IU hosts Wisconsin, Illinois this weekend

The IU volleyball team (14-8, 5-5) comes into the second half of the Big Ten conference schedule on pace to get their first NCAA tournament berth since 2002.\nThis week, they face two familiar opponents. IU will host No. 8 Wisconsin (17-2, 9-1) at 7 p.m. Friday and Illinois (12-8, 4-6) at 7 p.m. Saturday. Both matches will take place at the University Gym.\nEarlier this season, the Hoosiers were swept by the Badgers 3-0 (17-30, 31-33, 16-30), but defeated Illinois in a five-game thriller 3-2 (24-30, 30-22, 15-30, 30-23, 16-14). \nWith the Hoosiers in good standing within the conference for the first time in five years, the team is trying to finish the season strong. \n“Right now, we are in a good position in the conference,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said. “This part of the season, teams usually go up or down in the standings. We want to be one of the teams on the rise up.” \nIU has four freshmen playing significant time, and by this time in high school their seasons would usually have been over. Dunbar is using her coaching and the veteran player’s advice to keep the freshmen and the rest of the team focused.\n“We must stay focused,” said senior co-captain Juli Pierce. “When we play we need to forget about everything else and worry about the game.” \nOne of Wisconsin’s key players is sophomore Brittany Dolgner. Dolgner leads the conference in kills with 4.84 per game and in points with 5.39. In the game at Wisconsin on Oct. 6, Dolgner racked up 16 kills and totaled 17.5 points in all. \nThe first time IU played Wisconsin, Dunbar said the Hoosiers had a problem with their defensive intensity. Dunbar is convinced that the Hoosiers will come out with better intensity this time around. A little extra motivation for IU to have a good defensive outing is due to Friday’s game being a part of Breast Cancer Awareness month. For every dig the team racks up, fans have the opportunity to donate to the cure for breast cancer. \n“Our defense this week at practice has been good,” Dunbar said. “With Friday’s game being the Dig for the Cure Match it gives them extra motivation to do well defensively.”\nAnother thing IU will have to improve upon if they want to knock off Wisconsin are the mistakes they made against the Badgers earlier in the season. \n“We need to maintain our passing, reduce errors and serve tough against them,” Dunbar said.\nLast weekend, the Hoosiers didn’t play on Saturday or Sunday for the first time in nearly two months. The time off gave them an opportunity to rest up and prepare for Wisconsin and Illinois this week.\n“The time off has helped us mentally,” said freshman setter Mara Hilgenberg.