Let's take a quick look at Friday's match between the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers and the IU women's volleyball team.
What Happened:
The No. 2 Cornhuskers came to Bloomington and showed the Hoosiers why they are the second ranked team in the nation, sweeping the Crimson in Cream (25-19, 25-19, 25-20).
How it Happened:
The Hoosiers fell behind midway through the first set and could never quite catch the Cornhuskers.
Junior Kelci Marschall started the match on fire with 6 kills in the first set, but the Cornhuskers answered every attempt IU had to even the game.
After dropping the first set, the Hoosiers seemed focused on evening the match, but a strong 8-4 start to the set was matched by a 10-2 Nebraska run that eventually put the Hoosiers away.
While it was not the result IU was looking for, the Hoosiers showed a lot of heart and fight in the second set and almost worked their way back into the set.
Down two sets to none, the Hoosiers still would not give up easy. IU tied the score at 13-13, the two teams exchanged points back-and-forth till the Hoosiers were down 21-20, but once again the team could not get over the hump and lost the next four points and the match.
Nebraska was led in kills by Morgan Broekhuls and Gina Mancuso, who recorded 11 and 12 kills, respectively. The duo demoralized the Crimson and Cream all night with an effective attack as the Cornhuskers hit .321 percent as a team on the night.
Marschall led all players with 16 kills--the third straight match Marschall has posted 15+ kills.
What it Means:
With the loss, the Hoosiers losing streak has been extended to 17 games and the team remains winless in Big Ten play.
Coming into the match, not many would have thought the Hoosiers were going to beat the high-powered Cornhuskers--and they were right--but the fight that the team displayed was a positive sign.
After a few off games, Kelci Marschall has stepped up her play and has benefitted from switching sides with Kristen Seaton.
With senior night tomorrow, the Hoosiers tip their caps and shrug off this loss to a superior team.
What's Next for the Hoosiers:
Saturday night is senior night at University Gym as the Hoosiers welcome in the Iowa Hawkeyes for the second to last home game of the year. The Hoosiers lost their first meeting with the Hawkeyes in Iowa City in 5 sets.
Four seniors (Mary Chaudoin, Caitlin Cox, Lindsay Enterline and Kristen Seaton) will be honored in the ceremonies.
Stat of the Night:
Although the Hoosiers dropped the final set, it was a complete team effort to keep it close with the Cornhuskers. Seven different Hoosiers recorded kills in the final set (Caitlin Cox, Jade Henderson, Whitney Granado, Morgan Leach, Kelci Marschall, Ivie Obeime and Samantha Thrower).
