IU wasn’t selected, but they knew that going in. The Hoosiers finished the Big Ten season with a record of 6-14. They needed to finish at about .500 in the conference to have a shot at making the tournament.
Even though Dunbar-Kruzan knew her team wouldn’t make its goal of going to the NCAA Tournament, she wanted her team to watch the show together.
“I want them to see which Big Ten teams are getting in,” she said. “I want them to see it because I want us to be together as a team and watch our name pop up on the screen next year.”
IU (15-17, 6-14) ended its season last Friday with a loss against Minnesota (19-12, 9-11) in straight sets.
After fighting hard against Michigan (13-17, 8-12) two days previously and falling in five sets, Dunbar-Kruzan said she was disappointed with her team’s performance against the Gophers.
Minnesota had a lot to play for — it was celebrating its senior night and fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament — but IU had a lot of play for, too.
It was senior outside hitter Morgan Leach’s last game as a Hoosier. And Dunbar-Kruzan said she wanted her team to end the year on a high note.
Minnesota swept the Hoosiers in three sets (25-18, 25-17, 25-17) in its final game of the year.
Heading into the game, Dunbar-Kruzan knew her team wouldn’t make the tournament but wanted to see growth.
“I thought we were very prepared for it,” she said. “I thought we would come out a little more inspired.”
After the game, Leach sat in the locker room and was emotional, Dunbar-Kruzan said.
Leach finished her career 15th on IU’s all-time kill list with 1,100.
Leach also had more than 300 kills this season, as did outside hitters junior Amelia Anderson and sophomore Taylor Lebo. It marked the first time IU had a trio of players who had more than 300 kills in a season in more than a decade.
Leach is the team’s only senior, so almost the entire IU team will return next season. This team had one of the best turnarounds in Big Ten history.
Last season, IU finished 1-19 in the Big Ten. This year, it finished 6-14. Since 1985, only three teams in the Big Ten have gone from winning one game to six in the next season.
Next year, Dunbar-Kruzan said the goal is to make the NCAA Tournament. IU hasn’t made the tournament since 2010, and that year the Hoosiers made the Sweet 16 for the first and only time in program history.
IU has had a young team the past two seasons, and next year it’ll finally have a team heavy with juniors and seniors.
When asked who will be the team’s leader next year, Dunbar-Kruzan wasn’t sure. That’s what the offseason is for, she said.
“You really start to see defining of roles in the offseason,” she said. “I’d love to see Taylor Lebo step up. I’d love to see setter Megan Tallman step up. But I’m going to give them all a chance to do that.”
