The IU volleyball team avenged its Oct. 18 five-set loss to Wisconsin in University Gym with a five-set victory in Madison Friday.
The Hoosiers (16-17, 5-14) accumulated seven service aces and 31 block assists to beat the Badgers (11-17, 6-13) by scores of 22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 23-25 and 15-12.
Freshman outside hitter Jordan Haverly led IU's offensive attack with 22 kills, and junior middle blocker added 18 while hitting at a team-best .368 clip.
Benson also had three of the team's seven service aces, with freshman defensive specialist Laura Matula adding two and Haverly and sophomore libero Caitlin Cox recording one each.
The Hoosiers also produced heavily at the net. Benson had 10 total blocks, one solo, and senior outside hitter Kelsey Hall and junior middle blocker Samantha Thrower added eight and six block assists, respectively.
Wisconsin won the first three points of the opening set, but IU got going and kept it a back-and-forth affair until 22-22, when freshman setter Whitney Granado committed a ball handling error and the Badgers blocked two consecutive hits to win the frame by three.
Up 15-14 in the second set, the Hoosiers capitalized on two Haverly kills and Wisconsin errors to open a 24-18 advantage. The Badgers rallied to within three before Benson put away the final point to even the match at one set apiece.
IU dominated the third frame after an early battle. Up 7-6, the Hoosiers went on a seven-point tear, capped by Benson's three consecutive aces. Wisconsin never recovered and IU took a 2-1 advantage in the match.
The Hoosiers controlled the fourth set early, opening a 12-6 advantage on two Hall kills and Haverly's ace. However, the Badgers slowly chipped at the lead, and a Haverly error tied the frame at 17-17.
The teams exchanged points until 23-23, after which Wisconsin's Kelsey Maloney and Janelle Gabrielsen blocked a hit and Brittney Dolger put away a kill to force the decisive fifth set.
Facing a 12-10 deficit in the final frame, IU set out to prove it had learned from all its five-set heartbreakers.
Haverly put away kill, and Wisconsin's Caity DuPont committed an error to tie the score and prompt a Badger timeout. Thrower and sophomore setter Mary Chaudoin blocked a hit, and Wisconsin called another timeout. Thrower then registered her final kill, and DuPont committed an error to seal the victory for IU.
The Hoosiers return to action at 8 p.m. Saturday against Iowa in Iowa City.
