IU volleyball vs. Northwestern, round two
Following a near-upset of No. 6 Illinois Friday, IU volleyball coach Sherry Dunbar said she hopes to see her team take out its frustration against Northwestern at 7 p.m. today.
“I’m very disappointed and I want them to be disappointed,” Dunbar said. “They need to turn around (against Northwestern) and be really upset by that.”
A preview of the second meeting this season between the Hoosiers (14-11, 3-8) and the Wildcats (12-11, 3-8):
The last time they met
Northwestern emerged victorious in five sets when the teams met in Evanston Oct. 11. The Wildcats won by scores of 17-25, 25-20, 25-20, 16-25 and 15-13.
Northwestern junior middle blocker Sabel Moffett had one of the best matches of her career with 24 kills at a .463 hitting percentage.
Where they stand now
IU and Northwestern are two of five teams with 3-8 Big Ten marks, worst in the conference.
The Hoosiers enter the match after nearly upending the No. 6 team in the nation in a five-set loss Friday. The same day, the Wildcats invaded West Lafayette and escaped with a victory over Purdue in five sets.
Keys to the match
IU cannot let Moffett dominate from the middle like she did in the first match. The Hoosiers’ blocking must be solid and force the Wildcats to try their attacks from the outside. IU’s defensive specialists and outside hitters held their own against Illinois’ powerful hitting, and Northwestern’s won’t present as great a threat.
For the Wildcats, it all comes back to IU junior middle blocker Ashley Benson when preparing for the Hoosiers. Moffett needs help from Northwestern’s outside hitters to generate offense. Also, IU ranks fourth in the Big Ten in service aces per game with a 1.27 average. The Wildcats allowed seven in their previous meeting with the Hoosiers. Receiving will be at a premium for Northwestern.
Drew Allen is a junior majoring in journalism. He is the volleyball beat reporter.
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