Aug. 16, 2004

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Senior outside Kim Schram was voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, and Michigan State was picked to finish fourth in the 2004 Big Ten volleyball race behind defending champion Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin in the league's preseason coaches poll, released Monday. Schram, Ohio State's Stacey Gordon and Penn State's Sam Tortorello were all unanimous selections to the team. Schram led MSU in 2003 with 4.81 kills per game. She also posted 0.65 blocks per game and totaled 558 kills on the season. In Big Ten play, she recorded a team-best 371 kills to go along with 139 digs, 55 blocks and 15 service aces. She was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America selection in 2003, as well as a first-team Big Ten honoree. "It's a great honor for Kim to be picked to the preseason team," said head coach Chuck Erbe. "It's certainly a credit to her skill and the work she's put into her career." In his 12th season at Michigan State, Erbe welcomes back four starters and seven letterwinners from the 2003 squad that finished 19-12 overall and 11-9 in the Big Ten, good for sixth place. "I'm pleased about where the coaches picked us in the preseason standings," Erbe said. "It's a good starting point upon which we can build, and it shows where our program is and the caliber of athletes we have." Michigan State plays its Green and White Alumni match at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 28 before opening its 2004 season as the host of the Coca-Cola/MSU Volleyball Invitational Sept. 3-4. The Spartans face Ohio, Florida A&M and St. John's in the Friday-Saturday event in Jenison Field House.

Big Ten Coaches' Poll
1. 	Minnesota
2.	Penn State
3.	Wisconsin
4.	Michigan State
5.	Illinois
6T.	Michigan
	Ohio State
8.	Purdue
9.	Northwestern
10.	Indiana
11.	Iowa

Preseason All-Big Ten Volleyball Team
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown
Erin Virtue 	Illinois 	Sr.	S	St. Charles, Ill.
Christina Archibald(2) 	Indiana 	Sr.	OH 	Belleville, Ill.
Jennifer Gandolph	Michigan	Sr.	OH	Greenwood, Ind.
KIM SCHRAM	MICHIGAN ST.	SR.	OH	LONDON, ONTARIO
Paula Gentil(2)	Minnesota	Jr.	L 	Fortaleza Ceara', Brazil
Erin Martin	Minnesota	Sr.	OH	Ames, Iowa
STACEY GORDON(3)	OHIO STATE	SR.	OH	OSHAWA, ONTARIO
Ashley Pederson	Penn State	Sr.	OH	Sioux Falls, S.D.
Cassy Salyer	Penn State	So.	MH	Aurora, Colo.
SAM TORTORELLO(2)	PENN STATE	JR.	S	SHOREWOOD, ILL.
Renata Dargan	Purdue	Jr.	S	New Lenox, Ill.
Jill Odenthal	Wisconsin	Sr.	OH	Geneva, Ill.
UNANIMOUS SELECTION IN CAPS; (2) Two-time selection; (3) Three-time selection