Indiana University Athletics
Watch Volleyball Season Opener on Webcast
8/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 27, 2008
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The Indiana University volleyball team begins the 2008 campaign this weekend with a cross-country road trip to California for a tournament at Long Beach State University.
The season opener will be available for viewership via LBSU's webcast. Click here to reach the LBSU schedule page.
The event will be held inside the world-famous Walter Pyramid. Indiana is scheduled to take on host-school LBSU in the night cap of the first day, followed by a pair of matches versus Missouri State and San Francisco on Saturday.
This weekend will mark the Hoosiers' first meeting ever with both LBSU and San Francisco. The all-time series with Missouri State is tied at one match apiece with IU winning a home match in 1986 before dropping an away contest in `92.
Seniors Juli Pierce and Erica Short were voted as team captains for 2008 by their teammates. It is Pierce's second tenure as team captain after serving in that role last year.
"I will do anything it takes to elevate this program to new heights," said Pierce. "I'm excited about the chance to be a team captain again this year."
Pierce set the school record for most digs in a season with 481 a year ago. The fifth-year senior enters the season sitting just 140 digs shy of surpassing Jen Magelssen (1995-98) for the most career digs in IU history.
Short has also etched her name into the record books. She accumulated 479 kills last season, the fifth most put-aways in a single season. If she were to match that total in `08, she would end her career atop the all-time career kills list with 1,800-plus kills.
"It's an honor to be chosen as a captain by my teammates," said Short. "As a senior, I need to lead this team and make sure we accomplish our goal of playing in the NCAA Tournament."
FAST OUT OF THE GATES
Fifteen up, 15 down. With a 3-2 win at Northern Illinois on Aug. 25 last season, the Hoosiers extended their season-opener winning streak to 15 straight seasons. The run dates back to 1992. In 33 seasons, Indiana has compiled a 26-7 record in season-openers.
IU VOLLEYBALL HITS THE AIRWAYS
Indiana Volleyball fans will be able to listen to the Hoosiers online in 2008, as IU will offer free Internet-only audio broadcasts for all 38 matches.Fans can listen to the Cream and Crimson live through IUHoosiers.com. Long-time women's basketball play-by-play voice Jeremy Gray and Matt Taylor will handle the broadcast duties for the season. Broadcasts will start approximately 10 minutes prior to match time. Taylor is headed with the team to Long Beach and will announce all the action this weekend beginning at 10 p.m. eastern time on Friday, Aug. 29.
STIFF COMPETITION
As if playing in arguably the best volleyball conference in the country wasn't tough enough, the Cream and Crimson will play a preconference schedule loaded with high-level opponents, including five `07 NCAA Qualifiers. Highlighting that group is Indiana's first opponent of the season, #24 Long Beach State. Albany, Kentucky, Louisville and Missouri each advanced to the postseason in 2007 as well.
RUNNING THE SHOW
Indiana has a new setter for 2008, handing the reigns of the offense to true freshman Mary Chaudoin. Chaudoin, a six-foot-three setter from Peachtree City, Ga., is a natural leader that adds a "big block" in the frontcourt and has the ability to attack numerous balls. Chaudoin was one of three finalists for the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and a PrepVolleyball.com All-American her senior season of high school.
NEW FACE IN A NEW PLACE
Transfers Melany Rarey and Hayley Koetter each bring NCAA Tournament experience to the Hoosiers, entering the season as a junior and sophomore, respectively. Both are defensive specialist and are expected to see time in the IU backcourt.
Rarey played two seasons at Michigan State, including the Spartans' 2006 NCAA-qualifying season. The native Hoosier has played in 111 career sets, compiling 25 service aces and 187 digs while in East Lansing.
Koetter played in all 36 matches as a freshman at Western Kentucky. She was a member of the Sun Belt Conference's first team to ever earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Koetter totaled 38 aces, 139 digs and 48 assists in 2007.
Players Mentioned
