IU plays at home after Purdue road win

Now three games into the Big Ten season, each conference opponent the IU volleyball team has faced has been ranked at some point in 2009.

The Hoosiers (13-4, 2-1) hope to seize another victory against a ranked foe as they face No. 8 Minnesota (11-3, 2-0) at 1 p.m. Sunday in University Gymnasium .

“They’re great,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said. “They’re a fantastic team.”

The Golden Gophers enter their second weekend of conference play as the top blocking team in the Big Ten at a 2.88 average per match. IU ranks third in the conference with a 2.69 average per set.

Junior middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer leads the conference with a 1.52 block average and fifth nationally.

Before coming to Bloomington to face the Hoosiers, Minnesota will stop in West Lafayette Friday for a date with Purdue, whom IU beat in five sets Wednesday.

Dunbar said she was proud of her team winning in a hostile road environment, the freshmen players, in particular.

Freshman outside hitter Jordan Haverly totaled 19 kills and 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Middle blocker Samantha Thrower added five block assists and nine kills, including the match-winner in the fifth set.

“I like that we can ... give a freshman the ball and let her put it away,” Dunbar said. “I was proud that they didn’t get tentative and stayed aggressive.”

Junior middle blocker Ashley Benson, who led IU to victory against the Boilermakers with 21 kills and four block assists, said the team needs to keep in mind what it did Wednesday when it faces Minnesota.

“I think, you know, just keep the thought in our minds about us playing Purdue and how hard we fought against them, and bring that to Minnesota,” Benson said.