After Indiana volleyball took two top 25 losses at Wilkinson Hall to then-No. 9 Purdue on Nov. 8 and then-No. 20 USC on Sunday, the Hoosiers travel to Iowa on Thursday and No. 2 Nebraska on Saturday.
Iowa on Thursday
The Hawkeyes have struggled this season with a 9-17 record and a 3-11 record in conference play, which ties them for 14th in the Big Ten. They met the Hoosiers only once last year in Bloomington, where Indiana swept Iowa. The match Thursday will be the only time both teams are scheduled to face off this season.
Iowa’s strength lies in its defense, ranking fifth in the conference in blocks (232.5). Sophomore middle hitter Hannah Whittingstall, who transferred from Southern Methodist University, has been pivotal to the Hawkeyes' net success and currently ranks fifth in the conference with 105 blocks.
The Hawkeyes excel not only in net defense but also in limiting opponents' kills. Iowa ranks third in the Big Ten for digs (1311), with four players recording at least 100 each. Graduate student libero Joy Galles leads the team with 372 digs, placing her third in the conference.
Indiana and Iowa face off at 7 p.m. Thursday in Coralville, Iowa. The match can be viewed on Big Ten+.
Nebraska on Saturday
Last season, the Cornhuskers finished at 33-2, advancing to the NCAA Tournament national championship before falling to Texas. The two teams faced off once last year in Wilkinson Hall, where Nebraska outlasted Indiana in four sets.
This year, Nebraska is off to another impressive start, sitting first in the Big Ten as the only undefeated team in conference play. The Cornhuskers also boast a 24-1 overall record, with their only loss coming to SMU on Sept. 3.
Though the Cornhuskers don’t lead in any single statistic, they stay consistent on both offense and defense. The team ranks in the top 10 for kills, assists, blocks and digs, demonstrating their balanced play on the court.
One thing the Nebraska does well offensively at the net is distributing the ball around to its attackers. Six players have tallied over 100 kills across the season so far, and three players have accumulated over 200. Sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray leads the Cornhuskers with 271 kills.
The Cornhuskers have struggled behind the service line, ranking 17th in the conference with just 114 aces. However, they maintain control, committing the fewest service errors in the conference with only 138.
If the Hoosiers can secure two wins, it would strengthen their resume for an NCAA Tournament bid. However, achieving it won’t be easy. While Indiana defeated Iowa last year, Nebraska has only lost to the Hoosiers once, back in 1978.
Indiana’s final match of the week against No. 2 Nebraska is at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Lincoln and can be viewed on Big Ten Network.
Follow reporter Parker Rodgers (@parrod153) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
