IU Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan said the motto for the Hoosiers this weekend was “find a way.”
That’s what IU Volleyball did, as it went 2-0 during weekend when it faced off against two of its Big Ten opponents: Maryland and Rutgers.
“They’re different teams,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “They’re hungry for wins, and that’s the comparison I have between us, them and everybody else. Everybody is trying to find a strategy, play hard, and we’re going to have to embrace that fight as we go through the Big Ten.”
University Gym was packed with 1,057 spectators all waiting to see the outcome of the first match of the weekend, where the Terrapins challenged the Hoosiers by taking the first set.
The momentum changed with the help of junior setter Megan Tallman, who made a risky save in order to keep the ball alive and later kill the ball, breaking the match tie for the Hoosiers, 2-1.
IU finally shut down Rutgers, acquiring a 25-22 win in the fourth set, finalizing the score of the night at 3-1.
“We’ve matured a lot within these past few months being together,” Tallman said. “We set the tone for ourselves on how we’re going to prepare and how we’re going to come out.”
It was no different for IU when the Hoosiers played against Rutgers on Saturday.
Rutgers began the match by taking the first set from IU, 25-21.
At the end of the second set, Rutgers led 24-23. The Hoosiers made a set changing play that turned the momentum in their favor.
The point went to IU putting them over the top against Rutgers with a set win, 26-24.
The Hoosiers continued on to win the third and fourth sets, 25-26 and 21-17, finalizing the score of the night at yet another 3-1 match win.
“We’ve got to keep fighting and embrace that,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “There’s no easy wins in the Big Ten, and I thought Rutgers played very hard tonight and very well. We’re going to have to expect that out of every team and expect ourselves to play at the highest level.”
The Hoosiers are excited for the wins this past weekend, Tallman said, but they are already looking forward to their next game, where they will compete against the Big Ten rival, Purdue, at 7 p.m. for two consecutive games.
“We’re ready to come out and practice Tuesday and Wednesday. That’s what our main focus is,” Tallman said. “Purdue will definitely be a challenge. They’re always a challenge, but it’s up to us of what we’re going to do.”
Dunbar-Kruzan said she plans to prepare for the Purdue match the same way they prepare for any of their Big Ten opponents.
“It’s no secret we’re not playing as good as we did in the non-conference, and I think we need to get back to that,” Dunbar-Kruzan said.
