Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Iowa
Hawkeyes Out-Last Hoosiers in Five-Set Match
10/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 11, 2008
IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Indiana University volleyball team suffered a tough one Saturday night in Iowa City, Iowa, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Hawkeyes.
Additional offensive weapons and a large advantage in the blocking category were positives for the Hoosiers and key in their two set wins. Three different Hoosiers connected on double-digit kills, led by Erica Short's 20 slams. Kelsey Hall played extremely well on the night, stuffing the stat sheet with 14 kills, a .333 hitting percentage, two aces, 11 digs, three blocks and a pair of assists. Freshman libero Caitlin Cox set a new career-high in the digs department, racking up 25 on the night. The Hoosiers also performed well in the blocking area, out-blocking the opposition by a tally of 17.5 to nine. The nation's third-best blocker, Ashley Benson, paced the Hoosiers with nine swats on the night.
Set number one was a true "see-saw" battle as there were five lead changes and the score sat tied on 12 different occasions. Back-to-back blocks by Benson, teaming with Taylor Wittmer and Kelsey Hall for one rejection each, put the Hoosiers ahead at 19-17. Following an Iowa timeout at the point, it was all Hawkeyes from there on, however. Iowa came out of the huddle with four straight points and eight of the next ten to earn a 25-21 win.
The second set saw a complete turnaround for the IU offense, hitting .360 in the 25-13 drubbing. Indiana jumped out to an 8-2 lead early on, thanks in large part to some superb serving by Hall. The Murrieta, Calif., native fueled the Hoosier surge by dialing up four consecutive lasers from the service line. The Hoosiers put their ball-handling woes from the night before away in the second set, running very efficient offensive sets. All 12 Hoosier kills were assisted, including Short's six put-aways on nine swings with no errors (.667). Wittmer also began to heat up in the second stanza, connecting on four kills while hitting .429. Everyone chipped in defensively in the backcourt as four different Hoosiers recorded two digs or more in the set, led by the senior captains, Short and Juli Pierce, whom each picked up four balls of the hardwood.
Set number three looked eerily similar to the first with a back-and-forth contest that witnessed 10 tie scores and four lead changes. The outcome was different this time, however, as the Hoosiers came out on top with a 25-23 winner to take a two sets to one lead. Indiana's offensive balance continued in the third frame. Hall led the way with four kills, Short and Woodson contributed three kills apiece and Wittmer pounded home a pair of smackdowns.
It was time for a fifth set inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena following a 25-22 win for Iowa in the fourth set. Cox continued her stellar play in the losing effort, picking up another seven digs in that set alone.
Things could not have started much worse for IU in the fifth set, falling behind by scores of 0-3 and 3-7. Indiana would not go away quietly into the night though. Coach Dunbar got her troops back on track with a much-needed timeout, and the Hoosiers climbed back into the contest. Indiana won eight of the next 10 points for an 11-9 advantage, just four points away from sealing the deal. Iowa then counter-punched by taking the next two points to knot it up at 12 points apiece. A kill by Short regained the lead for the Hoosiers, but Iowa gobbled up the following three points for the 15-12 five-set victory.
The Cream and Crimson return to Bloomington next weekend for a pair of home matches against Ohio State and Michigan. Friday night's contest versus the Buckeyes will begin the 2008 Hoosier Hysteria festivities inside Assembly Hall. Men's and women's basketball players are set to sign autographs beginning at 6 p.m. with the volleyball match starting at 7 p.m. Hoosier fans can then stick around for the first official practice for the basketball squads, which will begin approximately 30 minutes following the completion of the volleyball match. Indiana returns to University Gym on Saturday night, taking on the #23 Michigan Wolverines.
The match box score and updated season statistics will be posted upon the team's arrival back in Bloomington.
Players Mentioned
