The IU volleyball team earned its first top-25 ranking of the year in the season's last American Volleyball Coaches' Association poll.
The No. 23 Hoosiers finished the season at 23-12 and 9-11 in the Big Ten. The 23 wins is the most for IU since 1979.
The 2o10 season included wins against three teams in the final ranking's top 10 (eventual national champion Penn State, No. 9 Illinois and No. 10 Minnesota) and two others ranked in the top 25 (No. 19 Ohio State and No. 24 Tennessee).
IU's record run led to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, in which the team fell to No. 3 Southern California in three sets.
Six Big Ten teams finished in the top 25.
Senior middle blocker Ashley Benson ended her IU career by earning first team All-America honors.
Here is the AVCA press release on Benson:
Ashley Benson, a 6-3 middle blocker for Indiana University, is a senior from Bloomington, Ind. The three-time All-Big Ten selection is ranked among the top in the nation for both hitting efficiency and blocks per set and is among the top of the Big Ten in hitting efficiency, blocks, points and kills per set. After helping guide the Hoosiers to their first Sweet 16 appearance in the program's history, Benson now takes home her second AVCA All-America accolade.
As one of the top 14 players in the country, Benson might have a good opportunity to play at the next level in an indoor league in a different country.
