783 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(12/03/10 5:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the NCAA tournament, if you lose, you’re done. The good news for the IU volleyball team, however, is that IU will play host to the tournament’s first and second rounds Friday and Saturday. The Hoosiers have an 11-2 home record and four victories against top-25 Big Ten opponents in University Gym this season. Players discussed the importance of playing at home and the IU fans, even though the NCAA determines to make it a neutral site. “We really need a huge home crowd,” sophomore outside hitter Lindsay Enterline said. “They can change the seating, and they can change the gym, but what they can’t change is the heart of the Indiana fans.”The last time IU was in the tournament was in 2002.When asked about the program’s recognition for making the tournament, senior middle blocker Ashley Benson said it would be substantial.“It’s going to be affected a lot to see how far we have come since I got here,” Benson said. IU players said they want to make an impact in the tournament, and they hope to capitalize on playing the first two rounds in Bloomington and advance.“We want to take it as far as we can,” Enterline said. “This is really a good marker by saying this is the expectation every year.”IU will first have to get through Miami (Fla.) at 7 p.m. Friday. The Hurricanes are led by junior outside hitter Lane Carico, who has posted 455 kills and has attempted more attacks than anyone in Big Ten. “Lane Carico has over a thousand attempts this season, which is huge,” Dunbar said.Should they win, the Hoosiers will face the winner of the 5 p.m. match between No. 11 seed Tennessee and Alabama A&M at 3 p.m. Saturday in the second round.Saturday’s winner will advance to the Dayton regional the following weekend. If the Hoosiers get past the first round, they could possibly face Tennessee in the upcoming match.The Hoosiers and the Volunteers have connections in the coaching staff from previous volleyball experience. IU coach Sherry Dunbar was an assistant for six seasons with current Tennessee coach Rob Patrick.“He taught me a lot, and some things I still use to this day,” Dunbar said. IU assistant coach Nancy Mueller graduated from Tennessee and played defensive specialist and setter for the volleyball team.Making an NCAA tournament run is what Dunbar and the players are looking for. “Now that we are in, we are not satisfied,” Enterline said. “We just want to keep winning and winning to show what Indiana volleyball is all about.”
(12/02/10 3:32am)
FIRST/SECOND ROUND COMPETITION SCHEDULE
(12/02/10 1:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Still caught in the euphoria of earning its first NCAA tournament bid since 2002, the IU volleyball team received more awards Tuesday.Three Hoosiers earned Big Ten postseason awards following the first 20-win season of Coach Sherry Dunbar’s tenure and upsets of four top-25 conference foes.Senior middle blocker Ashley Benson earned all-Big Ten honors for the third straight season.The Bloomington native posted a season hitting efficiency of .413, good for second in the conference and 10th in the nation, and she also ranked as the Big Ten’s third best blocker with 1.38 rejections per set.Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Haverly earned an honorable mention after recording 4.12 points per set and 33 service aces on the season, both statistics placing the Cherry Valley, Ill. native fifth in the conference.Senior middle blocker Taylor Wittmer was recognized as one of 11 recipients of the Big Ten sportsmanship award.IU opens NCAA tournament play at 7 p.m. friday against Miami (Fla.) at University Gym.
(12/01/10 5:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 600 student-athletes participate in IU’s 24 varsity sports. A student-athlete might need good time management to balance a weekly schedule filled with classes, practices, workouts, games or matches, and other team-bonding activities. As the IU volleyball team looks to face Miami (Fla.) on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament, student-athletes on the team also know that final exams are less than two weeks away as well. IU coach Sherry Dunbar said the time spent between being a student and an athlete is about equal. And the athletics department has seen academic success during the past year. Kelly Noonan, assistant athletic Director for academic and student engagement and volleyball academic advisor, said 57 percent of student-athletes earned an academic year GPA of 3.0 or higher last year.The volleyball team practices three hours a day from Mondays to Wednesdays and then travels, usually on Thursday, for weekend matches. In the four months of this season, the team played more than 30 matches in 10 different states. In addition to matches and practices, team activities such as film study and weight training also occupy space in the players’ schedules.Noonan said the volleyball and academic staff works with freshmen to acclimate them with the hours of work for school and volleyball. Also, freshmen meet weekly with Noonan for academic advice and help with their transition from high school to college. “We meet with Kelly every week to look over our grades, and she gets on you,” freshman outside hitter Jade Henderson said. “She has made me a more organized person.”Players agreed time management between the sport and the classroom is important for a student-athlete. “You have so many opportunities to go do other things and have a regular student life, but you just have to prioritize,” senior middle blocker Taylor Wittmer said. “You should know that if you have a test, you have to be there studying.”Academics can play a role in recruiting players to the school.“When recruiting players, we say to them that their two priorities as a student-athlete are academics and volleyball,” Dunbar said.Both factors have become important in a student-athlete’s life. Recent IU basketball commit Cody Zeller said one of the reasons why IU interested him was because of the Kelly School of Business.Another point of interest to prospective IU student-athletes is the new academic center in the North End Zone of Memorial Stadium.Some of the key features to the new facility include the 79 computers, seven individual tutoring rooms, three classrooms, two group study/seminar rooms, a collaborative study area with café, a 55-seat auditorium and a quiet study/reading room.Dunbar talked about the importance of the academic center being a key part to the student’s academic growth. “I think the academic center is a difference-maker if they use it wisely,” Dunbar said. Noonan said all the advisors meet with recruiting prospects for their sport to see how they are doing in high school with academics.IU Athletics’ 2010-11 motto, “24 sports, one team,” means a lot of things, among them the importance of academics in student-athletes’ lives. Dunbar explained that athletes help each other by discussing school-related business if they are in classes together or see each other at the new academic facility for help.“'Twenty-four sports, one team’ is a broad spectrum of not just supporting us playing but also in academics as well,” Dunbar said. Wittmer said all athletes go through similar schedules having to deal with their sports and academics as well.“No on else really knows what you’re going through except for them,” Wittmer said.Henderson explained that she looks for athletes in her classes because of the common bond of being a student-athlete. Teammates can build relationships with each other on and off the court to look for guidance with academic-related questions. “Even with making our schedules for next semester, that’s when I talked to the upperclassmen,” freshman defensive specialist Melanie Hicks said. Dunbar coaches the team not just in volleyball, but also in life. “We tell the players that your education is important because it’s something you can rely on after college,” Dunbar said.
(12/01/10 3:37am)
Inside IU volleyball- NCAA tourney edition
(11/28/10 11:34pm)
(Photo above credited to Mike Dickbernd of IU Athletics)
(11/28/10 8:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two wins this weekend not only boosted the home record for IU but also helped it make the NCAA Tournament.The Hoosiers finished the regular season 21-11, good for their best winning percentage since 1999 and placed them in a tie for seventh in the Big Ten at 9-11.It’s been eight years since the Hoosiers last made the tournament, and it’s mainly because of the accolades accomplished in the regular season.Senior middle blocker Taylor Wittmer explained that the Hoosiers have improved in the Big Ten since the year before her freshman season at IU in 2007.“The year before I got here, they got one win in the Big Ten, and now we have done so well and beaten some great teams,” Wittmer said.IU defeated four top-25 conference opponents this year, including then-No. 4 Penn State, whom the Hoosiers had never beaten before in program history.The Hoosiers went 11-2 at University Gym this year compared to last season’s 6-10 home record. “It definitely shows that the program has grown a lot,” senior middle blocker Ashley Benson said.The main positive is that the Hoosiers will play host to the first and second rounds of the tournament.“I think they are equally as important because we know how well we play at home,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said.IU’s first round game will be against Miami (Fla.) (23-8) on Friday at University Gym. Time is yet to be determined because the host team gets to choose what time it wants to play.The Big Ten was awarded more spots in the tournament than any other conference with eight teams getting the nod.“It’s arguably the best conference in the country,” Dunbar said. “The most after us is five from the Pac-10.”The Hoosiers defeated No. 10 Illinois on Friday in four sets by scores of 25-20, 22-25, 25-20 and 25-22.Benson led IU with 18 kills and tallied five block assists.On senior night Saturday, the Hoosiers blocked their way to a three-set sweep against Wisconsin.IU outblocked the Badgers 15-4 in the match.Benson led the blocks charge by recording nine assisted in addition to her nine kills on the offensive end.The senior said the final two matches of the regular season would be nice for the team to look back on as it prepares to open the tournament at home.The other two teams that will come to Bloomington to play this weekend are No. 11-seeded Tennessee (24-6) and Alabama A&M (16-10).Dunbar stressed winning games and making it further in the tournament.“We really want to make a run this year. It’s not just that initial step,” Dunbar said.
(11/27/10 11:51pm)
IU volleyball recorded their 20th win last night defeating No. 10 Illinois in four sets, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20, and 25-22.
(11/22/10 5:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team (19-11, 7-11) was outshined on the road this weekend in Michigan. This was the last weekend on the road for the Hoosiers. They finished their Big Ten road schedule with a 1-9 record, their only win coming Oct. 15 against Wisconsin. IU lost Friday to Michigan State in four sets. The Spartans won by scores of 28-26, 25-21, 22-25 and 25-11. Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Haverly led all players with 21 kills, but it wasn’t enough, as the Spartans had three players with double-digit kills. Senior middle blocker Ashley Benson recorded 16 kills of her own.“We could get a few points here and there but never really string together a long run,” Benson said.Michigan State outblocked IU 12-6 in the match. After Friday’s loss, the Hoosiers traveled south to Ann Arbor, Mich. to endure a three-set sweep Saturday at the hands of No. 20 Michigan. The Wolverines won by scores of 25-22, 25-17 and 25-21. IU led 19-18 in the first set, but the Wolverines came back to claim seven of the last 10 points. Michigan finished with a hitting percentage of .276 compared to a .121 clip for the Hoosiers.IU coach Sherry Dunbar said she was pleased with the team’s effort despite losing in straight sets.“The intensity and fight we need to win matches in this conference simply wasn’t there Friday night in East Lansing, but it came back at Michigan,” Dunbar said. “They are just a really, really good team that was playing for their seniors on senior night.”Twenty of the 51 Wolverine kills came from junior outside hitter Alex Hunt.IU’s last weekend of matches — and its last chances to improve its NCAA Tournament résumé — comes next weekend against No. 9 Illinois on Friday and Wisconsin on Saturday at University Gym.“We’ve still got a lot of work to do this week in practice to prepare for Illinois and Wisconsin,” Dunbar said. “Both those teams are playing really good volleyball right now.”
(11/19/10 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU volleyball is in the final stretch of its season with just four games left.The two games this weekend are the final road games of the season, as IU faces Michigan State (12-15, 4-12) and No. 20 Michigan (21-7, 10-6) on Friday and Saturday, respectively.“I think we just need to go in with the same mentality,” sophomore outside hitter Lindsay Enterline said. “When we come out and stun them right away, that takes their home court advantage away.”IU defeated both opponents at University Gym less than a month ago, beating the Wolverines in three sets and the Spartans in five sets.IU coach Sherry Dunbar talked about the positives from the October matches.“I thought our block defense was really good,” Dunbar said. “We really formed good blocks and set the tone for those matches.”While the Hoosiers are 9-2 at home, they have lost their last four road games.Dunbar said the game plan for the October match against Michigan was to stop Lexi Zimmerman, who is third in the Big Ten with 1,093 assists on the year.Indiana-native Alex Hunt leads the Wolverines and the Big Ten with 441 kills.In practice this week, Dunbar has gotten the team ready for the road by wearing their red away jerseys each practice.“I think just wearing jerseys, it feels more like a game and wearing red makes them feel like a road match,” Dunbar said.Dunbar also said consistency would be important for the Hoosiers on the road, and sophomore defensive specialist Laura Matula agreed.“Keeping it point by point will have players think in the moment,” Matula said.Currently, the Hoosiers stand at eighth in the Big Ten with a 7-9 record.IU can make up some ground with wins in Michigan.“We have become comfortable at being that away team and we just have to be better than the other team,” Dunbar said.
(11/15/10 7:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team lost at home for just the second time this season.No. 24 Northwestern swept the Hoosiers in three sets, 25-23, 25-16 and 25-23.The win gave Northwestern two wins against IU after defeating the Hoosiers in four sets on Sept. 24 in Evanston, Ill.The Wildcats had three different players earn double-digit kills.Graduate student middle blocker Sabel Moffett, senior middle blocker Naomi Johnson and graduate student outside hitter Christina Kaelin recorded 13, 11 and 10 kills, respectively.Senior middle blocker Ashley Benson was the lone Hoosier to register double- digit kills, leading all players with 15.“Benson did a good job of putting balls away,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said.The game was tied at 22-22 in the first set, but the Wildcats took the next three of four to win the set.The Hoosiers got off to an early 8-3 lead in the second frame, but the Wildcats rallied back and took control midway through the set.After Northwestern took the lead at 13-12, they won the next 12 of 16 points to win the set.“There were key errors in the game, especially down the stretch in the later part of the sets,” Dunbar said.Then, in the final frame, the two teams were tied at 22, but just as the Wildcats did at the same point in the first set, they stole the last three of four points to win the match.This upcoming weekend, the Hoosiers travel for matches at Michigan State and No. 16 Michigan.IU defeated both teams at University Gym earlier this season.Dunbar said the team must remain focused down the stretch.“They have to stay positive, work on their blocks and kills because it doesn’t get any easier,” Dunbar said.
(11/14/10 12:07am)
No. 24 Northwestern (18-8, 8-8) defeats IU volleyball (19-9, 7-9)
(11/13/10 3:01pm)
Inside IU Volleyball
(11/12/10 5:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After losing to Purdue in three sets, the IU volleyball team returns to Bloomington to play No. 24 Northwestern on Saturday.IU volleyball (19-8, 7-8) lost in four sets in its last match against the Wildcats in September. Last time, the Hoosiers came out strong, winning the first set, 25-21, but Northwestern recovered and won the next three sets. The Wildcats were led by senior middle blocker Naomi Johnson, who recorded 18 kills in the match. The Hoosiers have gone 7-6 since the last meeting.Four Northwestern players have more than 200 kills. Graduate student middle blocker Sabel Moffett leads the team with 280. Northwestern senior setter Elyse Glab is second in the Big Ten with 11.24 assists per set.The Wildcats are coming off a tough loss at home to Wisconsin in five sets. IU coach Sherry Dunbar talked about keeping the players into the match.“It’s about us generating that energy and intensity to stay focused on our game plan,” Dunbar said.Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Haverly and senior middle blocker Ashley Benson led the team with 15 kills each against Northwestern, and sophomore right-side hitter Kelci Marscahll had one less with 14.The Hoosiers have been playing well at home, sporting a 9-1 record at University Gym, and they look to continue that performance against the Wildcats.“Getting a good start and an aggressive mentality will help,” Dunbar said.
(11/11/10 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Monon Spike remained in West Lafayette on Wednesday. The IU volleyball team was swept by Purdue, who took home the in-state rivalry’s trophy for the third straight year.The Hoosiers lost in three sets by scores of 29-27, 25-23 and 25-18. Purdue has won five of its last six matches against IU. The last time the Boilermakers won in three sets was in 2006.“They fought harder than us, and they really got the crowd into it,” junior libero Caitlin Cox said.The Boilermakers played well in front of a record home crowd in West Lafayette. “We have got to learn how to be a better road team,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said. “On the road we look like a different team.”The Hoosiers weren’t able to get the kills when they needed them in the late parts of sets one and two. “Sometimes in the match, they just got the kills that we needed,” Cox said. The Boilermakers were led by junior middle blocker Tiffany Fisher with 12 kills. IU was down for most of the first set but took the lead at 25-24. The Boilermakers responded and took the last five of seven points to win the set. “They were on attack mode, and we were on defense, all the time,” Dunbar said.Cox added that the long rallies played a major factor. “It’s a big point, and it really gave them momentum in the sets,” Cox said.The Hoosiers did not trail in the second set until the Boilermakers gained the lead at 22-21 and didn’t give it up, winning 25-23.“I think if you look at both of those sets, Purdue finished them off in the long rallies,” Dunbar said.Purdue then put its final marks on the evening after leading the entire third set, cruising to a 25-18 win to seal a season sweep of the Hoosiers.The Boilermakers maintained an edge on defense, earning 68 digs to IU’s 50. Purdue’s serving also might have been more aggressive; Purdue recorded four aces to none for the Hoosiers.“I thought we were really passive,” Dunbar said. “Tonight, I felt like we just got beat.”The Hoosiers look to regroup before playing host to No. 24 Northwestern on Saturday.“We have to come back tomorrow and have a great practice,” Dunbar said.
(11/11/10 2:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team was unable to capture the Monon Spike or a win against Purdue in 2010.The Hoosiers (19-8, 7-8) fell Wednesday to their in-state rivals in straight sets by scores of 29-27, 25-23 and 25-18.It was the third straight season that the Boilermakers (17-9, 8-7) claimed the Monon Spike, which is the volleyball equivalent to football’s Old Oaken Bucket and is awarded in the second of the two annual meetings between the schools.IU had just two set points in the match — both coming in an extended first set. Neither squad hit with remarkable efficiency; Purdue combined for a .173 clip while IU hit at a .129 mark. However, the Boilermakers had a stronger evening on defense, earning 68 digs to the Hoosiers’ 50.Purdue’s Tiffany Fisher led all players with 12 kills.
(11/10/10 11:58pm)
Click Here
(11/10/10 5:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After losing its first match to Purdue on Sept. 22, the IU volleyball team looks to go on the road to bring the Monon Spike back to Bloomington.Last year, the road team won the match in both of the games between the Hoosiers and the Boilermakers.The second match between the schools, which takes place at 7 p.m. today in West Lafayette, is the Monon Spike match, similar to the football teams’ Old Oaken Bucket game.“The Monon Spike match is the most important one,” sophomore middle blocker Samantha Thrower said. “It’s the match we’ve been waiting for all year.”This might be a crucial match for both schools as they are among the four Big Ten teams that are tied for fifth place. In addition, the Hoosiers received 20 votes to the Boilermakers’ 16 in this week’s coaches’ top 25 poll.During Big Ten play, IU is 1-6 on the road, with the lone victory at Wisconsin.A key factor in the previous match was sophomore outside hitter Ariel Turner, who led all players with 24 kills.“We watched a lot of film on her yesterday and today,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said of Turner. “I think our team defense is much better than the first time we played them.”Turner ranks No. 4 among Big Ten players in kills.Playing on the road in West Lafayette doesn’t bother Dunbar.“I think we’ve played pretty well at Purdue, and that is because their facility is similar to ours,” Dunbar said.Dunbar said sophomore outside hitter Jordan Haverly has improved since the last time the two teams met.Haverly has since been named Big Ten player of the Week twice, including earning this week’s award.The defense has also seen improvements since the last meeting with Purdue.“Our blocking has gotten better, and I think that’s going to help when we go up there,” sophomore outside hitter Ivie Obeime said.It is also the last time for the seniors to claim the Monon Spike.Senior middle blockers Ashley Benson and Taylor Wittmer haven’t had the Monon Spike since their freshman year. Teammates want to help them bring back the Spike in their final rivalry match.“Ashley and Taylor being seniors, we want to win this one for them,” Thrower said.Dunbar added that bringing back the Spike to Bloomington for the seniors and proving how dynamic the team is on the road is the significance of this match.“We definitely don’t want to be known as just a home team,” Dunbar said. “We definitely want to be a great volleyball team wherever we are.”
(11/10/10 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With 19 victories and six games to play in 2010, the IU volleyball team might be tournament-bound.So far, the Hoosiers have eclipsed their win total from last year and have defeated three top-25 opponents in the Big Ten.One reason the Hoosiers might have had additional success this season are because of assistant coaches Nancy Mueller and Paul Koncir, who are in their first years.Mueller and Koncir took over after last year’s assistant coaches, who sought volleyball opportunities elsewhere.Sarah Gustin was an assistant at IU for three years before leaving in the summer to take the head coaching job at Cal State San Marcos to be closer to her family.“She is very deserving of everything that she is getting,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said of Gustin. “She has paid her dues to get a head coaching job.”Keith Schunzel went to North Texas last spring to be an assistant under his friend, coach Ken Murczek.“Keith had a great opportunity,” Dunbar said. “His best friend has been looking for a head coaching job, and they talked about whoever got the head coaching job first, then the other would go.”Both Mueller and Koncir bring numerous years of head coaching, which is different from Gustin and Schunzel. “They both bring a lot of information and insight because of their volleyball experience,” sophomore right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said.Mueller brought almost 20 years of volleyball experience to the Hoosiers upon her arrival in June. She was a four-time letterwinner for Tennessee as a defensive specialist and setter and later served as coach of South Florida for three years.She took the same position at Illinois-Chicago in 2004. After her contract wasn’t renewed following the 2008 season, she worked at Bradley as an assistant and recruiting coordinator in 2009.While Mueller has been in volleyball, she has built a good relationship with Dunbar.“I think Nancy is somebody I’ve known for 15, 16 years, so there’s that loyalty there,” Dunbar said.At IU, she has worked with the middle blockers in formulating game strategy and watching film.The connections Mueller has made through volleyball, she said, really help her as recruiting coordinator for the Hoosiers — the same position she had at Bradley.“I think the contacts that I’ve made in high school, club, internationally and junior college really helps with recruiting,” Mueller said.Koncir’s arrival at IU was similar.Koncir took over on an interim basis because former assistant Chris Kosty left the program before the season to be closer to his family in the Northwest area.Koncir also played volleyball in college, playing at George Mason and then serving as assistant there from 2004 to 2006.The last four seasons before coming to IU, Koncir served as head coach at Towson. At IU, Koncir has worked with the outside hitters, working on improving their game.“I’ve had a lot of impact with the pin attackers — Kelci Marschall, Lindsay (Enterline), Jade (Henderson), Jordan (Haverly), Ivie (Obeime) — with that group,” Koncir said.Dunbar said Koncir helps them with timing issues, positioning, shot selections and blocking from the left side. Both coaches play key roles in the development of these college athletes. Mueller said she is ambitious with her goals for putting IU on the map as a volleyball school.“My long term is, on the national scene, to get the Indiana name out there for volleyball,” Mueller said.Koncir agreed and praised the progress the team has made thus far.“We are in an excellent position to do some things this program has never done before,” Koncir said.The assistant coaches are on the same page with Dunbar in creating a competitive volleyball program.“I think they get what this is all about, and what I’m trying to build here,” Dunbar said.
(11/09/10 6:37pm)
Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Haverly has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the second this season, earning the honor on Nov.