Let's take a quick look at Saturday's Big Ten women's volleyball match-up between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Ind..
The Wisconsin Badgers came into University Gym in Bloomington, Ind. and beat the Hoosiers three sets to one. The loss extended the Hoosiers losing streak to 12-games--as the Hoosiers are still the only team in the Big Ten without a conference win.
How it Happened:
After winning a back-and-forth first set that saw twelve lead changes, the Badgers responded to the Hoosiers energy and rode a 16-6 run to a second set victory.
Led by Alexis Mitchell and Ellen Chapman, who both had 14 kills on the night, Wisconsin ended up being too much for the Hoosiers to handle in the third and fourth sets.
After being tied 7-7 in the third set, the Badgers went on another extended run--this time it was a 14-7 run that buried the Hoosiers.
With the game on-the-line in the fourth set, a sluggish start by the Hoosiers put them down 6-3 early and the Badgers never looked back--leading the entire set--to take the match three sets to one.
The Hoosiers were led by junior Ivie Obeime's 16 kills, including a nine kill first set, and received contributions from Kristen Seaton, Morgan Leach and Kelci Marschall with seven kills each. Senior libero Caitlin Cox added 5 aces and 12 digs.
What it Means:
With the Hoosiers still in search of their first Big Ten victory on the season (0-10), a wasted opportunity at home against an average Wisconsin team hurts. After winning the first set with the type of energetic play that coach Dunbar preaches, the Hoosiers fell back into that lack-of-energy lull that has haunted the team all season.
While the team got a big boost from Kristen Seaton (7 kills) in her first start of the season, key performers Kelci Marschall and Samantha Thrower struggled mightily with -.121 and .000 hitting percentages on the night, respectively. The off-night for Marschall comes one game after the junior recorded a double-double against rival Purdue with 14 kills and 10 digs.
For the Hoosiers to make the next step into the victory column, their key performers will need to perform consistently, while younger players begin to step up.
What's Next for the Hoosiers?:
The Hoosiers have to deal with another quick-turnaround as they travel to East Lansing, Mi. Wednesday to play the Michigan State Spartans. Earlier this year, the Hoosiers lost to the Spartans three sets to one in Bloomington.
Stat of the Night:
Despite losing the match, the Hoosiers' serve dominated. Overall, the Hoosiers had nine aces, including four in the first set, compared to none for the Badgers.
Senior libero Caitlin Cox led the Hoosiers with five aces on the night--including her 100th career ace in the first set. Her first ace of the night made her the 15th Hoosier all-time to record 100+ aces.
