Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Wrap Up Pre-Conference Schedule at Miami (OH)
9/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana University volleyball team (10-0) competes in its final non-conference tournament of the season this weekend, making the short two-hour drive over to Oxford, Ohio for the Miami Best Western Invitational.
Indiana, off to the school's best start in 13 years and second-best all-time, is slated for just two matches to cap off the pre-conference schedule. The Hoosiers first take on DePaul (1-8) at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 18) before facing the host RedHawks of Miami (OH) (4-6) in a 7:30 p.m. nightcap.
Live audio broadcasts on IUHoosiers.com will be available for both matches this weekend, and every contest throughout the entire 2010 season. Dave Leno will call the play-by-play while Kyle Kuhlman provides some color commentary during the trip to Oxford.
Indiana owns all-time series advantages with both schools, leading Miami (OH), 12-4, and taking two of three past meetings with the Blue Demons.The Hoosiers are riding a nine-match winning streak over MU with the most recent contest (2000) ending in a 3-0 sweep for IU. There is little recent history between DePaul and Indiana as the last meeting was nearly 20 years ago, back in 1981.
Miami Best Western Invitational Match Notes 
AND THEN THERE WERE 14
Indiana's 10-0 record is the school's best start since 1997 and the second-best start to a season ever. The unblemished mark puts IU in elite company as one of just 14 teams nationally to remain undefeated heading into the weekend.
BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE
Head Coach Sherry Dunbar has led her Hoosiers to at least one non-conference tournament title in each of her four seasons in Bloomington, and a total of seven tourney crowns:
2007: Valparaiso Popcorn Classic
2008: IU adidas Classic
2009: Flo Hyman Invitational (U. of Houston), Hamption Inn Invitational (Ohio University)
2010: Courtyard Marriott Georgia Tech Classic, IU adidas Classic, Niagara/Canisius Tournament
BIG TEN DOING BIG THINGS
Any doubt that the Big Ten is the nation's toughest volleyball conference is quickly erased when looking at the AVCA Coaches Poll Top-25. Eight conference schools are representing this week with two in the top-5, five in the top-25 and three additional teams receiving votes.
The Big Ten has an overall non-conference record of 85-13 (.867) heading into the weekend.
RECORD BOOK ONSLAUGHT
With two single-season school records (hitting percentage, total blocks) already on her resume, senior middle blocker Ashley Benson now has the career record books in her sights.
Benson's performance thus far at IU has nearly guaranteed her the No. 1 slot for hitting efficiency as her .332 career clip is 42 percentage points higher than the next closest Hoosier. Benson is nearly assured to set the all-time blocks record as well, needing just 18 rejections to reach the top slot. Offensively, she has racked up 1,183 kills, 205 shy of the top-five.
Caitlin Cox is also climbing up the career rankings. With over a season and a half left in Bloomington, Cox already owns the single-season digs mark and needs only 46 more to crack the top-five before her junior season comes to and end.
In addition, Mary Chaudoin and Taylor Wittmer's career totals of 1,910 assists and 317 blocks slot them 7th and 9th all-time, respectively, in the those career categories.
NIAGARA FALLS TO HOOSIERS
Indiana won all 12 sets played in week three, sweeping through the Niagara/Canisius Tourney to earn the team's third tournament title in as many weekends. IU allowed the opposition to reach 20 points in just two sets of the invitational.
For the tournament, Ashley Benson hit at a .629 pace while averaging 4.45 kills per set. She also chipped in 11 blocks, 18 digs and an ace. That perforamnce not only earned her a third consecutive tournament MVP award, but also led her to being named one of two Big Ten Co-Players of the Week.
AT YOUR SERVICE
Indiana commenced an aerial assault from the service line versus Bucknell, bombarding the Bison with 11 aces. That total is the highest for IU in a three-set match since 1993, and the third most ever. Jordan Haverly and Melanie Hicks were the most accurate assassins, combining for nine aces. Haverly's five bullets placed her name in the school record books, giving her a share of second-most aces in a three-setter.
