IU to face Iowa, Nebraska in double Big Ten matchup

This weekend, the IU volleyball team will play a school at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, Iowa, and the next day face the No. 4 team in the country, Nebraska.

Despite the disparity between the two teams in succession this year, senior setter Whitney Granado explained each match must be approached the same way.

“Any team in the Big Ten can show up in any night,” Granado said. “You don’t take any teams lightly because they won’t take you lightly.”

IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she is not as focused on the opponents as much as her own team.

“I think we’re so focused on what we’re doing right now on our team’s side,”
Dunbar said. “We have to get that right before we’re worried so much about how Nebraska’s doing or Iowa’s doing.”

A major question for the team is Granado’s health. After missing the entire nonconference portion of the schedule due to mononucleosis, Granado has been working her way back but has still missed a few sets in conference play due to complications with her illness.

She says she has been feeling better and gave her health a high percentage.

“Ninety-two percent,” Granado said after asking her trainer. “That’s a professional opinion. You can cite my source on that one.”

On Friday, the Hoosiers and Hawkeyes will play in a rematch of last year when IU picked up its only conference win of the year. Both teams finished 1-19 last year in the Big Ten with each of their lone wins coming from games against each other.

This year, Iowa (8-9, 0-4 in the Big Ten) is looking for their first conference win of the year. Only IU and Iowa are winless in the conference this season.

The Hawkeyes have been outscored 12-1 in total sets this year in the Big Ten and have lost to teams such as Pacific, Oakland and Southeast Missouri in nonconference play.

Though the two teams have almost identical records, IU averages 1.15 kills for every one kill by their opponents. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, average 0.95 kills for every one kill by their opposition.

Iowa features the Big Ten leader in digs. Junior defensive specialist Bethany
Yeager leads the conference with 4.88 digs per set.

Comparatively, junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen leads the Hoosiers with 3.35 digs per set.

Last weekend, Hansen was replaced at libero by freshman defensive specialist Courtney Harnish, who responded with a match-high 19 digs against Northwestern. Dunbar said she liked the confidence Harnish brought to the table.

“I thought she was good,” Dunbar said. “I thought she passed really well, and she showed a lot of confidence on the court. I thought she was communicating a lot, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

The competition is not over for the libero spot on the team, as Dunbar said the position is up for the taking.

“I think all four of our defensive players are going to have chances to be libero,” Dunbar said. “Depending on the match and depending on the practices that they’re having ... We’re looking for players that are in competition mode 100 percent of the time.”

Saturday the Hoosiers welcome No. 4 Nebraska (11-2, 3-1 in the Big Ten) into University Gym.

The Cornhuskers were at one point the No. 1 team in the nation this season but lost their top ranking when they fell to then-No. 25 Iowa State in an upset. Their only conference loss this year was to Penn State, who is now the No. 1 team in the country.

Last season, the Hoosiers were unable to take a set from Nebraska, losing both matches in three-set sweeps against the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska senior Lauren Cook is third in the Big Ten with 11.22 assists per set for the other school that calls themselves Big Red.

This is the third consecutive year the Hoosiers have started 0-4 in conference play. Last year, the team finished tied for last in the Big Ten standings.

Granado remembers when the team rallied two years ago and had a much different conclusion to their season.

“We’ve been in this situation before where we’ve gone 0-4 into the Big Ten,” Granado said. “That was our sweet 16 year, so we have high expectations no matter who we’re playing.”