17-game streak ends on IU’s Senior Night

After junior middle blocker Samantha Thrower managed three straight kills to cap off a five-set Senior Night victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the collective feeling of relief could be felt throughout University Gym.

“Every point was an emotional battle,” junior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall said. “Every point, whether we won it or lost it, we felt the hard work we had just put into that point. It felt great. Even being tired, it felt awesome to put that much into every point and to find the result that we got tonight.”

When IU’s losing streak was extended to 17 games after they were swept Friday by the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers, the team did not make it easy on itself.

In a first set that saw multiple long points highlighted by diving saves on both sides, the final point was decided on what looked to be a floated set by junior setter Whitney Granado into a vacated area of the Hawkeye defense.

Instead, the referees called a double hit on Granado and awarded the point to Iowa to close out the set 25-21.

The Hoosiers came out flat in the second set and let the Hawkeyes go on a 16-4 run after an early 3-3 tie to put IU down 19-7.

Though the cream and crimson battled back to trail 24-18, the set was decided on another IU error when freshman middle blocker Morgan Leach touched the net during the set point.
   
Trailing two sets to none against the Hawkeyes on Saturday’s Senior Night, the IU women’s volleyball team went into the locker room during the mid-match break facing yet another heartbreaking moment in a losing 2011 season.

Marschall said IU Coach Sherry Dunbar left the team’s Senior Night fate to the players.

“(Dunbar) left it up to us and said we have to make the decision on how we want to play and how we want to end Senior Night,” Marschall said.

With their backs against the wall, the Hoosiers battled back to win the match in a five-set Senior Night comeback, ending IU’s 17-game losing streak and clinching its first conference win of the season.

Marschall and Thrower led the charge back.

Entering the third set, Marschall had only recorded four kills and Thrower had posted only three.

But the duo’s impact on the attack and block would energize University Gym and take the momentum of the match for IU.

Marschall, who posted her fourth straight 15-plus kill performance with 18 kills on the night, tallied 14 of those kills in the last three sets.

Thrower had 11 of her 14 kills in the final three sets, but the sophomore out of Sycamore, Ill., also blocked six of her career-high eight blocks in the final three sets.
Leach and right-side hitter Kristen Seaton each added 12 kills to put four Hoosiers in double digits for kills.

On defense, the team recorded 87 digs, including a career-high 28 digs from senior libero Caitlin Cox and double digit dig performances from Granado, with 16, and sophomore defensive specialist Melanie Hicks, with 10.

After the game, four seniors ­— Cox, Seaton, outside hitter Lindsay Enterline and setter Mary Chaudoin — were honored with a Senior Night ceremony and video presentation.

Cox said the entire day was an emotional roller coaster, which led her to an unscheduled trip to the store in an attempt to ease her nerves.

“The emotions hit me from the moment I woke up this morning,” Cox said. “I had to go to Target today because I was so depressed and get brownie and cake mix to bake to relax. It was a baking day.”

While the team’s intensity and play picked up when the game was on the line, Dunbar said the match was all about fighting together for each other to finally get a victory.

“I think, of course, they wanted to play hard for the seniors, but I think more importantly they just wanted to find a win,” Dunbar said.

“It couldn’t have been more perfect because we’ve fought all season, so to come back from down 0-2, and to fight to come back to win in five was really the perfect emphasis of what we’ve been talking about all year.”