Volleyball team battles inconsistency for win

It might just be that the volleyball team suffers from a slight personality disorder.\nFriday, the sluggish, uninspired version poked its head into University Gym.\nA mere 24 hours later, IU's energized, upbeat twin rumbled in.\nThe difference in the dual personalities was as discernable as the results it provided: first, a sloppy 15-5, 15-9, 15-12 loss to No. 23 Michigan State, then a 11-15, 17-15, 15-7, 15-10 win against Michigan.\nThe explanation for the erratic play was simple.\n"We were the aggressors (against Michigan)," senior outside hitter Amanda Welter said. "We came after them. We were passing well, serving tough. We came after them, as opposed to sitting back and being defensive."\nBut before IU (13-9, 4-8 Big Ten) broke its three-game losing skid against the Wolverines, Michigan State (13-8, 6-6) dominated the Hoosiers. IU crumbled after hanging with the Spartans for the first 10 points, as MSU rattled off six points in succession to put away game one and seemingly zap the Hoosiers of their energy.\nIU managed only a 0.185 hitting percentage, served eight errant passes and never put up much of a fight.\nCoach Katie Weismiller implemented lineup changes, with senior defensive specialist Joanne Amstutz and freshman defensive specialist Beth Heimann seeing more playing time. Welter, who usually flip-flops in and out of the lineup in order to sit out her turn to serve, stayed in the games this weekend, as she served and saw some back row action.\nThe mix-ups didn't seem to have any effect Friday, but worked like a charm Saturday.\nThe team corrected its poor passing and lackluster energy to whiz past Michigan (13-10, 3-9) in a tense match of two teams trying to climb from the Big Ten basement.\nThe Hoosiers dropped game one and blew a 12-6 lead in game two before bouncing back to grab the next match and the momentum.\n"I think we just lost our focus for a little bit," Amstutz said of the Hoosiers' game two struggles. "We regained it, though, and didn't give up."\nIU's 0.231 hitting percentage wasn't overwhelming, but the play of freshman outside hitter Nicole Hill was. Hill hit 0.455 with a match-high 19 kills and recorded 10 digs, as she sprawled across the floor to make several saves. The Muncie native had her hand in three of IU's final five points, helping IU sideout, then serving an ace to nail down the win.\n"I felt good," Hill said. "(Sophomore setter) Laurie (Gardner) did a great job. I had a lot of open shots. I had lots of options."\nThe option-oriented attack disappeared in IU's losses against Ohio State and Michigan State earlier this season, but four Hoosiers reached double figures in kills Saturday. IU slapped a giant band-aid on its arm with the win, helping gain some momentum for the remaining league contests.\n"We were in the game (Saturday) from the beginning," Weismiller said. "We played as a team and celebrated everything. We were on it"