Cox breaks school digs record, IU sweeps home tournament

Midway through the second set of the IU volleyball match against Gonzaga on Friday, play was stopped as the crowd rose to their feet to applaud IU’s new all-time digs leader, senior libero Caitlin Cox.

Cox broke Juli Pierce’s career record of 1,525 digs by tying her own single-game best of 27 digs. The senior ended Friday with 1,535 total digs.

“I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet,” Cox said. “It’s nice to do it in front of the home crowd who’s supported me for the last four years.”

While Friday was a record-setting night for Cox, who was later voted MVP of the tournament, the Hoosiers had another successful weekend at home, beating Gonzaga, Niagara and Eastern Illinois to sweep the Hoosier Classic.

IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said while the team may have looked flat in the first two matches, the Hoosiers played “very emotional in a good way” in the final match as they swept EIU.

“If we do what we did (against EIU) with that emotion level and that type of aggressiveness, we will be a good team, but we have to be that team more often,” Dunbar said. “The team we were (Friday) night and (Saturday) morning ­­— although we got wins — will not be the level we need to be at to play in the Big Ten. It’s about
consistency.”

Middle blockers Morgan Leach and Samantha Thrower have been the Hoosiers’ models of consistency throughout the past two weeks.

Both Leach and Thrower were selected to the all-Hoosier Classic tournament team — the second all-tournament team selection in as many weeks for the pair, as they were both a part of the All—IU Classic tournament team last weekend.

“It’s made it very nice to have two brand-new middles playing this year in our program, to have them both be an All-tournament two weeks in a row,” Dunbar said. “That says something about what they have done during the off-season with (Thrower) and what they’ve done so far in the preseason.”

Although Cox, Leach and Thrower received the recognition as All-Tournament players, the Hoosiers received vital contributions from other players throughout the weekend of play.

Senior setter Mary Chaudoin’s high energy level and timely kills provided a spark for the Hoosiers all weekend.

“We subbed her in during the morning match, and I think that kind of changed the momentum for us because of her energy level,” Dunbar said.

Chaudoin said with her outgoing and energetic personality, she is more than happy to bring some excitement on the court.

“Being a senior, I’ve been through a lot of matches, and I see in this team that we really need some energy,” Chaudoin said. “If that’s my role on this team — to bring energy to the court— I’m more than happy to fill it.”