Coach said losing season had ups and downs

The season has come to an end for the women's volleyball team, and the Hoosiers finished with an overall 8-20, 5-15 record. Coach Katie Weismiller said the team improved throughout the season and showed it can compete with the other teams in the Big Ten.\n"Definitely the season was not as we envisioned it, but I think our play picked up the second half of the season," Weismiller said. "We played some of the top 10, top 20 teams, and we competed. We came out and we showed that we can compete with these teams."\nAlthough the team and coaches are not satisfied with their season record, Weismiller said the team is taking the positive from their losses. \nJunior Hillary Toivonen said she felt bad about not filling expectations that the team and fans had going into the season.\n"We came into this season so excited to play and with high expectations for ourselves. It was just\ndisappointing that we didn't meet our own expectations as well as other peoples'," Toivonen said.\nThe Hoosiers finished the Big Ten season ninth in the conference. Toivonen said the finish is fitting for the year.\nFreshman Christina Archibald remembers the highs and lows of the season.\n"I think that the middle of the season on we began playing a lot better. Our game really picked up a lot. I would say that I am satisfied overall knowing that our game picked up," Archibald said. "It was a great turnover, but we still wish that we would have played better."\nArchibald led the team with 364 kills this season. These kills have pulled her into the top spot for the IU freshman single season kill record. \n"I think that it is a great honor for Christina. She has really matured as a player as the season went on," Weismiller said. "Her offense really progressed and her serving and passing continued to get better."\nThe Hoosiers are already looking ahead to next season. Weismiller says they still practice and will continue to until the holidays, when they will have their first break.\n"Fans can expect a re-energized team that is seeking to prove something to fans around the Big Ten," Toivonen said. "Our team is hungry for success, but it is just a matter of getting everyone on the same page"