Volleyball team hits the road for pair of weekend games

Coming off arguably the best win of IU coach Sherry Dunbar’s career, the IU volleyball team will look to maintain its confidence on the road.

“Effort and communication are the two big goals we have this season, along with consistency is what we are really shooting for,” sophomore outside hitter Lindsay Enterline said.

The Hoosiers (14-4, 2-4) travel to Wisconsin (11-6, 0-6) on Friday and No. 8 Illinois (13-3, 5-1) on Saturday.

Junior setter Mary Chaudoin said the team has to build off its upset of then-No. 4 Penn State last weekend.

“We have a lot to prove,” Chaudoin said. “We have to prove that beating those teams this past weekend wasn’t a fluke.”

Although Wisconsin has yet to win a Big Ten match, two of the six losses have come in five sets against Ohio State and Michigan State.

Freshman outside hitter Elise Walch leads Wisconsin with 160 kills.

Despite Wisconsin’s struggles, the gym could be packed. The Badgers were third in the nation last year in attendance with an average of 3,720 fans a game.

Chaudoin explained that she likes playing on the road because the team has a chance to quiet the crowd.

“I think it’s something that it’s more fun to silence a gym than get them in an uproar,” Chaudoin said. “I don’t think it should be such of a factor for us.”

Following the Wisconsin game, IU will travel to Illinois for an 8 p.m. Saturday contest.
Coming off of their first Big Ten loss to No. 15 Michigan on the road, the Illini look to keep their number one spot in the Big Ten conference.

Illinois will be playing without outside hitter Laura DeBruler, who tore her ACL in a game last weekend. Debruler was a first team All-American last year and third on the team with 163 kills.

“That’s very sad for someone of her caliber to end her career on an ACL,” Dunbar said.