IU goes to Michigan on short week

The IU volleyball team will travel to face No. 15 Michigan on Friday (16-4, 4-4) for a 7 p.m. date with the Wolverines. \nMichigan has lost only four games this season and was a perfect 13-0 before losing its first match, equaling the best start in the program’s history.\nThe Wolverines sit in a three-way tie for fourth in the Big Ten, directly below IU, who is tied with Purdue for fourth.\nThe Wolverines have won 10 of the last 15 outings against the Hoosiers, but IU leads the all-time series 32-24-1. Michigan is 8-1 overall at home this season and 3-1 in conference matches in Ann Arbor. \nThe Hoosiers will need to come into the first game of Friday’s match with force, because the Wolverines are 14-1 this season when leading after one game. IU’s coach Sherry Dunbar said the first game is important, and the team approaches it one point at a time.\n“The first game is always tough,” she said. “There are many goals for us – first to five, first to 10. We focus on point-to-point.”\nIU is coming off a motivational win against rival Purdue, which was televised by the Big Ten Network. Sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Hall said she believes the momentum from the win over Purdue will carry over to Friday’s match.\n“Our momentum is going to flow into the Michigan game,” she said. “We have nothing to lose.”\nWith two Wolverines in the “1,000-kill club” – senior outside hitter Katie Bruzdzinski and senior middle blocker Lyndsay Miller – IU will need to play tough, sturdy defense. Junior outside hitter Erica Short said she feels the team must serve strong and maintain tough defense, two things the Hoosiers did well against Purdue.\n“Our defense played awesome,” she said. “We also need to keep up the aggressive serving.”\nWith Purdue this past Wednesday and Michigan on Friday, IU has had to manage its time this week, focusing on each opponent in practice. The Hoosiers had a day between matches to prepare for the Wolverines. Hall said she thinks the team is well-prepared to enter the match on Friday.\n“We focused on Purdue, now we get to focus on Michigan,” she said. “I think we’ll be ready to play them.”\nPurdue was IU’s first midweek match-up of the season. Speaking in terms of physical play, Short said she knows the team has to bring intensity to the match with the \nWolverines.\n“Hopefully, we can come up with a win,” Short said.\nIU has already notched four times as many conference wins this season compared to last. Dunbar said she believes the team is learning to compete at the Big Ten level.\n“I think we’re learning to fight,” she said. “Fighting and defense will help us a lot in the Big Ten.”