IU to face No. 12 Minnesota on Friday

The IU volleyball team had little time to dwell on its disappointing home loss to Purdue on Wednesday.

The Hoosiers (14-13, 3-10) turn right around for a road match at No. 12 Minnesota (17-7, 8-4) at 8 p.m. Friday.

“They have a lot of balance and they play with a fire,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said of the Golden Gophers. “They make great plays. They make things look easy on their side of the net.”

Minnesota downed IU in straight sets on their Oct. 4 visit to Bloomington.
Dunbar praised the Golden Gophers’ athleticism and efficiency.

“They have great athletes that can hit anywhere on the court,” Dunbar said. “They have a couple of All-Americans, and it’s hard to slow them down.”

One of those All-Americans, junior middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer, recorded 13 kills at a team-best .435 hitting percentage in Minnesota’s first match against IU. She was a third-team selection for the honor.

However, the Golden Gophers enter this contest with IU without their second-team All-American selection, junior outside hitter Brook Dieter, who recently left the team.
Dieter earned 14 kills and three total blocks in the teams’ previous meeting.

IU junior middle blocker Ashley Benson said the Hoosiers have improved at the net as they travel to Minneapolis and attempt to hold the Gophers’ offense in check.
“Blocking is getting a lot better,” Benson said.

Dunbar said in order to upset Minnesota, IU must maintain the level of intensity and focus that the Gophers exhibit each time they take the court.

“When you play a team like that, you have to play great volleyball,” Dunbar said. “You really have to step up, and you really have to really start from point one and really have that fire to compete at that level.”