Hoosier Classic brings team back to University Gym

The IU volleyball team will return home this weekend after a 1-2 performance in the Butler Invitational for the Hoosier Classic at home.

The Hoosiers will take a more statistical approach to see exactly where their inefficiencies lie, IU Coach Sherry Dunbar said.

“We really crunched a lot of numbers to see how far away we are,” Dunbar said. “Where are we really lacking? The sets we’re winning and the matches we’re winning, what are our numbers?”

Dunbar said the goal is to give the girls a tangible number they can shoot for rather than achieve an abstract team statistic.

“So we’re telling them, this is your job,” Dunbar said. “You need to get three kills a set, you need 2.8 digs, and you need one block. So, in their mind and every day in practice, they’re saying, ‘This is my job, this is how I’ll help the team.’”

Zero balls are a major problem for the team, Dunbar said. In volleyball, a zero ball is a ball the opposing team successfully digs and eventually gets over the net.

“The errors are only at 16 percent,” Dunbar said. “Zero-balls are 45 percent. We can’t have 45 percent zero balls.”

IU will start the weekend against in-state for Valparaiso at 7 p.m. Friday. The Crusaders are 5-6 on the season.

The only Big Ten school Valparaiso has faced is Iowa. Last year, Iowa tied IU for last in the Big Ten with a 1-19 conference record.

The Crusaders were able to steal a set from the Hawkeyes but fell in four sets 3-1.
At noon Saturday, the Hoosiers will try to slow down Chattanooga.

The Mocs are 6-6 on the season. Their only match against a BCS school was a 3-0 loss against Clemson.

Chattanooga is on a hot streak, winning its last two matches in sweeps. It has won six of their last six sets played.

The Mocs are led on defense by Paula Passmore, who has 264 digs on the season, good for an average of 6.44 digs per set.

In comparison, the leader for the Hoosiers in digs per set is junior defensive specialist Caitlin Hansen with an average of 3.94.

IU will conclude the weekend action with a match against Miami (Ohio) at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Redhawks stand at 4-6 on the season but are in the midst of a three-game winning streak.

The Hoosiers will have to contain Amy Kendall, who has tallied 14 service aces on the year.

Comparatively, the Hoosier leader for service aces is junior outside hitter Jade Henderson with eight on the season.

Henderson said pretending last weekend never happened is not for the benefit of the team. She said acknowledging that they did not perform up to their standards is the key to overcoming the losses.

“I think the biggest thing is just taking that and owning it,” Henderson said. “Just learning from the experience gives you the motivation to work even harder.”