As Indiana volleyball sat 2 points behind Wisconsin in the first set, it was looking to put together a run. A kill from senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles put the score at 7-5, presenting the opportunity for the Hoosiers to take advantage at the service line.
However, as Alonso-Corcelles stepped to the service line, tossed the ball into the air and swung, it not only went over the net, but beyond the area of play. The service error granted the Badgers a point and service opportunity, which they took advantage of on the following play with a kill.
Indiana responded to Wisconsin’s kill with one of its own from freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager. And with an opportunity to once again put together a run, the Hoosiers instead recorded another service error, this time from freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson.
The pattern was apparent throughout the entirety of the Hoosiers’ 3-0 loss to the Badgers on Sunday afternoon in Madison, Wisconsin. It was Wisconsin’s 19th-straight victory over Indiana, with the Hoosiers’ last win coming in 2012 in Madison. Nearly any time Indiana had the chance to string together points, an error extinguished the opportunity.
It was a trend established in the first set, which Indiana lost 25-13. The Hoosiers recorded 11 total errors, which gave way to a .154 hitting percentage. It was a stark contrast to Wisconsin’s one total error in the set and hitting percentage of .500.
In the second set, the Hoosiers once again could not find any offensive rhythm and continued to record error after error. Indiana — which ranked third in the Big Ten in hitting percentage with a mark of .290 — had an attack rate of – 0.026 with 10 errors compared to just nine kills.
The Badgers continued their relentless attack and won the second set in the same dominant fashion as the first with a score of 25-14.
Following the break after the second set, Indiana came onto the floor looking more energized. It kept the deficit close until a 5-1 run gave the Badgers a 14-9 lead. While Indiana found some efficiency with its attack, it could not erase the lead Wisconsin created and ultimately lost the set 25-20.
The contest against the Badgers wasn’t the first time this season Indiana has suffered from small errors, but it was one of the most significant. A similar trend appeared in the Hoosiers’ first contest of the season against Northwestern on Sept. 24, which Indiana ultimately won in four sets.
Sunday’s contest presented a different challenge for Indiana. Ahead of the match, the Hoosiers and the Badgers sat tied in third place in the conference standings, each with a 10-3 conference record.
But Wisconsin had more experience — and success — against ranked opponents. Ahead of the match, the Badgers were 5-4 against opponents ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll. They were even coming off a win over then-No. 22 Minnesota, which the Hoosiers lost to Oct. 24.
The Hoosiers were 3-2 in ranked contests leading into the match, with wins over then-No. 17 USC, then-No. 24 UCLA and then-No. 19 Penn State. And their lack of experience compared to Wisconsin showed.
Indiana has a three-match break between Sunday’s contest and its next ranked opponent — No. 1 Nebraska on Nov. 22 at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington. The three matches against Oregon, Maryland and Rutgers, which all rank in the bottom half of the Big Ten, will give Indiana a chance to reset before hosting the last-remaining undefeated team in NCAA Division I volleyball.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
