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(09/17/12 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team finished its non-conference schedule this weekend, going 2-1 at home in the Hoosier Classic.Indiana started the weekend on a sour note, losing to Valparaiso in five sets.The Hoosiers took the first two sets 25-19 and 25-17, with .448 and .333 hitting percentages, respectively.In the third set, the Hoosiers hit a match low .086 hitting percentage, including a match-high nine hitting errors, losing the set 25-19.IU could not recover and fell in a fourth set 25-18 lowlighted by nine more hitting errors.In the fifth and final set, the Crusaders won 15-12 and completed the come-from-behind victory.IU looked to turn its fortune around Saturday as they welcomed Chattanooga into University Gym.Led by 10 team aces, the Hoosiers defeated the Mocs in four sets.The Hoosiers dominated the first two sets, winning 25-13 and 25-9. IU started the match with a .387 hitting percentage in the first set and .619 in the second.In the second set, the Hoosiers had 13 kills with zero hitting errors.Sophomore middle blocker Morgan Leach led the team in hitting percentage, going six for six in swings and a 1.000 hitting percentage.In similar fashion to the previous night’s match, the Hoosiers had a -.065 hitting percentage in the third set. The set featured more hitting errors than kills for the Hoosiers for the first time this season. The Mocs took the set 25-18.After a 9-9 tie in the fourth set, Indiana went on a 7-0 run, including forcing Chattanooga to take two timeouts to try to quell the Hoosier rally.IU used that momentum to take the fourth and final set 25-14 to seal the victory.In the evening portion of the tournament, the Hoosiers concluded by facing Miami (Ohio). For the third straight match, IU jumped out to a 2-0 set lead but had trouble putting away its opponent.After the RedHawks flew out to the quick 9-5 lead in the third set, Indiana went on a 10-2 run to take the match in straight sets 25-14, 25-10 and 25-22.IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she liked her team’s change in morale during the weekend.“I think it was just our attitude,” Dunbar said. “And not worrying about if you’re up 2-0, you’re down 2-0, we said ‘Let’s just compete. Let’s enjoy the competition and try to get better.’”Freshman outside hitter Amelia Anderson and senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower were selected to the all-tournament team.The senior said she liked how her team changed its intensity in the final match of the weekend.“We were working to push,” Thrower said. “Just keeping that intensity for the entire match, that’s what we were working on after the Valpo match, and that’s what we did tonight.”
(09/14/12 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team will return home this weekend after a 1-2 performance in the Butler Invitational for the Hoosier Classic at home.The Hoosiers will take a more statistical approach to see exactly where their inefficiencies lie, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“We really crunched a lot of numbers to see how far away we are,” Dunbar said. “Where are we really lacking? The sets we’re winning and the matches we’re winning, what are our numbers?”Dunbar said the goal is to give the girls a tangible number they can shoot for rather than achieve an abstract team statistic.“So we’re telling them, this is your job,” Dunbar said. “You need to get three kills a set, you need 2.8 digs, and you need one block. So, in their mind and every day in practice, they’re saying, ‘This is my job, this is how I’ll help the team.’”Zero balls are a major problem for the team, Dunbar said. In volleyball, a zero ball is a ball the opposing team successfully digs and eventually gets over the net.“The errors are only at 16 percent,” Dunbar said. “Zero-balls are 45 percent. We can’t have 45 percent zero balls.”IU will start the weekend against in-state for Valparaiso at 7 p.m. Friday. The Crusaders are 5-6 on the season.The only Big Ten school Valparaiso has faced is Iowa. Last year, Iowa tied IU for last in the Big Ten with a 1-19 conference record.The Crusaders were able to steal a set from the Hawkeyes but fell in four sets 3-1. At noon Saturday, the Hoosiers will try to slow down Chattanooga.The Mocs are 6-6 on the season. Their only match against a BCS school was a 3-0 loss against Clemson.Chattanooga is on a hot streak, winning its last two matches in sweeps. It has won six of their last six sets played.The Mocs are led on defense by Paula Passmore, who has 264 digs on the season, good for an average of 6.44 digs per set.In comparison, the leader for the Hoosiers in digs per set is junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen with an average of 3.94.IU will conclude the weekend action with a match against Miami (Ohio) at 7 p.m. Saturday.The Redhawks stand at 4-6 on the season but are in the midst of a three-game winning streak.The Hoosiers will have to contain Amy Kendall, who has tallied 14 service aces on the year. Comparatively, the Hoosier leader for service aces is junior outside hitter Jade Henderson with eight on the season.Henderson said pretending last weekend never happened is not for the benefit of the team. She said acknowledging that they did not perform up to their standards is the key to overcoming the losses.“I think the biggest thing is just taking that and owning it,” Henderson said. “Just learning from the experience gives you the motivation to work even harder.”
(09/14/12 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman defensive specialist Kyndall Merritt stands at 4-foot-11-inches tall, an uncommon height among volleyball players.The shortest Hoosier on the team, Merritt plays in the back row, getting digs to keep the ball alive for her team.“I’m lower to the ground,” she said. “I have my arms out ready to go and I’m quicker on my feet than most people.”Her main objective is to get the ball up to the setter, who then sets the ball to the outside hitters or middle blockers.Being lower to the ground seems to be an advantage, but IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said the ideal height for a defensive specialist would be much taller than Merritt.To play volleyball for IU, however, height is far from the first thing considered in recruits, she said.“We really go after mentalities when we go after defensive players,” Dunbar said. “Players that just are gritty, have some leadership capabilities, get after it on defense and just have that mentality to be aggressive.”On the flip side of Merritt, there is senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower, one of the tallest girls on the team at 6-foot-2-inches.Thrower roams the middle of the floor looking for blocks at the net and kills against opponents.“Ideal height for my position would not be shorter than me,” Thrower said. “So maybe 6-2 or 6-1, you can be smaller, like Chante (George) is six-foot but she jumps out of the gym.”Both height and jumping ability are key for middle blockers, and Thrower said she could not chosose which quality is more important between the two.Freshman setter Katie Gallagher said being taller is always an asset in volleyball. At a 5-foot-8-inches, Gallagher decides which player gets the chance for the kill.“As a volleyball player everyone always wishes they were a little taller,” she said. “I have to be quicker and have to be able to jump higher as well. But yeah, I’ve just got to fight a little harder.”Ideally a setter would be taller so she could see the court better, but Dunbar stressed IU does not recruit positions solely on height.“Some coaches recruit tall setters,” she said. “I want a kid who can set the ball. It’s not about the height so much for me but if they can do their job when we need them to do it and have the personality that we want that fits into our program.”
(09/12/12 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen was named the volleyball team’s libero earlier this season, a role IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said Hansen was not simply given.“She earned it,” Dunbar said. “It was wide open in the preseason, and four players were going after it, and consistently she dug more balls, passed a higher percentage and was leading by example.”In collegiate volleyball, the libero wears a different colored jersey from the rest of the team.A defensive specialist, the position was created in 1998 to improve defensive play.Normally, a team is allowed 15 substitutions per set, but the libero can come in and out of play during the match without substitutions counting against the team’s allotted 15.“I think it’s the most fun position,” Hansen said. “You’re always all over the place, and you’re never in one space so, yeah, I love it.”The 5-foot-4-inch Hansen was the libero at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. By coming to IU, she turned down offers from Cincinnati, Ball State and Middle Tennessee State.Hansen said she liked everything IU had to offer in terms of volleyball and academics.“(I loved) the opportunities, all the resources, the coaching and the players,” Hansen said. “I met (the coaching staff) first, and that’s really what sold me. And everyone’s work ethic and how determined everyone is. ...Everybody is on the same page and has the same goal. They don’t just settle for anything.”Hansen is not in the game for just her defensive abilities, as she is the offensive starter in most matches.“Actually, she starts our offense,” Dunbar said. “She passes 60 to 70 percent of the balls. She starts everything that begins with our offense.”Hansen is one of the top Hoosiers in terms of serving. She has tallied six aces on the season, tying for second on the team.She has only one service error, making her the only team member with more service aces than errors.When Hansen serves the ball, she is often seven to 10 feet behind the service line. This strategy is to make the return more difficult for her opponents.“The deeper I am, the more weight on the ball I have,” Hansen said. “I want to get more float on it, so the farther back I am, the more velocity I can have, and my trajectory is higher. Hopefully, by the time it gets over the net, it will drop and make it harder for the passers.” Since her time as a freshman, her teammates said, they have seen a change in her leadership capabilities.“I think this year I’ve just seen a huge leadership and taking ownership and taking lead of the back court,” junior outside hitter Jade Henderson said. “It’s just awesome to see.”Dunbar said throughout the last few years, she’s watched Hansen grow not just as a player but as a leader.“I think the confidence has really changed in her,” Dunbar said. “Her expectations are much higher for her then they ever were.”
(09/10/12 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS — The IU women’s volleyball team went 1-2 in the Butler Invitational, falling short of winning the team’s third-consecutive tournament due to inconsistency from the team’s hitters, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“The biggest problem we had was our hitters,” Dunbar said. “They did not work hard enough to put balls away.”IU started the weekend started with its first five set battle of the season. Stephen F. Austin defeated the Hoosiers 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-13). After splitting the first two sets, IU found itself tied 22-22 in the third set after a Stephen F. Austin rally to tie the score. The Hoosiers took four of the next six points for the third set win 26-24.In the fifth and final set, IU jumped out to a 10-3 lead. However, the Ladyjacks’ comebacks weren’t finished as they stunned IU by going on a 8-0 run to take the set 15-13 and thus the match.The Hoosiers turned around the next day to sweep Western Illinois 26-24, 25-20, 25-20. In the process, Dunbar picked up the 200th win of her career.IU was led by junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly and sophomore middle blocker Morgan Leach, each of whom chipped in 13 kills.Leach led the Hoosiers with a .526 hitting percentage, converting her 13 kills on 19 swings.Freshman setter Katie Gallagher had 46 assists in the match, good for 15.33 assists per set on average.Seeing her first significant game action since Aug. 31, freshman defensive specialist Courtney Harnish played in all three sets, adding six digs.“I liked her a lot, she’s one of the bright spots for me,” Dunbar said. “I thought she was calm, I thought she broke down a little bit at the end, but I thought she got a lot of points with her serve and did a great job passing.”As the sun flooded the court of Hinkle Fieldhouse, IU faced invitational-host Butler in the conclusion of weekend action. Butler took a quick lead in the first set and had a stranglehold on the match the rest of the way.The Bulldogs took the match in four sets: 25-18, 25-20, 15-25, 25-14.In the second set, IU jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, only to see Butler go on a 9-1 run to take control. In the fourth and final set, Butler finished off the Hoosiers with two consecutive aces to seal the victory.Gallagher was the only Hoosier named to the all-tournament team after her third double-double of the season against Butler, recording 36 assists and 14 digs.Leach was disappointed after the Butler match, and she said she knows her team can play better.“We just learned you got to fight no matter what the score is,” Leach said. “We know how we can play. We saw it in the second match of the tournament and we just have to take it and get more consistent as a team.”
(09/07/12 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s volleyball team (5-1) will attempt to win three straight invitational championships this season as the Hoosiers take an hour-long drive north to play in the Butler Invitational this weekend.The Hoosiers are coming off a win in the Indiana Invitational, in which they took down previously unbeaten Georgia Tech to win the title.“That was the best game we played,” senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower said. “That’s one of the better teams we played this preseason, and after the loss earlier in the day, we knew we really needed to step our game up.”Action kicks off 2 p.m. Friday when the Hoosiers face Stephen F. Austin State University.The Ladyjacks are 5-2 on the season with losses against Green Bay and Louisiana-Monroe. Indiana will be the team’s first match against a team from a Division I conference.Stephen F. Austin’s standouts are Madison Hanlan and Jill Ivy, as they were named to the preseason all-Southland Conference first team.Hanlan was also named defensive player of the week for the Southland Conference last week, averaging 5.36 digs for the duration of the team’s first three matches.Comparatively, IU junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen is leading the Hoosiers with 3.78 digs per set. After trying to cut down the Ladyjacks, Indiana will play Western Illinois at 11 a.m. Saturday.The Leathernecks are 3-3 on the season and are fresh off a perfect 3-0 performance in the Indiana State Invitational. Indiana will be the only team from a Division I conference that Western Illinois will play the entire regular season.The Hoosiers will have to slow down the tandem of Samantha Fournier and Katie Hosteng, who combined have accounted for a shade under half of the Leathernecks’ kills this year.After being named the Drury Inn Jessica Barkman Memorial Classic MVP last weekend, Fournier was also named Papa John’s Scholar Athlete of the Week. Fournier matched her career high in kills in two of the matches this past weekend, twice recording 21 kills.In the final match of the weekend, Indiana will host team Butler at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Bulldogs are 5-2 this season, going 2-1 in their last tournament, the Pittsburgh invitational. Unlike the two other schools Indiana will play this weekend, Butler has played a school from a Division I conference; its team lost to Pittsburgh in three sets Sept. 1.The Bulldogs’ attack features eight players who have double-digit numbers of kills this season, while IU features only six.IU might encounter adversity on the road during the tournament this weekend, something Hanson said might be more difficult to overcome than last weekend because the Hoosiers had the luxury of playing at home.“Everyone was getting really excited, and our adrenaline was high,” Hanson said. “It made us want to fight harder.”
(09/06/12 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Katie Gallagher is doing something difficult, her teammates said. The setter is temporarily taking over for senior setter Whitney Granado, a three-year starter and team captain.Granado is out with mononucleosis until mid to late September, IU Assistant Coach Paul Koncir said.Granado is not being replaced by a scrub, though. Gallagher was named first team All-State by the News Gazette her senior year of high school.Filling in for Granado has been difficult. The senior has been working with some of her teammates for three years. Granado established herself as one of the team’s leaders this summer, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“Leadership is something developed,” Dunbar said. “Katie doesn’t quite have that yet. She’s almost invisible to be honest, and for the situation we’re in, it’s nice to be invisible and let other people take leadership.”From Elmhurst, Ill., the 5-foot-8-inch Gallagher has been thrust into the nation’s premiere conference for women’s volleyball, as the Big Ten has more teams in the top 25 than any other conference.Holding her own in the Big Ten this season, Gallagher leads the conference with 11.91 assists per set. Gallagher is the only freshman in the top 10 in assists per set in the Big Ten, and she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week earlier this season by topping the 50 assist mark twice in her first three matches. Despite all the early-season awards, Dunbar said Gallagher still has a lot to learn about the IU offense.“Katie’s learning a lot right now,” Dunbar said. “She’s trying to learn our offense. She’s trying to learn all these hitters that Whitney’s been setting for a few years already.”Her teammates said Gallagher has a similar demeanor to Granado’s first-year attitude.“Katie reminds me a lot of Whitney her freshman year,” senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower said. “But she’s really doing a good job of living up to her potential.”The main difference between Gallagher and Granado is that Granado is three years older. They have very similar styles, Dunbar said.“Personality-wise they’re not so different,” Dunbar said. “Whitney has just grown into that position. I think Katie will do the same thing over time, and Whitney is a good role model for Katie right now.”Gallagher does not have the luxury of being able to see her mentor in action, but instead, Granado has been a vocal leader.“I haven’t been able to see her as much,” Gallagher said. “I haven’t been able to see her play and learn from her play, but she’s been a great leader vocally and teaching me techniques.”With Gallagher providing the statistics, the natural question of who will be the primary setter once Granado recovers now lingers with the team. Right now, Gallagher said she only has the interest of the team at heart.“I’ll always want to play, but you have to do what’s best for the team,” Gallagher said. “If that means having Whitney be in there, that’s what has to be done.”
(09/04/12 2:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s volleyball team won its second straight invitational last weekend, defeating Cleveland State and Georgia Tech en route to the Indiana Invitational championship.It began Friday, when the Hoosiers quelled the Cleveland State Vikings in four sets. In a theme that would be consistent throughout the weekend, IU came back from a 22-23 deficit to take the first set 25-23.Junior outside hitter Jade Henderson went down with an apparent ankle injury in the first set and could not play the rest of the game.Cleveland State responded by taking the second set 25-19. IU came back in the third for the 25-14 win.In the fourth and final set, the Hoosiers went on a 5-0 run after being down 20-15. They proceeded to take the set 26-24 and secured the first win of the weekend.IU lost its first match of the season Saturday to previously winless Bowling Green in four sets. After a 25-22 first-set win for the Hoosiers, they proceeded to lose the next three 25-18, 27-25 and 25-20. Junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen said she thought her team let one slip away.“I definitely felt like we played down to their level,” Hansen said. “We looked past them, but that gave us the mentality of ‘OK, we’re not losing tonight.’”The nightcap featured IU against Georgia Tech in the marquee match of the tournament. The winner would be crowned champion of the Indiana Invitational. After missing a great portion of the Cleveland State match and the entirety of the Bowling Green match, Henderson was back in action for the Hoosiers, a huge addition for the team, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“She sprained her ankle last night, and we didn’t think she’d be able to play,” Dunbar said. “But in warm-ups, she said, ‘I’m ready to go.’ She just has a spark out there and has an energy about her when she makes plays.”In the first set, IU found itself down 24-21 and had to rally three straight points. In all, IU fended off five Georgia Tech set points and took the set 29-27.The second set was a similar story. The Yellow Jackets ran to a 24-22 lead. The Hoosiers responded by taking the next two points and fending off three total set points for the 27-25 win.In the third set, Georgia Tech took the set by keeping off another IU rally and won 25-22.In set four, the Yellow Jackets ran out to a 15-8 lead, to which IU responded with a 6-1 run. Georgia Tech built their lead again for a 21-17 margin, to which IU again responded with an 8-2 run to take the set, match and tournament in the process. Hansen, junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly and senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower were named to the all-tournament team.Hansen was named tournament MVP after a career-high 19 digs that anchored the IU defense. Hansen said she was excited to learn about her honor.“I’m totally flabbergasted and excited,” Hansen said. “I’m just going to keep working hard and see where else it gets me.”Dunbar was proud of how her team was able to bounce back after a tough loss earlier in the day.“I’m more proud in the win than disappointed in the loss,” Dunbar said. “To bounce back and beat the best team in the tournament and come out and fight every single point and be down in every single set and find a way to win, that’s a true test of character.”
(08/31/12 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s women’s volleyball team looks to improve on their 3-0 record this season during the Indiana Invitational this weekend. The Hoosiers are fresh off winning the Black Knight Invitational last weekend, where they defeated Stony Brook, Army and Quinnipiac. IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she expects the competition to be greater than it was last week.“I think every week it gets tougher,” Dunbar said. “We’re going to face two teams that are 3-0 right now and another team that’s really scrappy, so it should make for a lot of healthy competition in our gym.”Cleveland State will be the cream and crimson’s first opponent when the two teams square off at 7 p.m. Friday in the University Gym.The Vikings are a perfect 4-0 for the year, including winning the IPFW Invitational this past weekend in Fort Wayne.IU will be the first team from a BCS conference that Cleveland State will play this year. The Vikings will be looking to beat the Hoosiers for the second straight year as Cleveland State won a five set battle 3-2 last year in Blacksburg, Va.The Hoosiers will have to stop Kara Koch, the Horizon League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.For the third time in four matches, IU will play against a team picked to finish second in their respective league, as the Vikings are predicted to be the runner-up in the Horizon League this season.Seventeen hours later IU will play Bowling Green at noon on Saturday.Bowling Green is winless this season, losing by a combined total of 6-1 in total sets played against Marquette and Northwestern this past weekend.IU plays their first game against a BCS school when they play Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday.The Yellow Jackets come in at a perfect 3-0 for the season, capturing the Georgia Tech Courtyard Invitational title this past weekend by defeating California State Fullerton, Charleston Southern and SMU.When Georgia Tech plays IU, it will be the Yellow Jackets’ first test against a BCS school opponent. Yellow Jackets Monique Mead and Bailey Hunter received All-Atlantic Coast Conference preseason team honors. Mead was also named a preseason player-of-the-year candidate by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.Dunbar said IU went to Atlanta two years ago to play in their tournament.“They are a great program in the ACC,” Dunbar said. “So it’s good to play teams in that kind of bracket because that’ll help your RPI later in the season.”Junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly said the Hoosiers are focusing on two things in practice this week leading up to the game: serving and defense.“Aggressive serving is a way to get teams out of their system which will really help us,” Haverly said. “And defense, we just want to be known as a really scrappy team that makes a lot of plays and makes it difficult for teams to score on us.”
(08/29/12 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly took part in a defensive drill. She moved low to the ground, pivoted her feet and took the ball from the coach and bumped it with her forearms, reaching about 15 feet in the air.After she was done with her set of drills, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar gave Haverly coaching advice and put her arm around her, and the two shared a smile. Haverly said she missed this last year.“We were at a spring tournament, and it was the last match of the day,” Haverly said. “It was actually match point, too, which was extra frustrating. I went up to hit a tight ball, and I came down and landed on one leg.”That was the last point Haverley would play for a year and a half as she tore her ACL, MCL, LCL and meniscus and suffered bone bruising when she landed.The severity of her injury was immediately apparent to Dunbar and her team.“We all knew when she fell it was the ACL,” Dunbar said. “And when you’ve been in the business this long enough and they fall like that, you know it’s pretty serious.”Because the injury happened in spring, Haverly had all summer to brood about the mishap. When the first match came the next fall, she said the emotional toll was traumatic.“After the tournament, (the opposing coaches) were like, ‘It would have been a different result with you out there,’” Haverly said. “I just started bawling because I was so mad, you just feel helpless.”Haverly was not the only member of the team who had a tough time with her injury. As senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower explained, Haverly was irreplaceable.“She’s as big a part of the team as anyone else on the team,” Thrower said. “When you’re missing a piece on the court, it affects everybody.”The problems kept coming for Haverly as complications with her original procedure forced her to have two additional procedures.During the first few weeks of rehabilitation, darting around a volleyball court could not have been further from her mind, as she was focused on the smallest of tasks.“For the first couple weeks I couldn’t even pick my leg up by myself,” Haverly said. “Tasks you take for granted, like bending your knee and trying to walk again, were what I was trying to do.”Going to practice for Haverly meant going to rehab. Usually, she did an hour of rehab before practice, some during and more after. “Every once in a while I got to do a couple things that involved volleyball,” Haverly said. “Just to, like, keep me sane.”Even during the grueling rehab work, she said she never considered hanging up her volleyball shoes and calling it quits.“No, that was never really an option,” Haverly said. “It never crossed my mind, honestly.”Haverly said there is no doubt in her mind she is ready to get back on the court and is completely healthy and recovered.“I’m definitely 100 percent,” Haverly said. “There’s obviously always little things that you can improve on like muscle strength, but I’m as good as it’s going to get right now.”As Dunbar watched the junior make her way back onto the court this fall, she said Haverly has gotten stronger with every practice.“I think it’s still coming back,” Dunbar said. “She’s still got some cartilage floating around in there a little bit. But she still understands the game better than anyone I’ve ever coached, so the spring in her step is coming back, and it’s going to keep coming back as the season goes along.”When it comes to being back on the court, facing other opponents, Haverly said there is no greater feeling.“This first weekend that we’ve had so far was the most fun I’ve had since we went to the Sweet 16,” Haverly said. “Being able to be physically out there with my teammates again is just a really special bond, and it’s hard to describe.”
(08/29/12 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From ids reportsFreshman setter Katie Gallagher was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. This is the first time in three years a Hoosier volleyball player has won the award.Gallagher led IU to a perfect 3-0 start to the season last weekend. She has been the team’s primary setter in practice and in games, with senior setter Whitney Granado out until mid- to late September as she battles an illness.Gallagher leads the Big Ten in assists per set, averaging 12.91 over the first three matches.The freshman topped the 50 assist mark twice during the weekend when the Hoosiers downed Army and Stony Brook. Gallagher also led the team in total digs this weekend with 38.“It was great to see Katie step into such a big role her first collegiate weekend,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said. “She displayed a very calming presence and allowed the hitters to do their job.” In the final point against Stony Brook, Gallagher recorded her first collegiate ace to secure the win for the Hoosiers. Gallagher did not learn she was the recipient of the award until after a teammate, junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen, congratulated her in the locker room.“I just found out in the locker room, actually,” Gallagher said. “Caitlin was like, ‘Congratulations,’ and I said, ‘Thanks, but what are you talking about?’”Gallagher said she is working hard this week to improve the consistency with her tempo for the Hoosiers’ upcoming matches.“I’m definitely working on keeping a consistent tempo to the pin hitters now,” she said. “I’m going to keep working on it this week and hopefully execute it for the weekend.”— Evan Hoopfer
(08/27/12 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team had a perfect start to its season, going 3-0 last weekend in West Point, N.Y., at the Black Knight Invitational.“At times everybody shined, because that’s what our team is going to have to do all year,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.The season started with a match against the Stony Brook Seawolves on Friday.The Hoosiers won the match three sets to one.IU won the first set 25-20. IU continued to succeed in the second set, allowing the Seawolves 13 points. Stony Brook battled back in the third set, and the Hoosiers lost their first set of the season, 28-26.After squandering a 21-18 lead in the third set, IU came back to clinch their first match of the year in the fourth set, 25-23.The Hoosiers trailed in the final set 23-21 before they rolled off four consecutive points to take the set and the match.“I was proud of them,” Dunbar said. “A lot of times we were behind in the match, and we came back. I thought it was a good first match for us to have to fight hard.”IU then played Team Army. The Black Knights came into the invitational with the best 2011 record of all participating teams.The two teams traded 25-22 victories in the first two sets with IU taking the first and Army taking the second.Keeping with the theme of the match, IU took the third set 25-22 after resisting a late Army rally.The Hoosiers rolled to a 25-14 victory in the fourth set to secure their second win of the season.In the third and final match of the weekend, the Hoosiers had their first three-set sweep against Quinnipiac. The Hoosiers tamed the Bobcats by taking three sets, 25-15, 25-8, 25-13.After the first set was tied 10-10, IU averaged 2.5 points for every Quinnipiac point during the remainder of the match. After sitting out last season with an ACL injury, junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly came back into competition and was voted the best among her peers. She received the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor.“I was just really excited to play again,” Haverly said. “Honestly I wasn’t expecting that.”Sophomore middle blocker Morgan Leach and senior right side hitter Kelci Marschall were named to the all-tournament team in addition to Haverly.Freshman setter Katie Gallagher played for senior setter Whitney Granado, who was out because of an illness.“There was a lot of pressure on her, obviously,” Haverly said. “We had a really tough match against Army. The crowd was really intense and loud and crazy, and she handled herself really well, played really well, and all of us are really proud of her.”Dunbar said she especially liked Gallagher’s demeanor on the court and the effect it had on her team.“I thought she played very mature for being a freshman,” Dunbar said. “I thought she had a very calming presence about her on the court and did her job.”
(08/26/12 10:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team had a perfect start to their season, going 3-0 this the weekend in West Point, N.Y., in the Black Knight Invitational.“At times everybody shined,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said. “Because that’s what our team is going to have to do all year.”The season started off with a match against the Stony Brook Seawolves on Friday. The Hoosiers won the match three sets to one.IU won the first set 25-20. IU continued to succeed in the second set, allowing 13 Seawolves points. Stony Brook battled back in the third set, and the Hoosiers lost their first set of the season, 28-26.After squandering a 21-18 lead in the third set, IU came back to clinch their first match of the year in the fourth set, 25-23.The Hoosiers were trailing in the final set 23-21 before they rolled off four consecutive points to take the set and the match.“I was proud of them,” Dunbar said. “A lot of times we were behind in the match and we came back. I thought it was a good first match for us to have to fight hard.”Then, IU played the host team, Army. The Black Knights came into the invitational having the best 2011 record of all participating teams.The two teams traded 25-22 victories in the first two sets with IU taking the first and Army taking the second.Keeping with the theme of the match, IU took the third set 25-22 after resisting a late Army rally.The Hoosiers rolled to a 25-14 victory to secure their second win of the season.In the third and final match of the weekend, the Hoosiers received their first three-set sweep against Quinnipiac. The Hoosiers tamed the Bobcats by taking three sets, 25-15, 25-8, 25-13. After the first set was tied 10-10, IU went on to average 2.5 points for every Quinnipiac point during the remainder of the match. After sitting out the entirety of last season with an ACL injury, junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly came back into competition and was voted the best among her peers. She received the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor.“I was just really excited to play again,” Haverly said. “Honestly I wasn’t expecting that.”Sophomore middle blocker Morgan Leach and senior right side hitter Kelci Marschall were named to the all-tournament team in addition to Haverly.Freshman setter Katie Gallagher played for senior setter Whitney Granado, who was out because of an illness.“There was a lot of pressure on her, obviously,” Haverly said. “We had a really tough match against Army. The crowd was really intense and loud and crazy, and she handled herself really well, played really well, and all of us are really proud of her.”Dunbar said she especially liked Gallagher’s demeanor on the court and the effect it had on her team.“I thought she played very mature for being a freshman,” Dunbar said. “I thought she had a very calming presence about her on the court and did her job.”
(08/24/12 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s volleyball team will receive its first taste of competition this season when they fly to the Black Knight Invitational in West Point, N.Y.IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she wants her team to experience not only the tournament but also the scenery West Point offers.“We have a professor at West Point that’s going to take us on an hour-and-a-half tour, which I think is going to be remarkable,” Dunbar said. “It’s a great two-part thing. West Point had a great year last year, and I think it’s a good first tournament.”The team is not going just for a tour. They go to West Point to win.“Everybody has the same expectations that you’re going to come out and be a different team,” Dunbar said. “So I think we absolutely have expectations to win.”Stony Brook will be the team’s first opponent. Play will start at 1 p.m. Friday.The Seawolves had an overall record of 15-13 last year and were recently voted to finish second in the American East conference, according to the conference coaches’ poll.After battling the Seawolves, the Hoosiers will focus their attention to a team of Black Knights.The match against Team Army will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Army boasted a 23-8 record last season, the best of all the competitors this weekend.Like Stony Brook, the Black Knights were picked to finish second in their respective conference, the Patriot League, and also garnered two of the 16 first place votes.Senior outside hitter Ariana Mankus and sophomore setter Mary Vaccaro earned spots in the Preseason All-Patriot League team.IU will conclude its opening weekend of play at 4 p.m. Saturday against Quinnipiac. The Bobcats will try to recover from a 4-25 campaign last year and are picked to finish ninth out of nine teams in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll.IU is the only team from a BCS conference to take part in the Black Knight Invitational. Junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly will see her first action since the team’s Sweet Sixteen run in 2010 after sitting out the entirety of last season with an ACL injury.“I just can’t wait to be able to play again,” Haverly said. “Like, against real teams, not just ourselves.”After the tough season the team had last year that was lowlighted by a 1-19 record in the Big Ten, senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said she is ready to get the jersey back on and the start the season with a clean slate.“Every year is different,” Marschall said. “Every year presents new challenges and new strengths, and it’s a lot of fun to put it on the court and see what we can do with it.”
(08/23/12 2:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Just a year removed from the team’s best season ever, including a Sweet 16 berth, the IU women’s volleyball team failed to follow 2010 with another strong season, finishing with a 9-23 overall record, a 1-19 record in Big Ten play and a 0-12 record in away games. “We wanted to win so bad,” senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said. “We came in and wanted to win every day and got better every day but just couldn’t get it going. It was painful.”Ashley Benson, IU’s only First Team All-American in program history, graduated after the 2010 season.Another key loss was junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly, who suffered an ACL injury and was out for the entire year.Haverly said she felt awful not being able to help her teammates physically during the season.“You always feel like it’s your fault because you’re sitting there helpless,” Haverly said. “So it was really frustrating, but it was just more incentive to work even harder in rehab.”After the season, the team resolved to be the hardest-working in the country.“You can’t hope to win. You have to put in the work to win,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said. “I think they can honestly look back and say, ‘We worked as hard as we possibly could, and we dedicated this entire summer to not coming in and putting in a little time, but coming in and busting it every single morning at 6:15.’”One important change was the addition of a new strength and conditioning coach, Chris Virtue.Some of Virtue’s new players said they feel the push he gave them has opened their eyes to what hard work is.“We’ve worked harder than we’ve ever worked,” Haverly said. “We’re more determined than we’ve ever been. We’re just tougher.”Marschall said going through the experience of training has brought the team closer and sharpened its chemistry.“We’ve done so much with mental training and mental toughness,” she said. “And being put through physical tests to improve our mental toughness and working together have made us have way more chemistry.”Senior setter Whitney Granado is out battling a case of mononucleosis until late September.Until Granado’s return, freshman setter Katie Gallagher is taking her place.“It’s obviously a huge loss when your senior setter who’s been playing for the past three years can’t start with you,” Haverly said. “So to go from somebody you know like the back of your hand to someone brand new is obviously a challenge, but I know Katie can do it.”Granado is not absent from the team. She comes to practices and coaches her teammates from the sidelines.“It’s nice to still have Whitney on the sideline talking to us,” Marschall said. “She’s got that leadership personality, and she definitely still helps us and definitely still coaches us.”Granado, Marschall and Haverly were appointed team captains by their teammates and are expected to be the leaders this season.“You have to make sure who wants to be captain,” Dunbar said. “I think it’s a huge sacrifice. It’s not a burden, but it’s heavy. You got the team on you, and you have to do everything great.“You can’t have off days. I’m not saying you’re going to play perfect all the time, but you can’t mentally have off days because you’re leading a program.”A new rule change allows teams to make 15 substitutions, an increase from 12 in previous years. Dunbar said this will benefit IU greatly.“Last year, we used 12 subs every single set,” Dunbar said. “It gives us more options when we have four (defensive specialists) that are good, and if we play Marschall all the way around but she’s not having a great back-row experience, we can sub somebody in right away.”The team’s main obstacle is the fear of having another poor season, Marschall said. “I think that’s our number-one thing this year is getting rid of that fear,” Marschall said. “Fear of losing, fear of repeating anything like that is something we got to get rid of. Otherwise, it will hold us back.”
(08/20/12 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Saturday marked the beginning of the Hoosiers’ volleyball season as the team split into two squads for the annual Cream and Crimson scrimmage at University Gym.The tune-up was preparation for the team before heading to West Point, N.Y., for the Black Knight Invitational next weekend.The crimson squad won the match by taking two of the three sets, but many players switched teams between sets.Freshman outside hitter Amelia Anderson finished the match by recording two straight aces to secure the win for the Crimson team 27-25 in the third set.“I’ve been coming here since my sophomore year (of high school),” Anderson said. “It’s just really exciting to put that jersey on, and even though it’s not for a real game, just being in the gym and the atmosphere, it’s really exciting.”IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she was impressed with Anderson and the other freshmen in their first experience playing in front of a collegiate crowd.“I thought our freshmen did a pretty good job for their first time on the floor,” Dunbar said. “I thought Amelia did well when she came up with those two aces at the end. That’s really tough for a freshman to do.” Anderson, a 6-foot-1-inch freshman, is one of five to come into the IU program this fall. Right-side hitter Mariah Coleman, defensive specialist Courtney Harnish, setter Katie Gallagher and defensive specialist Kyndall Merritt also played for the first time in their collegiate careers.The only player missing from action was senior setter Whitney Granado. Granado, the team’s setter, is currently battling a case of mononucleosis. IU Assistant Coach Paul Koncir said she is not expected to be ready to compete for the Hoosiers until Big Ten play starts in late September.Dunbar said the point of having a scrimmage is to get nerves out of the way early so her players can be more lucid once the regular season begins next weekend in New York.“That’s why we do this scrimmage, to be honest,” Dunbar said. “To get the jersey on and get a feel of what a match feels like, get that tightness out so we can actually relax when we play.“The last thing you want is a team that’s tight.”Dunbar said there were several areas the team needs to improve, such as her middle blockers’ lack of aggression.“I think we’ve got to get our middles more involved in the offense,” she said. “They’ve been really good in practice, and I was really disappointed because they are way better than they looked tonight.”
(12/07/11 8:31pm)
The Big Ten Conference honored 788 fall student athletes, including 90 from IU. By sport, those honored included:
Seven field hockey players,
24 football players,
11 men's cross country runners,
13 women's cross country runners,
10 men's soccer players,
18 women's soccer players and
Seven volleyball players
(11/30/11 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Tuesday, volleyball senior outside hitter Lindsay Enterline was recognized by the Big Ten as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.As a freshman, Enterline played sporadically on the IU women’s basketball team that went on to the NIT tournament. The following year Enterline’s sophomore season ended before it began due to a preseason knee injury that kept her out for the year.With her basketball career at a crossroads, Enterline returned to volleyball.In high school, she had set her high school’s records in kills, attacking percentage and blocks. She joined the Hoosiers on their way to a Sweet 16 birth.This year, Enterline recorded 70 kills in 25 matches.Enterline said the injuries have just been a small part in a fulfilling career.“Surgeries took up three days out of my four-year career,” Enterline said.
(11/28/11 5:39am)
In the last week, the IU women’s volleyball team lost to both No. 8
Purdue on Wednesday at home and No. 19 Minnesota on the road Friday.
(11/21/11 3:03am)
It was another tough weekend for the IU women’s volleyball team. They
were swept by both No. 12 Penn State and No. 25 Ohio State.