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(10/20/00 6:31am)
Freshman outside hitter Monique Pritz must not be a big fan of ESPN2. Upon learning that the volleyball team's match Saturday at Ohio State would be nationally-televised, she deadpanned "Oh really?" A shrug of her shoulders accompanied her unsuspected interrogation.\nWhether the presence of a major network shakes IU or not, the match will be seen -- tape delayed -- Sunday.\nIU (12-7, 3-6 in Big Ten play) dropped its first mid-week match of the season Wednesday at Penn State, a three-set stumble to the defending national champions.\nNo. 11 Ohio State (17-1, 7-1) welcomes the upset-minded Hoosiers, trailing Big Ten leader Minnesota by only a half-game. The Gophers handed the Buckeyes their only loss of the season last weekend.\nThe prospect of upending a national power in front of a nationwide audience plays right into the Hoosiers' hands, coach Katie Weismiller said.\n"It's fun," she said. "But we're focused on the game. The outside elements don't bother us."\nThe shining lights and nerves might not disturb the Hoosiers, but Ohio State's gaudy statistics could cause concern. The Buckeyes lead the conference in kills, assists and aces, and sit in the top five in digs and hitting percentage.\n1999 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Katie Virtue returns for coach Jim Stone, in his 19th season in Columbus. Virtue leads the league in assists, with 14.25 a game. Heavy hitters Dana Stearns and Sue Calligaris spearhead OSU's offensive attack, both hitting above 0.350 and stamping out more than three kills per contest. \n IU, meanwhile, used an option-oriented attack to pick up a pair of wins over the weekend, but couldn't find the same production against the Nittany Lions. \n Weismiller added Pritz to the mix last weekend and has steadily increased the 6-footer's playing time. Pritz notched five kills and five blocks Wednesday. \n "I'm getting my confidence back," Pritz said. "I've been able to help the team because I can get up quick and use my blocking skills."\nWeismiller will likely continue to go to co-Big Ten Player of the Week and senior Amanda Welter, sophomore Hillary Toivonen and the freshmen duo of Melissa Brewer and Nicole Hill, all of whom have helped IU's balanced attack. Pritz plans to give that offense, as well as the defense, a boost. \n"She's physical," Weismiler said of Pritz. "She's a big blocker."\nWeismiller said she enjoys the television presence, and said it tremendously helps her recruiting efforts. IU has appeared on television in front of regional audiences before, but this is its first national attention.\n"It's good for the whole Big Ten, (for any league team to be on television)," senior Laura Dewitz said. "But it doesn't affect us on the court. I'm sure I'll be getting some phone calls from people telling me I'm on TV"
(10/18/00 6:17am)
Amanda Welter just wants to beat Penn State -- once. In Welter's four years in Bloomington, IU has knocked off the perennial power Nittany Lions in only one game. One game in 19 tries.\nWelter's fellow seniors, Laura Dewitz and JoAnne Amstutz, have witnessed the yearly shellackings Penn State has handed the Hoosiers -- scores like 15-3, 15-6, 15-4.\nNo.13 Penn State (16-4, 5-3 in Big Ten play) has stumbled, sitting two games out of first place in the Big Ten. Big Ten bottom feeder Northwestern shocked the defending national champions earlier this season for its only conference win this season. Now the Hoosiers (12-6, 3-5) figure it's their turn. \n"An upset this year is a lot more foreseeable," Welter said. "I'd like to beat Penn State before I graduate. I'm psyched, I'm pumped to give them their fourth (Big Ten) loss."\nWelter's teammates have similar ideas.\n"In the past it used to be like 'Oh, God, we're playing Penn State,'" Dewitz said. "But they're beatable; we think we can beat anyone." \nThe self-reliant attitude prevalent for coach Katie Weismiller's bunch might have seemed foolish prior to last weekend's sweep of Illinois and Purdue. Before the two wins, five consecutive Big Ten opponents harnessed the Hoosiers -- IU's longest Big Ten losing skid since 1996. \nBut crisp passing, spectacular serving and gutsy play helped the Hoosiers bust up the streak and pick up confidence, thrusting them back into Big Ten contention. \nNow comes their toughest test yet. \nPenn State has lost an unexpected trio of league matches, but the team is back to playing the brand of volleyball that has sent the conference and nation into fits for years. But losses the Lions have suffered, such as the one at Northwestern, have the Hoosiers believing in themselves again. \n"They're in the Top 20 for a reason," Weismiller said. "But, we can play with the top teams. Northwestern beat them, and we beat Northwestern. (Penn State) isn't as dominating as they have been." \nWelter said most of the relatively young Hoosiers probably don't know what to expect from Penn State. Hopping aboard the two-hour, mid-week flight could complicate the situation. This is IU's first mid-week match of the season. IU practiced full tilt Monday, but lightened the load Tuesday in preparation for tonight.\n"We're over our losing streak," freshman Monique Pritz said. "Now, we're on our winning streak. We're not too worried"
(10/16/00 6:26am)
A stats sheet is a notorious liar. Often its ingredients -- kills, blocks, hitting percentage -- are worth little more than a toss to a trashcan.\nBut anyone keeping tallies of the volleyball team's contests this weekend in an effort to uncover the most tell-tale statistics likely ran out of ink; circling and underlining numbers, which, in this case, told no lies. Instead, the black and white slip of paper turned into the IU volleyball bible for a couple nights in a row.\nThe Hoosiers (12-6, 3-5) used gutsy, consistent play and a solid week of practice to snap a five-game losing streak and turn around their Big Ten season in a heartbeat, pounding Illinois and Purdue.\n"We've all known we have the potential and personnel to come out and win in the Big Ten," coach Katie Weismiller said. "We just hadn't been able to come out and put it together on the same night."\nUntil Friday and Saturday.\nFive Hoosiers registered double-digit kills in the 15-9, 15-11, 16-18, 15-7 win over the Illini (10-8 overall, 1-7 in Big Ten play). Senior outside hitter Amanda Welter dominated the middle, hammering 22 kills and keeping the Hoosiers emotionally charged with her usual fist-pumping and vocal outbursts.\nWhen Welter wasn't sending rockets toward the Illini, junior setter Laurie Gardner surprised Illinois by dumping balls in holes in the Illini defense.\nIllinois fended off five IU match points in game three, but the Hoosiers rattled off the first five points in game four to take command.\nSaturday's performance proved no different for IU, as three Hoosiers recorded 11 or more kills, in a dominating 15-3, 15-8, 15-10 thumping of the Boilermakers (9-11, 1-7) in front of a season-best 1,213 fans. The 0.328 hitting percentage for the match was the Hoosiers' second-best effort of the season.\n"What a great crowd," Weismiller said. "They set the tone for the night. They were really into it, and I think we picked up on that."\nIU's four-headed monster of Welter, sophomore Hillary Toivonen, and freshmen Nicole Hill and Melissa Brewer out-dueled both Illinois and Purdue's go-to hitters.\nIllinois and Purdue repeatedly relied on only two offensive threats apiece, but IU's option-laden offense and effective net play manhandled any threat.\n"(Illinois') Betsy Spicer hit a 0.500 against us last night, and we still won," Welter said. "We have so many different options, you can't just key on anyone."\nDefensive specialists junior Crecia Keithley and freshman Beth Heimann turned in solid, if not spectacular serving and passing efforts.\nKeithley fired a career-best four aces at the Boilers and another at the Illini. On more than one occasion, Keithley and Heimann came into the lineup and ignited IU scoring runs and forced Purdue's offense to scramble with their precision serves. The Boilers never scored more than two consecutive points all night, something Welter said IU set as a goal prior to the match.\n"Serving started it off," Brewer said. "If they can't pass, we know exactly what they're going to do. We just jumped on them and let them know how it was going to go the rest of the night."\nMatch note: Welter recorded her 1,000th career kill in game three against Purdue, becoming the seventh player in IU history to achieve the feat. Ryann Conners, a 2000 graduate, holds the all-time IU record with 1,533 career kills. Welter said she was unaware she was approaching the milestone.\n"I had no idea," she said. "My mom started to say something last night, but then she was like 'Oh, never mind.' But we played so well tonight, my teammates made it so easy"
(10/11/00 5:13am)
Freshman Katie Pollom plays the waiting game. By now, she's an unruffled pro. She waits. She watches. She anticipates the day she'll be able to step onto the volleyball court.\nIf good things indeed come to those who wait, Pollom will have waited long enough -- more than a year. Doctors discovered a stress fracture in Pollom's back last winter, but she was able to practice for coach Katie Weismiller until mid-August. Then came word she had to wait, play it safe, for four months.\nSo, she sat, waiting for those good things to shuffle her way and watching her teammates trudge through the Big Ten season. \nPollom said she'll be back. She beams with confidence in a back brace she wears nonstop -- to bed, to class, to practice; everywhere but the shower. \nThe brace wraps around her torso and climbs up her back, seemingly holding her in one piece. It's clunky, molded plastic that velcros across her stomach. A bone-growth stimulator the size of a battery clings to the brace's front to aid healing. It appears as if Pollom's back would buckle and crumble to bits and pieces if the brace ever came off. But it's what gives her hope as she waits. \nPollom said she has patience; you need that when you're forced to sit out an entire volleyball season after you expected to shine. Patience keeps her mind from hating her plagued back, which has limited her to plopping down on the sidelines during practice after practice, game after game, merely waiting. Waiting for a stress-fractured back to heal or for the constant pain to subside.\nThe pain has taken a reprieve because of her brace, Pollum said, and the 6-foot-3-inch middle blocker is scheduled to undergo an MRI sometime within the next few weeks. Should she be able to bust out of the brace, she'll be able to play.\n"Even if I'm not sure if I can play, I just want to be pain free," she said as she lifted her gray sweatshirt, revealing and adjusting a section of the white, stiff brace. "I don't know if I'll play right away when I get the brace off, but they're going to try to wean me out of it. I have another, softer brace I can use."\nShe said she hopes to be able to use that softer, more flexible brace. She'll finish the 2000 season redshirting but has her sights set on next fall. \nFor now, she helps in any way she can with practice. She even spent one afternoon sprawled out on the practice floor, scribbling addresses on envelopes Weismiller needed to send. She still travels with the team and welcomes the opportunity she has in Bloomington. She turned down offers from Miami (Ohio) and Purdue to come to IU.\n"She's a huge part of this team," Weismiller said. "Her attitude is unbelievable. She's all positive. We just keep our fingers crossed that she'll be able to come back."\nWeismiller knew of Pollom's injury when she recruited her, but says that had no affect the process. After all, Pollom grappled with pain and braces to help lead Cathedral High School in Indianapolis to two state championships, leading the Irish in kills her senior season. A four-year starter, she was named an Indiana All-Star as a senior and holds the school record for hitting percentage in a season (.502). \nThe braces didn't slow her down at Cathedral, or before. Pollom suffers from scoliosis and has been in and out of braces since fourth grade. She said she doesn't know what caused her tumultuous back problems, but suspects it could be volleyball, scoliosis or a 1999 car accident.\nBy now, though, she's become accustomed to the braces. What she hasn't adjusted to is the watching from the sidelines -- where she can't muster a block or hammer a kill. That, she said, is the worst part. She turns to teammates and coaches for support. Her skills, Weismiller said, would add to the Hoosiers' depth, something the squad, losers of five straight conference contests, could use. \n"I've learned a lot about being patient," Pollom said. "I know I'll be back someday, but now, I have to fill the role that I can. The first home game made me want to get back to play, but it's frustrating, because there's nothing I can do."\nShe continues lifting weights and spending hours on a stepper each week so when she does return, she'll be strong. But her strength is elementary until she's cleared to step back onto the court. And that won't happen until the doctor approves. No matter how hard she works, how much sweat soaks her red, curly hair, it's doctors, a brace and a bone-growth stimulator that determine when she can return, if at all. \n"I don't know how she does it," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "I had to sit out practice for the first time, and I told her it was killing me. I give her all the credit in the world for being able to do it."\nA nagging sore back forced Welter, who could recall missing only a couple athletic contests or practices before this fall, to rest earlier this season. Pollom was there to offer her support and help Welter figure out just how to sit out and feel satisfied. \nBut Pollom isn't satisfied. Welter admits it is a toss-up whether or not Pollom will return. Weismiller says if anybody can do it, it will be Pollom. The fiercest opinion stems from Pollom, who said she does not let the thought of not playing again cross her mind. Her four-month hiatus ends around Thanksgiving. \n"I'll deal with (not playing) if that situation comes along," Pollom said. "I can't imagine not playing. I'd rather play with pain than not play at all. I believe I'll get better."\nUntil then, she waits.
(10/06/00 5:04am)
Coach Katie Weismiller remains optimistic. Judging by her team's high morale, Weismiller's daily volleyball lessons must include steadfast adherence to upbeat attitudes. While it seems the volleyball team would be scattering and fretful after a 1-3 start in the Big Ten, it's not.\nThe Hoosiers aren't even all that flustered, shaken or scared. Instead, as they prepare to battle Michigan and Michigan State this weekend, they said they're confident.\n"We have a great opportunity in front of us," Weismiller said. "We match up well with them. We need wins, but it's still early. We don't want to look back on this weekend and not be able to smile."\nThe Hoosiers weren't grinning after dropping a pair of home matches last weekend, including a five-game loss to Iowa after leading 2-1. Weismiller said her bunch played with "no heart" in the Hawkeye defeat, and "never showed up." She gave the team Tuesday afternoon off to regain some energy for a solid week of practice for two high-powered, fast-paced offenses.\nThe Wolverines and Spartans have been in and out of the top 25 this year, with Michigan reaching as high as No. 23 and Michigan State topping out at No. 16. Weismiller, once again, said she expects to use ball-control offense and steady serving to impede both offenses.\nMaking that task all the more challenging will be Spartan middle blocker Jessica Sanborn, an All-Big Ten performer last season. Sanborn leads a Spartan (10-3 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) offense that carries a 0.286 hitting percentage, good for second in the league. Sanborn boasts a 0.423 hitting percentage and 1.28 blocks per game, both second in the Big Ten.\nMichigan (10-4, 1-3) has surprised fellow Big Ten squads, but lost to Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois. Weismiller said the Wolverines are like the Hoosiers, because they don't really have a go-to-player, but rely on a number of above-average players.\nOutside hitter Sarah Behnke and middle blocker Joanna Fielder lead the Wolverine attack; both are among the team leaders in almost every Michigan statistic.\n"Michigan has surprised us," freshman outside hitter Melissa Brewer said. "They've impressed me, but these are two matches we should win. There's a sense of urgency. We need some wins."\nWeismiller said even if IU doesn't sweep this weekend, the Hoosiers are still amid the hunt for the Big Ten crown, but she does admit, like Brewer, they are anxious to get a much-needed win.\nNeither Weismiller nor her team said they fear an emotional letdown like the one against Iowa.\n"If we can get two wins, we'll be more recognized," junior defensive specialist Crecia Keithley said. "We had a talk after the Iowa game, and we know there are no predetermined matches in the Big Ten. We had high expectations, and we still hold them"
(10/04/00 5:31am)
The Hoosiers were supposed to ruffle the Hawkeyes' feathers then give sixth-ranked Minnesota a run for its money last weekend. \nIowa and Minnesota didn't agree. \nEvidently, coach Katie Weismiller's bunch didn't argue its side too well, either.\nFour games into the Big Ten Conference season, IU (10-4 overall) sits at 1-3 in league play -- not too far from the top, but not too far from the bottom. The catch is that defending conference and NCAA Champion Penn State is also one for its first four. The 2000 Big Ten race defines parity; only Wisconsin and Ohio State remain unbeaten, and five teams, including IU and Penn State, share 1-3 records.\n"We know we let one get away Friday (against Iowa), but by no means are we out of the race," Weismiller said. "We have to take care of business."\nThe Hoosiers didn't do that in a pair of weekend losses, that marked the first time IU has begun its portion of the Big Ten season with back-to-back home losses since 1997. Just two years ago, IU won eight of its 10 home conference contests. Last year, Weismiller and company boasted a 6-4 Big Ten record.\nThe weekend sweep forces IU to pick up a game or two on the road. When the Hoosiers went 8-2 at home in 1998, they also dropped nine of 10 road matches. Last year wasn't much better, with IU going only 4-6 away from Bloomington.\n"We definitely have to win this weekend," senior middle blocker Laura Dewitz said. "But, the Big Ten is so equal this year. We have to be ready every night, and we're ready."\nWeismiller said she isn't afraid that her young squad will crumble under early season pressure, but instead said she thinks it will boost IU back into the title-contending picture. IU hits the road for four of its next six matches, including visits to Penn State and Ohio State on back-to-back nights. If anything is to be gained in the contests with the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes, IU will have to fend off Michigan and Michigan State this weekend.\nThe IU volleyball annals indicate that IU will either run off a sweep or be swept; streaks are nothing new to the Hoosiers and Weismiller. Since her arrival in 1993, Weismiller-coached Hoosier squads have slouched into 12 different slumps of three or more consecutive Big Ten defeats. Weismiller's rebuttal is five strings of three or more league wins since '93. A loss in Friday's match in Ann Arbor would be IU's third consecutive loss.\n"We'll do anything to win," sophomore setter Laurie Gardner said. "We lost two at home early, but we have time to make it up. Anything can beat anybody on any night in this league"
(09/29/00 5:10am)
The women's volleyball team wanted to make a statement in its Big Ten opening weekend. It did ... sort of. \nThe Hoosiers knocked off Northwestern, who upset defending conference champion Penn State the following night. But a day later, No. 14 Wisconsin tripped up IU in three games. An even record after two matches is a success ... sort of.\nThe wide open Big Ten race has head coach Katie Weismiller and her troops feeling good about their record and chances, but Weismiller said the Hoosiers will have to be on guard this weekend when a pair of conference contenders invade Bloomington.\nIowa visits University Gym 7 p.m. Friday, and sixth-ranked Minnesota marches in at 7 p.m. Saturday. Both squads began the season with a pair of wins last weekend, and both are expected to test the upstart Hoosiers. \n"Minnesota is big and strong, and Iowa has a good team," Weismiller said. "We have to protect our home court and get a couple wins."\nIowa hasn't won in Bloomington since 1996, but upset both Illinois and Purdue in Iowa City last weekend. Weismiller said she expects junior outside hitter Sara Meyermann and middle blocker Katie Panhorst to lead the Hawkeye charge. Panhorst, a senior, currently ranks sixth in the conference in blocks per game, with 1.23. \nA relatively young Iowa group ranks seventh or lower in every Big Ten statistical category, but showed its potential last weekend. But Weismiller said her Hoosiers should win, provided they play ball-control volleyball and improve their shaky offense.\n"It's kind of a shock that both (Iowa and Minnesota) are 2-0," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said."We don't look at it as if we're playing a good team or a bad team. We have to increase our level of play."\nMinnesota is the next team to challenge the Hoosiers. IU grounded the Gophers in the Big Ten finale last season, virtually earning its NCAA Tournament bid with the upset win. Head coach Mike Herbert's crew was ranked in the top-ten last season and is ranked again, this time at No. 6.\nThe Gophers, who haven't won in Bloomington in their last two tries, lead the Big Ten in hitting percentage and blocks and boast three returning all-Big Ten team members: Nicole Branagh, Lindsey Berg and Stephanie Hagen. \nBranagh currently leads the conference in kills, at 4.92 per game. Berg hands out 13.03 assists per game, third best in the league, and Hagen leads the conference in both blocks and hitting percentage. \nThe high-powered trio leads what Weismiller called a "fast offense," set up by Berg. Weismiller said she hopes to take the Gophers out of their game by playing her own. IU spent this week fine-tuning its complicated offense as well as its struggles from the service line. Weismiller said she wants more aggression.\n"We have to concentrate on our side of the court," she said. "We need to set the tempo. If we do that, we can play with anybody in the country."\nBeing back home should help the Hoosiers' chances of sweeping the weekend set. IU played in front of more than 3,500 fans at Wisconsin and faced a tough test at Northwestern, so suiting it up somewhere more familiar will help, freshman Nicole Hill said.\n"We can definitely build momentum," Hill said. "No one is rooting against us, so we're looking forward to this weekend"
(09/28/00 5:21am)
Former IU quarterback Trent Green ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during a preseason tune-up with the St. Louis Rams last year -- the same Rams group NFL MVP Kurt Warner led to the Super Bowl championship in January.\nGreen had a solid football career at IU and persistence to thank.\n"He got it done on the field and off," former IU football coach Bill Mallory said. "You couldn't ask for a better student-athlete. He paid his dues."\nGreen played for Mallory in Bloomington from 1987-92, leading the Hoosiers to back-to-back bowl games, including a 24-0 whipping of Baylor in the 1991 Copper Bowl. Green passed for 165 yards and scampered for two touchdowns in IU's most recent bowl win.\nGreen is currently on the Rams' roster.\nAfter San Diego drafted Green in 1993, his precarious career bounced him to three NFL teams, including a season with the Chargers before he was cut. Green, 30, sat out the following year after being overlooked by every NFL team. \n"I hoped another opportunity would come up," Green said. "I knew I had to stick in there and keep working." \nHe did. \nGreen returned to Bloomington to continue working out after the Chargers waved goodbye. Mallory, who won the recruiting battle for Green against Notre Dame, allowed Green to sit in on practices and meetings.\nBut it was a game in Michigan Stadium that eventually landed Green a fresh spot in the NFL. During his stint as an assistant coach at Michigan, Cameron saw Green run through the Wolverine defense. Cameron had since moved to Washington, where he coached the Redskins quarterback corps. Cameron noticed Green's name on the league waiver wire and approached Redskins coach Norv Turner about offering Green a workout. \n"I told Norv, 'Trent might be a guy we'd like to work out,'" Cameron said. "He liked him too, so we worked him out, and Norv asked me if we'd like to sign him. I told Norv, 'Yes,' and Norv called Trent into his office and said, 'Hey, Trent, we'd like to sign you.' From that day, he was probably one of the most dedicated, motivated guys I've ever been around."\nGreen, a St. Louis native, spent four seasons with the Washington and one season with San Diego before his homecoming with the Rams. After getting partial playing time in Washington, Green left because of what he called "turmoil and uncertainty." He was expected to lead the Rams before the pre-season hit snapped his ACL and his hopes. \nAs Green knows all too well, Warner stepped in to guide the high-powered Rams to their first Super Bowl title. Green was sidelined all season and still sits behind Warner on the Rams' depth-chart.\n"I had mixed emotions," Green said of the Super Bowl crown. "I was frustrated I was not able to be more involved in the offense. I worked all off-season and established an attitude that I was ready to get going. But it was satisfying to be a part of (the championship)."\nGreen still hasn't started a game since 1998 and continues rehabilitation on his knee every day. His unheralded role as a backup quarterback hasn't quenched his thirst for directing offense. \n"I understand my role," he said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I just have to make the best of it."\nGreen said he'll let the season play out before thinking of leaving his hometown team for a chance of getting a starting spot. He is sure a No. 1 slot on the depth chart is what he desires. For now, he's taking a wait-and-see approach. He's confident in his once-busted knee and his skills in the pocket. So are his previous coaches.\n"I think somebody will pick him up," Cameron said. "A lot of people would say, 'Hey, what's he complaining about? He's still getting paid.' But for the true competitors in the league, it's not about the money; and that's what Trent's about. He wants to lead a team."\nGreen still follows IU football and stays in touch with Mallory, who wrote him a pick-me-up letter after Green's injury. Green said he's thankful for Mallory and Cameron's help and his experience at IU. \nA handful of quarterbacks have led IU since Green left nearly a decade ago. A presidency has all but expired. And two NFL teams decided they could do without Green's services, but Green said his better days are yet to come. \n"It's been a crazy road," Green said. "But it's been worth it. I'm rehabbing for the rest of my career"
(09/27/00 6:01am)
Katie Weismiller has a funny notion about her "dream job." \nMost people would leave Indiana for Florida, and not vice versa. Weismiller, the women's volleyball head coach, saw things the other way around. She bolted the warm, sun-filled Florida weather for Indiana's precarious, up-and-down climate. Seems anybody would rule out that move after plodding through a dreary fall day like Monday or sweating through a sweltering August afternoon.\nNot Weismiller -- the move couldn't have worked any better.\nWeismiller left Florida in 1993 after two seasons as an assistant coach for a homecoming of sorts. After growing up in St. Louis and coaching for two seasons at St. Louis University, Weismiller welcomed the trip back to the Midwest. She said IU's campus lured her, and her volleyball teams have done the rest, plopping the Hoosiers back on the Big Ten and national volleyball scene.\n"I wanted a campus that would sell itself, and I got that," Weismiller said. "St. Louis was a different world. I wanted to build my own program in a big conference. It's unbelievable how it all fell into place."\nWeismiller not only headed the Billiken women's volleyball squad, she also coached softball and worked as an administrator. She won nearly 70 percent of her games on the volleyball court in St. Louis before heading to Gainesville, where she helped direct the Gators to their first Final Four appearance in 1992.\nHer success helped her land the job in Bloomington, and the situation was just what she wanted: the opportunity to build a top-notch program. The two years before Weismiller's arrival saw the Hoosiers go a dismal 14-45. \nThe turnaround began immediately, with IU wrapping up its 1993 season at 11-18. Two years later, the Hoosiers turned in their first 20-win season since 1987. Weismiller led IU to its seventh 20-win season in school history last year, boosting her career mark above .500. A solid 10-2 start in 2000 sent Weismiller's record at IU to 122-112, including two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Still, Weismiller is confident she can carry the rejuvenated program to national acclaim. \n"I want to win Big Ten championships, go deep into the NCAA and ultimately win the big one," Weismiller said of her hopes of a national championship. "We can do a lot here."\nWeismiller continues to promote IU volleyball and said the next step in nailing together a consistent title contender is a new facility, something the athletics department promised her when she took the job. The Hoosiers still practice and play at University Gym, and Weismiller calls the lack of a prime-time facility the only disappointment she's encountered since signing with IU.\nCommunity and student support has blossomed in her seven years, but a hint of envy enters her voice on mentioning the more than 3,500 fans that regularly attend Wisconsin home games. \n"Attendance wasn't real good when I got here," she said. "The community is unbelievable, and the student body is picking up little by little. We try to add a new twist every year. It's the best entertainment in town."\nWeismiller's lofty goals for the future might be pinned on the highly-touted seven-member recruiting class that marched into Bloomington this fall. Weismiller credits IU's strong academic reputation and scenic campus as her recruiting aids, but her players say she is the main selling point.\n"She has a different style," freshman Melissa Brewer said of Weismiller's laid-back approach. "She doesn't yell, but she's pretty blunt. She made it a big point to let us know she'd be here tomorrow."\nWeismiller operates her upbeat, easy-going system on a new one-year contract each season, something IU does different from other institutions, she said. She doesn't let that uncertainty worry her though, she said. Instead, she keeps players and administrators satisfied with her teaching between the lines. Several players cite the lack of verbal outbursts and wealth of understanding as attributes that help the program develop. Her quick-paced walk and high-energy attitude rubs off on her players.\n"She doesn't scream, but you know when she's upset," senior Amanda Welter said. "It was hard to adjust at first, but it works. She's always happy to be here, and she never makes us feel like she thinks it's a chore to coach us. The program has come so far since she's come here"
(09/22/00 5:47am)
Wisconsin sits near the top of the Big Ten heading into the opening weekend of the volleyball season. Northwestern idles in the league cellar. Indiana hovers between both, not expected to contend for the conference crown, but not expected to join the Wildcats in the basement. \nIndiana has gotten used to being picked to finish in the middle of the Big Ten pack. Coach Katie Weismiller said they figure they're better than No. 8 in the Big Ten, and there's no time like right now to prove it.\n"If we take care of both Wisconsin and Northwestern, we can make a statement," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "We're going to be fired up."\nIt will likely take a top performance from the Hoosiers (9-1) to topple both the Badgers and Wildcats. Northwestern (3-7), which began the season with seven consecutive losses, has reeled off three consecutive wins, and will provide the first test for IU Friday night. Northwestern won only two Big Ten matches a year ago, neither coming against IU. \n"We've had the upper hand the last few years against Northwestern," Weismiller said. "They're a young team."\nFreshman middle blocker Erika Lange should provide the main offensive threat for the Wildcats, and head coach Keylor Chan is in his first season in Evanston. The Wildcats are hitting a league-worst 0.183, but Lange has racked up 3.42 kills per game to go along with 1.32 blocks per outing. \nWeismiller will try to slow down the Northwestern offense and force ball control, much like she will attempt to do against the favored Badgers (10-1), currently ranked No.14 in the nation. \nIf Lange doesn't muddle IU's hopes of a weekend sweep, another middle blocker will try to. Badger Sherisa Livingston ranks fourth in the conference in hitting percentage, at 0.428, and averages 4.35 kills per contest, good for fifth in the league. Livingston also chips in with 1.18 blocks a game.\nIU senior middle blocker Laura Dewitz will have the pleasure of dealing with both Lange and Livingston. \n"It's going to be a test about our status in the Big Ten," Dewitz said. "We're excited." \nWeismiller does admit the powerful Badger attack will force the Hoosiers to make some minor defensive adjustments, but she said she is confident her squad won't be shaken. Weismiller said she's still toying with a lineup that has been bitten by nagging injuries, such as Welter's consistently sore back. But the coach remains focused on her squad rather than the counterpart.\n"They're ranked 14th, but that doesn't scare us," Weismiller said. "We can upset any team. They'll get their kills, but if we can control the ball, we'll be in pretty good shape. We might surprise a few teams this year."\nFriday will mark the first conference game for the group of seven IU freshmen, two of whom have seen major playing time. But Weismiller and Welter agree they'd rather play on the Badgers' and Wildcats' home turf early in the season. Still, IU hasn't beaten Wisconsin since 1995, when they swept the season series. \nThe Badgers have gotten the better of Weismiller since her arrival in Bloomington in 1993, winning 11 of the 14 matches, including six of seven at the UW Fieldhouse.\nBut she expects her group to be poised for an upset. IU has passed early-season road tests at the Pittsburgh Invitational and at Indiana State. \n"They can tune out the crowd," Weismiller said. "They'll go in with their eyes wide open. I think we have the personnel and the focus. I'd like to get out there and see what we can do"
(09/20/00 4:14am)
Nicole Hill was a three-time all-state middle blocker at Muncie Central High School. \nTurns out, she was playing the wrong position. \nShe's been playing middle blocker since elementary school. So why tweak her already successful game? \nHill is 5-feet, 11-inches tall. Not tall enough to continue playing the same position she played while leading the Bearcats to three consecutive state championships. Not tall enough to play middle blocker at IU. \nThe solution? Move the subdued, dark-haired freshman to outside hitter, where she can show off her spring-laden legs and powerful attacking and killing skills. \nIt worked.\nHill, who has seen action in every IU game, earned all-tournament team honors at last weekend's Hoosier Invitational by leading the club in kills and hitting percentage in wins over Duke and Marquette. Her .212 hitting percentage and 3.21 kills per game are both good for third on the team. She also tallies 2.71 digs per contest, also third on the 9-1 Hoosier squad. \n"It was unexpected," Hill said of being named to the all-tournament team along with fellow outside hitter senior Amanda Welter. "But, it was a great honor."\nThe Hoosiers open the Big Ten season Friday, but Hill's solid numbers aren't among the top ten in the conference in any category. But that shouldn't overshadow her success, as she plays alongside Welter and sophomore Hillary Toivonen, who both rank near the top in several offensive categories, including kills. \nHill followed the lead of Welter and Toivonen, who play the same position and seem to mask Hill's abilities. After spending years as the focus of her teammates and counterparts, Hill said she enjoys lurking in the shadows.\n"She's explosive," said Toivonen, a Muncie Burris graduate who played by Hill's side for the Munciana Volleyball Club team. "She's stepped in and done exactly what she's needed to do. Last weekend was a great example."\nHill polished her new skills as an outside hitter against the Blue Devils and Golden Eagles after weeks of tough preparation and a sharp learning curve. A five-game Hoosier win at Indiana State last week exemplified Hill's typical freshman sluggish start. She recorded nine kills, but hit only .167 and had trouble handling serves from the Sycamores as well as ribbing from the ISU-partisan crowd. \n"At first, I was tentative. The first day (of practice) was horrible." Hill said. "I was working on getting new footwork down. High school and college volleyball are so different, but now, it's all starting to make sense. I think this is the perfect offense for me." \nCoach Katie Weismiller runs an intricate, complicated offense that takes some getting used to. Though Hill has apparently overcome the early jitters and adjustment period, Weismiller doesn't expect MVP-type performances every time Hill slips on the cream and crimson. \nAfter all, the team rates Hill third on the depth chart as outside hitter.\n"We just want her to be a role player," Weismiller said. "She was out of position in high school, and it's a different world (playing) outside (hitter). But, she's a great blocker, so it's made the transition easier."\nHill fills the spot voided when Ryann Conners, one of three seniors on last year's squad, graduated. Conners led the 1999 Hoosiers in kills in 10 matches and finished second on the team in kills behind Welter. \nHill said she doesn't necessarily see herself as a replacement for Conners, but she is chipping in what she can. She's come to the forefront out of a group of seven freshmen who began their IU careers last month.\n"I expected to play, but not to start right away," Hill said. "I don't see myself as standing out at all"
(09/19/00 4:55am)
One doesn't need to see Charles Burton to realize he could break all the bones in your body in about 23 seconds. Not once glance. \nHis brash, confident and somewhat cocky voice suffice as reason enough to agree that the IU assistant wrestling coach could twist nearly anyone on the planet into a human pretzel. \nHe'll get his chance to bust up competition from around the world in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.\nHe's left Bloomington feeling confident. \n"If you're going down there for a frickin' vacation, that's ridiculous," said Burton, who returned to the IU campus after spending 22 days in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Olympic Training Center. "What's the point of going down if you don't think you'll win the gold medal?"\nBurton's resume lends itself to winning the gold. The 187-pounder wrestled at Boise State University for four seasons, concluding his senior year with a third-place finish at the 1997 NCAA Championships. He spent one year as an assistant coach at national wrestling powerhouse University of Iowa before making the move to Bloomington three years ago. Between the two collegiate stops, he spent a year training at Colorado Springs. \nFrom there, the Meridian, Idaho, native collected a laundry list of national championships and titles. He wrapped up his Olympic berth after defeating Les Gutches in a best-of-three wrestle-off July 27 in Fargo, N.D. Gutches had previously beaten Burton at the 1999 Freestyle National Championships and 2000 U.S. Nationals.\n"It's nice," Burton said of finally topping Gutches. "I knew I had to keep working, but I knew it would come along. I should've beaten him the times I lost."\nBurton is one of eight freestylers who will represent the United States in Sydney. The chance to slip into the stars and stripes is something Burton said he expected sooner or later. Wrestlers, Burton said, don't often reach their peak until after college. Burton continued a rigorous workout routine throughout his stay at Colorado Springs and Iowa and has done the same at IU. \n"We're very proud of him," head coach Duane Goldman said. "Even for those that work hard, things don't always fall their way. It's rewarding to see someone who works so hard do so well."\nGoldman accompanies Burton to Australia as Burton's training partner. Each Olympian is permitted to bring one partner to help prep them for their matches. Goldman and several IU wrestlers helped Burton train year-round in hopes of earning a spot at this year's games. Burton said he plans on making an Olympic return in 2004.\n"That's what hard work will do," junior wrestler Viktor Sveda said. "He deserves the spot."\nBurton isn't the only medal-seeker with cream and crimson ties. Diving coach Jeff Huber and several IU divers also snatched Sydney spots.\nThe recognition Burton will bring to IU is an added bonus, said Goldman and senior associate athletic director Harold Mauro. Goldman said he has already felt a slight ripple effect, which is expected to help with recruiting.\n"It's an extreme honor," Mauro said. "He's set lofty goals and achieved his dreams. We wish him well."\nThe chance to represent his country and IU is appealing to Burton, who said he's been dreaming of this opportunity since his childhood. "Blood, sweat and tears," Burton said, have led him to Sydney. \n"It doesn't get any better than this," he said. "It's the Super Bowl of wrestling. It's awesome"