening following the Penn State match. The reception will be held in the Williams Arena Club Room.

+ + +

BOARD OF DIRECTOR OPENINGS

We still have four openings for your board of directors. Board members meet 4-5 times a year and help shape the direction of the Club. The Board also helps coordinate and host the year end banquet. It is a great opportunity to get more involved with the Club and talk even more about Gopher volleyball! If you are interested in finding out more, please see a board member – Larry Mickelson, JT, DuAnn Thompson, Sharon and Dave Manninen, Hamlin Sjoberg, Lon Ortner, or Betty Cipperly. The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 21^st, in the Pavilion Club Room at 7:00 PM.

+ + +

Also, we would very much like to hear from YOU! Former Gophers, out-of-town members, Hollywood celebrities -- whomever -- please email us at the address below, let us know what you are up to, pass on suggestions or questions for the Point U!(betcha), or hammer the coaching staff for their time-out usage -- it’s up to you. The coaching staff has also generously offered to answer questions submitted to them through this newsletter. We look forward to all your input.

Get To Know The Gophers!

The Freshmen!

Alex Blatt

1. When did you decide on MN and why?

I verbally committed the summer going into my Junior year. I just liked everything about Minnesota and when I was sorting out schools I couldn't find one thing I didn't like about it here.

2. You did not play JO volleyball this spring. What was it like not to play volleyball? What did you do to keep yourself busy?

It was weird not playing because I'm so used to always having practices but I still did practice with a setting coach 2-3 times a week and would workout and do sprints on my high school track. But I really missed playing with the club girls on my team.

3. What are your goals for the first year of college volleyball?

I want to improve my game overall and become a better all around play and I've also

learned that I want to learn more about the knowledge of the game. Also, I want to help this team as much as I can to win a National Championship and be a part of that.

4. How has the first six weeks or so of college ball gone vs. your expectations?

It's been fun. Honestly I thought it was going to be a lot harder (don't get me wrong, it's tough) but it's going good the first couple weeks with school was stressful but I'm getting into the flow of things and its going smooth now!

5. When did you start playing volleyball? What drew you to the sport? Did you play any other sports growing up and, if so, what influenced you to focus on volleyball?

I started playing recreational volleyball in 5th grade. I was in gymnastics since i was 3 and stopped when I was in 4th grade because I was so burnt out because it was really intense and I'd practice 6 days a week for like..4 hours every day. So by the time I was in 4th grade all my friends were just playing volleyball for fun and I told my mom I wanted to quit gymnastics and play volleyball. Then I realized how much I liked being on a team and not an individual sport and clearly came to love the game!

6. Have you decided on a field of study at MN? If so, what is it?

I was undecided at first but I think I'm going to try and take the business route and try to maybe get into Carlson.

7. What is/are your favorite:

a. Food:  I really like all food. Probably pizza though.

b. Song:  Not one specific, I like country a lot.

c. TV show:  Chelsea Handler

d. Restaurant:  Mimi's Café - I don't think they have one in Minnesota.

What most people don't know about me… most people don't know that I write left handed and a few other things

lefty but I'm righty in everything else (sports-wise)

Ariana Filho

1.       When did you decide on MN and why?

I decided on Minnesota in April of my junior year. I was ironically about to commit to Wisconsin but was in Minneapolis for Northern Lights volleyball tournament and my dad suggested that I visit one more college before I commit. So I did. I came and visited here and I LOVED IT ALL! I loved Mike and his sense of humor. We hit it off right away battling with our dry sense of humor. That made me feel very comfortable. I loved the campus and the environment that surrounded it. The dorms left me in speechless. The girls were unbelievable. I loved everything about them and they made me feel so welcome and comfortable here. Everything was perfect but my dad told me not to let my emotions take the best of me and to go home and go over pro's and con's before deciding. I told him I would, but secretly in the back of my mind I was decided. Wisconsin was NOTHING compared to here and I am so glad my dad made me visit here last minute.

2.       You started school this past summer. Why did you start early vs. waiting until the fall semester?

Starting early was always a suggestion from the coaches but I never actually wanted to come. Then I ended up spending most of my senior year injured from an abdominal tear to a herniated disc in my back. My back was not getting better quick enough for me to feel comfortable jumping into college volleyball after the summer. So the coaches, my parents, my doctors and I all discussed the best solution for me. The best way for me to heal and be ready for D1 volleyball was to come out early and begin training and rehab with the team here. In order for me to work with Ronnie I had to be on scholarship which meant I had to take classes. So I signed up for two classes and moved in July. I ended up getting 6 credits completed and was able to fit in and get use to college life before season started. I am happy that I came early.

3.       What are your goals for the first year of college volleyball?

My overall goal is to become comfortable and adjusted to D1 volleyball while trying to focus on my studies also. Coming out of senior year in high school to a freshman in college is a huge jump but that is expected. I just really want to spend this first year to find out who I am and the role I play on the team. I want to take in everything the coaches are telling me and understand what kind of player they want me to be. I am just going to work really hard this year and allow myself to become a much better player all around.

4.       How has the first six weeks or so of college ball gone vs. your expectations?

It has gone much better than I ever could have imagined. The level of play is so much faster than I thought it was going to be. It looked faster on TV but one doesn't realize the speed until you are a freshman and coach yells

down the bench to "get ready to go in." It’s your first college game experience and the speed seems ten times as fast at first but you get use to it after a while. The competitiveness is much more intense. From competing for a position on the court to competing in a game. Practices are harder than I imagined them to be, but I walk out always feeling like I learned something new.

5.       When did you start playing volleyball? What drew you to the sport? Did you play any other sports growing up and, if so, what influenced you to focus on volleyball?

I didn't start playing competitive volleyball till 8th grade. I grew up in a soccer family and played soccer for 9 years. In middle school I was the tallest girl in my class so I played basketball and volleyball for the school but that was just for fun. My dad’s work friend mentioned that I should try out for club volleyball. We never knew that even existed but we decided to give it a try. We called Colorado Juniors and they said their try-outs were full and I could try out next year so they began to take down my information for next year. After they asked how tall I was and I said I was 5'9" (in 8th grade) they were shocked by my height and said they would make room for me to try out right away. I know absolutely nothing about volleyball. I wore my soccer shorts and t-shirt to try-outs. I felt extremely embarrassed all try-outs because I didn't know what I was doing the entire time. I didn't know there were rotations and positions and plays and hitters were different than diggers or setters. It was all so confusing to me. The coaches said that I was very coachable and they gave me a spot on the team. At that point I still didn't think volleyball was my thing so I balanced that while continuing to play soccer and basketball. This lasted till my freshman year in high-school. I gave up soccer and played volleyball and basketball for the school and for club. That became a huge hassle and I remember my high school basketball coach telling me not to quit basketball because I "would never get a volleyball scholarship through club". I was determined to prove him wrong and so I did. I quit basketball, switched clubs to Front Range and volleyball became my new dream and for me to even imagine having a scholarship to a D1 volleyball program was a dream come true. I miss playing soccer and basketball but I know that I am following my dreams and taking the path that God wants for me.

6.       Have you decided on a field of study at MN? If so, what is it?

My field of study is actually really confusing right now. I want to work with special needs kids or with orphans. Although, I love math and logic. So my dad and I came up with a solution. I would major in Engineering and minor in Youth studies. This way I could put my mathematics genetics to use and I could still work with the kids. So as for now I am in bioproducts and biosystems engineering with a minor in youth studies. However, that is possible to change at anytime.

7.       What is/are your favorite:

Food: Chinese

Song: Dreaming with a Broken Heart by John Meyer

TV show: Will and Grace

Restaurant: The Melting Pot

What most people don't know about me..... is that I have weird skills like being able to solve the rubics

cube and playing guitar hero. I love video games and I play guitar hero

before every home game!

Ashley Suapaia

1. When did you decide on MN and why?

Since Malama, my cousin, came here this has always been a dream for me to come here. I loved everything about the University of Minnesota including the coaches, players, and high intensity of the program here. Once I got my letter in the mail from the U I knew for sure I wanted to come here!

2. What are your goals for the first year of college volleyball?

To definitely play in a couple Big Ten matches. Also, to keep pushing my team to the next level! Another goal of mine/our teams is to make it to the final four! I think that would be the greatest feeling ever!!! Or even past the final four!! :)

3. How has the first six weeks or so of college ball gone vs. your expectations?

It has exceeded my expectations! I enjoy every minute of it! The game is a lot faster than I could have ever imagined and the velocity of the ball is ten times faster!

4. When did you start playing volleyball? What drew you to the sport? Did you play any other sports growing up and, if so, what influenced you to focus on volleyball?

I started really playing volleyball is fourth grade! I played on BAA, Bloomington Athletic Association, with the right side of Northwestern. I used to hate playing volleyball and the only reason I was playing it was to please my dad. I enjoyed playing soccer way more. My dad told my mom, " give her time she will learn to love it." And what do you know I fell in love with it! The competitiveness of the game made me so thrilled to play each time! The person that influenced me loving the game of volleyball was my dad!! He grew up playing it and passed it down to me! And now I take a great passion in playing the game of volleyball!!

5. Have you decided on a field of study at MN? If so, what is it?

I am hoping to go into the nursing program here at the U. I have always been interested in it, and finding out that the U has an exceptional nursing program here made me even want to pursue it even more. I want to be an OB/GYN and be able to experience miracles everyday!

6. What is/are your favorite:

a. Food: Cheeseburgers

b. Song: Mrs. Officer and Umbrella Man by Laga Savea

c. TV show: MAKING THE BAND 4

d. Restaurant: Cheesecake Factory! They have the best avocado egg rolls!!!!

What people wouldn't know about me…I am a very emotional person!!! I cry and everything and anything!! I think crying is a great feeling!!! So if anyone needs someone to cry with, call me up and I will cry with you!!

Info on Jessica Granquist is currently unavailable due to technical difficulties.

Upcoming Match Previews

Indiana

Coach: Sherry Dunbar (2^nd season)

Indiana seemed poised this season to have a good season but have gotten off to a rough 9-7 overall start and 1-3 in the Big Ten. But they did have a big win last week over Michigan State in which they out-blocked MSU 17-7. In addition to being their first Big Ten win it also represents their first significant win of the season as well. The schedule makers had the Hoosiers starting with four straight home matches then offset that advantage by having them start with Illinois, Purdue, Penn State (their travel partner), and Michigan State.

The offensive force for the Hoosiers is senior 6’2” MB Erica Short (#15) who is averaging 4.86 kills/set and hitting .252. Short was named Big Ten POW on September 8^th for her performance in that weekend’s tournament when she averaged 20 kills/set. The like using Short who recently had 51 swings resulting in 25 kills in a four set loss to Illinois and 23 kills on 69 swings in a five set loss to Purdue. Short is also tied for the team lead in solo blocks with 9 and has recorded 107 digs, good for third on the team. Short also currently leads the Big Ten in kps at 4.44 and in overall kills at 71.

Short has received offensive help lately from junior 6’0” OH Kelsey Hall (#21). Hall has averaged 3.10 kps but missed seven matches early in the season. Ashley Benson (#10), a 6’3” sophomore MB, has been averaging 3.21 kps while hitting .330. Benson has also been a force along the defensive side of the net as she is averaging 1.75 blocks/set, trailing only Lauren Gibbemeyer in Big Ten play.

Indiana is running a 6-2 offense this season using sophomore Hayley Koetter (#22) and 6’3” freshman Mary Chaudoin (#8).

Two current players have Hoosier bloodlines – Ashley Benson’s father, Kent, and Lexie Woodson’s father, Mike, are legendary Indiana U basketball players

Penn State

Coach – Russ Rose (30^th season)

Penn State is scary. They are the defending champions and did not lose one starter. And they have not shown any signs of complacency as they have not lost a set yet this year. They opened the season by sweeping both Hawaii and UCLA and haven’t looked back.

#1 - Nicole Fawcett – 6’4” senior OH – 2007 All-American

#3 – Christa Harmotto – 6’2” senior MB – 2007 All-American

#6 – Alisha Glass – 6’0” junior setter – 2007 All-American second team

#7 – Arielle Wilson – 6’3” sophomore MB – 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year

#9 – Blair Brown – 6’5” sophomore OPP – 2007 Big Ten All Freshman Team

#11 – Megan Hodge – 6’3” junior OH – 2007 All-American

They are tall and talented in all positions. During Big Ten play thus far they are hitting .481 (Michigan is second at .250) and holding their opponents to a hitting percentage of .091.

If both teams bring their best, this could be a great match. It will be the firepower of the Penn State (leaders in kills/set and hitting percentage) vs. the defense of MN (leaders in blocks/set and digs/set).

Should be fun!

National Rankings

Week of October 6, 2008

Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	Total Points	2008 Record	Last Week
1	Penn State (60)	1500	16-0	1
2	Nebraska	1440	15-0	2
3	Texas	1371	10-2	3
4	Stanford	1307	13-2	6
5	California	1229	14-1	8
6	Hawai'i	1175	12-2	7
7	Oregon	1083	13-3	11
8	UCLA	1052	11-3	5
9	Florida	996	12-1	10
10	Washington	935	11-3	9
11	Southern California	919	7-4	4
12	Minnesota	858	14-2	13
13	Colorado State	835	13-1	12
14	Wichita State	706	16-0	14
15	San Diego	620	12-2	16
16	Kansas State	557	14-3	17
17	Pepperdine	485	13-1	15
18	Purdue	436	13-3	18
19	Illinois	417	11-4	19
20	Santa Clara	355	10-3	23
21	Wisconsin	318	12-4	20
22	Cal Poly	183	9-6	24
23	Michigan	163	14-2	22
24	Oregon State	139	12-5	NR
25	Kentucky	88	15-2	NR

Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: Arizona 68; Saint Louis 60; Long Beach State 54; Middle Tennessee 31; BYU 20; Utah 13; St. Mary's (Ca.) 12; Baylor 11; Northern Iowa 9; Tulane 9; Pacific 8; UAB 3

National Update

A quick look at the AVCA’s top ten ranked teams (excluding the Big10 schools):

Penn State – see above

Nebraska – Nebraska faced a tough Iowa State team two weeks ago and won 3-1 in a fairly tight match. Since that time they have swept Texas Tech, Colorado, and Creighton. Jordan Larson continues to have a great senior season and often wills this team to wins. Up next for this week for the Huskers are Oklahoma at home and Missouri on the road.

Texas – The Longhorns bounced back nicely from their loss to Nebraska by beating Kansas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, and currently ranked #16 Kansas State. Destinee Hooker is having an outstanding year averaging 4.89 kps in conference play.

Stanford – The Cardinal returns to what they feel is their rightful spot - a top five ranking. After sweeping the Oregon schools at home Stanford traveled to Washington last weekend where they swept both Washington and Washington State. Against WSU Alix Klineman hit .591 (13-0-22) and Foluke Akinradewo hit .562 (10-1-16). They followed that up the following night against UW with a .471 percentage for Klineman and .636 percentage by Akinradewo. Stanford seems to have settled on a two setter offense with Cassidy Lichtman and Joanna Evans. The Cardinal host this weekend both Arizona State and Arizona before facing cross-bay rival California the following weekend.

California – The Golden Bears kept pace with Stanford after sweeping both Oregon and Washington schools the past two weeks. The Washington match, however, was very close as Cal won all three sets by a total of 7 points. Hana Cutura continues to lead the way for Cal. Next up for the Bears are the Arizona schools followed by a trip to Stanford.

Hawaii – The Wahine took last weekend off after traveling to the mainland for three matches – Louisiana State, New Mexico State, and San Jose State. The results do not bode well for the rest of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) as the Wahine swept all three matches including a close three set sweep over New Mexico State. Hawaii is home this weekend for re-matches with Louisiana State and New Mexico State. A pair of wins this weekend should wrap up the conference championship for Hawaii.

Oregon – The Ducks continue their rise among the volleyball elite with a pair of impressive wins this weekend over the Los Angeles teams. Their current #7 ranking is the highest the school has ever achieved. The Ducks were led by junior OH Sonja Newcombe who was named the AVCA National POW for her efforts. The Ducks will face in-state rival and #24 ranked Oregon State this Sunday.

UCLA – The Bruins traveled across town two weeks ago where USC beat them in 5 then traveled north to Oregon where they had a rough weekend. They first lost to #7 Oregon in 4 then needed 5 sets to beat Oregon State the following night. Against OSU the Bruins had 20 unforced hitting errors (errors not caused by a block). UCLA stays home this weekend as they host Washington and Washington State.

Florida – The Gators remain undefeated in SEC play as they took out Alabama and Mississippi State. Against Alabama Kristy Jaeckel, Kelly Murphy, and Lauren Bledsoe each had 14 kills. Freshman Murphy followed that up the next night with 15 kills while hitting .626. Next up for Florida are a pair of home matches vs. SEC rivals Kentucky and Tennessee.

Washington – It was a rough weekend for the Huskies as they were swept by both Stanford and California. This weekend they travel to Los Angeles to face USC and UCLA. USC is struggling and UCLA can be beat. This is a huge weekend for Washington as they need a pair of wins to show they are still one of the country’s elite teams. Their only significant win this year remains San Diego.

Big10 Update

The standings:

2008 Big Ten Conference

Conference Games Overall Games

Institution W-L For Opp Pct W-L For Opp Pct

----------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Penn State.......... 4-0 12 0 1.000 16-0 48 0 1.000

Minnesota........... 4-0 12 3 1.000 14-2 46 12 .875

Michigan............ 2-2 9 6 .500 14-2 45 10 .875

Purdue.............. 2-2 6 8 .500 13-3 41 18 .812

Wisconsin........... 2-2 7 8 .500 12-4 40 19 .750

Illinois............ 2-2 8 8 .500 11-4 37 21 .733

Michigan State...... 2-2 7 8 .500 10-5 35 20 .667

Iowa................ 2-2 7 7 .500 10-6 33 23 .625

Ohio State.......... 1-3 4 11 .250 10-6 34 22 .625

Indiana............. 1-3 6 10 .250 9-7 32 26 .562

Northwestern........ 0-4 3 12 .000 6-9 27 31 .400

2008 conference statistics are at: http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2008-2009/confstat.html

Big Ten News

Illinois

Illinois and MN had a great 5 set match on Friday with the Gophers prevailing 3-2. DeBruler continues to be the focal point for the Illini offense as she had 24 kills against MN on 80 swings and 21 kills on 46 swings in a four set win over Iowa on Saturday.

The Illini play Michigan and Ohio State in a pair of road matches this weekend.

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

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

http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamcume.html (stats)

Indiana

See “Upcoming Match Previews” above.

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

http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/ind-w-volley-body.html (roster)

http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/ind-w-volley-body.html (stats)

Iowa

Iowa continues to improve. After beating Wisconsin and Northwestern during the opening B10 weekend (only the 4^th time in school history they started 2-0), the Hawkeyes dropped a pair of road matches against Purdue and Illinois. However, despite a three set loss to Purdue they only lost by a total of seven points and took a set off of Illinois the following night.

This weekend Iowa will host Penn State and Indiana. The Indiana match should be intriguing matching up a couple of improving B10 teams.

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

http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/iowa-w-volley-body.html (roster)

http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/iowa-w-volley-body.html (stats)

Michigan

Michigan suffered their first loss of the season two weekends ago when they lost to in-state loss Michigan State. They then suffered a tough five set loss to Wisconsin after being up 2-0 in Madison. They bounced back with a three set victory over Northwestern.

#23 Michigan has two tough matches this weekend as they host #19 Illinois and #18 Purdue.

http://www.mgoblue.com/volleyball/page.aspx?id=12148 (website)

http://www.mgoblue.com/volleyball/page.aspx?id=137754 (roster)

http://www.mgoblue.com/volleyball/page.aspx?id=99564 (stats)

Michigan State

The Spartans opened the B10 season with a pair of victories over Ohio State and Michigan before dropping two on the road against Indiana and Penn State.

MSU hosts Wisconsin and Northwestern this weekend.

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

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

http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamcume.html (stats)

Northwestern

Northwestern continues to struggle. After losing to MN and Iowa on the opening weekend the Wildcats dropped a pair against Ohio State and Michigan at home. Against OSU they dropped the opening two sets by identical 26-24 scores before rallying to win the next two but dropping the fifth set.

The Wildcats host #21 Wisconsin on Wednesday.

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

http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/nw-w-volley-body.html (roster)

http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamstat.html (stats)

Ohio State

The Buckeyes are off to a rocky start at 1-3 but two of the losses were on the road. They did record a nice five set victory over Northwestern at Evanston.

OSU hosts #19 Illinois and #18 Purdue this weekend.

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&KEY=&SPID=10410&SPSID=89326 (website) http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&KEY=&SPID=10410&SPSID=89323 (roster)

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&KEY=&SPID=10410&SPSID=89325 (stats)

Penn State

See “Upcoming Match Previews” above

http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/psu-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/psu-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamcume.html (stats)

Purdue

The Boilermakers sit at 2-2 after beating Indiana and Iowa and losing to Penn State and Minnesota. The Minnesota match was Purdue’s breast cancer awareness match as they raised $1,596.

#18 ranked Purdue travels to #23 Michigan and Ohio State this weekend.

http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/pur-w-volley-frame.html (website)

http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/pur-w-volley-frame.html (roster)

http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/pur-w-volley-frame.html (stats)

Wisconsin

Wisconsin was part for the B10 opening weekend shocker as they lost to Iowa. After losing to MN the following night the Badgers bounced back with a five set win over Michigan and three set win over Ohio State. Are things back on track for the Badgers? Not sure but we may find out on Saturday when they face Michigan State in East Lansing.