Senior Annie Moddrell |
Volleyball Sweeps Iowa, Pierce Closes in on All-Time Record
Nov. 10, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana University volleyball team got back on track Saturday night with a 3-0 sweep over the Iowa Hawkeyes (31-29, 30-28, 30-22). Senior libero Juli Pierce racked up 21 digs on the night, and is now just three digs shy of the all-time school record for most digs in a single season.
Junior Erica Short averaged five kills per game while also chipping in three digs. Senior Annie Moddrell had her second impressive showing of the weekend, hitting .333 with nine kills, three blocks (one solo) and a service ace. Freshman Mara Hilgenberg guided the offense with 43 assists in the three-game match.
Freshman Ashley Benson was a dominant force in the opening game, recording a kill on each of her first five attack attempts and piling on three block assists. It would be nearly impossible to witness a game that was more tightly-contested than the first frame. Neither team held a lead larger than two points at any time in the game. The score was tied 20 different times while the lead exchanged hands five times. In the end, it was the Hoosiers that came out on top, winning 31-29.
Game two was sloppy as neither offense could get much going. The Hoosier offense picked it up when it was needed though. Trailing 21-25, IU ripped off six consecutive points that included a pair of kills by Senior Lauren Ditteon to take a 27-25 advantage. Iowa then evened the score by grabbing the next two points. A Moddrell-kill combined with a Hawkeye attack error and block by Benson and Sophomore Kelsey Hall gave the Cream and Crimson their final three points for the 30-28 win.
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Indiana took a 6-5 lead early in game three and never looked back, leading the rest of the way in the 30-22 victory. Short hammered home five put-aways in the third game clincher. Pierce stymied the Hawkeye offense, picking up seven digs in the third game alone. Indiana's final three points of the match came via the hands of two seniors, Ditteon and Moddrell. Each of them belted a kill for points 28 and 29 before combining for a block on the final point of the night.
Next up for IU is a mid-week contest at in-state rival Purdue on Wednesday night at 8 PM. That match will be nationally-broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
