Indiana University Athletics
‘Unreal’ – Beating Purdue Another Sign of IU Volleyball Growth
10/12/2023 11:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Sometimes you have to sacrifice your body. Sometimes, you dive and dive and dive some more, withstand volleyball kill shot attempts approaching 70 mph, push past exhaustion and frustration and nerves because that's what it takes.
And then, if you're the Indiana Hoosiers, you take it.
On Wednesday night, you'd better believe they took it.
There was outside hitter Morgan Geddes, right fist thrust high in the air to punctuate a celebration 11 years in the making, seconds after middle blocker Avry Tatum's 12th kill had clinched a four-set victory over No. 15 Purdue, 25-23, 17-25, 25-17, 25-17.
After 21 straight losses to the Boilers, joy had returned.
"It's unreal," Tatum said. "I looked at everyone after it was over and said, 'Did this just happen? This is so fun."
Fun followed a tough-minded team performance that suggested this is a beginning and not an ending.
"I think our program has taken the next step," said libero Ramsey Gary, a freshman who plays beyond her years. Her 22 digs, 10 in the fourth set, reflected that.
IU (14-6 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten) beat Purdue (10-6, 4-3) for the first time since 2012, won the traveling Monon Spike for the first time since 2007 and beat a ranked team for the first time ever at Wilkinson Hall. It's the Hoosiers' best 20-game start to a season since 2010.
"This is just a step forward on what we harp on at every practice," Tatum said. "Get one percent better. I'm excited to see what the rest of the season holds for us."
Hoosier talent, experience, execution, communication and determination rocked a record Wilkinson Hall crowd of 2,725.
"The environment was amazing," coach Steve Aird said. "When I took the job, I had a belief we could have a night like this, where the community and the students came, and it was a giant party. We have a team that is good enough to have everyone leave happy."
Happiness came from a team steeled by a rigorous schedule that included a five-set, nail-biting loss at national power Penn State, and competitive losses to No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 2 Nebraska.
Whenever Purdue pushed hard for control, IU pushed back harder.
"It was one point at a time," Ramsey said. "We focused on chopping wood. Play our game. It's that simple. We just kept chopping wood."
*****
Victory demanded a dousing. Hoosier players were set on that. Evidence came from water-soaked tables and chairs in the Wilkinson Hall meeting room.
Aird was the target.
"He came in, we acted normal, and then we went crazy," Ramsey said with a laugh.
Aird took it with a coach's perspective.
"They doused me because they're happy. I want them to be happy. It's important that they're happy, but you can celebrate in December. That's how I was raised."
Aird's celebration was no celebration at all. There are more matches to win (Michigan comes to Wilkinson Hall on Saturday), game plans to devise and a hockey game to watch (his Toronto Maples Leafs rallied for a 6-5 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens).
"I understand the significance of this," he said. "I understand the Purdue-Indiana thing. I understand a lot of people can have a lot of fun and be happy. But I'm a process guy. It's on to the next game."
Aird will continue to push and demand because that's what it will take to achieve postseason opportunity and success.
Inspiration comes from the support of coach Teri Moren and the women's basketball team, who have developed into a national power.
"If Teri coached our team," Aird said with a smile, "we'd be better. She's that good.
"I'm a huge fan of Teri and what she's built. She's given us a blueprint of how to do it, and how to do it the right way."
That includes large home crowds that energize players to elite levels.
"It's amazing," Ramsey said. "Our student section came out and made a difference."
This was IU's second straight sellout to follow the Nebraska match.
"It shows that we're getting better," Aird said. "The community is supporting the team the way I hoped it would. My cell phone is going crazy with ticket requests. That's good. That's healthy.
"If you're a student at IU, I want you here. Be part of the party. Be here and be loud.
"The (Wilkinson Hall) environment is becoming one of the tougher environments in the country. That was always one of the goals."
*****
Rivalry? Aird won't go there. Not yet. The Boilermakers have dominated the series (IU is 1-21 against them in the last 22 matches), and in Aird's view, that eliminates true rivalry status. Only more Hoosier victories -- starting with next week's trip to West Lafayette -- can restore balance.
"They've been good for 20 years," he said. "We've been good for a night. There are teams that make runs at national championships that have been good forever. We had a nice match. That's it."
In the opening set, IU took leads of 7-5 and 11-9. Purdue surged ahead 15-12. The Hoosiers surged back for ties of 20-20 and 21-21 before winning 25-23 on Candela Alonso-Corcelles's kill from setter Camryn Haworth's assist.
The Boilers jumped ahead 8-3 in the second set and won 25-17.
Doubt could have set in. Haworth refused to let that happen. She totaled 40 assists, nine digs, eight kills and three aces.
"At a certain point," Aird said, "Camryn decided to shift into All-American Camryn. She went to a different place."
The rest of the Hoosiers followed her. Alonso-Corcelles had 12 kills and 13 digs. Geddes had 10 kills. Key contributions also came from Isa Lopez, Grae Gosnell, Savannah Kjolhede and Kaley Rammelsberg.
"We had good distribution," Aird said. "Our back row kids played really well."
In the third set, Indiana built leads of 3-1, 9-6 and 15-11 on its way to a 25-16 victory.
"Going into the fourth set," Tatum said, "we were like, this is for the program, the university, for every one of us. We had each other's back and played hard."
The Hoosiers opened the fourth set with leads of 6-2, 12-6, 17-12, 20-15 and 22-16. Purdue called a timeout seeking a rally that never came.
"We didn't approach it as a rivalry match, but as another match," Tatum said. "They're a great team, but we played our game. We followed the game plan. That's what we harped on all week."
As victory approached, nerves surfaced.
"You saw some jitters,' Aird said. "The legs started to go a little bit. We missed three serves in a row. That didn't make sense. That's nerves."
He paused.
"They have to be in these environments to be good in these environments."
The Hoosiers are good now (this was their fourth top-15 victory under Aird) and figure to be better in the future. Elite recruits who previously wouldn't have considered IU are now coming.
"We basically return the whole team next year," Aird said. "I want to be good this year and I want to make a run, but next year we'll be better.
"We have a chance to be awfully good for the next four, five, six years. It's about building a program. Everyone wants it to be microwaved. You have to bake it. It takes time. Full credit to the kids."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Sometimes you have to sacrifice your body. Sometimes, you dive and dive and dive some more, withstand volleyball kill shot attempts approaching 70 mph, push past exhaustion and frustration and nerves because that's what it takes.
And then, if you're the Indiana Hoosiers, you take it.
On Wednesday night, you'd better believe they took it.
There was outside hitter Morgan Geddes, right fist thrust high in the air to punctuate a celebration 11 years in the making, seconds after middle blocker Avry Tatum's 12th kill had clinched a four-set victory over No. 15 Purdue, 25-23, 17-25, 25-17, 25-17.
After 21 straight losses to the Boilers, joy had returned.
"It's unreal," Tatum said. "I looked at everyone after it was over and said, 'Did this just happen? This is so fun."
Fun followed a tough-minded team performance that suggested this is a beginning and not an ending.
"I think our program has taken the next step," said libero Ramsey Gary, a freshman who plays beyond her years. Her 22 digs, 10 in the fourth set, reflected that.
IU (14-6 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten) beat Purdue (10-6, 4-3) for the first time since 2012, won the traveling Monon Spike for the first time since 2007 and beat a ranked team for the first time ever at Wilkinson Hall. It's the Hoosiers' best 20-game start to a season since 2010.
"This is just a step forward on what we harp on at every practice," Tatum said. "Get one percent better. I'm excited to see what the rest of the season holds for us."
Hoosier talent, experience, execution, communication and determination rocked a record Wilkinson Hall crowd of 2,725.
"The environment was amazing," coach Steve Aird said. "When I took the job, I had a belief we could have a night like this, where the community and the students came, and it was a giant party. We have a team that is good enough to have everyone leave happy."
Happiness came from a team steeled by a rigorous schedule that included a five-set, nail-biting loss at national power Penn State, and competitive losses to No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 2 Nebraska.
Whenever Purdue pushed hard for control, IU pushed back harder.
"It was one point at a time," Ramsey said. "We focused on chopping wood. Play our game. It's that simple. We just kept chopping wood."
*****
Victory demanded a dousing. Hoosier players were set on that. Evidence came from water-soaked tables and chairs in the Wilkinson Hall meeting room.
Aird was the target.
"He came in, we acted normal, and then we went crazy," Ramsey said with a laugh.
Aird took it with a coach's perspective.
"They doused me because they're happy. I want them to be happy. It's important that they're happy, but you can celebrate in December. That's how I was raised."
Aird's celebration was no celebration at all. There are more matches to win (Michigan comes to Wilkinson Hall on Saturday), game plans to devise and a hockey game to watch (his Toronto Maples Leafs rallied for a 6-5 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens).
"I understand the significance of this," he said. "I understand the Purdue-Indiana thing. I understand a lot of people can have a lot of fun and be happy. But I'm a process guy. It's on to the next game."
Aird will continue to push and demand because that's what it will take to achieve postseason opportunity and success.
Inspiration comes from the support of coach Teri Moren and the women's basketball team, who have developed into a national power.
"If Teri coached our team," Aird said with a smile, "we'd be better. She's that good.
"I'm a huge fan of Teri and what she's built. She's given us a blueprint of how to do it, and how to do it the right way."
That includes large home crowds that energize players to elite levels.
"It's amazing," Ramsey said. "Our student section came out and made a difference."
This was IU's second straight sellout to follow the Nebraska match.
"It shows that we're getting better," Aird said. "The community is supporting the team the way I hoped it would. My cell phone is going crazy with ticket requests. That's good. That's healthy.
"If you're a student at IU, I want you here. Be part of the party. Be here and be loud.
"The (Wilkinson Hall) environment is becoming one of the tougher environments in the country. That was always one of the goals."
*****
Rivalry? Aird won't go there. Not yet. The Boilermakers have dominated the series (IU is 1-21 against them in the last 22 matches), and in Aird's view, that eliminates true rivalry status. Only more Hoosier victories -- starting with next week's trip to West Lafayette -- can restore balance.
"They've been good for 20 years," he said. "We've been good for a night. There are teams that make runs at national championships that have been good forever. We had a nice match. That's it."
In the opening set, IU took leads of 7-5 and 11-9. Purdue surged ahead 15-12. The Hoosiers surged back for ties of 20-20 and 21-21 before winning 25-23 on Candela Alonso-Corcelles's kill from setter Camryn Haworth's assist.
The Boilers jumped ahead 8-3 in the second set and won 25-17.
Doubt could have set in. Haworth refused to let that happen. She totaled 40 assists, nine digs, eight kills and three aces.
"At a certain point," Aird said, "Camryn decided to shift into All-American Camryn. She went to a different place."
The rest of the Hoosiers followed her. Alonso-Corcelles had 12 kills and 13 digs. Geddes had 10 kills. Key contributions also came from Isa Lopez, Grae Gosnell, Savannah Kjolhede and Kaley Rammelsberg.
"We had good distribution," Aird said. "Our back row kids played really well."
In the third set, Indiana built leads of 3-1, 9-6 and 15-11 on its way to a 25-16 victory.
"Going into the fourth set," Tatum said, "we were like, this is for the program, the university, for every one of us. We had each other's back and played hard."
The Hoosiers opened the fourth set with leads of 6-2, 12-6, 17-12, 20-15 and 22-16. Purdue called a timeout seeking a rally that never came.
"We didn't approach it as a rivalry match, but as another match," Tatum said. "They're a great team, but we played our game. We followed the game plan. That's what we harped on all week."
As victory approached, nerves surfaced.
"You saw some jitters,' Aird said. "The legs started to go a little bit. We missed three serves in a row. That didn't make sense. That's nerves."
He paused.
"They have to be in these environments to be good in these environments."
The Hoosiers are good now (this was their fourth top-15 victory under Aird) and figure to be better in the future. Elite recruits who previously wouldn't have considered IU are now coming.
"We basically return the whole team next year," Aird said. "I want to be good this year and I want to make a run, but next year we'll be better.
"We have a chance to be awfully good for the next four, five, six years. It's about building a program. Everyone wants it to be microwaved. You have to bake it. It takes time. Full credit to the kids."
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
/ Women's Volleyball
Libero
/ Women's Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Women's Volleyball
Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist
/ Women's Volleyball
Setter
/ Women's Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Women's Volleyball
Defensive Specialist
/ Women's Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Women's Volleyball
Opposite/Middle Blocker
/ Women's VolleyballWednesday, August 05
Monday, August 03
Monday, August 03
Monday, August 03