After being dubbed the favorite this weekend by team co-captains Megan Tallman and Taylor Lebo, IU volleyball seeks to begin a Big Ten winning streak as the schedule dwindles away.
The 14-9, 3-7 Hoosiers are running out of time to pick up meaningful victories with just 10 matches remaining to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
This weekend, IU welcomes No. 15 Michigan State, 17-5, 6-4, to Bloomington on Friday night and No. 13 Michigan Wolverines, 18-4, 7-3, on Saturday night. Last season the Hoosiers came away with home victories against both programs.
“Taylor and I love this weekend,” senior setter Tallman said. “We have always come into this weekend super strong since freshman year because that year we only won one conference game, and it was against Michigan State when they were ranked 10th. ”
IU’s lineup could possibly be bolstered by the addition of Tallman, who is battling back from a broken finger, depending on the results of her Thursday X-ray.
Tallman said she had a more full practice Wednesday that included setting in drills and digging in controlled situations. The veteran’s on-court leadership skills and production would be beneficial for the Hoosiers in their tough weekend matchups. Tallman has 3,499 assists for her career and is fifth on the Hoosiers’ all-time list for career assists.
However, freshman setter Victoria Brisack has posted back-to-back double-doubles in the past two matches in place of the injured Tallman.
“We need wins,” Tallman said. “We need Big Ten wins, and that’s the bottom line. I don’t care if they come at home. I don’t care if they come on the road. We want six Big Ten wins in these last 10 games.”
Both Michigan State and Michigan come to IU off big wins in the past few weeks.
Michigan State defeated now-No. 3 Minnesota on Oct. 15 and No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes earlier this month before falling to the Buckeyes last weekend.
Michigan has won five of its last six matches, including matches against now-No. 10 Penn State and No. 19 Ohio State.
IU Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan said she hopes her team can limit Michigan senior Abby Cole, who has recorded 246 kills this season, just one less than IU senior Allison Hammond. The Hoosier outside hitter ranks seventh in the Big Ten in kills ahead of the visiting Wolverines.
Dunbar-Kruzan said IU’s blocking scheme will be different in each match to offset each squad’s strengths.
It will be important to limit Michigan State’s serving success, as they are the only Big Ten team that has accumulated more service aces than IU has.
“We have to split this weekend or sweep at home,” Dunbar-Kruzan said. “The last few years gave the seniors a little bit of extra confidence in playing the Michigan schools. Anywhere they can find confidence in this league, I’ll take it, but they are different teams every year, so we are going to have to serve aggressive, pass in system and do some things really well against them because they are both top-15 opponents.”
