On Sept. 14, IU volleyball knocked off then-No. 15 University of Kentucky on the road. This weekend, it has the chance to do the same not only once, but twice.
The Hoosiers will face No. 7 Minnesota on Friday evening and No. 13 Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. It will be the two highest ranked opponents IU has faced all season.
Last season, Minnesota won the Big Ten with a conference record of 19-1. On Friday, it plans to drop its Big Ten championship banner before the match.
“We haven’t really played in front of a huge crowd yet besides our own,” IU assistant coach Krista Vansant said. “It will be a good test for the young kids and the transfers too, who haven’t played in such crazy environments.”
The Golden Gophers enter Big Ten play with a 6-2 record, yet both of their losses have come to top-25 teams in Florida State University and the University of Texas. Also, they have stacked up some impressive early season wins, headlined by a four-set victory over the defending national champions and current No. 1 Stanford University.
As for Wisconsin, it comes in at 4-4 after playing a challenging nonconference schedule, much like Minnesota. The Badgers have also only lost to ranked teams, and their best win of the season came Aug. 30 against No. 23 Florida State University.
Last season, IU failed to win a set in its two meetings against Minnesota and one against Wisconsin.
“We kind of go in there with nothing to lose,” Vansant said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to see how well we can compete with these teams. I don’t think we’re that far off. When we play clean and we play the way we know how to play, I think it’s on us.”
IU rides a seven-game win streak into conference play and is 11-2 overall, the same record they posted in nonconference last season. Despite the identical records, IU feels more confident and prepared this season than it did last by way of tougher scheduling.
“This is why we come to the Big Ten,” junior libero Bayli Lebo said. “To get that experience and to play among the best teams.”
