Struggles continue with losses to Michigan, Mich. St. during home stand

The IU women's volleyball team started its longest home stand of the season on a sour note this weekend, losing two matches.\nThe Hoosiers are in the midst of a four-match home run that continues this week against Purdue and Illinois.\nFriday night against Michigan, IU struggled to find its rhythm. The Hoosiers lost three straight games. All three ended with the score of 30-21 to Michigan.\nThe Wolverines jumped out to an early 11-4 advantage in the match's first game as the lead proved to be too much for IU with Michigan closing out the game.\nIn a Hoosier attempt at recovery, IU took control of the second game, but the Wolverines did not give in. With the score tied 6-6, Michigan went on an 8-3 run to turn the tables on IU. \nFreshman Lauren Ditteon led a comeback that brought the Hoosiers to within two points, but once again the Wolverines finished out strong, ending the second game on a 10-4 run.\nAfter the Hoosiers lost the first two games, they came out flat in the third allowing Michigan to take a 7-2 advantage. Trying to claw its way back into the game, IU went on a run of its own to pull within three, but that was as close as the Hoosiers would get. \n"We just weren't playing as a team against Michigan," freshman Juli Pierce said after the match.\nAgainst the Wolverines, IU was paced by senior Christina Archibald's 13 kills and senior Katie Pollom's nine.\nSaturday against Michigan State, the Hoosiers struggled again, losing to the Spartans in four games; 30-26, 30-23, 25-30, 30-22.\nTo begin the match, the score bounced back and forth between the teams before Michigan State began to pull away. The Hoosiers made a late comeback, but it was not enough as the Spartans won 30-26.\nThe second game was very similar with Michigan State holding off several IU runs for the win.\nThe Hoosiers came out looking like a new team in the third game in attempts to tighten the game.\n"We had to concentrate on our game and get back to playing Indiana volleyball," Pollom said. "We had to step up to the challenge."\nWith an all-around offensive attack, the Hoosiers went on to win the third game, 30-25. After coming back strong in the third, IU ran out of gas in the fourth game, allowing Michigan State to claim a 30-22 victory.\nThe Hoosiers were led by Pollom's 15 kills and Archibald's 13. Ditteon chipped in with 10 kills of her own. \nFor both weekend matches, Ditteon was forced to wear a protective sleeve on her left shoulder. \n"It's nothing serious, just a midseason injury from overuse," IU coach Katie Weismiller said. "She has a sore shoulder and the sleeve limits the pain."\nWhile the Hoosiers did lose both weekend matches, there were bright spots for IU. Junior Rachel Gerling provided a spark off the bench in both matches.\n"Rachel's been great for us off the bench. She played right and left side tonight and really gave us a boost," Weismiller said.\nThe Hoosiers (8-17, 2-12 Big Ten) will look to put the losses behind them as they prepare to tangle with in-state rival, Purdue, Wednesday at University Gymnasium.\n-- Contact staff writer Tim O'Brien at tpobrien@indiana.edu.