IU volleyball team evens Big Ten record with win over Ohio State

This weekend, the IU volleyball team went 1-1 against two tough Big Ten opponents.\nThe Hoosiers dropped their Friday contest against Penn State, but rebounded to defeat Ohio State on Saturday, moving them to 2-2 in Big Ten play this season. \nOn Friday, the Hoosiers faced No. 3 Penn State at home in a match against a team with imposing blockers. IU coach Sherry Dunbar knew coming into the match that her team must approach the Nittany Lions with aggressiveness and intensity in order to compete.\nIU showed it could stick with its opponent in the first game as it tied the score at 13, but eventually dropped the game 19-30. Game two’s final difference was not as large, as the Hoosiers lost 22-30. They held Penn State to a hitting efficiency of .188 in the second game, but it didn’t help the Hoosiers, as they hit .143 themselves. The Nittany Lions, led in kills by Megan Hodge, took the match after defeating the Hoosiers 22-30 in game three.\n“Penn State had a tough time with us,” said freshman middle blocker Taylor Wittmer. “This match gave us confidence.” \nDunbar felt the team brought intensity to the table against Penn State and played to its level. \n“We lost, but we didn’t feel like we lost,” she said. “I feel we played great, never gave up and we felt we gave everything.” \nDunbar told the team if it carried the same intensity over to the next opponent – Ohio State – on Saturday night, then the outcome might be different. \nNext up were the Buckeyes, who just last week were ranked No. 23 in the nation. In a packed University Gym, the Hoosiers performed just as their coach instructed them. IU came out playing well in game one, as the Hoosiers took Ohio State out of its rhythm right away by jumping out to a 10-2 lead and eventually taking the game 30-19. \nFreshman setter Mara Hilgenberg proved to be a force in the middle of the IU offense, as she averaged 15 assists per game against Ohio State. \n“With the intensity of the crowd plus our intensity, we knew we could take any team out of their comfort zone,” Hilgenberg said. \nGame two picked up just where game one left off as the Hoosiers recorded 20 kills, 17 of which were set up by Hilgenberg. The Buckeyes battled hard, decreasing the deficit to 15-13 just before the Hoosiers went on a surge, reeling off seven consecutive points. The ladies of Indiana never looked back, as they took the game by a score of 30-18. \nBoth teams headed to the locker rooms after two games with the Hoosiers leading the match 2-0. In game three, Ohio State came out fighting. The Buckeyes held the Hoosiers to a .128 hitting efficiency and stole game three 25-30. \nWinning is exactly what the Hoosiers accomplished when they seized game four 30-20 and the match. \n“I feel we can take away team unity from this weekend,” Wittmer said. “We never got frustrated or down – we now know what we can do in the Big Ten.” \nThe Hoosiers now move to 11-5 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten. Dunbar said she thinks this win over the Buckeyes serves as a landmark for her team. \n“This is a huge step for our team,” she said. “Playing at home was a huge advantage, and the fans are going to come back to see good competition.” \nThe Hoosiers have two road games scheduled for next weekend, facing Illinois on Friday and Wisconsin on Saturday.