Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Michigan State
Indiana Hands Spartans First Conference Defeat of Season
10/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 3, 2008
Final Stats
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana University volleyball team (9-7, 1-3 Big Ten) earned a conference victory Friday night, downing the Michigan State Spartans (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten) by the score of 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-21, 25-20).
"We've been talking all week about being in 'attack mode,'" said Head Coach Sherry Dunbar. "Instead of waiting for them to give us the match, we needed to go out there and take it. I thought we did that tonight and were very aggressive."
Four different Hoosiers posted double-digit kill totals offensively, while the defense put up 17 team blocks in the contest. Taylor Wittmer hit .426 with 10 kills and Erica Short paced the Hoosiers with 14 put-aways. Benson's eight blocks were tops on the team, two more than Mary Chaudoin and Short's six rejections apiece. Libero Caitlin Cox put up a 17-spot in the digs column to lead the way in the defensive backcourt.
University Gym was the scene of a massacre in the opening set. Michigan State was forced to burn an early timeout trailing 8-3 after the Hoosiers opened the night by finishing off seven of their first eight attacks. The IU offense remained on track following the break in action, recording kills on four of the next five attacks. Michigan State's second timeout of the set came at the 20-9 mark, when the Hoosiers were hitting .591 (13-0-22). Indiana's first attack error did not come until the 24-14 point. Meanwhile the Spartans offense sputtered out of the gates, thanks in large part to Indiana blocking four and digging 12 balls in the 25-14 win.
"That was the best match for our setters this season," said Dunbar. "They came in calm and relaxed. Did a nice job."
The second set was a see-saw battle with the score sitting tied on seven occasions. In the end, it was the Spartans who came out on top though, taking the set 25-23.
The Cream and Crimson grabbed the first point of the third frame and never relinquished their lead. Back-to-back kills by Lexie Woodson started the set, but it was the 'Ashley Benson Show' from there. The Bloomington, Ind. native sent back four Spartan attacks to go along with five kills. Melany Rarey, a defensive specialist, picked a good time to record her first kill of the season when she took a rare swing that found the Spartan hardwood and clinched the set, 25-21.
Indiana's offense had bogged down a bit after the explosion in the first set, but it reloaded in set number four. The Hoosiers hit .355 with 14 kills, led by Kelsey Hall's six winners. Short also stepped up in the final set, doing her thing on both sides of the net with four kills and three blocks. The final two points of the match came off the right arm of Short, blasting home a pair of kills.
The Hoosiers hit the road next weekend, making a trip up north for Big Ten matches at Minnesota (Friday) and at Iowa (Saturday). Live audio will be availble for both contests as Matt Taylor calls all the action.
Players Mentioned
