Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Akron
Hoosiers Topple Akron To Take Season-Opener
8/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 25, 2006
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The Indiana volleyball team ran its season-opener record to 14-0 under head coach Katie Weismiller after they shutout Akron, 3-0, at the West Virginia Tournament. Sophomore Erica Short led the way for the Hoosiers with 15 kills in the match.
"I am very pleased that we were able to start the season off with a win," Weismiller said. "It took some time to get into the system, but everyone did a good job once we were past that."
Short led the Hoosiers with 15 kills in the match, and junior Lauren Ditteon joined her in double-digit kills with 11. Ditteon also had just one attack error in 26 attempts for a .385 hitting percentage on the match. Fellow junior Annie Moddrell had the same hitting percentage in the victory, notching six kills with one error in 13 chances.
It was a tight first game in the beginning, as the two teams traded points back and forth. IU trailed at the beginning of the match before senior Sara Diehl served five-consecutive points to give the Hoosiers the lead at 17-16. With the lead in hand, Indiana never looked back, taking the game, 30-24.
The second stanza proved to be a close one, as the two teams knotted the score 13 times throughout the match. With Akron leading 28-25, Moddrell picked up a kill to give the Hoosiers back the ball, and three kills by short and by Ditteon closed out the game in favor of Indiana, 30-28.
The Hoosiers closed out the match in the third frame with a 30-21 defeat of Akron. In that game, IU out-hit Akron, .250-.143.
In addition to the Hoosiers success on the offensive side of the ball, the team combined for eight team blocks in the match. Two of those were solo blocks by junior Gabrielle Allison.
"I was very pleased with our blocking today," Weismiller said. "Everyone did a nice job finding the hitters, especially because they did not know what the other team was going to be doing. Our subs did a great job throughout the match as well. I'm looking forward to continued success now that they have shaken off the first-match jitters.
The Hoosiers will return to the court on Saturday, Aug. 25 when they take on Oakland University at 2:30 p.m. and tournament host West Virginia at 8:00 p.m.
Players Mentioned
