Nine up, nine down.
No, this isn’t the stat line for a baseball pitcher but rather the number of opponents the IU volleyball team has faced and defeated to start its 2017 season.
The Hoosiers did the same thing last year, marking the first time in program history IU has started back-to-back years with a 9-0 record.
“I think we are starting to do some things really well,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan said. “Every win is crucial and every win is awesome, and we have to remember that and celebrate that. We want them to enjoy the ride.”
The Hoosiers captured their third tournament title of 2017 after an undefeated showing in the Dunn Hospitality Tournament this past weekend.
IU defeated Evansville 3-0 Friday night and followed that up with another 3-0 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin on Saturday morning.
The third and final match of the tournament for IU was against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and for the first time this season, the Hoosiers lost the first set.
“They came out on fire in the first set,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “I thought from watching UAB on film and watching them in person they were the most athletic team we were going to play in this tournament.”
The Hoosiers were able to regain their composure in the second set, taking it 25-17. They replicated that performance in the third, winning 25-17 again. IU dominated the fourth set, claiming it 25-14 to win the tournament.
“We came out in the second set and our resilience was really good,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “Then, we really hammered out the rest of the match.”
Junior right side hitter Elizabeth Asdell was named tournament MVP after she totaled 34 kills throughout the weekend. Sophomore middle blocker Deyshia Lofton and sophomore setter Victoria Brisack were named to the all-tournament team with Asdell as well.
“We like the challenge and that is good for us,” Asdell said. “We haven’t really had that yet this season, and it was good to have something to fight back for.”
With a young team, Dunbar-Kruzan said it was good to see her players remain calm in that situation.
Next up, IU will play the Hoosier Classic at home. This will be the last tournament before Big Ten season starts for the team.
“We just have to go for it,” Asdell said. “The more we do that and the higher the level we play at in the gym, going against each other in practice will help us a lot.”
