IU takes confidence from last season, builds up team with new members

Competitive. Intense. Passionate.

These are words that define the new attitude of the IU women’s volleyball team, which is coming off of its Sweet 16 appearance and best season in program history.

“I think what the success of last year does is it gives you confidence,” coach Sherry Dunbar said. “It doesn’t give you any wins, but it definitely gives you confidence to say, ‘We trust what we are doing. We know that it is working.’ So now we have to figure out how to keep moving forward.”

After losing All-American Ashley Benson to graduation and last year’s outside hitter, Jordan Haverly, to a season-ending knee injury, the team will have to adjust to a new core group.

Last season as a sophomore, Haverly led the team with 463 kills. After last year’s success, she was regarded as one of the Big Ten’s top players to watch coming into this season.

With the loss of Haverly, Dunbar said the team’s playing style might be a bit unorthodox this season as the coaching staff figures out who will step up.

“We have two lefties (junior Kelci Marschall and graduate student Kristen Seaton), so we are trying to figure out where they will fit in the line-up,” Dunbar said. “We are really trying to figure out who can handle a bigger load, who wants the pressure and who can sustain playing a lot more.”

Marschall was third on the team last year with 287 kills, but she will need to be the player the Hoosiers count on most this year to replace Benson and Haverly.

She said her goal this year is not necessarily to replace Haverly; instead, it is to become a better all-around player and to find different ways to score.

“We aren’t really looking to replace her, just trying to find different ways to be successful,” Marschall said. “You have to have a lot of versatility at the college level to be successful, so that’s what we all got to work on.”

Dunbar said junior outside hitter Ivie Obeime, along with Marschall, has come into the season ready to take on more responsibility as an all-around player.

“They both played three rotations last year, so this year we are trying to see if they can both play six rotations and handle the passing, the serving, the defensive part, plus the front row,” Dunbar said. “They really busted it this spring and summer.”

The five new girls (transfer Kristen Seaton and freshmen Chante George, Morgan Leech, Colleen Smith and Jennifer Smith) Dunbar has brought in will need to learn on the fly with the start of the season fast approaching.

“These freshmen are like sponges,” Dunbar said. “They are a little overwhelmed right now, to be honest. It’s a lot of information they are getting, so it’s going to take them a while.”

Dunbar said she has faith that the transition for all of the new players will go smoothly because of the level of success the players have had throughout their careers.

“The biggest thing we did when we got here as a program was to bring in winners,” Dunbar said. “People that understand and expect to win, and these kids expect to win.”

For the success to come, senior libero Caitlin Cox said she has tried to work on calming the freshmen down to help them relax and play their best games.

“I think it’s reiterating just to relax,” Cox said. “I remember as a freshman going out there and playing in front of thousands of people. It’s nerve-wracking, but once you get a few points under your belt and you get used to it, you’re fine.”

As the season begins, the pressure of trying to top the program’s most successful year might present a challenge, but Marschall said previous success will only help moving forward.

“It’s something you know you have,” Marschall said, “and you kind of keep it in your back pocket and remember you were good enough to get there. But it’s in your back pocket and you move forward with that. You build with new members and different strengths.”