Going .500 in the Big Ten gives IU a great chance to make the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season.
The last time IU made the NCAA tournament was the 2010 season, in which they went 9-11 in the conference.
IU advanced to the Sweet 16 that year for the first and only time in program history.
This weekend, IU might have its best chance to go 2-0 during a conference weekend and get closer to their goal of going .500 in the Big Ten.
IU (10-4, 1-1) will make its first-ever Big Ten trip to the east coast this weekend to play Maryland (7-6, 0-2) and Rutgers ?(7-8, 0-2).
Last weekend against Michigan State and Michigan, IU split the two games.
Even though they went .500 during the weekend, sophomore outside hitter ?Taylor Lebo wasn’t happy with ?the result.
“We should have gone 2-0,” Lebo said. “I’m pleased that we went 1-1, but I’m not satisfied.”
In the 40 seasons IU has had a volleyball program, they have played Rutgers and Maryland just five times.
Rutgers and Maryland are the newest two additions to the Big Ten conference, which is widely regarded as the nation’s best volleyball conference.
Both the Scarlet Knights and the Terrapins have had poor starts to each of their respective Big Ten ?seasons.
They both went 0-2 against Illinois and Northwestern in their respective opening weekends.
Rutgers was swept in both of its matches while Maryland was swept by ?Illinois and fell in five sets to Northwestern.
So, not only did Rutgers and Maryland go a combined 0-4 in their opening weekends, they didn’t even win a set in three of the games.
IU’s game against Maryland at 7 p.m. Friday is available on BTN Plus, a service BTN provides so games can be viewed by online ?streaming.
The fee for BTN Plus for the entire year to follow one team is $79.95 per year or $119.95 for access to all 14 Big Ten teams.
Sunday’s game against Rutgers is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.
IU has a recent history against Rutgers, as the two teams played last season.
IU, who finished 1-19 in the Big Ten last season, still beat Rutgers in straight sets in a non-conference game.
The Rutgers/IU game is not available for stream. A radio broadcast can be heard on iuhoosiers.com .
