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(10/16/12 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Valuable points in the Crimson and Gold Cup will be awarded today as the IU volleyball team welcomes No. 17 Purdue to University Gym.“It’s truly a fun match to play every year,” senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said. “It’s always a battle. It just has that feeling, you know? It’s Purdue.”Indiana (8-12, 0-8) is the lone Big Ten team without a conference win this season. IU will look for its first Big Ten victory against instate-rival, Purdue (14-5, 5-3), who is tied for fourth in the conference.This is the first match of the year where the Hoosiers will play on a weekday, as they usually square off with other teams on Friday or Saturday nights.“Our assistants have already cut up the matches from last weekend and the week before,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said. “So we got our scouting report almost done.”Sunday’s practice had a lot of review of game film, junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen said.“Basically we’re going to be watching a lot of film,” Hansen said. “The coaches have been doing a great job getting us prepared. Now it’s our turn. We’ve been given all the tools we need, and we have to channel it in the right direction so we can get our first win in the Big Ten.”After starting 4-0 in Big Ten play, the Boilermakers went three matches without winning a set against Nebraska, Iowa and Penn State.Purdue was able to stop its skid Saturday as it took down No. 19 Ohio State in four sets.The player to watch on Purdue’s squad is outside hitter Ariel Turner. She is third in the Big Ten, averaging 4.84 points per set and fourth in kills per set at 4.18.Last year Turner was named Big Ten Player of the Year, a First Team All-American and was named Big Ten Player of the Week five times.In the two matches the teams played against each other in 2011, Turner totaled 53 total kills against IU, an average of 5.9 kills per set.Purdue has owned the series as of late, winning 10 of the last 12 meetings with Indiana. The last time the Hoosiers beat the Boilermakers at home, Kelvin Sampson was the head coach of the men’s basketball program.Eleven out of the team’s 15 members have not seen a victory against Purdue in their careers, including Hansen.“I think it’s something where we most want to beat them,” Hansen said. “In-state rival, that’s always the biggest thing, and if we can get a win on them, it will improve ourselves. We will try to prove ourselves.”
(10/15/12 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall became the 16th player in IU’s 38-year history to record 1,000 kills in her career this weekend.“She is a big cornerstone of our program,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said. “She has a passion for this team and the program and the school. I think she is really obsessed about volleyball.”Despite Marschall reaching a career milestone, the Hoosiers (8-12, 0-8) fell in four sets to No. 19 Ohio State (23-25, 25-22, 25-12, 25-17) and No. 1 Penn State (22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-21).Marschall was quick to give credit for her achievement to her teammates.“It means a lot,” Marschall said. “It really reflects your teammates and the people around you, because with volleyball, you can’t do it all by yourself. You need teammates to make it happen, so it says a lot about them.”Junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen said she appreciates what Marschall has taught her teammates about the game during her time in Bloomington.“She’s a great leader for us on and off the court,” Hansen said. “She’s always in the gym early ... I think her mentality drops down to us juniors and sophomores a lot, especially during the game.”Hansen led her team with 32 digs this weekend, picking up 16 in both matches, and she thought her team worked hard on the defensive end.“We had nothing to lose at this point, and we were always the aggressor,” Hansen said. “We were taking chances, and I think it really showed. We didn’t hold back.”Despite the 0-8 conference record, Dunbar said the team’s competitiveness lately makes her think they are on the upswing.“The locker room feels like it, too,” Dunbar said. “There’s a disappointment in losing. Obviously, no one likes losing. But there’s a determination that if everybody keeps getting a little bit better, together we’re doing some great things.”The Hoosiers were without senior setter Whitney Granado, who is recuperating from a leg injury. Freshman setter Katie Gallagher took her place and fared well, Dunbar said.“Katie did a great job this weekend,” Dunbar said. “I don’t think we missed a beat having her in, and I thought she stepped up to the challenge and ran the team just fine.”Before Penn State played IU, they had blown through Big Ten competition, losing only four of the 25 sets the team had played against conference foes this season. With the Nittany Lions up two sets to one, IU had a chance to steal the fourth set.“In the fourth set, we were up 7-0 against the No. 1 team in the country, so I thought we did some really good things against them,” Dunbar said.Penn State went on an 8-1 run to close the gap, and IU was never able to recapture the momentum.“We had a lot of goals that we wanted to accomplish this weekend,” Marschall said. “I think we’re really making strides in the right direction as far as really competing and battling with those teams.”
(10/11/12 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The No. 1 team in the country and winner of four of the last five national championships with a 16-1 overall record. That is the résumé of Penn State, against which the IU volleyball team will square off this weekend.After a narrow loss to then-No. 3 Nebraska on Oct. 6, the team is even more focused this week in practice, senior setter Whitney Granado said.“Nebraska was a bit of a heart breaker in that we had them,” Granado said. “And we just didn’t pull it out in the end. So, we were a little upset and kind of pissed off.”Being competitive was not enough for the team to be happy, senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower said.“It may have been our best volleyball this season, but it doesn’t satisfy us,” Thrower said.IU (8-10, 0-6) will turn its attention to this weekend’s action as it goes on the road to face No. 19 Ohio State and No. 1 Penn State.Ohio State (13-5, 4-2) is in the midst of a three-game win streak. Buckeye senior Mari Hole averages 4.06 kills per set, seventh in the Big Ten. Comparatively, IU’s kills leader, unior outside hitter Jordan Haverly, is averaging 4.07 kills, sixth in the Big Ten.After battling the Buckeyes, IU will take a trip to central Pennsylvania to face the top program in the nation: Penn State.During a streak in which it has also bested three nationally ranked teams, Penn State has outscored opponents in total sets 30-4.Anchoring the Nittany Lions’ defense is junior Katie Slay, who leads the conference with 1.39 blocks per set.Penn State’s sophomore Micha Hancock also leads the conference with 11.66 assists per set and has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week three times this year.Granado said the Nebraska match has motivated her team to get in the gym and work.“We’re ready to take the next step,” Granado said.The team has increased its level of focus and looks to alter things, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“I felt like the mood was great in practice,” Dunbar said. “Determined, high energy and ready to make some changes this week.”
(10/10/12 2:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior setter Whitney Granado barks instructions at her teammate, freshman setter Katie Gallagher, as she watches her perform a defensive drill in practice. “Talk to them, Katie,” Granado screams, standing on the other side of the net, doling out advice to the freshman.Granado has taken the setter position back from Gallagher after Granado missed the entire non-conference portion of the schedule with mononucleosis.The co-captain learned in mid-July she had contracted the illness. At first, the prognosis was that she would be out three to four weeks. However, she did not progress as doctors had hoped.“Then, I started having abdominal issues,” Granado said. “It became kind of a week-by-week thing as far as what I would get to do, what’s going to hurt and what’s not. Then the weeks just kept on going by.”The slow pace was aggravating, she said, because she was not seeing results.“It was just a little bit frustrating, with the testing and not knowing what’s going on,” Granado said.Gallagher had to take the place of the three-year veteran, something Granado helped with.“She’s been super helpful,” Gallagher said. “She’s really open with talking about what I need to do to improve or how to change something in my studying or my footwork or my defensive stance.”Not being with the team took its toll on Granado.“Sometimes I wouldn’t be able to travel with them,” Granado said. “It was really difficult, but I tried to stay as engaged as I could and bond with the team.”Granado was finally healthy enough to play Sept. 21, and she took the reins of the team against Michigan.“There’s always that missing piece in the puzzle when a player is out,” senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower said. “To have her back, especially in our senior year, is good.”IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said Granado has a long journey to get back where she was.“I think a lot of it is that she’s been out for two and a half months,” Dunbar said. “She came back out of shape basically because they wouldn’t let her do anything — bike, running or volleyball.”Granado said she still thinks her conditioning is not at the level it needs to be, especially after enduring a five-set match against Nebraska.“I’m definitely still getting back into game shape,” Granado said. “Especially going five sets, it’s a little bit tiring. So, it’s just a process of trying to get through practices as hard as I can and turning it up a whole other level to get through two matches in the weekend.”Being a cocaptain, Granado has a presence on the floor Gallagher could not bring to the table, Dunbar said.“I think that’s the difference with her and (Gallagher) right now,” Dunbar said. “(Gallagher) is doing a great job, and I don’t want to overlook what she’s doing, but (Granado) brings that experience of playing at the highest level.” Granado is coming off the Nebraska match in which she had a career-high 62 assists.One thing Granado will continue to do this year is mentor Gallagher, she said, who also reminds teammates of a freshman Granado.“I think she is a vision of (Granado) when she got here her freshman year,” Thrower said. “So, it’s promising.”
(10/08/12 3:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team (8-10, 0-6) suffered a down-to-the-wire loss against No. 4 Nebraska (13-2, 5-1) Saturday night, falling to the Cornhuskers in five sets (25-23, 18-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-10).“That team should have been had tonight,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said. “We had our opportunity to do that, and we have to take the opportunity when the opportunity is given.”The Hoosiers also fell to Iowa this weekend, pushing their Big Ten record to 0-6 in the process.After battling in the first set against Nebraska and losing it in the last few points, IU went on to win the second and third sets and had a 12-8 lead in the fourth set. Nebraska eliminated the possibility of an upset by taking the rest of the fourth and fifth sets by outscoring IU 32-15.The only other team to push Nebraska to five sets this season was UCLA, when the Bruins were No. 1.“I’m really disappointed,” Dunbar said. “We should have won that match. I thought when we were confident and we were in control of our emotions and fear and doubt, I thought we were in total control.”Senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said after a lackluster performance against Iowa the night before, her team was ready to compete against the conference juggernaut.“I think we made a decision to be better,” Marschall said. “I think we went home last night and knew we had to change, and I think we made a change.”The Hoosiers had more kills, digs and assists in the match than Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers led in the total points stat 103-100.Despite being competitive against such elite competition, the loss still hurts, sophomore middle blocker Morgan Leach said.“We were right there,” Leach said. “We know that if we would have picked up some of the little things that we could have won.”The five-set match was tougher to swallow than if the team would not have been competitive in the match, Dunbar said.“It’s harder because you’re right there, and you have that opportunity,” Dunbar said. “That’s why I came to Indiana, to play teams like that and to beat teams like that. It’s just tough.”IU’s failure against Iowa came in four sets (25- 21, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22).Last year, when Iowa and Indiana met in University Gym, Iowa jumped out to a 2-0 set lead only to see Indiana take the last three sets to give the Hoosiers their only conference win of the season.No such magic was in store for this year’s contest as Indiana’s fourth set rally fell short. IU gave the Hawkeyes their first Big Ten conference road win in 1,108 days.Going forward, Marschall said the loss against Nebraska was a little easier to manage because the team played drastically better than it had the previous night against Iowa, but coming so close to the upset still stings.“Any loss is still a loss, and that hurts,” Marschall said. “It is a little bit easier to feel like you played better and you played as hard as you could and gave your best effort.”
(10/05/12 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend, the IU volleyball team will play a school at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, Iowa, and the next day face the No. 4 team in the country, Nebraska.Despite the disparity between the two teams in succession this year, senior setter Whitney Granado explained each match must be approached the same way.“Any team in the Big Ten can show up in any night,” Granado said. “You don’t take any teams lightly because they won’t take you lightly.”IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she is not as focused on the opponents as much as her own team.“I think we’re so focused on what we’re doing right now on our team’s side,” Dunbar said. “We have to get that right before we’re worried so much about how Nebraska’s doing or Iowa’s doing.”A major question for the team is Granado’s health. After missing the entire nonconference portion of the schedule due to mononucleosis, Granado has been working her way back but has still missed a few sets in conference play due to complications with her illness.She says she has been feeling better and gave her health a high percentage.“Ninety-two percent,” Granado said after asking her trainer. “That’s a professional opinion. You can cite my source on that one.”On Friday, the Hoosiers and Hawkeyes will play in a rematch of last year when IU picked up its only conference win of the year. Both teams finished 1-19 last year in the Big Ten with each of their lone wins coming from games against each other.This year, Iowa (8-9, 0-4 in the Big Ten) is looking for their first conference win of the year. Only IU and Iowa are winless in the conference this season.The Hawkeyes have been outscored 12-1 in total sets this year in the Big Ten and have lost to teams such as Pacific, Oakland and Southeast Missouri in nonconference play.Though the two teams have almost identical records, IU averages 1.15 kills for every one kill by their opponents. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, average 0.95 kills for every one kill by their opposition.Iowa features the Big Ten leader in digs. Junior defensive specialist Bethany Yeager leads the conference with 4.88 digs per set.Comparatively, junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen leads the Hoosiers with 3.35 digs per set.Last weekend, Hansen was replaced at libero by freshman defensive specialist Courtney Harnish, who responded with a match-high 19 digs against Northwestern. Dunbar said she liked the confidence Harnish brought to the table.“I thought she was good,” Dunbar said. “I thought she passed really well, and she showed a lot of confidence on the court. I thought she was communicating a lot, and that’s what we’re looking for.”The competition is not over for the libero spot on the team, as Dunbar said the position is up for the taking.“I think all four of our defensive players are going to have chances to be libero,” Dunbar said. “Depending on the match and depending on the practices that they’re having ... We’re looking for players that are in competition mode 100 percent of the time.”Saturday the Hoosiers welcome No. 4 Nebraska (11-2, 3-1 in the Big Ten) into University Gym.The Cornhuskers were at one point the No. 1 team in the nation this season but lost their top ranking when they fell to then-No. 25 Iowa State in an upset. Their only conference loss this year was to Penn State, who is now the No. 1 team in the country.Last season, the Hoosiers were unable to take a set from Nebraska, losing both matches in three-set sweeps against the Cornhuskers.Nebraska senior Lauren Cook is third in the Big Ten with 11.22 assists per set for the other school that calls themselves Big Red.This is the third consecutive year the Hoosiers have started 0-4 in conference play. Last year, the team finished tied for last in the Big Ten standings.Granado remembers when the team rallied two years ago and had a much different conclusion to their season.“We’ve been in this situation before where we’ve gone 0-4 into the Big Ten,” Granado said. “That was our sweet 16 year, so we have high expectations no matter who we’re playing.”
(10/01/12 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team (8-8, 0-4 in the Big Ten) jumped to a 1-0 set lead against Illinois and Northwestern this weekend, then proceeded to lose the next three sets, losing both matches.IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she liked how her team started and finished the matches, but she said her team needs to address the little spurts they let the opposing teams have.“At points in time, we lose three or four points in a row,” Dunbar said. “It’s those strings of points that get us.”This problem has plagued the team all season. In first sets, the team is 12-4 on the year. However, their overall record does not reflect their first set success.“Honestly, I think we played hard in the first game and maybe let up a bit,” junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly said. “The other team had more incentive. It was not for a lack of working hard and trying for sure.”After taking a set from the national championship runners up Illinois, the Hoosiers fell in four sets (22-25, 25-12, 25-17, 25-20).The first set saw a momentum shifting 8-0 Hoosier run sparked by two aces from junior defensive specialist Melanie Hicks to take an 18-11 lead.From that point on, the Illini outscored the Hoosiers 86-56 in the match.The Illini kept a 20-11 lead in the second set when senior setter Whitney Granado was replaced by freshman setter Katie Gallagher. “I think (Granado) is just fatigued,” Dunbar said. “When you come back from not practicing for two and a half months or so and you come in, I think she’s going to battle fatigue a little bit.”Before the fourth set, freshman defensive specialist Courtney Harnish replaced junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen at libero. Harnish thought she responded well to the challenge.“I was so ready,” Harnish said. “I’ve been working for it, and I wanted to make a difference.”Harnish started at libero in place of Hansen in the Northwestern match. Dunbar saw a confidence in her that needed to be implemented on the court.“We’re looking for confidence on the court,” Dunbar said. “And I really felt like she was showing a lot of confidence. When she was in at (defensive specialist), she was just nonstop talking, really still and there was a confidence about her we could feel on the coaches’ staff.”Harnish had a match-high 19 digs, but her team fell short (23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-23). Even with the loss, Harnish’s teammates said they were impressed with the freshman’s play.“She did great,” Haverly said. “She played out of her mind today.”Haverly had a match-high 23 kills, and she thought her team competed hard against Northwestern and could have taken the match.“I think tonight we’ve fought as hard as we’ve ever fought this season,” Haverly said. “We’re all really proud of tonight, and if one or two things would have gone differently, we would have gone into the fifth set, and we think we would have had them.”
(09/28/12 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The difference between this year’s volleyball team and last year’s, which went 1-18 in Big Ten play, is that this year’s team has the talent to compete more consistently, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“Last year it wasn’t there,” Dunbar said. “We didn’t have the personnel to play that high a level. I think we’re more determined to get the practice that we’re getting into game competition.”After falling in their first two conference games of the year, IU (8-6 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) will look to recover this weekend against Illinois (7-5, 1-1) and Northwestern (11-2).The Fighting Illini come into University Gym to play the Hoosiers at 7 p.m. Friday. Illinois split its opening weekend action in the Big Ten, falling to Minnesota in straight sets and besting Wisconsin in five.The Illini had a rocky start to their season, losing to Dayton and Pepperdine in their first two matches, both 3-0 sweeps.After fighting the Illini, IU will turn around the next day to fight off the Wildcats. The Hoosiers will face Northwestern at 7 p.m. Saturday.After racing out to a 11-0 start in nonconference play, the Wildcats dropped both of their Big Ten openers to Minnesota and Wisconsin.Indiana will have to contain junior outside hitter Stephanie Holthus, who leads the Wildcats with 4.31 kills per set and chips in 3.31 digs per set.Northwestern has a consistent and healthy base, as eight players have played in all 48 sets of this season.In comparison, only junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen and senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall have played in every set for Indiana this season.The major change last weekend for the Hoosiers was at the setter position, when senior setter Whitney Granado, after battling illness during non-conference play, took the reins back from freshman setter Katie Gallagher.The team won’t know until after Thursday’s practice who the team’s setter will be for the weekend, Dunbar said.Junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly said she does not have a preference either way who sets for the team, but she is more familiar with Granado after three years of practice with her.“They are both really good setters,” Haverly said. “They both have their own styles ... I just think the experience that Whitney has and the experience we have with her just helps it run a little more smoothly. But, I mean, in time, Katie will have that, too.”
(09/26/12 2:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After each away game victory, the IU volleyball team has a tradition. Immediately after singing the IU fight song, the team breaks into another tune.“Big mac! Macky mac mac mac mac! Big mac! Macky mac mac mac mac!”Senior manager Nick Mackall takes his cue and bellows, “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!”It’s a tradition that was started spontaneously, Mackall said.“How did that start? That’s a really good question,” Mackall said with a laugh. “I think it started on a whim one time. Actually, when (senior right-side hitter) Kelci (Marschall) and those guys were freshmen is when it started.”Mackall is the manager for the volleyball team and in his fifth season for the Hoosiers. On the current coaching staff, only Head Coach Sherry Dunbar has had a longer tenure than Mackall in the IU program.He has been part of volleyball for 10 years and said he loves every second of it.“Volleyball kind of started for me when I was a seventh-grader,” Mackall said. “That was the same year that my sister picked up playing the game. I figured I’d try it and see if I liked it. Turns out I did.”The love for the game he displays is apparent to everyone around him, junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly said.“Mackall loves volleyball more than anybody I know,” Haverly said. “He will be on the bus all the time keeping us posted on all the different game scores. He listens to it in the hotels and updates us all the time with stats.”Former IU setter Mary Chaudoin came into the program with Mackall. Chaudoin, who graduated from IU last year, said she knows Mackall as well as anybody.“He just has a passion for volleyball like no one else I know,” Chaudoin said with a smile. “He truly lives and breathes volleyball. Throughout the four years, consistently seeing him coming into the gym every day loving life and loving the game is really inspirational to all the players.” Dunbar said she thinks Mackall’s role in the program has been good because he was able to find a support system right away in college.“He’s been good for our program, and we’ve been good for him,” Dunbar said. “Because I think this gave him that family at the University, kind of gave him that purpose.”Mackall puts in as many hours as the players during practice, which is a huge time commitment, Dunbar said.“He’s pretty much an athlete here as far as the time commitment,” she said. “We have practice every day from 2:45 to 5:45, and he’s here at 2:20 and stays until the end of practice. It’s exactly the time commitment for our kids.”Haverly says he is always there for the team, providing everything from a consoling hug after a tough loss to help with math homework on the bus.“He’s just always there for us with anything we need, volleyball related or not,” Haverly said. “He was one of the first people that said he was praying for me when I got hurt. He’s just a great person all around.”There is no offseason for Mackall, as the team practices every day in fall and spring.“The spring is very similar to the fall, with the only difference that instead of practice being in the evenings and the afternoons, it begins before the sun comes up, literally,” Mackall said.Mackall won’t be with the team in spring, though. He will graduate after this semester with his degrees in secondary mathematics education and computer technology.With Mackall’s graduation, a new question arises. Who will sing the song after the Hoosiers win a road game?“I don’t know,” Haverly said. “I didn’t think about that. That is going to be sad. Maybe we’ll still sing it just to honor him.”
(09/24/12 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior setter Whitney Granado, a three-year veteran on the IU women’s volleyball team, saw her first action of the season this weekend.The co-captain had been battling a case of mononucleosis during the nonconference portion of this season’s schedule, and she said she was excited to get back onto the court this weekend in the team’s first conference matches of the season and lead her team.“I think for not having practiced for a long time, I’m pretty happy with how I played,” Granado said. “But obviously I have a lot to improve on, trying to get back into the flow of things.” Yet even during the hype of Granado’s return, the Hoosiers lost their conference opener Friday 8-6 (0-2), falling to Michigan in four sets (25-19, 16-25, 25-20, 25-21).The Wolverines took a 23-12 lead in the first set. At that point, Granado was substituted into the lineup for freshman setter Katie Gallagher.IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she thought she needed to inject some energy into her team and that Granado could fill the role of spark plug for her team.“We were down by about six in that first set, and I felt like we needed something different,” Dunbar said. “She (Granado) practiced only one day, but she’s been feeling really good the last few days, and I just thought, ‘Let’s try it.’”IU fell in the set but ended on a 7-2 to take the momentum of the match.The second set saw the Hoosiers hold Michigan to a .000 hitting percentage, tallying up 17 kills for the 25-16 set win.IU jumped out to a 15-10 lead in the third set — because Granado had been inserted in the lineup, the Hoosiers had outscored the Wolverines 47-28. At that point, the tides turned. The Wolverines took back the momentum and went on a 15-5 run, taking the third set 25-20, and they closed out the match with a close fourth set victory 25-21 to take the match.Despite the loss, Dunbar said she was proud of how her team battled on the road.“Last night, I was really inspired,” Dunbar said. “I thought we fought really hard last night. We really had some opportunities to beat Michigan.”The next day, the Hoosiers failed to recover from their loss to Michigan and suffered their second loss of the weekend when No. 25 Michigan State defeated them in straight sets (25-21, 25-17, 25-17).The Spartans had trouble putting away the Hoosiers in the first set as they led 24-16 until IU went on a 5-0 run, winning five-straight Spartan set points to cut the lead down to 24-21. But Michigan State was finally able to secure the final point and took the first set.The second set was tightly contested with the Spartans leading 17-15, but Michigan State then overwhelmed the Hoosiers on an 8-2 run and took the second set.The Spartans also controlled the third and final set of the weekend for the Hoosiers, winning again 25-17 to take the match in straight sets.Spartan outside hitter Lauren Wicinski had a game-high 14 kills on the night. Granado contributed 19 assists and led the team with 11 digs, recording a double-double in her first match of the season.However, Dunbar said she’s still unsure whether Granado has officially taken the job as the team’s setter away from Gallagher.Granado’s health is still a concern, Dunbar added, because in the Michigan State match, the senior had to be taken out because she was starting to feel ill.“She struggled a little bit tonight with her stomach and everything, so we had to take her out,” Dunbar said. “It’s a battle. Every position to me is a battle. You earn it in practice, and that’s how we’re going to choose who plays.”Granado was pleased with her team’s progress this weekend. Even though the team went 0-2, she said the team made big improvements.“I think this weekend was a really big step for us in terms of playing hard and playing the Indiana way,” Granado said. “I know the results don’t really show it, but as a team, this was the first time that we really brought it, and we should be proud of what we put on the floor.”
(09/21/12 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman outside hitter Amelia Anderson hardly let the question conclude before giving her answer if she was excited or nervous heading into her first Big Ten action of the season.“Excited. I’m so excited,” Anderson said. “I’m a freshman, and I’ve been coming here for so long watching all the Big Ten games, I’m just so excited to finally be a part of that.”The freshman is coming off a weekend where she earned all-tournament honors in the Hoosier Classic.“I think my performance really reflected how I did in practice,” Anderson said. “I had a lot of things I needed to work on, and I think I really worked on those in practice, and I think it really showed.”The 8-4 Hoosiers will start the weekend at Michigan at 7 p.m. Friday. The Wolverines are 12-2 on the season with their two losses coming against unranked Marquette and Western Kentucky.Cliff Keen Arena is the smallest volleyball facility in the conference, with a capacity of just 1,800. Last year, the maize and blue were 7-6 at home.The Wolverines are led by junior Lexi Erwin with 4.13 kills per set. In comparison, the kills leader for the Hoosiers has been junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly, who averages 3.96 kills per set.Senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said she thinks her team is ready to open Big Ten play. “I think this past weekend we made a lot of strides in the right direction,” Marschall said. “And I think this is going to be a good test and a good chance for us to keep working on what we’ve accomplished so far.”After trying to cage the Wolverines, the Hoosiers will take a bus ride to East Lansing to battle the Michigan State Spartans.When the Hoosiers take on the Spartans at 8 p.m. Saturday, they will look to hand Michigan State its first loss of the season.The Spartans’ perfect 12-0 record includes going six-for-six in home matches this year. In all, Michigan State has defeated opponents in total sets 36-4.Lauren Wicinski is the player to watch this match as she leads her Spartans in kills, with 4.55 per set, and service aces, with a total of 30 this season.Wicinski also chips in on defense with her average of 2.22 digs per set ranking second on the team. To defeat such competition, IU will have to improve its passing, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“I think we get stuck in some of the two-hitter rotations,” Dunbar said. “And our passing has to be on so we can run whatever offense we want to run.”In volleyball, the home-court advantage can be huge, especially in a premiere conference such as the Big Ten, Dunbar said.“The Big Ten has the best fan base in the country for volleyball,” Dunbar said. “In the end, that’s why we have a sports psychologist. If you let that distract you, that’s going to be a huge problem.”
(09/20/12 3:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite having the least number of total spectators in the Big Ten season last year, IU’s fan base relative to its performance and the size of the stadium is one of the strongest in the conference.“They’re a Big Ten crowd,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said of her fans. “You’ll see once the Big Ten season opens up we’ll get bigger and bigger crowds. They love a high level of volleyball, and we’ve always had good crowds.”The team plays their games in University Gymnasium which has a seating capacity of 2,000, making it the conference’s second smallest stadium behind Michigan’s Cliff Keen Arena.Despite being small in size, it more than makes up for the discrepancy with the amount of noise the facility produces, Dunbar said.“I think it gets very loud in here,” Dunbar said. “This is one of those places where because of the low ceiling and how it’s shaped with the four stands right around the court, it can get extremely loud in here. We’ve definitely used that to our advantage in the past.”Last year, IU drew 9,100 fans in Big Ten play, averaging 910 a game.While this figure is the lowest in the conference, IU reveals itself as having one of the most loyal fan bases in the conference.The IU fans have a huge impact on the action, senior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said.“I just absolutely love our fans,” Marschall said. “It’s so much fun to play in front of a crowd that gets into it with you and rides the roller coaster of the game with you, and I think it makes us play way better.”
(09/17/12 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team finished its non-conference schedule this weekend, going 2-1 at home in the Hoosier Classic.Indiana started the weekend on a sour note, losing to Valparaiso in five sets.The Hoosiers took the first two sets 25-19 and 25-17, with .448 and .333 hitting percentages, respectively.In the third set, the Hoosiers hit a match low .086 hitting percentage, including a match-high nine hitting errors, losing the set 25-19.IU could not recover and fell in a fourth set 25-18 lowlighted by nine more hitting errors.In the fifth and final set, the Crusaders won 15-12 and completed the come-from-behind victory.IU looked to turn its fortune around Saturday as they welcomed Chattanooga into University Gym.Led by 10 team aces, the Hoosiers defeated the Mocs in four sets.The Hoosiers dominated the first two sets, winning 25-13 and 25-9. IU started the match with a .387 hitting percentage in the first set and .619 in the second.In the second set, the Hoosiers had 13 kills with zero hitting errors.Sophomore middle blocker Morgan Leach led the team in hitting percentage, going six for six in swings and a 1.000 hitting percentage.In similar fashion to the previous night’s match, the Hoosiers had a -.065 hitting percentage in the third set. The set featured more hitting errors than kills for the Hoosiers for the first time this season. The Mocs took the set 25-18.After a 9-9 tie in the fourth set, Indiana went on a 7-0 run, including forcing Chattanooga to take two timeouts to try to quell the Hoosier rally.IU used that momentum to take the fourth and final set 25-14 to seal the victory.In the evening portion of the tournament, the Hoosiers concluded by facing Miami (Ohio). For the third straight match, IU jumped out to a 2-0 set lead but had trouble putting away its opponent.After the RedHawks flew out to the quick 9-5 lead in the third set, Indiana went on a 10-2 run to take the match in straight sets 25-14, 25-10 and 25-22.IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said she liked her team’s change in morale during the weekend.“I think it was just our attitude,” Dunbar said. “And not worrying about if you’re up 2-0, you’re down 2-0, we said ‘Let’s just compete. Let’s enjoy the competition and try to get better.’”Freshman outside hitter Amelia Anderson and senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower were selected to the all-tournament team.The senior said she liked how her team changed its intensity in the final match of the weekend.“We were working to push,” Thrower said. “Just keeping that intensity for the entire match, that’s what we were working on after the Valpo match, and that’s what we did tonight.”
(09/14/12 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team will return home this weekend after a 1-2 performance in the Butler Invitational for the Hoosier Classic at home.The Hoosiers will take a more statistical approach to see exactly where their inefficiencies lie, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“We really crunched a lot of numbers to see how far away we are,” Dunbar said. “Where are we really lacking? The sets we’re winning and the matches we’re winning, what are our numbers?”Dunbar said the goal is to give the girls a tangible number they can shoot for rather than achieve an abstract team statistic.“So we’re telling them, this is your job,” Dunbar said. “You need to get three kills a set, you need 2.8 digs, and you need one block. So, in their mind and every day in practice, they’re saying, ‘This is my job, this is how I’ll help the team.’”Zero balls are a major problem for the team, Dunbar said. In volleyball, a zero ball is a ball the opposing team successfully digs and eventually gets over the net.“The errors are only at 16 percent,” Dunbar said. “Zero-balls are 45 percent. We can’t have 45 percent zero balls.”IU will start the weekend against in-state for Valparaiso at 7 p.m. Friday. The Crusaders are 5-6 on the season.The only Big Ten school Valparaiso has faced is Iowa. Last year, Iowa tied IU for last in the Big Ten with a 1-19 conference record.The Crusaders were able to steal a set from the Hawkeyes but fell in four sets 3-1. At noon Saturday, the Hoosiers will try to slow down Chattanooga.The Mocs are 6-6 on the season. Their only match against a BCS school was a 3-0 loss against Clemson.Chattanooga is on a hot streak, winning its last two matches in sweeps. It has won six of their last six sets played.The Mocs are led on defense by Paula Passmore, who has 264 digs on the season, good for an average of 6.44 digs per set.In comparison, the leader for the Hoosiers in digs per set is junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen with an average of 3.94.IU will conclude the weekend action with a match against Miami (Ohio) at 7 p.m. Saturday.The Redhawks stand at 4-6 on the season but are in the midst of a three-game winning streak.The Hoosiers will have to contain Amy Kendall, who has tallied 14 service aces on the year. Comparatively, the Hoosier leader for service aces is junior outside hitter Jade Henderson with eight on the season.Henderson said pretending last weekend never happened is not for the benefit of the team. She said acknowledging that they did not perform up to their standards is the key to overcoming the losses.“I think the biggest thing is just taking that and owning it,” Henderson said. “Just learning from the experience gives you the motivation to work even harder.”
(09/14/12 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman defensive specialist Kyndall Merritt stands at 4-foot-11-inches tall, an uncommon height among volleyball players.The shortest Hoosier on the team, Merritt plays in the back row, getting digs to keep the ball alive for her team.“I’m lower to the ground,” she said. “I have my arms out ready to go and I’m quicker on my feet than most people.”Her main objective is to get the ball up to the setter, who then sets the ball to the outside hitters or middle blockers.Being lower to the ground seems to be an advantage, but IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said the ideal height for a defensive specialist would be much taller than Merritt.To play volleyball for IU, however, height is far from the first thing considered in recruits, she said.“We really go after mentalities when we go after defensive players,” Dunbar said. “Players that just are gritty, have some leadership capabilities, get after it on defense and just have that mentality to be aggressive.”On the flip side of Merritt, there is senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower, one of the tallest girls on the team at 6-foot-2-inches.Thrower roams the middle of the floor looking for blocks at the net and kills against opponents.“Ideal height for my position would not be shorter than me,” Thrower said. “So maybe 6-2 or 6-1, you can be smaller, like Chante (George) is six-foot but she jumps out of the gym.”Both height and jumping ability are key for middle blockers, and Thrower said she could not chosose which quality is more important between the two.Freshman setter Katie Gallagher said being taller is always an asset in volleyball. At a 5-foot-8-inches, Gallagher decides which player gets the chance for the kill.“As a volleyball player everyone always wishes they were a little taller,” she said. “I have to be quicker and have to be able to jump higher as well. But yeah, I’ve just got to fight a little harder.”Ideally a setter would be taller so she could see the court better, but Dunbar stressed IU does not recruit positions solely on height.“Some coaches recruit tall setters,” she said. “I want a kid who can set the ball. It’s not about the height so much for me but if they can do their job when we need them to do it and have the personality that we want that fits into our program.”
(09/12/12 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen was named the volleyball team’s libero earlier this season, a role IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said Hansen was not simply given.“She earned it,” Dunbar said. “It was wide open in the preseason, and four players were going after it, and consistently she dug more balls, passed a higher percentage and was leading by example.”In collegiate volleyball, the libero wears a different colored jersey from the rest of the team.A defensive specialist, the position was created in 1998 to improve defensive play.Normally, a team is allowed 15 substitutions per set, but the libero can come in and out of play during the match without substitutions counting against the team’s allotted 15.“I think it’s the most fun position,” Hansen said. “You’re always all over the place, and you’re never in one space so, yeah, I love it.”The 5-foot-4-inch Hansen was the libero at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. By coming to IU, she turned down offers from Cincinnati, Ball State and Middle Tennessee State.Hansen said she liked everything IU had to offer in terms of volleyball and academics.“(I loved) the opportunities, all the resources, the coaching and the players,” Hansen said. “I met (the coaching staff) first, and that’s really what sold me. And everyone’s work ethic and how determined everyone is. ...Everybody is on the same page and has the same goal. They don’t just settle for anything.”Hansen is not in the game for just her defensive abilities, as she is the offensive starter in most matches.“Actually, she starts our offense,” Dunbar said. “She passes 60 to 70 percent of the balls. She starts everything that begins with our offense.”Hansen is one of the top Hoosiers in terms of serving. She has tallied six aces on the season, tying for second on the team.She has only one service error, making her the only team member with more service aces than errors.When Hansen serves the ball, she is often seven to 10 feet behind the service line. This strategy is to make the return more difficult for her opponents.“The deeper I am, the more weight on the ball I have,” Hansen said. “I want to get more float on it, so the farther back I am, the more velocity I can have, and my trajectory is higher. Hopefully, by the time it gets over the net, it will drop and make it harder for the passers.” Since her time as a freshman, her teammates said, they have seen a change in her leadership capabilities.“I think this year I’ve just seen a huge leadership and taking ownership and taking lead of the back court,” junior outside hitter Jade Henderson said. “It’s just awesome to see.”Dunbar said throughout the last few years, she’s watched Hansen grow not just as a player but as a leader.“I think the confidence has really changed in her,” Dunbar said. “Her expectations are much higher for her then they ever were.”
(09/10/12 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS — The IU women’s volleyball team went 1-2 in the Butler Invitational, falling short of winning the team’s third-consecutive tournament due to inconsistency from the team’s hitters, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“The biggest problem we had was our hitters,” Dunbar said. “They did not work hard enough to put balls away.”IU started the weekend started with its first five set battle of the season. Stephen F. Austin defeated the Hoosiers 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-13). After splitting the first two sets, IU found itself tied 22-22 in the third set after a Stephen F. Austin rally to tie the score. The Hoosiers took four of the next six points for the third set win 26-24.In the fifth and final set, IU jumped out to a 10-3 lead. However, the Ladyjacks’ comebacks weren’t finished as they stunned IU by going on a 8-0 run to take the set 15-13 and thus the match.The Hoosiers turned around the next day to sweep Western Illinois 26-24, 25-20, 25-20. In the process, Dunbar picked up the 200th win of her career.IU was led by junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly and sophomore middle blocker Morgan Leach, each of whom chipped in 13 kills.Leach led the Hoosiers with a .526 hitting percentage, converting her 13 kills on 19 swings.Freshman setter Katie Gallagher had 46 assists in the match, good for 15.33 assists per set on average.Seeing her first significant game action since Aug. 31, freshman defensive specialist Courtney Harnish played in all three sets, adding six digs.“I liked her a lot, she’s one of the bright spots for me,” Dunbar said. “I thought she was calm, I thought she broke down a little bit at the end, but I thought she got a lot of points with her serve and did a great job passing.”As the sun flooded the court of Hinkle Fieldhouse, IU faced invitational-host Butler in the conclusion of weekend action. Butler took a quick lead in the first set and had a stranglehold on the match the rest of the way.The Bulldogs took the match in four sets: 25-18, 25-20, 15-25, 25-14.In the second set, IU jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, only to see Butler go on a 9-1 run to take control. In the fourth and final set, Butler finished off the Hoosiers with two consecutive aces to seal the victory.Gallagher was the only Hoosier named to the all-tournament team after her third double-double of the season against Butler, recording 36 assists and 14 digs.Leach was disappointed after the Butler match, and she said she knows her team can play better.“We just learned you got to fight no matter what the score is,” Leach said. “We know how we can play. We saw it in the second match of the tournament and we just have to take it and get more consistent as a team.”
(09/07/12 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s volleyball team (5-1) will attempt to win three straight invitational championships this season as the Hoosiers take an hour-long drive north to play in the Butler Invitational this weekend.The Hoosiers are coming off a win in the Indiana Invitational, in which they took down previously unbeaten Georgia Tech to win the title.“That was the best game we played,” senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower said. “That’s one of the better teams we played this preseason, and after the loss earlier in the day, we knew we really needed to step our game up.”Action kicks off 2 p.m. Friday when the Hoosiers face Stephen F. Austin State University.The Ladyjacks are 5-2 on the season with losses against Green Bay and Louisiana-Monroe. Indiana will be the team’s first match against a team from a Division I conference.Stephen F. Austin’s standouts are Madison Hanlan and Jill Ivy, as they were named to the preseason all-Southland Conference first team.Hanlan was also named defensive player of the week for the Southland Conference last week, averaging 5.36 digs for the duration of the team’s first three matches.Comparatively, IU junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen is leading the Hoosiers with 3.78 digs per set. After trying to cut down the Ladyjacks, Indiana will play Western Illinois at 11 a.m. Saturday.The Leathernecks are 3-3 on the season and are fresh off a perfect 3-0 performance in the Indiana State Invitational. Indiana will be the only team from a Division I conference that Western Illinois will play the entire regular season.The Hoosiers will have to slow down the tandem of Samantha Fournier and Katie Hosteng, who combined have accounted for a shade under half of the Leathernecks’ kills this year.After being named the Drury Inn Jessica Barkman Memorial Classic MVP last weekend, Fournier was also named Papa John’s Scholar Athlete of the Week. Fournier matched her career high in kills in two of the matches this past weekend, twice recording 21 kills.In the final match of the weekend, Indiana will host team Butler at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Bulldogs are 5-2 this season, going 2-1 in their last tournament, the Pittsburgh invitational. Unlike the two other schools Indiana will play this weekend, Butler has played a school from a Division I conference; its team lost to Pittsburgh in three sets Sept. 1.The Bulldogs’ attack features eight players who have double-digit numbers of kills this season, while IU features only six.IU might encounter adversity on the road during the tournament this weekend, something Hanson said might be more difficult to overcome than last weekend because the Hoosiers had the luxury of playing at home.“Everyone was getting really excited, and our adrenaline was high,” Hanson said. “It made us want to fight harder.”
(09/06/12 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Katie Gallagher is doing something difficult, her teammates said. The setter is temporarily taking over for senior setter Whitney Granado, a three-year starter and team captain.Granado is out with mononucleosis until mid to late September, IU Assistant Coach Paul Koncir said.Granado is not being replaced by a scrub, though. Gallagher was named first team All-State by the News Gazette her senior year of high school.Filling in for Granado has been difficult. The senior has been working with some of her teammates for three years. Granado established herself as one of the team’s leaders this summer, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“Leadership is something developed,” Dunbar said. “Katie doesn’t quite have that yet. She’s almost invisible to be honest, and for the situation we’re in, it’s nice to be invisible and let other people take leadership.”From Elmhurst, Ill., the 5-foot-8-inch Gallagher has been thrust into the nation’s premiere conference for women’s volleyball, as the Big Ten has more teams in the top 25 than any other conference.Holding her own in the Big Ten this season, Gallagher leads the conference with 11.91 assists per set. Gallagher is the only freshman in the top 10 in assists per set in the Big Ten, and she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week earlier this season by topping the 50 assist mark twice in her first three matches. Despite all the early-season awards, Dunbar said Gallagher still has a lot to learn about the IU offense.“Katie’s learning a lot right now,” Dunbar said. “She’s trying to learn our offense. She’s trying to learn all these hitters that Whitney’s been setting for a few years already.”Her teammates said Gallagher has a similar demeanor to Granado’s first-year attitude.“Katie reminds me a lot of Whitney her freshman year,” senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower said. “But she’s really doing a good job of living up to her potential.”The main difference between Gallagher and Granado is that Granado is three years older. They have very similar styles, Dunbar said.“Personality-wise they’re not so different,” Dunbar said. “Whitney has just grown into that position. I think Katie will do the same thing over time, and Whitney is a good role model for Katie right now.”Gallagher does not have the luxury of being able to see her mentor in action, but instead, Granado has been a vocal leader.“I haven’t been able to see her as much,” Gallagher said. “I haven’t been able to see her play and learn from her play, but she’s been a great leader vocally and teaching me techniques.”With Gallagher providing the statistics, the natural question of who will be the primary setter once Granado recovers now lingers with the team. Right now, Gallagher said she only has the interest of the team at heart.“I’ll always want to play, but you have to do what’s best for the team,” Gallagher said. “If that means having Whitney be in there, that’s what has to be done.”
(09/04/12 2:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s volleyball team won its second straight invitational last weekend, defeating Cleveland State and Georgia Tech en route to the Indiana Invitational championship.It began Friday, when the Hoosiers quelled the Cleveland State Vikings in four sets. In a theme that would be consistent throughout the weekend, IU came back from a 22-23 deficit to take the first set 25-23.Junior outside hitter Jade Henderson went down with an apparent ankle injury in the first set and could not play the rest of the game.Cleveland State responded by taking the second set 25-19. IU came back in the third for the 25-14 win.In the fourth and final set, the Hoosiers went on a 5-0 run after being down 20-15. They proceeded to take the set 26-24 and secured the first win of the weekend.IU lost its first match of the season Saturday to previously winless Bowling Green in four sets. After a 25-22 first-set win for the Hoosiers, they proceeded to lose the next three 25-18, 27-25 and 25-20. Junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen said she thought her team let one slip away.“I definitely felt like we played down to their level,” Hansen said. “We looked past them, but that gave us the mentality of ‘OK, we’re not losing tonight.’”The nightcap featured IU against Georgia Tech in the marquee match of the tournament. The winner would be crowned champion of the Indiana Invitational. After missing a great portion of the Cleveland State match and the entirety of the Bowling Green match, Henderson was back in action for the Hoosiers, a huge addition for the team, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.“She sprained her ankle last night, and we didn’t think she’d be able to play,” Dunbar said. “But in warm-ups, she said, ‘I’m ready to go.’ She just has a spark out there and has an energy about her when she makes plays.”In the first set, IU found itself down 24-21 and had to rally three straight points. In all, IU fended off five Georgia Tech set points and took the set 29-27.The second set was a similar story. The Yellow Jackets ran to a 24-22 lead. The Hoosiers responded by taking the next two points and fending off three total set points for the 27-25 win.In the third set, Georgia Tech took the set by keeping off another IU rally and won 25-22.In set four, the Yellow Jackets ran out to a 15-8 lead, to which IU responded with a 6-1 run. Georgia Tech built their lead again for a 21-17 margin, to which IU again responded with an 8-2 run to take the set, match and tournament in the process. Hansen, junior outside hitter Jordan Haverly and senior middle blocker Samantha Thrower were named to the all-tournament team.Hansen was named tournament MVP after a career-high 19 digs that anchored the IU defense. Hansen said she was excited to learn about her honor.“I’m totally flabbergasted and excited,” Hansen said. “I’m just going to keep working hard and see where else it gets me.”Dunbar was proud of how her team was able to bounce back after a tough loss earlier in the day.“I’m more proud in the win than disappointed in the loss,” Dunbar said. “To bounce back and beat the best team in the tournament and come out and fight every single point and be down in every single set and find a way to win, that’s a true test of character.”