IU looks to end losing streak

The IU women's volleyball team heads to Illinois this weekend to compete against Big Ten rivals Northwestern and Illinois. The Hoosiers are currently riding a six-match losing skid and are looking to secure their first road win of the season. \nLast week the Hoosiers traveled to West Lafayette to battle Purdue and then played host to No. 23 Wisconsin. Both matches resulted in IU losses. Despite the defeats, the team's play during the matches picked up as they battled the Boilermakers to four games and pushed the ranked Badgers to the limits before losing a five-set heartbreaker. \n"After these past two matches I think our confidence is back up again," senior Melissa Brewer said. "Saturday was a heartbreaker, and I wish we could've won, but I think it really shows that we're still here ... Playing the No. 23 team in the country and to go five games, and almost win, shows me that our confidence is not shaken."\nThe six-match slide has devastated the Hoosiers' record. The Hoosiers were 9-4, Sept. 27, with a 2-0 conference record after sweeping all six matches against a then-ranked Minnesota team and Iowa. The team looked to be on its way to securing its fifth NCAA Tournament bid since 1995, but now, with a sub-.500 record, an increasing importance is being put on every match as the Hoosiers try to recapture their early season form.\n"We said that the league was going to be tough to start with," IU coach Katie Weismiller said. "I think every match is going to be important for us. We need to get on the road and get some victories. We have the talent, we have the people, we have the personnel to get it done."\nDespite the team's current slide, juniors Christina Archibald and Beth Heimann rank near the top in the Big Ten in four statistical categories. Archibald ranks third in the conference with 316 kills and is fourth in the league averaging 4.33 kills per game. Archibald also has an impressive streak of matches in which she records double-digit kills, as she has collected at least 10 kills in 30 consecutive matches. Heimann ranks third in the league with 238 digs and sits in fifth place averaging 3.35 digs per game. \nNorthwestern heads into this weekend's play with an identical 2-6 conference record. The Wildcats are reeling after being swept last weekend by both Michigan and Michigan State. \nCurrently, Illinois sits just outside the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll. The Fighting Illini are 14-4 with a 6-2 conference mark, good for a four-way tie atop the Big Ten standings. Unlike the Wildcats, the Illini enjoyed a successful Michigan road swing as they swept the Wolverines and defeated the ranked Spartan team 3-1. The Illini are led by junior Jessica Belter, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week. \n"We just need to start winning," senior Monique Pritz. "We know we can win, we just need to get it done. We just need to all come together on the same night. If we start winning we can still have a good season. We just need to start doing that this weekend."\n-- Contact staff writer Matt Glenesk at mglesnek@indiana.edu