Big Ten wide open

The women's volleyball team wanted to make a statement in its Big Ten opening weekend. It did ... sort of. \nThe Hoosiers knocked off Northwestern, who upset defending conference champion Penn State the following night. But a day later, No. 14 Wisconsin tripped up IU in three games. An even record after two matches is a success ... sort of.\nThe wide open Big Ten race has head coach Katie Weismiller and her troops feeling good about their record and chances, but Weismiller said the Hoosiers will have to be on guard this weekend when a pair of conference contenders invade Bloomington.\nIowa visits University Gym 7 p.m. Friday, and sixth-ranked Minnesota marches in at 7 p.m. Saturday. Both squads began the season with a pair of wins last weekend, and both are expected to test the upstart Hoosiers. \n"Minnesota is big and strong, and Iowa has a good team," Weismiller said. "We have to protect our home court and get a couple wins."\nIowa hasn't won in Bloomington since 1996, but upset both Illinois and Purdue in Iowa City last weekend. Weismiller said she expects junior outside hitter Sara Meyermann and middle blocker Katie Panhorst to lead the Hawkeye charge. Panhorst, a senior, currently ranks sixth in the conference in blocks per game, with 1.23. \nA relatively young Iowa group ranks seventh or lower in every Big Ten statistical category, but showed its potential last weekend. But Weismiller said her Hoosiers should win, provided they play ball-control volleyball and improve their shaky offense.\n"It's kind of a shock that both (Iowa and Minnesota) are 2-0," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said."We don't look at it as if we're playing a good team or a bad team. We have to increase our level of play."\nMinnesota is the next team to challenge the Hoosiers. IU grounded the Gophers in the Big Ten finale last season, virtually earning its NCAA Tournament bid with the upset win. Head coach Mike Herbert's crew was ranked in the top-ten last season and is ranked again, this time at No. 6.\nThe Gophers, who haven't won in Bloomington in their last two tries, lead the Big Ten in hitting percentage and blocks and boast three returning all-Big Ten team members: Nicole Branagh, Lindsey Berg and Stephanie Hagen. \nBranagh currently leads the conference in kills, at 4.92 per game. Berg hands out 13.03 assists per game, third best in the league, and Hagen leads the conference in both blocks and hitting percentage. \nThe high-powered trio leads what Weismiller called a "fast offense," set up by Berg. Weismiller said she hopes to take the Gophers out of their game by playing her own. IU spent this week fine-tuning its complicated offense as well as its struggles from the service line. Weismiller said she wants more aggression.\n"We have to concentrate on our side of the court," she said. "We need to set the tempo. If we do that, we can play with anybody in the country."\nBeing back home should help the Hoosiers' chances of sweeping the weekend set. IU played in front of more than 3,500 fans at Wisconsin and faced a tough test at Northwestern, so suiting it up somewhere more familiar will help, freshman Nicole Hill said.\n"We can definitely build momentum," Hill said. "No one is rooting against us, so we're looking forward to this weekend"