IU volleyball vs. Illinois, round two
The IU volleyball team begins the second half of Big Ten play with a home match at 7 p.m. today against No. 6 Illinois.
A preview of the match as the Hoosiers (14-10, 3-7) take another swing at the Fighting Illini (16-3, 8-2:
The last time they met
Illinois handled IU in straight sets (25-20, 25-21, 25-22) in the Oct. 10 meeting in Champaign-Urbana.
The Illini claimed advantages in hitting percentage (.222 to IU’s .114), kills (41 to 36), service aces (4 to 1), total team blocks (9.5 to 5.0) and digs (49 to 35).
Where they stand now
Illinois is currently ranked No. 6 in the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) top-25 poll. The Illini also stand at second in the Big Ten behind unbeaten No. 1 Penn State.
The Hoosiers currently sit at seventh in the conference with a 3-7 record. Purdue and Iowa also have 3-7 marks in the Big Ten, but IU has won head-to-head against both of them.
Keys to the match
The Hoosiers need to keep pace with Illinois’ hitting to have a chance at the upset. Illinois junior outside hitter Laura DeBruler ranks second in the Big Ten in kills per game with 4.52. DeBruler had 12 kills in the previous meeting with IU.
The Illini are also strong at the net, and junior middle blocker Johannah Bangert anchors their blocking with a 1.67 per-game average to lead the conference. In the last contest with the Hoosiers, Bangert had six block assists and also registered eight kills at a .800 clip. IU needs to be able to penetrate Bangert and the Illinois front row with its hitting.
The same can be said on Illinois’ side — the Illini need to overpower the Hoosiers’ net defense. Junior middle blockers Taylor Wittmer and Ashley Benson rank sixth and eighth, respectively, in the Big Ten in blocks per game with averages of 1.17 and 1.12, respectively. Benson can also provide hitting offense in the middle.
Going outside on attacks could be Illinois’ plan, but IU outside hitters, senior Kelsey Hall and freshman Jordan Haverly, have emerged as defensive presences and have raised their dig totals each match. IU has developed more defense to aid sophomore libero Caitlin Cox, and that could make things a bit more challenging for the Illini this time around.
Drew Allen is a junior majoring in journalism. He is the volleyball beat reporter.
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