Sept. 17, 2002

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MIAMI TRAVELS TO NO. 13 OHIO STATE AND HOSTS WESTERN ONTARIO
After traveling to No. 13 Ohio State on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match, Miami returns home for its lone match in Millett Hall over a five-week stretch, hosting Western Ontario at 7 p.m. Saturday. "Meet the Team Night" follows Saturday's contest. Last weekend, Miami captured its first tournament title since 1999, seizing the TCU Invitational crown.

POLL NAMED MAC EAST DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Following a weekend where she earned TCU Invitational MVP laurels, Miami University junior middle hitter Susan Poll (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Kentwood) was named Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. Poll earned tournament MVP honors, the first of her career, and was on only the second all-tournament team of her career. Earlier this season, Poll was named to the Miami Classic All-Tournament Team. For the week, she averaged 3.60 kills and had a .350 hitting percentage to lead the team. Never having served up an ace in her career, Poll registered four last week, including a career-high two against San Jose State. Against the Horned Frogs, she paced the team with 4.00 kills per game and a .394 hitting percentage. In the opening match of the tournament against Stephen F. Austin, Poll averaged 3.50 kills per game and produced a .440 hitting percentage. This is the first player of the week honor for Poll.

BUROKER NAMED TO SECOND ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
For the third straight week, sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) was named to an all-tournament team, earning TCU Invitational All-Tournament Team honors last weekend. Buroker has been named to every all-tournament team this season.

ACES ARE WILD
Three RedHawks set career records from the service line last week. Senior outside hitter Erika Eagan (Bloomington, Ill./Tri-Valley) paced the RedHawks with a team-best 10 aces, including a career-best five against Stephen F. Austin. Senior outside hitter Kelly McCullough (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) tied a career-high with three aces against Dayton and then came back to launch four service aces against Stephen F. Austin. McCullough notched nine service aces last week. Never having served up an ace in her career, junior middle hitter Susan Poll registered four this week, including a career-high two against San Jose State. Eagan ranks seventh in the MAC in aces per game (0.47), while McCullough ranks 15th (0.04).

ENDURANCE DAY
On Saturday, the RedHawks' endurance was tested as the squad played nine games over a seven-hour stretch. Miami upended San Jose State in a grueling five-game match, which started at 10 a.m. and lasted two hours and 15 minutes. The RedHawks then had to turn around and face host TCU at 3 p.m. with little recovery time but came up short in a four-game loss to the Horned Frogs in a two-hour match. With the morning win over San Jose State, Miami assured itself the tournament title.

ABOUT OHIO STATE
Stacy Gordon leads the No. 13 Buckeyes, averaging an impressive 5.86 kills per game and 3.75 digs per game. Stephanie Higgins posts a team-best 0.86 blocks per game, while Katie Virtue notches 11.89 assists per game. Ohio State enters Wednesday's match with a 5-3 mark, winning four of its last five contests. All three of the Buckeye's losses have come at the hands of teams currently ranked among the Top 25.

SERIES VERSUS THE BUCKEYES
The RedHawks are 4-7 when facing Ohio State with the last meeting coming in 1987 where Miami lost in three games in Columbus. Miami has won just one match in four meetings at Ohio State, which was in four games in 1980. In 1979, '81 and '84, the Red and White posted three-game wins in Oxford.

ABOUT WESTERN ONTARIO
This is the first match of the season for Western Ontario.

SERIES VERSUS THE MUSTANGS
This is the first meeting between the RedHawks and the Mustangs.

MIAMI 3, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 1
In the opening match at the TCU Invitational, Miami upended Stephen F. Austin in four games, 30-22, 29-31, 30-23 and 30-21.

After trailing by four in the early stages of the first game Miami unleashed a 9-1 run which propelled them to a 25-17 advantage. From there the RedHawks rolled to a 30-22 win. Down by ten points in the second stanza, 7-17, Miami persistently chipped away at the SFA lead to knot the game, 23-23. The RedHawks took a 28-25 edge. However, the RedHawk lead was short-lived as Miami allowed the Ladyjacks to take the second game, 31-29. Again the RedHawks trailed early in the third game, 7-11, but kills from junior middle hitter Susan Poll and sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker helped Miami knot the game, 11-11. The two teams went back and forth until the RedHawks posted three consecutive points to capture a lead they would not relinquish and take the 30-23 game three win. Buroker iced the game with a service ace.

Senior middle hitter Jennifer Eaton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) opened up the fourth game with consecutive kills to help give the RedHawks a 4-0 lead. The Ladyjacks inched their way back to knot the game, 6-6, but Miami produced six unanswered points to take the 12-6 lead. With a service ace from senior outside hitter Erika Eagan, Miami increased its lead to eight, 16-8. SFA crept back to within two, 18-20, but the RedHawks went on a 10-1 run to take the fourth game and the match, 30-21.

For the RedHawks, Poll posted a team-best 14 kills and .440 hitting percentage. Buroker added 13 kills and 11 digs, while McCullough notched 12 kills and three blocks (two solo). Eagan tallied a team-best 13 digs and four blocks and Eaton added 11 digs and four blocks.

MIAMI 3, SAN JOSE STATE 2
An exciting five-game match ended with Miami downing San Jose State 28-30, 30-25, 27-30, 30-21 and 16-14. The Spartans pulled out to a late 29-26 advantage in the first game, but the RedHawks refused to relent with game point on the line and cut the SJSU lead to one, 28-29, with a junior middle hitter Susan Poll kill and a big block from senior middle hitter Jennifer Eaton. Miami's efforts, however, were not enough as the Spartans inched out game one, 30-28.

In the second game, the RedHawks manufactured an early 12-6 advantage. From there the RedHawks posted a 30-25 win in the second game. San Jose State pulled out to a four-point advantage, 22-18, but Miami was able to cut the lead to one, 23-24, off a pair of kills by Eaton. However, the Spartans took the second game, 30-27. Taking an early 4-3 lead, Miami would never look back as it dominated the fourth game, 30-21. The RedHawks went on a seven-point run to take a 22-14 lead. The 'Hawks eventually built their lead to 10, 28-18, and rolled to the nine-point game three win. Bolstered by a .455 hitting percentage (11-1-22), the RedHawks pulled out the 16-14 game five triumph.

Five RedHawks tallied double figures in kills, paced by senior outside hitter senior outside hitter Kelly McCullough's team-best 17 kills and .484 hitting percentage. McCullough also tallied five blocks. Eaton produced a match-high seven blocks (2 solo; 5 assist), and notched 17 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker amassed 15 kills and a match-high 19 digs, while senior outside hitter Erika Eagan added 13 kills and 15 digs. Poll notched 10 kills and three blocks, and freshman setter Megan Clark (Solon, Ohio/Solon) added 59 assists and eight digs.

TCU 3, MIAMI 1
Despite a four-game loss to TCU in its final match in the TCU Invitational (24-30, 27-30, 30-23, 28-30), Miami seized the tournament crown-its first tournament title since the 1999 season. In the first game, Miami went back and forth with TCU in the early stages of the game, but the Horned Frogs went on a 9-3 run to take a 20-13 lead and posted a 30-24 win.

Miami jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the second game, thanks in part to four kills by junior middle hitter Susan Poll. But the Horned Frogs came back to tie the game 19-19. TCU went on to take a 29-23 lead, but the RedHawks continued to battle the Horned Frogs. Miami cut the Horned Frog lead to two, 27-29. However, a TCU kill ended the RedHawk comeback as the Horned Frogs took the second game, 30-27.

Again Miami was able to build an early lead, only this time the RedHawks were able to maintain their lead throughout, taking the third game 30-23. Things were tight at the start of the fourth game until TCU notched four-straight points to take a 19-14 lead. With match point on the line, 24-29, Miami did not give up. The RedHawks held their ground and inched back to within one, 28-29. A TCU kill, however, halted Miami's efforts and ended the match as the Horned Frogs took the fourth game, 30-28.

Poll paced the RedHawks with 16 kills and a .394 hitting percentage, while senior outside hitter Erika Eagan amassed a team-best 17 digs. Senior outside hitter Kelly McCullough posted 13 kills and 10 digs, while sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker added 13 kills and nine digs. Senior middle hitter Jennifer Eaton notched 12 kills and four blocks. Freshman libero Lindsay Simpson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West) had a solid outing with 13 digs, while freshman setter Megan Clark tallied 47 assists and seven digs.

EATON TIED FOR NINTH FOR ALL-TIME BLOCK ASSISTS; McCULLOUGH CLOSING IN ON TOP 10
Senior middle hitter Jennifer Eaton moved into a tie for ninth with Lauren Hirsch (1994-97) on Miami's all-time block assist chart with 258. Senior outside hitter Kelly McCullough owns 253 career block assists and needs just five more to place her name on the career chart. Both are chasing Miami's career standard of 347. Eaton needs just five more to move into eighth place. The Mid-American Conference's top blocking duo in 2001 have picked up where they left off as the top blocking tandem in 2002. In the latest MAC statistics, Eaton ranked second in the MAC in blocks per game (1.28), while McCullough ranked 10th (1.02).

BUROKER AND EAGAN AMONG CONFERENCE LEADERS IN DIGS
Sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker ranks third among league leaders in digs in the latest MAC statistics, averaging 3.66 digs per game. Senior outside hitter Erika Eagan, who led the MAC in 2001 and ranked 22nd nationally, is averaging 3.15 digs per game to rank 13th in the MAC.

CLARK ON THE MARK
Freshman setter Megan Clark is Miami's starting setter. As a true freshman, Clark is the youngest setter to start for head coach Carolyn Condit in her 19-year Miami tenure. Clark is currently averaging 10.05 assists per game to rank seventh among MAC leaders and averaged 10.88 assists per game last week. At the TCU Invitational, Clark averaged 11.23 assists per game as she orchestrated the offense in Miami's first tournament win since the 1999 season.

POLL PERCENTAGE
Boasting a .286 hitting percentage, junior middle hitter Susan Poll ranks eighth among Mid-American Conference leaders in hitting percentage.

SENIOR TRIO EMBARKING ON CAREER MILESTONES
Kelly McCullough, Erika Eagan and Jennifer Eaton are all embarking on career milestones this season. McCullough needs 98 kills to reach the 1,000-kill plateau, while Eagan needs 183 digs to reach 1,000 career digs. Both Eaton and McCullough are chasing Miami's career block assist record. Eaton owns 258 block assists, while McCullough sits one behind Eaton with 253. Eaton needs 89 block assists to surpass Kristin Wagner's (1989-92) 347 career block assist total.

TOUGH FOES
Six of Miami's 12 non-conference opponents advanced to the 2001 NCAA Tournament: Louisville, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Cincinnati, San Jose State and Florida A&M. Four of those six reached the second round, while Ohio State went on to the regional semifinal. One team is ranked in the AVCA/USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll and two others are receiving votes. Ohio State is ranked No. 13, while Georgia Tech and Louisville are receiving votes.

ROAD WARRIORS
Following the Miami Best Western/Sycamore Inn Classic, the RedHawks host only one home match over a five-week span. Miami plays in the Georgia Tech and TCU tournaments and at Cincinnati, Ohio State and Dayton over the first two and a half weeks of that stretch. The RedHawks return home to host Western Ontario on Sept. 21 before opening league action on the road for two straight weekends.

750 AND THEN SOME
Miami head coach Carolyn Condit coached her 750th career match in Miami's season opener against IPFW. In her 23rd season as a head coach, Condit owns a 455-305 record. In January, Condit, who boasts a league-best 187 career MAC wins, was inducted into Miami's Athletic Hall of Fame.

BUROKER NAMED MAC EAST DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker wasted no time making her presence felt on the court for the RedHawks in their season-opening weekend and earned Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week honors for her efforts. For the weekend, Buroker, who earned Miami Classic All-Tournament Team laurels, paced the RedHawks averaging 4.20 digs and 3.40 kills per game. This is the first player of the week honor for Buroker.

MIAMI CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Three players earned all-tournament team laurels at the Miami Best Western/Sycamore Inn Classic: sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker, senior outside hitter Erika Eagan and junior middle hitter Susan Poll. This was the first time any of the three players have earned all-tournament team honors.

BUROKER'S "BUR"-AKE OUT
Sophomore outside hitter Tara Buroker, the youngest captain named during head coach Carolyn Condit's 19-year tenure, burst out of the gates in Miami's season opener against IPFW to amass a career-best 29 digs, 17 kills and a .385 hitting percentage to lead the RedHawks in all three categories. In the first game against the Mastodons, Buroker compiled an impressive 15 of her 29 digs. For the weekend, Buroker paced the RedHawks averaging 4.20 digs and 3.40 kills per game.

NEWCOMERS CONTRIBUTE IN OPENING WEEKEND
Four of Miami's newcomers made contributions over the first weekend of play. In addition to freshman setter Megan Clark, who started two matches for the RedHawks, Suzy Wolford (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), Kristen Walters (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), Lindsay Simpson and Lindsey Sullenberger (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua) all earned playing time in the Miami Best Western/Sycamore Inn Classic. Wolford, who saw action in five games, played various roles for the RedHawks seeing time as a setter and libero. Walters and Simpson were also used as liberos, while Sullenberger saw time at middle hitter. Also seeing court time for the first time in her career was sophomore outside hitter Angie Zent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrup). Zent, who has been plagued with injuries over the past two seasons, played in six of Miami's 10 games over the weekend.

ALL-"MAC"CULLOUGH
Earning first team honors last season, senior outside hitter Kelly McCullough is one of only two returning first-team All-MAC performers in the league. McCullough became the 10th junior in Miami volleyball history to attain first-team all-MAC distinction.

MILESTONE MARKS
Two single-season records fell last season as outside hitter Erika Eagan captured the record for digs per game (3.98) and middle hitter Jennifer Eaton claimed the block assist record (128). Eagan's 410 digs also ranked fourth on Miami's single-season chart, while outside hitter Kelly McCullough placed her name on Miami's single-season kills per game list (3.89-t-4th) and block assist chart (105-t-6th).

NATIONAL NUMBERS
At the conclusion of the 2001 season, middle hitter Jennifer Eaton and outside hitter Erika Eagan ranked among national leaders in blocks and digs, respectively. Eaton, who averaged 1.52 blocks per game, ranked 13th nationally in blocks per game, while Eagan's 3.98 digs per game ranked 22nd nationally. As a team, the RedHawks finished the season 29th among national leaders in blocks per game, averaging 2.82. Miami also ranked among the top 25 percent for attendance during the 2001 campaign.

MIAMI'S TRIPLE CROWN
Last year, middle hitter Jennifer Eaton tied the most triple-doubles produced nationally during the 2001 season, achieving the feat four times. She also recorded the first back-to-back triple-doubles on record for the Miami University volleyball program and became the first in the program's history to produce four triple-doubles in the same season and in a career. All of Eaton's triple-doubles came in four-game matches, amassing double figures in kills, blocks and digs for all four.

EATON UP THE HONORS
In addition to producing four triple doubles last season, Jennifer Eaton was named to the MAC all-Tournament Team, earned second-team all-MAC recognition and was a second-team Verizon Academic all-District IV selection.

MAC'S TOP BLOCKING DUO FROM 2001 RETURNS
Middle hitter Jennifer Eaton and outside hitter Kelly McCullough have been quite the blocking duo for Miami. Eaton, who led the league in blocks with 1.52 blocks per game, and McCullough, who was the league's top blocking outside hitter, accounted for 50 percent of the RedHawks' league-best 2.82 block-per-game average last season. No other tandem in the league teamed up for as many blocks per game. This season the two are averaging 1.44 blocks per game apiece.

NUMBER OF NEWCOMERS
Although Miami has a strong nucleus of returning players, it also boasts eight newcomers to its roster: redshirt freshman Kristen Walters, OH and true freshmen Megan Clark, S ; Natalie Kapteyn, MH (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Kentwood); Lindsay Simpson, L/OH; Lauren Slusser, MH (Columbus Grove, Ohio/Columbus Grove); Lindsey Sullenberger, MH; Suzy Wolford, S; and Linda Young, OH (Minster, Ohio/Minster).