The Hoosiers traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to showcase what they’ve been working toward for the past eight months and came away with a 2-1 record on the weekend.
“It’s not about a record, it’s about working harder,” IU Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan said. “It’s part of the process, and we work hard at it in our practice.”
IU faced three teams this weekend in the Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Bash: Bowling Green, Cleveland State and Middle Tennessee State.
“The unknown of the first tournament is definitely the hardest part,” Dunbar-Kruzan said.
But even this unfamiliarity wasn’t enough to slow down IU and the standards they aimed to set in these first few games.
The Hoosiers played 15 sets Friday and Saturday, winning two of the three matches played. But there was more than just winning to take away from this tournament.
“The learning experience is definitely the big takeaway,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “Playing 15 sets in a day and a half is a challenge, but overall it was a very good tournament where we played some solid volleyball with nice players and teams.”
IU came away victorious in its game against Bowling Green, 3-2, and its matchup with Middle Tennessee State, 3-2.
“To earn the win and every point just proved the hard work we put in practice, since we had to fight a lot harder for each one of those wins,” Dunbar-Kruzan said.
Not only was IU able to take home two wins this weekend, but senior defensive specialist Courtney Harnish and senior outside hitter Amelia Anderson were both given the All-Tournament title.
“It feels good to be named all-tournament,” Anderson said. “Me and Courtney together went out and did a really good job. Coming out for the first three games with that title proves our hard work and it feels good to be recognized.”
The Hoosiers are focused on how each player can improve her game and how that will directly affect overall team performance.
“I think any player can tell you that when you’ve been playing for so many years you’re still looking for ways to improve,” Anderson said. “There’s always so much to work on, and we do a lot of reflecting. I try focusing on my errors and thinking about what I could’ve done better.”
The Hoosiers travel this upcoming weekend to San Marcos, Texas, to compete in the Delta Zeta Classic.
