IU is back in Bloomington this weekend after getting swept in two matchups last weekend on the road and is searching for a win to end a five-set losing streak that’s dropped its conference record to 1-5 and overall record to 12-7.
IU will be host to Rutgers, one of the three Big Ten teams below them in rankings with a record of 4-15, 0-6, on Friday in University Gym in a match that is also IU’s annual Dig Pink match to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.
Rutgers comes to Bloomington on the heels of a loss against IU’s Saturday-night opponent, Penn State, and is in the midst of a 14-match losing skid.
Having not won a set in its past five matches, IU is looking for something to spark confidence in hopes of notching its 13th win of the season. IU Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan said she thinks playing better volleyball and showing more fight will lead to positive results.
Because of this, Dunbar-Kruzan said she believes IU must approach Rutgers like they would the No. 1 team in the country.
“We haven’t been winning, and if you look like, ‘Oh, finally, Rutgers,’ then you’ll lose because they’re in the same boat right now,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “They’re playing inspired. They’re fighting for their life because they want to win just as badly as anybody. When you have two teams that haven’t won a lot lately, somebody is going to fight harder, and somebody is going to want it more.”
Dunbar-Kruzan said she wonders why some players on her team seem to be shying away in moments against top-tier opponents while other players, such as freshman outside hitter Kendall Beerman, are playing well.
The Hoosiers will be without the talent of senior setter Megan Tallman in both matches this weekend. The co-captain is out with a broken finger and will be replaced at the setter position by freshman Victoria Brisack.
“We had to really evaluate why our kids who were leading the Big Ten conference in points and hitting percentage are not playing well right now,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “Why is the mentality different just because it’s a Big Ten team on the other side of the net? It’s disheartening that mentality-wise we look across and that team affects us so much because they are ranked high.”
The 10-year coach said she wants her players to imagine the squad on the other side of the net as just six kids with no name on their chests and to play how they are capable of playing.
Dunbar-Kruzan said she used the team’s practices leading up to this weekend’s matches to create an environment that was pressure-filled, stressful and one the team had to work hard to get out of because she wants them to take the feeling that they accomplished something in the lead up to the weekend into the matches.
She admits the high profiles of the Hoosiers’ previous five opponents, four of which were in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 10 at the time, have gotten into the heads of her players. Penn State, with a record of 14-3, 6-0, moved into the 10th spot in the latest rankings.
“When we’re playing like that there’s just not a lot of confidence,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “I have to remind them that they’re good and that they must quit backing down from the challenge. Step up, put in work and believe.”
Dunbar-Kruzan said her team must return to clean, routine volleyball to be successful this weekend.
She said they can’t afford to let their opponents off the hook by committing errors.
“We punished in practice lately,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “I’m not usually into that stuff, but it makes the focus better because they don’t want to make their teammates run. It also gives them confidence because it’s not about the punishment. It’s more about showing them that they can lock in and do what they need to when it counts.”
