Conference season starts with 2 Michigan teams

A rude awakening.

That’s how IU women’s volleyball player Ivie Obeime described the team’s straight set loss to No. 17 San Diego last Saturday as the Hoosiers prepare to start the Big Ten season this weekend.

“(San Diego) definitely had the caliber of athletes that we have in the Big Ten,” Obeime said. “We will be seeing that Friday and Saturday nights from here on out, so that game prepared us for our first real look at what we will see for the next ten weeks.”

First on the Big Ten schedule for IU is a weekend battle against Michigan’s biggest contenders.

On Friday night, the Hoosiers begin Big Ten play against No. 18 Michigan.

Led by five players with more than 100 kills in 2011, including team leader Alex Hunt (145 kills), the Wolverines lead the Big Ten in team kills per set (15.10) and in service aces (87 aces).

Saturday, the Michigan State Spartans bring their 11-1 record to University Gym.
With a great start to the season, the Spartans lead the Big Ten in hitting percentage, .334, and blocks per set, with a 3.11 average.

Leading the way for the Spartans’ offense is Jenilee Rathje, who ranks fifth in the conference with 4.22 kills per set.

To combat the good killing ability of both teams this weekend, senior outside hitter Lindsay Enterline said the team’s energy and mindset has to be right before the matches.

“Coach always says attitude before outcome,” Enterline said. “When we put that part first, the outcome is usually good for us.”

IU’s sophomore defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen said the Hoosiers’ biggest problems against San Diego occurred when people tried to be overaggressive.

“We definitely have roles on our team,” Hansen said. “People are trying to be more aggressive to try and make up for other people’s mistakes, but you need to do your own role before you make sure everyone else is doing theirs, and then we can all be more aggressive.”

As the team strives for consistency in its roles, the Hoosiers will need big contributions this weekend from hitters — especially Obeime and Enterline.

For Obeime, one of the toughest things she has been working on in the last few weeks is keeping the same level of confidence in herself that her team has in her.

“My role is to put balls down and create some kind of offense,” Obeime said. “I know my teammates have a lot of confidence in me, and I just need to make sure I have it in myself. It’s a mental process and a slow process, but I’m trying to speed it up before Michigan.”

While confidence is a focus for Obeime, Enterline said she wants to focus on keeping the team’s energy level high.

The senior, known as one of the Hoosiers’ most excitable and energetic players, will need to spread that “Enterline electricity”.

“The more excitement and enthusiasm we play with kind of defines our team,” Enterline said. “Obviously, not everyone is going to play in the exact same way, but everyone has their own unique thing, and when we see that out on the floor, it gets those other five teammates fired.”