Volleyball team loses second straight Big Ten match

The IU volleyball team (12-2, 0-2) lost its first two Big Ten games after going undefeated in the nonconference schedule.

On Friday, the Hoosiers received their first Big Ten road loss to Northwestern. The Wildcats won by scores of 21-25, 25-21, 25-20 and 25-23.

“Well, you never want to start out the Big Ten season with two losses, but it’s just the beginning,” sophomore middle blocker Samantha Thrower said. “We have 18 more matches to play.”

Just like in its home loss to Purdue last Wednesday, IU came out and won the first set but lost the next three sets to lose the match.

The Hoosiers didn’t have an answer for Northwestern middle blocker Naomi Johnson, who recorded 18 kills and four total blocks.

“In the second set, emotionally we didn’t come out like we won the first set,” IU coach Sherry Dunbar said.

In both of IU’s losses, the opponent led in blocks. The Boilermakers blocked 12 balls to the Hoosiers’ eight, and the Wildcats rejected nine to IU’s six.

Three Hoosiers accounted for 44 of the team’s 55 kills on the match.

Benson, sophomore outside hitter Jordan Haverly and sophomore right-side hitter Kelci Marschall all had double-digit kills, but that wasn’t enough to get the win.

Thrower added eight kills.

“Of course it’s nice to play well individually, but it doesn’t really matter when we don’t win as a team,” Thrower said.

The Hoosiers go on the road next weekend to face Iowa on Friday and Minnesota on Sunday.

“Being on the road is the toughest thing to do in the Big Ten,” Dunbar said.