Sept. 26, 2009

Final Stats |  Photo Gallery 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana University volleyball team notched a big win Saturday night, taking out No. 16 Michigan State three sets to one (25-19, 18-25, 25-23, 25-18). The Hoosiers improved to 12-4 overall and evened their conference record at 1-1 with the victory.

"I'm very proud of the hunger we came out with tonight," said Head Coach Sherry Dunbar. "We were mentally-prepared to play tonight, and it showed."

Junior middle blocker Ashley Benson was an offensive wrecking ball for the Cream and Crimson, crushing the Spartan defense with thunderous strikes coming from her right arm all night long. In total, Benson tallied 14 kills and a .545 hitting percentage.

Setters Mary Chaudoin and Whitney Granado did a fine job of spreading the wealth offensively though as five different Hoosiers took twenty or more swings. Four of those five connected for double-digit kills as well, including Jordan Haverly, Kelci Marshcall and Sam Thrower. The IU setting tandem combined for 47 assists on the night.

Defensively, Thrower strutted her stuff with three solo blocks and two block assists. Benson and Haverly were right behind her with four block assists each.

"This was the first time I saw that edge, that fight since we were in Ohio," said Dunbar. "We are going to need to keep that up because in the Big Ten no one is giving us anything. We need to earn their respect on the floor."

Coach Dunbar's Hoosiers showed that hunger she spoke of right from the first whistle. Indiana rejected four Spartan attacks and hit .316 in the opening set. Trailing 15-16, IU ripped off six consecutive points with Caitlin Cox firing bullets from the service line. Marschall bounced back from a few hitting errors in the early goings, and delivered back-to-back kills during the momentum-shifting six-point run. Benson capped off the 25-19 IUwinner with her fifth termination of the set; a set in which she converted five of seven attack attempts for a .714 hitting efficiency.

Despite a nice defensive effort from Granado in the second set that included five digs, Michigan State was able to square things up at one set apiece heading into the locker rooms with a 25-18 response.

It was "gut check" time for the Hoosiers in set number three, and they did not disappoint. Benson led the way offensively by putting away all four balls set in her direction. Granado guided the offensive precisely down the stretch, pinpointing a variety of attackers. Cox handed her team point number 25 with a laser from the service line that resulted in an ace.

The defensive wall was rebuilt for the fourth set, led by Thrower and her pair of solo swats. As a team, Indiana recorded 4.5 blocks in the final frame. Indiana's 5-0 advantage to start the period was quickly evaporated as the Spartans struck back to knot the score at 8-8. The Hoosiers had a response of their own, however, seizing another six-point run and a 14-8 edge. Michigan State would get no closer than five points the rest of the way as the Hoosiers cruised to a 25-18 match-clinching triumph.

A Wednesday (Sept. 30) night match at Purdue makes for a short week. Indiana is slated for a 7 p.m. contest versus the arch-rival Boilermakers in West Lafayette. The match will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network.