Fans got a chance to connect with this year's new-look IU Volleyball squad at Saturday's annual Cream and Crimson Scrimmage.
The night began with an on-court meet-and-greet with the team, which has nine returning players and nine newcomers for this season.
A quick 30-minute warm-up for the scrimmage followed, up until all 18 players were officially introduced on the baseline over the PA system.
At 7 p.m. the scrimmage began. The players were divided into cream and crimson teams and played three games. The cream team won two games out of the three played.
Among those on the court was redshirt senior Kendall Beermen, who missed the majority of last season with a torn ACL. The powerful outside hitter had a strong performance in the scrimmage, notching a few kills that lit up the arena.
Senior middle blocker Deyshia Lofton also impressed with a few giant blocks. The All-Big Ten Second Team honoree led the Hoosiers with 130 blocks a year ago.
After the scrimmage, fans had more opportunities to meet the team and get autographs.
The newly-built Wilkinson Hall served as the venue for the night. The facility, which opened in January 2019, was filled with a lively crowd that featured kids, adults, other IU athletic teams and the IU student section.
Attendance after the game was boosted by 600% compared to last year according to second-year Head Coach Steve Aird. Aird wants to continue improving the atmosphere inside Wilkinson Hall for IU home games.
With the scrimmage now in the past, IU will look ahead to its official start to the regular season next weekend.
As a part of the Indiana Invitational, IU will play Florida International University, Marshall University and the University of Tennessee-Martin on Friday and Saturday. All three games will be played at Wilkinson Hall.
