Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
New Orleans
Hoosiers Top New Orleans, 3-1
8/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 29, 2009
Final Stats
HOUSTON, Texas - The Indiana University volleyball team won their first of two Saturday matches, defeating the University of New Orleans, 20-25, 29-27, 25-20, 25-20. IU improves to 2-0 on the young season with another match scheduled Saturday evening versus host-school Houston at 8:30 p.m. EST.
The impressive play of Indiana's upperclassmen fueled the victory. Junior Ashley Benson flexed her muscle once again, racking up 20 kills and six blocks (three solo). She hit at a .484 pace as well. Her classmate Taylor Wittmer entered the match in set number two and immediately made a difference with five kills (5-0-12) and six blocks. Meanwhile, senior Kelsey Hall stuffed the stat sheet with nine kills, 12 digs, a block and service ace.
Freshman Jordan Haverly recorded the first double-double of her career, posting a dozen kills and digs. Mary Chaudoin and Caitlin Cox paced the Hoosiers in assists and digs, respectively, with 26 assists and 17 digs.
A variety of unforced errors wreaked havoc for the Hoosiers in the opening set. Indiana recorded five attack errors, none of which were caused by Privateer blocks, to go along with five errors from behind the service line. Benson was anything but shaky, however, ripping four kills on six errorless swings for a .667 hitting efficiency. Haverly also made a nice contribution with her three kills and four digs. In the end, New Orleans thwarted all Indiana comeback attempts throughout the 20-25 set though.
Indiana turned it around quickly in the second set, grabbing five of the first six points for a 5-1 lead. Whitney Thomas delivered two fiercely-struck kills in the early Hoosier run. New Orleans battled back though, tying the score at 11 points apiece. From there neither squad earned more than a two-point lead for the remainder of the set. Facing their first match point, Coach Dunbar drew up a play for Benson coming out of the timeout, and Benson produced with a no-doubt kill on a slide attack to even the score at 24-24. The Privateers responded by fending off three match points of their own. Haverly made sure match point attempt number four was the last, supplying the set-ending kill at 29-27. Constant defensive pressure at the net by Wittmer was key to the Hoosier success down the stretch. Cox took care of the backcourt, picking up eight balls in the set.
The Hoosiers led by as many as five points in the third frame, but found themselves leading by only two at 21-19, and forced to burn a timeout. That break in action proved to be beneficial for the Cream and Crimson as Chaudoin snuck in a kill to put IU up 22-19. Back-to-back kills from Kelsey Hall and Wittmer produced the 23rd and 24th points for Indiana before an attack error by UNO handed the Hoosiers a 25-20 third-set victory.
The fourth set was very similar to the second as Indiana's early advantage was vanished by the mid-way point before another late-set surge pushed IU to a 25-20 triumph. Benson saved her best for last, putting away seven kills in the final stanza.
Indiana gets a few hours of rest before hopping back on the court Saturday evening to face the Houston Cougars at 8:30 p.m. EST.
