Indiana University Athletics
IU Volleyball, A Look Inside the Numbers
9/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Several Indiana University volleyball players can be found towards the top of not only the Big Ten statistical rankings, but also a few national categories. With one week left in the pre-conference schedule, IUHoosiers.com takes a look at the numbers.
Ashley Benson and Erica Short each sit atop a Big Ten statistical category three weeks into the season. Benson's 1.69 blocks per set average and Short's 5.00 kills/set each lead the conference. Benson is getting it down offensively as well, posting the sixth highest hitting efficiency (.396) and 3.66 kills/set, good for eighth in the Big Ten. Juli Pierce joins her teammates the in top-ten rankings, coming in at number seven with a 3.91 digs per set pace.
On the national scale, Benson's 1.69 blocks/set are the second most in the country while her .396 hitting percentage slots her in the top-30. Short is one of the NCAA's top assailants in Division-I volleyball thus far, killing the third most balls per set. As a team, the Hoosiers rank 23rd in blocks (2.66), 30th in assists (12.81) and 33rd in kills (13.81).
Also of note, Pierce and Short are both closing in on career statistical totals that would rank as the greatest in IU Volleyball history. Pierce, who already holds the single-season record for digs with 481 in `07, is nearly certain to etch her name to the top of the career digs list this weekend. The former walk-on, is just 14 digs shy of Jen Magelssen (1995-98) and her 1,331 career digs. Pierce is currently second place all-time with her 1,317 digs.
Short has climbed into fourth place on the all-time kills list with 1,495 put-aways. The Orrville, Ohio native enters the weekend 313 kills away from matching Christina Archibald's (2001-04) top mark of 1,808 career kills.
Benson is also making her case to be placed in the IU record books with her .302 career hitting efficiency. Forty-one matches into her Hoosier career, Benson has connected on 378 kills on 875 attempts with 114 errors. If the Bloomington North High School product can simply maintain her .302 pace for her next 125 attempts (matching the 1,000 attempts min.), she would own the best career hitting percentage in school history.
Players Mentioned
