News Links

11/28 MSU State News
Losses end Spartans' season

11/23 MSU State News
Season ends for MSU this weekend

11/21 MSU State News
MSU swept twice during weekend

11/18 MSU State News
Spartans need some magic to keep season alive

11/16 MSU State News
Recruits still in shock

11/7 MSU State News
Spartans split weekend homestand

11/1 MSU State News
George stays upbeat despite poor start

10/31 MSU State News
Volleyball team drops weekend matches

10/28 MSU State News
Fresh faces help MSU

10/24 MSU State News
Volleyball team splits weekend matches

10/21 MSU State News
High-profile losses not keeping MSU down

10/17 MSU State News
Spartans get swept for the 2nd consecutive conference weekend

10/14 MSU State News
Spartans facing tough Big Ten road trip

10/13 MSU State News
Seniors get ready for final hurrah

10/10 MSU State News
MSU drops both matches on weekend homestand

10/10 Daily Illini
Volleyball goes 1-1 in weekend matches

10/7 MSU State News
Shoulder injury didn't slow down transfer from WMU

10/3 MSU State News
MSU splits weekend games on the road

9/30 MSU State News
Sophomore shining for Spartans

9/30 Minnesota Daily
Gophers home after nine-game road swing

9/26 MSU State News
Spartans get first Big Ten victory of season

9/23 Indiana Daily Student
Big Ten heats up; leadership steps up

9/23 MSU State News
Spartans look to bounce back against Hoosiers

9/22 MSU State News
MSU drops home match to U-M

9/22 Michigan Daily
Spikers start Big Ten season right

9/21 MSU State News
Spartans battle Wolverines in mid-week game tonight

9/16 MSU State News
MSU heads south for three games

9/14 MSU State News
Big Ten season approaching Spartans fast

9/12 MSU State News
Weekend games leave Spartans with first loss of season

9/9 University Daily Kansan
Volleyball tournament starts tonight

9/9 MSU State News
Spartans look to stay perfect in Kansas

9/6 MSU State News
Spartans yet to drop any match during first four games

8/30 MSU State News
Defense big part of victories

8/29 MSU State News
Spartans make new coach a winner in first game

8/29 MSU State News
Spartans excited about new coach

8/27 Lansing State Journal
Volleyball team out to be a surprise

8/24 MSU State News
Spikers look to improve record

4/18 MSU State News
MSU athletes take part in Project Read

2005 News Archive

Note: Because many of the news items on this page link to current-news sites that are updated frequently, some links in the archive may no longer work.

Allison Ianni to Set for MSU

Allison Ianni, an Okemos High School graduate and daughter of MSU Senior Associate Athletic Director Greg Ianni, has transferred to MSU from the University of the Pacific where she played three seasons of volleyball. Allison was named to the All-State second team her junior and senior years in high school, and was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection at Pacific for 2005. Fifth-year Pacific head coach Jayne McHugh, a Pacific alumnus and former Olympian, was fired on November 30 after the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history, after 24 consecutive tournament appearances. [full story] [McHugh story]

2006 Class Takes Shape with Five Recruits

Michigan State volleyball has announced that five players have made commitments to play at MSU starting in fall 2006. They are 5-8 setter Katie Vander Meer from East Kentwood, 5-11 middle blocker/right side Whitney Tremain from East Kentwood, 6-0 middle blocker Vanessa King from Spring Lake, 6-0 middle blocker Mischelle Nelson from Naperville, Illinois, and 6-3 middle hitter Lisa Naymick from Muskegon. [first story] [second story]

2005 Season Award Winners

At the volleyball banquet on January 15, 2006, the following awards were announced:

Kirkby Scholar-Athlete Award: Miken Trogdon
SideOut Club Service Award: Al and Renee Schmitzer
Leadership Award: Megan Wallin
Playmaker Award: Nicole Colaluca
Unsung Hero Award: Mickey Davis, Brooke Langston
Most Improved Player Award: Ashley Schatzle
Coaches' Award: Marley Bellwood
Outstanding Offensive Player Award: Katie Johnson, Megan Wallin

The SideOut Club presented Coach George with a check for $7,000 for use by the volleyball program.

Three Spartans Named to Academic All-Big Ten Team

Brooke Langston, Miken Trogdon and Megan Wallin were recognized in December as members of the Academic All-Conference Team. [full story]

KJ and Megan Earn Big Ten Honors

In the Big Ten post-season awards, Katie Johnson was among three players chosen for Honorable Mention and Megan Wallin was named as MSU's Big Ten Sportsman honoree. [full story]

Volleyball Banquet Scheduled For January 15

The 2005-06 Spartan Volleyball Banquet will be held Sunday January 15, 2006 at the LaSalle Bank Club in the new addition on the west side of Spartan Stadium. A buffet brunch will be served starting at 1:00 pm at a cost of $30 per adult and $15 per child. For more information, contact Zakiya Pope at (517) 243-0469 or zpope@ath.msu.edu.

Spartans Lead the Conference in Endurance

For the 2005 conference season MSU played more games—78—than any other team in the Big Ten. The total consists of seven 5-game matches, four 4-game matches and nine 3-game matches. Conference leader Penn State played the fewest games at 63 (only three game losses in 20 matches!), while only Illinois came close to MSU's count at 77.

Timing is Everything

In the opening Big Ten match on Wednesday, September 21, the Spartans outhit the Wolverines .164 to .153, outblocked them 14 to 13, outdug them 72 to 60, and even outscored them 122 to 121. Unfortunately, Michigan scored enough points at just the right times to win the match 3-2.

KJ and Cola Start the Season with a Three-peat

Through September 17, Katie Johnson and Nicole Colaluca have been the Spartans' dynamic duo, earning All-Tournament honors in each of MSU's three tournament appearances. Mickey Davis joined them on the All-Tournament team for the MSU Invitational.

Chalk Talks

This season will feature seven "chalk talks" by Coach George, to be held before selected matches in room 209 of Jenison Field House. Snacks will be available at 6:00, with the talk starting at 6:10 and lasting for about 20 minutes. These are for SideOut Club members only and will provide fans with insight into the game of volleyball. Admission is free. The chalk talks will be held September 2, September 21, October 7, October 21, November 4, November 12 and November 25.

Double Header in Ann Arbor on Wednesday

Most of you know that the Spartan women's volleyball team play the Wolverines in Ann Arbor on November 9, but did you know there will be a men's volleyball match too? Fans who stay after the women's match in Cliff Keen arena can have the additional excitement of seeing the MSU men's club team, last year's Big Ten champions, take on the U of M men's team.

Volleyball Tailgate Party—November 5

Come out to join fellow MSU fans for the 6th Annual Spartan Volleyball Tailgate Party on Saturday, November 5 before the match against Minnesota. We will start around 3:30 at the usual location in front of the main entrance to Jenison and continue until game time at 7. Bring a dish or grillable item to share. Also needed are grills, charcoal and folding tables. If you have any questions, contact Cathy Caswell at 332-4353 or caswell@msu.edu.

TV This Weekend

The MSU/Iowa match from Friday night will be broadcast on regional cable TV Saturday, November 5 at 4:30 pm. It will be on Comcast Chicago SportsNet, channel 18 in East Lansing and Meridian Township. Set up your recorder before you come to the tailgate party.

Johnson Leads the Nation

Through the matches of September 18, Katie Johnson is averaging 6.2 kills per game, which puts her in first place among all players in Division I. KJ had a career-high 33 kills against VCU, and has been the match leader in kills four times this year.

Big Ten Season Starts in Michigan

The Big Ten conference season opens In Jenison Field House on Wednesday September 21, when the University of Michigan squad comes to town for a 7:00 pm match. It's the only conference match scheduled that night—other Big Ten teams have to wait until Friday.

SideOut Club Annual Meeting

The annual membership meeting of the SideOut Club will be held following the match against the University of Michigan, on Wednesday September 21. Club members should come to the bleachers next to the merchandise table after the match. The meeting should last about 30 minutes and will include election of Board members and time for members to ask questions and raise issues. If you are interested in running for a Board position, contact Jenny Bond at 517 676-2676 or jbond@msu.edu.

Season Opener

The 2005 season opens this weekend with MSU hosting Kent State at 7:00 pm Saturday night. Preceding the match at 5:00 pm outside Jenison will be the Volleyball Season Kick-Off, featuring a disk jockey, a $5 per person dinner catered by Damon's and a Bounce House for the kids.

Coach's Luncheon

The SideOut Club will sponsor only one coach's luncheon this year. It will be held at 11:30 am Saturday, August 27 at Damon's restaurant on Lake Lansing Road, and is open to all fans. Buy your lunch from the menu and listen to Coach Cathy George talk about the upcoming season.

Meet the Team

Fans have two chances to meet the Spartan volleyball team this week:

First up, for all season ticket holders, is the Select-Your-Seat event from 6:00 to 7:30 on Thursday, August 18. Those in attendance will be able to watch the final practice session of the day, talk with the players and coaching staff and select their seats for the 2005 volleyball season.

Then the SideOut Club will celebrate the start of the new season with the team, following the alumni match on Saturday, August 20. SideOut Club members are encouraged to stick around after the match to enjoy some snacks and to mingle with players past and present.

2005 Roster

MSU volleyball has released the roster for fall, featuring nine returning players, two transfers and three freshmen. [full roster]

Fall 2005 Schedule Released

The Spartans will take advantage of the expanded season by moving the Alumni match to August 20 and adding a home match against Kent State on August 27. The following weekend they will host the MSU Invitational, followed by trips to Kansas and Miami. [full schedule]

Griffin Transfers to Nebraska

Maggie Griffin has transferred to the University of Nebraska, leaving the Spartans with only one setter—Mickey Davis—for the upcoming season. A top-level program can't operate without a backup setter, so the coaching staff is exploring all alternatives for adding another setter to the roster.

Departures

According to richkern.com, Meghan Schoen has transferred from MSU to UCLA. Alex Ratcliff has transferred to Miami University and Andy Hansen has left the program for an unknown period of time. MB/RS Middle hitter Amanda Hantouli, who was previously announced as a recruit for 2005, will be attending Missouri instead

Lineup Changes

At the Bowling Green match a number of lineup changes were evident for the Spartans. Jessie Hohl has switched to the middle, we saw Brooke Langston hitting on the left and Mickey Davis hitting on the right, and Nicole Colaluca joined the team as libero. Megan Wallin played for only a few minutes, with a brace on her right knee, but hopes to see much more playing time at the Loyola Marymount tournament. Alex Ratcliff has transferred to Miami University and Andy Hansen has left the program for an unknown period of time.

Spring Schedule

There will be no home tournaments this spring, but MSU will host Bowling Green State at 4:00 pm on April 9. There will be a reception following the match; SideOut Club members should receive invitations soon. The Spartans will travel to spring tournaments at Palos Heights (April 2), Purdue (April 16) and Loyola Marymount (April 23).

Kopka Honored Again

The MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy has named Michaela Kopka as co-winner of the 2005 Bruce VerWest Award for the Outstanding Junior in Physics or Astrophysics.

2005 Recruits

Ashley Schatzle will transfer from Western Michigan to play at MSU. The 6-1 outside hitter made an impact for the Broncos in her freshman year, leading the team in attacks and finishing second in kills per game. Erin Rice from Burnham, Illinois will join the Spartans as an incoming freshman for 2005. According to richkern.com, MB/OH Heather McDaniel from Madison Heights will also join the Spartans as a freshman.

Big Ten and Other News

Six Big Ten Teams Qualify for Tournament

Penn State is seeded number 2 behind Nebraska in the NCAA Division I tournament. They are joined by number 11 Wisconsin, number 13 Ohio State, number 15 Purdue and unseeded Minnesota and Northwestern. [NCAA site]

Proportion of Female Coaches on the Decline

A study conducted by the Coaching and Gender Equity (CAGE) Project at Penn State University finds that the proportion of women coaches in collegiate sports has fallen in recent years to a low for the post-Title-IX era. Less than two percent of men’s teams, and only 44 percent of women’s teams have women as head coaches. The report attributes the decline in part to sex discrimination, as well as other factors such as social stereotypes and work/life balance issues.
[full report] [commentary]

Big Ten Adds Defensive Award

For 2005 the Big Ten has instituted a new weekly award: Defensive Player of the Week. This selection will complement the traditional Player of the Week Award that has usually highlighted front-row performance. Kaleena Walters of Penn State is the first to receive this award. [full story]

Preseason Coaches' Poll

Penn State, Minnesota and Wisconsin earned the top three spots in the Big Ten Coaches' poll. MSU was picked to finish ninth, the lowest ranking in many years for the Spartans. No Spartans were selected for the All-Conference Preseason team. [Big Ten story] [MSU story]

NCAA Approves Administrative Changes

The NCAA Board of Directors on April 28 approved several changes affecting women's volleyball. For fans, the most apparent change will be permitting teams to have their first competition a week earlier, on the last full weekend in August. There will be no change in the start of preseason practice and an "alumni match" will still be allowed prior to first competition. Another change, effective in 2006, will increase the number of scholarships allowed in Division I women's volleyball from 12 to 13.

Substitutions Will Increase

On March 1, The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved an increase in the number of allowable substitutions from 12 to 15 for 2005. This will make it easier for coaches to employ a liberal substitution pattern throughout an entire match without exhausting their substitutions. A number of other more technical changes were made as well. [summary of changes]

Todd Dagenais Named USC Women's Volleyball Assistant Coach

Head coach Mick Haley announced the hiring of former MSU assistant coach Todd Dagenais as an assistant for the Trojans. [full story]