Volleyball preps for big matches

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A dash of excitement, a bit of confidence and a ton of motivation are what IU coach Sherry Dunbar said will be necessary for the IU volleyball team to earn wins this weekend.The Hoosiers will take on the Wisconsin Badgers at home Friday and the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday during Senior Night. Both games are at 7 p.m.Earlier this season, the Hoosiers defeated both teams on the road, and now they have the chance to play on their home court with their fans cheering them on. Dunbar said it will give them the bit of confidence they need to pull through another win.“Playing at home gives them confidence,” Dunbar said, “but we’re trying to make them understand how tough these matches are going to be. They’re not going to lay down and let us beat them again.”Dunbar said the team had two tough practices this week, which helped them focus on fighting for every point. Three teams are now tied for a game behind sixth place, including the Hoosiers. This weekend can make or break their dreams of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in December.“It’s basically a four-team mini-tournament,” senior captain Erica Short said. “And if we can go out and play our game, we can definitely make it. We have to take it one match at a time in order to do it.”Qualifying for the NCAA tournament would be a bittersweet moment for Short, who is now a senior and will no longer be able to play collegiate volleyball after this season. Short said this opportunity could help build the volleyball program that started toward the bottom and is now moving to the top.“If we go (to the NCAA), it’s going to be great for us,” freshman defensive specialist Caitlin Cox said. “It’ll start a tradition here. If we don’t, we’ll learn that we can’t lose against certain teams or come out flat on the road in the Big Ten, not that we’re a young team is an excuse, but it’s a learning experience.”Dunbar said the Hoosiers learned a needed lesson from last weekend, after losses to Purdue and Illinois.The losses might have looked like deja vu from the match against Purdue earlier in the season, as the Hoosiers lost in five sets against the Boilermakers 21-25, 25-13, 19-25, 25-22, and 12-15. It was a monumental evening for Short, however, who became the University’s all-time leader in career kills, recording more than 1,808. It was a tough loss for the Hoosiers, but the team members said they walked off the court happy with their performance and proud of what they had accomplished.“We played together, and a lot of things were really going our way,” Cox said. “We controlled most of the match, but at the end, the last set is when we really started to lose control.”After reflecting on the Illinois match, the team is working to cut down on unforced errors, which resulted in an upsetting loss in which the Hoosiers fell 19-25 in three sets. They recorded 10 service errors alone, which Dunbar said was unacceptable for Big Ten volleyball.“Everyone was on a different page,” said junior outside Kelsey Hall. “It’s a learning experience. You can’t be perfect, and I think we’re going to take what we did at Illinois and use it against Wisconsin and Northwestern as motivation.”With only four matches left, reality has set in, and the team said it is ready to finish strong.“We need to understand that even though we’ve beaten both of these teams, Wisconsin is playing better than what they were before, and we were the better team that night,” Cox said. “Everything needs to click, and we have to play our game, not theirs.”

2 ranked teams on tap as volleyball looks to get back on track in conference play

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team is putting last weekend behind it to try to take two steps forward against in-state rival Purdue on Friday, and Illinois on Saturday.The Hoosiers will head north to West Lafayette, where they hope to defeat the rival Boilermakers. The Hoosiers lost at home earlier this season against No. 18 Purdue, but they are excited for another chance to add a win to the record.“I think we’re really excited, and more than anything we want to win there,” said sophomore outside hitter Taylor Wittmer. “We’re motivated to come out and get a win. You want to kill your rival. We know that we worked so hard and that all of our hard work can pay off, and we need to dominate.”The Hoosiers are expecting an energetic and lively audience in West Lafayette and have prepared themselves all this week for the intense environment. Senior middle blocker Erica Short said the team practiced with Purdue’s fight song playing to prepare them for the loud fans and crowded stands.Last weekend was a disappointment when the Hoosiers were defeated by Michigan State after maintaining momentum built from a four-game win streak, a team Wittmer said the Hoosiers knew they were better than.Senior captain and defensive specialist Juli Pierce added the Hoosiers lost focus after stringing together some impressive results.“We didn’t have the fight that we had in the past few matches, and I think that it’s rare for us,” Pierce said. “We’ve been fighting so long lately, and we got so unfocused and couldn’t get anything started.”The players said they had no excuse for their loss to the Spartans after playing hard two weeks ago at No. 1 Penn State.“We didn’t play together, and we couldn’t get it all together for consecutive points,” Wittmer said. “We expected more out of ourselves.”The Hoosiers stand 6-8 in the Big Ten, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel – one that could lead to the NCAA Tournament. “I really don’t consider wins and losses,” Short said. “I take it one game at a time. In the back of my head, I know that we have to win at least nine games to get to the tournament, so I take one match at a time.”The Hoosiers have played Purdue once before and knows exactly what they’re up against. They fought hard the first time to force the match into five sets, and they plan to do the same this time, with one difference: They want to win.“I’m confident now that we’re playing Purdue,” Pierce said. “(Last time) we lost in five (sets), and it really could’ve gone either way, and this time it’s going to go our way.”

Volleyball team eyes Iowa, No.13 Minnesota

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Perhaps revenge is what it does best. The IU volleyball team scored two upsets against Iowa and No. 13 Minnesota, after losing to them both earlier this season. IU’s success now puts it 6-6 in the Big Ten and 14-10 overall.  Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Benson said she thought playing at home and having the support from fans helped the Hoosiers find the energy and readiness to play.The first match against Iowa was a thrilling victory, with IU overtaking the Hawkeyes 3-2 after an initial two-set deficit. Benson was, for the second straight time, awarded Big Ten Player of the Week this week and showed her leadership abilities in the Iowa match. She reached a career-high 25 kills and recorded a .477 hitting percentage for the match. Benson said she felt humbled to receive the honor, but she said she is ready to compete like she has been for weeks.“I feel excited to try to outdo what I’ve already done and to help the team continue to succeed,” Benson said.After last Friday’s victory, the team had little time to enjoy it and had to quickly recover for Saturday’s match against Minnesota. The back-and-forth affair ended in five sets, after which the Hoosiers exuded confidence to finish strong.“We all knew that we could beat them,” Short said, “and coach (Sherry Dunbar) said in the fourth game huddle when were down that we needed to change. Everyone realized we could do it. Everyone changed what needed to be changed. We got the fifth set and dominated.”Wednesday marks an important day as well for the Hoosiers, who will go up against No. 1 Penn State at 7 p.m. in the University Gym. They have previously lost to Penn State in three sets this season, but they are not afraid of the No. 1 team in the nation. Short doesn’t put Penn State on a higher pedestal than the rest of the Big Ten teams.“I think as a team we’re ready to go out there and play,” Short said. “We have nothing to lose. They’re a great team and haven’t lost a set this year. It’s going to be a great chance for us to work on some things and have fun.”For sophomore middle blocker Lexie Woodson, playing a top team is exciting.“Watching them on TV and playing against them is a different experience,” Woodson said. “My mom was even saying to play the No. 1 team in the country is an awesome experience. If we keep doing what we’ve been, maybe we can pull a set or a win off of them. No team has done that yet. “Benson exuded quiet confidence when asked about the Hoosiers’ strategy against the Nittany Lions. “All we really need to do is hit high off their hands and just go down swinging hard,” Benson said. “If we all keep fighting, we can do it.”

Big victories carry volleyball into weekend

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers are working their way up the Big Ten ladder, pulling out two more wins last weekend against Northwestern and Wisconsin and are now standing at 4-6 in conference. “I think the majority of them tried to focus on playing one point at a time,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said. “They focused on forgetting about the last mistake and playing in the moment, and that allowed them to play more relaxed in that sense.”This weekend the Hoosiers are looking for revenge as they host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday and Minnesota on Saturday at 7 p.m., respectively, in the University Gym.Iowa and Minnesota have both beat the Hoosiers already this season.“We have film on them from before, and stat reports,” sophomore middle Ashley Benson said. “We adjust to what they did when they played us before, and we know that they tip a lot, so all we need to do is adjust to that.”The team has the confidence and skills to continue its aggressive play and teamwork they significantly improved on last weekend.“I think we’re a better team than we were playing them away,” Dunbar said. “We’ve already seen them once, so we know what we didn’t do the first time. We’re definitely fixing them at practice. We’re picking up a lot of things from that match, and they’re motivated to win.”The Hoosiers began last weekend on a strong foot, winning in five sets against the Wildcats 23-25, 25-23, 27-29, 25-18 and 15-10. This crazy back-and-forth match proved to be an accomplishment, out-killing the Wildcats 72 to 59 and out-digging them 74 to 65.The team’s success was guided by Benson, who not only scored a career-high of 23 kills and nine blocks, but was also awarded Big Ten Player of the Week and National Player of the Week. “She’s a huge reason why we were successful,” Dunbar said, “and I’m looking for her to do that on a consistent basis. I want her to do that over 10 matches, not just two. I want her to come out with that mentality that she can and needs to do that every time.”Sophomore defensive specialist Hayley Koetter and freshman setter Mary Chaudoin also contributed, tallying a combined 63 assists. “We talked about focusing on each point and not worrying about the score or worrying about the process of it, and we knew the outcome would happen,” Chaudoin said. “It was so much fun, and we really came together as a team and played in the moment.”After a day of rest, the Hoosiers came prepared to take on then-No. 25 Wisconsin, defeating them in four sets 22-25, 25-21, 25-23 and 25-20. Senior captain Erica Short said last weekend showed the true character of the Hoosiers.“I think we all know now that we are a great team and we should be winning,” Short said. “Who cares? It’s just Wisconsin. It’s just their name. We give too much credit to teams just because of their name. It really doesn’t mean much.”The Hoosiers ran with that idea by limiting the Badger offense to a measly .146 hitting percentage by putting up strong blocks and swings by Benson and freshman middle Lexie Woodson, who performed at a .429 hitting level percentage. The Hoosiers beat Wisconsin on the road for the first time since 1995, which was also the first against the Badgers in general since 2002.

Heading north: IU takes on ’Cats and Badgers

Newly refocused team to ‘fight for now’ after rough start

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The women’s volleyball team took a step backward last weekend on the road against Minnesota and Iowa, putting them 1-5 in the Big Ten with only 14 matches left. “We just didn’t show up,” said senior captain Erica Short. “We didn’t enter the building. I don’t know who played last weekend. It wasn’t an IU program at all.” The Hoosiers’ main focus right now is Ohio State. IU will take on the Buckeyes at 7 p.m. Friday as part of Hoosier Hysteria.Short said she is confident the Hoosiers can continue to carry a strong program.“We have to make sure that each player is playing their best, and we’re not just staying in our comfort zones,” said sophomore middle Ashley Benson. The Hoosiers will also take on Michigan at 7 p.m. Saturday.Senior captain Juli Pierce said the Hoosiers expect to see an aggressive and scrappy Wolverines team. Pierce said communication and teamwork skills are going to be crucial if the Hoosiers want two Big Ten wins.  “We really need to come together and play as a team, worry about each other, do things for each other, play for each other,” Pierce said. Benson said a lack of communication and teamwork led to the team’s breakdown after losing 3-2 to Iowa  last Saturday.   “Right after the Iowa game, confidence was very, very, very low,” Benson said. “I thought, ‘maybe it’s just not our year to go to the NCAA.’” After last weekend, the Hoosiers have adjusted their team motto. Short said their past “Fight For 12” slogan has been replaced with “Fight For Now.”

IU set for road tests at Iowa, Minnesota

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the Big Ten season well under way, the IU volleyball team is prepared to take on Minnesota and Iowa on the road this weekend. The Hoosiers’ win against Michigan State last weekend gave the team the confidence boost necessary to help them against Minnesota on Friday and Iowa on Saturday.Junior outside hitter Kelsey Hall put on a spectacular performance last weekend, throwing herself into the crowd for balls and contributing a great deal to the success of the team’s defense. Hall thought the win was a big boost now that the team beat a squad that was previously undefeated in conference, and she’s hoping that they can notch two more wins this weekend.Sophomore defensive specialist Hayley Koetter also showed her skills on the court, racking up a total of 26 assists, the highest number of assists scored by any Hoosier that night. Freshman setter Mary Chaudoin added 18 as well, playing a crucial role in the success of the team’s offense.The team won the match 3-1, losing the second set 23-25. Sophomore outside hitter Taylor Wittmer said she thought they went into the second set too confident, which ended up hurting them, but the Hoosiers quickly regained their confidence and pulled through two more set wins.The team had another strong week of practice, tweaking their offense and defense to cater to the styles of Minnesota and Iowa.“We’ve been running inside and outside attacks,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said. “They’re a great defensive team, so we’re focusing on having to fight for every point, and we have to keep staying aggressive and thinking about playing in a different environment that’s different from being at home. “When you’re on the floor, you have to stay within the team and stay in the moment.”Each player has a special responsibility this weekend that goes beyond what their normal position requires of them. Freshman middle blocker Lexie Woodson said she has been told this week to focus on certain strategies, especially against Iowa. “I have to watch the setter’s hand, because I can get psyched out sometimes, and I’m trying to stay with the middle,” Woodson said. “I need to stay off the net, keep watching the pass and keep pressing over the net a lot.”The team has also been concentrating on their film, looking at their hitters and blocking schemes, Hall said.If there is one word to describe what the team feels about playing Big Ten teams, it would be “exciting.”  “Knowing every night that you’re playing a top-10 team match is really exciting, “ Hall said. “Every match that we look at is taking us one step closer to our goal. Beating them is one step closer to our goal, and overall we want to win, and I think we can with everyone being so excited and energized.”On the other hand, being a part of the Big Ten conference can also be a challenge, and players recognize that there are major differences between the start of their season and their Big Ten season.“It’s very challenging, because when we started, it was just another match,” Woodson said. “Now that we’re Big Ten, it’s a bigger, faster match.” Woodson said she remembers watching Penn State as a senior in high school and being wowed by their skills. She said she feels like she can have that same effect if she puts her whole heart and mind into the game.As a coach, Dunbar also said she notices that the intensity during practice has perhaps changed from just being focused to being Big Ten-focused.“It’s definitely a different focus, so I think now that we’re in the Big Ten play, we can see the competition,” Dunbar said. “We played a lot of ranked teams already. We know where we stand. “I think we’ve gotten closer and closer every match and then beat Michigan State, so I think we’re getting closer to seeing what our potential is.”

Pair of ranked rivals invade University Gym as IU opens conference schedule

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s Big Ten time, and the volleyball team is welcoming its competition with open arms.This weekend marks the beginning of the Big Ten Conference matches against big-time rivals Illinois and Purdue on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Individual Hoosiers have made several accomplishments as they prepare for the challenge headed their way.Senior captain Juli Pierce’s accomplishment has been the most notable. Pierce became IU’s all-time digs leader last weekend, recording 1,332 career digs, which helped the Hoosiers sweep Ball State last Friday. “I think it’s very exciting,” she said, “but obviously it could’ve never been accomplished without my teammates and coaches helping me every step of the way.” The Big Ten Conference is the toughest volleyball conference in the nation, with teams like No. 1 Penn State, but beyond the Nittany Lions, the conference features No. 12 Minnesota, No. 19 Purdue and No. 20 Illinois. Now that the team will be stepping into Big Ten gyms, practices seem to have a different aura. Coaches are a little more intense, players are working a little harder, and everyone is more attentive. “It’s a whole new focus on the court and at practice,” said freshman setter Mary Chaudoin. “This is for real now, and this is what we’ve been practicing for. Now it’s time to execute what we’ve been practicing.”IU coach Sherry Dunbar is ready to embark on the journey the Big Ten offers.“I think the pre-season games prepared us, and we’ve really learned about scouting and have done a lot of film work of (Illinois),” Dunbar said. “They’ve also done scouting reports on their own and kind of mimicked U of I at practice. They’re mentally and physically ready.”The team is proud and honored to be a member of such a competitive conference.“I feel great being a part of Big Ten volleyball and a Big Ten school,” sophomore Ashley Benson said. “I think it’s the best thing. In volleyball, it’s the toughest conference, and I think all the teams bring their “A” game each game. I like it a lot.”The Hoosiers square off against Illinois at 7 p.m. Friday and then take on Purdue at 7 p.m. Saturday. Both games will be played at the University Gym.“I expect it to be really intense, loud and a lot of balls bouncing hard,” Chaudoin said. “I expect to see top-level volleyball and, of course, to win.”

Volleyball set to host TIS Bookstore Invitational

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With three matches on tap this weekend for the IU volleyball team, there is still one main goal in mind: Make it to the NCAA Tournament. The team goal is to “fight for 12,” meaning the month of December when the tournament begins.“We’re trying to win most of our conference games to qualify ourselves for the tournament,” said freshman setter Mary Chaudoin. IU coach Sherry Dunbar echoed that sentiment, saying she hopes her team can use the tough Big Ten season to ready itself for postseason play. “We’re looking to improve before the Big Ten,” Dunbar said. “We open with the (top three) teams in the Big Ten, and we’re hoping to go 3-0.”Last weekend, the team fought hard against Kentucky but couldn’t pull through. Although they started with complete confidence and focus through the first seven points, they seemed to slide early in the game.Still, players’ focus didn’t waver in their rivalry game.“Kentucky and IU have always had a big rivalry, “ said sophomore middle blocker Ashley Benson. “Growing up, my dad always told me that you always want to beat Kentucky.”Throughout the season, Dunbar gives the team several goals before matches to keep the motivation and morale high – against Kentucky, they were to win the first set and fight hard throughout. Unfortunately, goal No. 1 couldn’t be accomplished as the Hoosiers dropped their first set on the way to a 3-1 defeat. The Benson-Chaudoin duo shined through against Kentucky,  however, with Benson swinging a .500 average with 21 kills and Chaudoin notching 28 assists.“It’s awesome as a setter to have (Benson), because if the set is not in the right place, she’ll still find a way to make a kill out of it,” Chaudoin said.  Injury was added to insult after the loss against Kentucky, when freshman defensive specialist Caitlin Cox was dealt a concussion in Monday’s practice, and junior outside hitter Kelsey Hall is still battling an ankle sprain from two weeks ago.  “I played in the Kentucky match, because it’s progressed really well,” Hall said. “I’m trying to get better by the Big Ten (season), so I’m limited at practice, and I’ll go to the side and practice with the trainer.” Hall hasn’t been able to hit for the past two weeks but said the ankle injury won’t slow her down.   IU was the dominant team against both Albany and Eastern Kentucky, shutting both opponents down and giving the team a confidence boost for its upcoming matches.This weekend, the Hoosiers host the TIS Bookstore Invitational. They start at 12:20 p.m. Friday against George Mason, in-state foe Ball State at 7:30 p.m. the same day and Cincinnati at 3 p.m. Saturday.Friday’s matches will be held at the University Gym, and Saturday’s matches will be held at Assembly Hall.Several of the team members as well as the staff are looking forward to the match against Ball State. IU assistant coach Keith Schunzel and Dunbar both played for Ball State, while Cox’s brother played basketball and golf for the Cardinals, and her father was an athletic trainer.“The Ball State game I’m really looking forward to,” Benson said. “I have a lot of friends that go there, and hopefully it’s going to be a building weekend where everyone gets better and fulfills everything we need to fulfill.”

No boys allowed

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The “no boys allowed” rule might apply to most women’s sports at IU, but not to the volleyball team.Sophomore Ryan Sullivan and junior Nate Jones have been practicing with the team since day one this season.“We met coach (Sherry Dunbar) last year,” Jones said. “I helped coach a Hoosierland team here at IU, and I met (IU assistant coach) Keith Schunzel one day, and, through a reference, they asked me to help out.”Both Sullivan and Jones play at the club level at IU and are more than willing to come to practice every day to help the women’s team.In fact, it’s something they both really enjoy.“It was awkward at first,” Sullivan said, “but they’re so outgoing. Practice is a total blast, and we get along with them great. We can be a big help to them, and it definitely helps us out a lot, too.”Both men help the players with their defensive skills in hitting and blocking, and the players said that, so far, they have benefited from the help. They said both Jones and Sullivan bring not only intensity and competition to the practice court, but they’ve also become a great part of the program and are a pleasure to work with.“Let’s just say we won’t get the ball hit to us any harder than how they hit it,” said freshman outside hitter Danielle LaGrange.Her coach said she agrees.“They make such a huge difference for us,” Dunbar said. “They give us more competitiveness, and they have no ego. They love doing it, and they give us a bigger block and bigger hits in practice than the girls could get from anyone else.”Sullivan began playing competitive volleyball as a sixth grader and then at the club level in seventh grade for Sky High Volleyball Club in the Chicagoland area. His coaches noticed his strong talent and asked him to play at the varsity level, which he did all throughout high school as an outside hitter and then as a setter. He later played for the Adversity Volleyball Club, also located in the Chicagoland area. Jones, on the other hand, has only recently involved himself with the sport. He gained experience playing beach volleyball for the past four years and was given the opportunity to intern with the EVP Tour, which is just one level below the AVP Tour, the Association of Volleyball Professionals.Jones ran the tour in Chicago and said he had the opportunity to meet talented and passionate people while doing something he loves. Before Jones had the opportunity to coach the women’s volleyball team, he gained experience as an assistant coach for Hoosierland’s 18-year-old team. Both Sullivan and Jones help run drills at practice and give 100 percent through each play, each swing and each block. “If I see something I know how to do, I’ll give my advice and they accept our criticism,” Sullivan said. “It’s a peer-to-peer kind of thing.”The guys come to every practice on top of their own club practices and class schedules, and it can be draining.“I skip a lot of meals because I have 8 a.m. classes until 12 p.m. one day, and 11 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. on another day,” Jones said. “Tuesdays and Thursdays are really rough.”Their club team also practices from 8 to 11 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday nights, making their days jam-packed and with little time to do much extra. If they are not in class taking notes, they are on the court improving the team’s game as well as their own.But for these two, the time commitment is worth it to see this team succeed, and they plan to do what is needed to make this happen.“We’re doing this because it helps us so much, but more because it’s going to help this team a lot,” Jones said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”With a few weeks of practice under their belts, Jones and Sullivan spend time with the team off the court and have become a large part of the squad.“A bunch of the girls and I live close so we hang out a lot,” Sullivan said. “Now, they make fun of my jump serve all the time and really put the pressure on.”

Hoosiers look to build on success

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team is using last weekend’s three-game sweep at the adidas Classic to carry momentum into the University of Kentucky Invitational in Lexington, Ky. Its 3-0 record and impressive showings from several players has had a tremendous impact on the players’ mental game, said senior co-captain Erica Short.“I feel like the win from last week will give us confidence for this week,” said Short, who took tournament MVP honors last weekend and is ready for the University of Kentucky Invitational this weekend. “These are great teams we’re going to play, but it was a great confidence booster.”  IU coach Sherry Dunbar said she hopes to use those three wins as a reference point during the season’s down times.  Several of the players have learned some important lessons from the adidas Classic and plan to apply them to this weekend’s matches. “The fight is what I’ll take with me next weekend, especially against Louisville,” said sophomore middle blocker Ashley Benson. “Yea, we were up and then we were down, but in that fifth game we had to fight to win.”The team has been working hard this week to add three more wins to the board. “This week started off pretty rough; we didn’t come in ready to practice,” Benson said. “We all had our minds on the weekend still. We came in and didn’t do very well the first day, but we all talked about it, came back, and we had three great practices in a row and have really been preparing for this weekend.” The team travels next to Kentucky to participate in the University of Kentucky Invitational. The Hoosiers face Kentucky at 7 p.m. Friday, with 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. matches against Albany and Eastern Kentucky, respectively, on tap for Saturday. “Kentucky has a lot of experienced players, good ball control, and a very balanced talent system,” Dunbar said.The team has been reviewing film and preparing themselves for what is to come.“Their setters dump a lot more than ours do,” Short said. “That’s what we worked on: picking up the setter dump and making sure we’re hitting open shots.”

Volleyball set to host adidas Classic

____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With its first tournament behind them, the IU volleyball team is ready for some new competition closer to home – Assembly Hall, to be precise. The Hoosiers will host Louisville, Wake Forest and Valparaiso in the adidas Classic at Assembly Hall from Friday until Sunday, a short move from their usual home at the University Gym.Last Friday, the team ended their 15-year win streak in season openers when they fell to No. 24 Long Beach State 3-0. Although sophomore middle blocker Ashley Benson and senior captain Juli Pierce showed great defensive skills in the match, it wasn’t enough to give them a game victory.Both Benson and Pierce shined, recording seven blocks and 18 digs apiece. The match against Missouri State was another tough loss, with only one game win for the Hoosiers in a 3-1 defeat. IU tallied a .307 hitting percentage and added 71 kills to the board, but the Hoosiers couldn’t find them at crucicial times, leading to the defeat.Those setbacks aside, the team goal remains to qualify for the NCAA Tournament this summer, which will require much focus and determination from this young team, said several players. “That’s what is on our minds every single day, to make it to the tournament,” Pierce said. “To do that, we have to be prepared for every match and fight during every practice.”Learning from their two season-opening losses, the Hoosiers have hit the practice court hard this week, working out the kinks that hurt them last weekend. “We’ve been working a lot on serve and serve-receive,” said senior captain Erica Short. “We do 45 minutes of serve-receive and 25 serves with an elastic band.” Serve-receive is a drill which features one person serving to the six teammates on the other side of the court, like a mock game. The drill helps improve players’ reaction time to serves, as well as their accuracy in passing. Serve-receiving skills are crucial to in-game action, and players’ success in the drill can foreshadow a team’s performance. The game itself has changed slightly since last year, going from 30-point games to 25-point games. The team recognizes the difference this rule change will make.“We’re learning from the Long Beach game to reduce unforced errors and to start strong,” said IU coach Sherry Dunbar. “All the matches we’re playing are very tough competition. Nothing is going to come easy for them, so we’re concentrating on fighting through every drill and getting them to compete harder and fight harder.”Dunbar has high hopes for this young team. “Having such a young team adds a lot of personality and a lot of talent to our program,” Dunbar said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a senior or a freshman, if you go out and play hard, that’s all that we’re looking for.”  The team has nine freshman and sophomore players, all of whom their coach thinks can contribute to the program.“They’re doing fine at this level of volleyball, and that’s what it is all about,” Dunbar said.The round robin-style adidas Classic will begin for the Hoosiers at 12:30 p.m. Friday against Valparaiso, with a 7:30 p.m. date with Wake Forest that same day. Play will conclude for the host team at 3 p.m. Saturday, when they take on Louisville.Dunbar said each team has something different to bring to the tournament. “Valpo is a good major team who knows how to win with good defense and long rallies,” Dunbar said. “Louisville is ranked No. 1 in blocking, so they are really a big physical team."The different varieties and styles of play that each team has to offer will not only add excitement to the match, but will also be beneficial to our players and our program.”

Heavy rains draw mixed opinions on storm management

Early last week, IU students saw heavy rain for 36 straight hours, a situation that caused problems for Bloomington residents.\n“I stepped into a grassy area, and my entire foot sank into the mud,” said sophomore Meagan Mabrey. “I was soaked.” \nThe onslaught of precipitation brought about differing opinions about Bloomington’s preparedness for heavy rain situations.\nSeveral students said the IU campus has problem areas when it comes to rain and drainage. \n“The grassy part over at Tulip Tree (Apartments) got really bad,” freshman William Gu said. “My friend couldn’t get across the street to the bus stop.”\nHowever, John Hooker, director of Monroe County Emergency Management, said the campus has no major problem areas. \n“Monroe County doesn’t really flood that much because we only have one river that touches the northwest part of the county,” Hooker said. “If it overflows, it just goes into the farm fields.”\nSome students said they agree with Hooker.\n“I live in Eigenmann, and I never have issues,” freshman Emilee Mabrey said. “I feel like I’m always walking uphill, and I’m thinking that it’s for the drainage.” \nTo be sure that IU students can get around campus without rain delays, the Monroe County Emergency Management team works hand in hand with the IU Risk Management team and listens to conference calls from surrounding cities to be sure the necessary precautions are taken to prevent any major flooding or damage, Hooker said. Its mission is to create and maintain an emergency management program that helps prepare, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters impacting the public, government and business es of Monroe County, according to the team’s Web site.\nThe Monroe County Emergency Management team will hold a storm class on Friday at Bloomington Hospital, which will help educate the community about precautions to take and safety tips to follow during severe weather.

IU figure skaters qualify for nationals for 1st time ever

The IU Club Figure Skating Team is the first figure skating team in school history to qualify for nationals.\nThe women have been practicing the entire season for the event, which takes place Feb. 20-24 in Providence, R.I.\nTo prepare, the team has been practicing on the ice twice a week and off the ice at least once a week all season. The IU team is ranked fourth in the nation.\n“Compared to other teams that were at qualifiers, we practice way less than other teams,” Christell said. “Most teams practice twice a day.” \nMiami (Ohio), Michigan State and Illinois were just a few of the teams IU competed against for a spot in the national competition. \nThe women have two coaches, Victor and Rae Ann Farrow, who often drive several hours a week to train them into the athletes they are striving to be.\n“They drive down three times a week. They choreograph and train pretty much the whole synchronized skating team,” said junior and team president Elizabeth Millis. \nOn the car ride to the Midwestern Sectional Qualifiers in Nashville, Tenn., many of the women were a little skeptical about how they would perform, Millis said. To their surprise, the women skated well enough to place sixth out of nine in the qualifier. \n“We all hoped we would skate our best. We didn’t know if we would place, because we didn’t beat the teams we needed to during the season, so we worked hard to beat them at qualifiers,” Millis said. “It wasn’t something we were banking on, but we skated really well.”\nPre-competition jitters were normal for the women, but they coped with it as a team. \n“Some athletes need to relax before they compete, and some need to get tense. I need to relax,” sophomore Alicia Aronson said. “I try to relax and pretend I’m at practice. I try to get into music and just dance. We listen to music as a team and dance, and the comedians on the team crack jokes.”\nAfter their performance, both the coaches and the team stood on the ice together and awaited the live presentation of their score, Millis said.\n“Once we realized we placed, people were jumping up and down and crying,” she said. “Our coaches were really excited to see us achieve the goal that we made for ourselves this year.”\nAlthough they’ve reached their goal, Millis said they still have more practicing to do.\n“We will still be practicing the same amount now that we’ve qualified,” she said, “but we are going to try to add a little more difficulty and drill it over and over again.”

Volleyball club brings unity

The IU Breakdancing Club, which arrived on campus four years ago, is full of energy, spark, talent and diversity. \nThey say they are in it for the competition and the experience, but that’s not all they get out of it.\nThe IU club volleyball players endure late-night practices and distant travel that brings the team closer together, giving the players a sense of camaraderie and closeness.\n“I like the guys a lot, and I love playing volleyball,” said junior Eric Lundberg, the club’s secretary. “We party together. We do everything together. They’re awesome.”\nSophomore Andy McClure said he feels the same way. \n“I came back this year because I made a lot of friends, and it’s a really good time,” he said.\nCaptain and junior John McSorley has played volleyball for the club during all three of his years at IU. Just last year, he was voted the club’s president and is in charge of the paperwork and travel plans for his team. \nBut the paperwork isn’t what brings McSorley back; it’s the love of the game.\n“I like the competition. We go to about four tournaments a year, and we travel a lot,” McSorley said. “Nationals are in Dallas this year, and we went to (Las) Vegas last year, so it’s something different.”\nPlaying for the team isn’t always fun and games, members said. There is still work to be done. Time management is a challenge the players face every week. \n“There are days when you have to manage your time well,” McSorley said. “We get out of practice at 11 (p.m.), and we missed almost a full week of school to go to Nationals in (Las) Vegas last year, so for the most part, you have to like what you do.” \nMcClure said involvement on the team has forced him to learn to plan ahead for classes.\n“Sometimes it’s stressful if we have a tournament and then an exam the next week,” McClure said. “You learn to budget your time.” \nIU alumni and past club presidents of the men’s team come back to help coach and play every year. McSorley said it speaks well for the team that the men still come back to play and remain close.\nMcSorley said students don’t necessarily have to be experienced volleyball players to be in the club. Tryouts are open to anyone with an interest. The club has two separate teams, so it tries to take the majority of people who come to tryouts. \n“Most of the guys have played in high school, but this is the first time for some of them, so we don’t want to turn people away if they want to play,” McSorley said.

Utilities can be deciding factor in housing choice

Paying utilities is a hectic experience for IU sophomore Matt Kurth.\nKurth, who lives in an apartment in Varsity Villas, splits four different utility bills of different amounts among four roommates.\n“We have four guys splitting our rent, electricity, cable and water. I feel like I might be getting charged more than I would if it were included, especially during the summer months when nobody is here and the utilities aren’t being used,” Kurth said. “On the other hand, I would say that it makes paying bills easier if they were included.”\nIt’s difficult for some student tenants to decide whether leasing an apartment with utilities included or separate will get them the best value for their money.\nThe most common way to charge utilities for larger homes with different units is to use the same meter as the people next door and down the street, said Ashley Gardner, tenant relations manager for Parker Real Estate Management. This way, they can adjust the utility cost based on their rent.\nGardner rents several homes, some of which are one- or two-bedroom units, all on one meter. They base their rent on the average of the utility costs because several homes run on the same meter. \n“It’s much easier to include the utilities on the same bill,” Gardner said. “It helps people with a fixed income or on loans, because the water, gas and garbage costs are always included regardless.” \nJason Banach, assistant director of real estate for the IU Real Estate Department, said including the utilities with rent is much easier, although it has its pros and cons. \n“We found with the utility bill that (students) have more incentive to conserve energy, because they are responsible for it,” he said. \nStudents interviewed said they would rather have their utilities included. \n“If it’s included, you already get a dishwasher and a washer/dryer, so you don’t have to worry about going to the laundromat,” said sophomore Grant Felgenhauer. “Usually when it’s included, it’s not that much more expensive. If utilities are separate, the bill will be higher and you pay it yourself.”\nSophomore Kate Sullivan disagreed.\n“It seems like rent is more when you include it,” Sullivan said. “It’s almost better to keep them separate.” \nKurth said although he thinks he might be getting a better deal by paying utilities separately, having them included in the lease would add convenience.\n“There’s the obvious advantage of knowing definitely how much you will have to spend each month,” Kurth said.