Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Minnesota
#12 Minnesota Takes Out Hoosiers
10/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 10, 2008
Final Stats
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Indiana University volleyball team suffered a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-18) setback Friday night at #12 Minnesota up in Minneapolis. The Hoosiers get right back at it Saturday night, traveling to Iowa City for another Big Ten match versus the Hawkeyes at 8 p.m. EST.
Erica Short connected on a match-high 18 kills while hitting a smooth .286 on the night. Libero Caitlin Cox was Indiana's top performer in the defensive backcourt, recording 14 digs. Kelsey Hall and Lexie Woodson also put up some numbers for the Cream and Crimson, posting nine kills and five blocks, respectively.
"I thought our ball control had been really good all season, but tonight it just wasn't there," said Head Coach Sherry Dunbar. "It didn't allow us to run our offense like we should. When our ball control is going good, we are a tough team to defend. We need to get that back on track so that we use our big weapons."
Indiana began the evening with a bang, snagging the first three points of the contest. Ashley Benson was responsible for two of those points, picking up a kill and a block in the early goings. From there the score went back and forth a few times, including a 15-13 edge for the Hoosiers. Minnesota then went on a four-point run that would put them ahead for good in the 25-21 opening set. Short, who entered the match ranked second nationally in kills per set, increased her average with nine put-aways in the first set alone.
The second set saw Indiana tally four blocks compared to just one for the Golden Gophers while Cox played well in the backcourt, digging five balls for the second consecutive set. In the end, it was Minnesota who came out on top, however, taking the set 25-17.
Indiana's offense began to spread more evenly in the third set as four different Hoosiers recorded kills at the 7-7 mark in the frame. The Gophers broke that tie in a big way though, rattling off six straight points for the 13-7 advantage. Led by Kelsey Hall and her four kills on nine swings with no errors (.444), the Hoosiers strung together several runs, but just could not get back into the match as Minnesota sealed the deal 25-18.
As mentioned above, the Hoosiers will play again Saturday night against the Iowa Hawkeyes. That match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. EST. Make sure to tune into IUHoosiers.com for live audio of the contest. Matt Taylor will handle the play-by-play duties while Kyle Kuhlman provides color commentary.
Players Mentioned
