After Indiana volleyball had a rough road trip out west, it bounced back during its home-opening weekend securing two wins against Michigan State and Ohio State. The Hoosiers now sit at an even .500 in Big Ten play.
However, the Hoosiers face significant hurdles if they hope to improve their standing in the conference: No. 14 Minnesota and No. 3 Penn State.
Indiana’s first challenge comes against Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Maturi Pavillion in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers wrapped up last season with a 17-13 overall record and a 12-8 mark in conference play, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament before being swept by Creighton in the Round of 32. Last season, the Hoosiers and Gophers only met once, where Minnesota edged out Indiana in a five-set thriller in Bloomington. This match will be the teams’ only meeting this season.
Currently, Minnesota holds a 9-5 record, including a 2-2 split in conference play with losses to Purdue at home and USC on the road. Notably, the Gophers have tallied key victories over then-No. 1 Texas on Sept. 2 and then-No. 7 Wisconsin on Sept. 25.
Defensively, Minnesota leads the Big Ten in digs, bolstered by sophomore libero Zeynep Palabiyik, who ranks third in the conference with 230 digs. The Gophers return two All-Big Ten selections in senior setter Melani Shaffmaster and senior outside hitter Lydia Grote — both of whom earned second-team honors last season.
Following Minnesota, Indiana takes on a dominant No. 3 Penn State, which has been nearly unstoppable this season, at 1 p.m. Oct. 13 in Wilkinson Hall. The Nittany Lions are 14-1, with their only loss coming to No. 1 University of Pittsburgh. Penn State has notched multiple top-25 victories, including wins over No. 10 Purdue, No. 11 Oregon and No. 4 University of Louisville.
Last season, Penn State finished with a 23-9 record and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the regional semifinals before falling to Wisconsin in four sets. In their lone meeting with Indiana last year, the Nittany Lions outlasted out the Hoosiers in a five-set battle in State College, Pennsylvania.
Offensively, Penn State ranks fourth in the Big Ten in total kills (755) and leads the conference in kills per set (14.80). Graduate student outside hitter Jess Mruzik, an AVCA second-team All-American, leads the charge with 206 kills this season.
Penn State added a top talent to its roster in freshman setter Izzy Starck, who was ranked the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class by PrepVolleyball.com. In her debut season, Starck has already made a significant impact, recording 554 assists across 15 matches –– fourth in the Big Ten.
Indiana will also aim to continue its hot streak at home, where it’s 7-0. With momentum on their side, the Hoosiers look to push their best home start in program history to 8-0.
Follow reporter Parker Rodgers (@parrod153) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
