Big Ten woes sink hopes

The volleyball squad began hastily bouncing balls off the practice floor just before 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, sending noisy echoes throughout University Gym.\nThe barrage of thuds was indicative of the Hoosiers' lackluster run through the Big Ten's first half. No pows. No explosions. No bams. The closest thing to fireworks this season came in a three-game thumping of Purdue. \nOther than that, not much. Only losing streaks and frowning faces.\nCoach Katie Weismiller's squad skidded to just three wins in its first 10 Big Ten games, allowing the Hoosiers to sit two games from last place. \n"We're very disappointed," Weismiller said. "We have the potential, but we're not doing anything about it. No one's happy."\nLast year, IU finished 10-10 in the Big Ten race and upset No. 16 Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 17 Northern Iowa. The 1999 season marked the second consecutive year IU appeared in post-season play. \nIn 2000, hopes for a post-season repeat victory began quickly fading when the Hoosiers dropped five consecutive Big Ten contests.\nBut Weismiller and company ended IU's longest losing streak in four years with a sweep of Illinois and the Boilermakers Oct. 13 and 14, but again sputtered in losses to national powers Penn State and Ohio State. \n"Our best play was when we swept Illinois and Purdue," sophomore outside hitter Hillary Toivonen said. "We thought we were done struggling, but that only lasted one weekend. We can beat anyone. We're just lacking heart and desire."\nIU (12-8, 3-7 Big Ten) has yet to win a game, let alone a match, against any of the Big Ten's top-five teams. Iowa and Michigan -- teams in front of the Hoosiers -- stunned IU with devastating losses. The trio of Hoosier triumphs have come at the hands of the three teams trailing IU in the conference. Those three squads -- Illinois, Purdue and Northwestern -- have a combined league record of 3-21 before this weekend's play.\n"It's a bunch of 'should've' and 'could've,'" freshman outside hitter Nicole Hill said of IU's first 10 games. "There's games, like against Iowa and Michigan, where we didn't even compete."\nHill, Toivonen and Weismiller said IU's problems aren't physical, but pyschological. The Hoosiers simply haven't been able to convert solid practices into spectacular games, let alone winning efforts. \nWeismiller plans to tweak her lineup for the remaining 10 games, flip-flopping personnel and positions to create a spark. She also said she plans changes in practice.\nWeismiller remains upbeat IU's problems can be fixed, but she wonders why they haven't been mended. \n"It's a double-edged sword," she said. "We've had some matches where we didn't show up. We have to be ready when the lights come on."\nIU's once-proud serving game has flickered for Weismiller. The Hoosiers confused and criss-crossed Purdue with solid serves, opening the gate for the resounding win. But the Hoosiers haven't been able to sustain the serving game at any point this season. Weismiller will make adjustments, including jump-serving and positioning of servers, in hopes of igniting her troops for the final trips through the Big Ten. \nThe rest of the schedule could help the Hoosiers. IU has already made visits to some of the Big Ten's toughest road venues, including Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State, and has six of the final 10 games in Bloomington.\n"We need to get fired up," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "We need to protect our home court. We know we have the talent. We have one last chance to knock off the top teams"