The Indiana Hoosiers had not hosted a volleyball match between ranked teams in Bloomington since 1997. That changed on Friday evening, as the No. 20 Minnesota Golden Gophers traveled to Bloomington to take on the No. 23 Hoosiers.
Minnesota emerged victorious by a score of 3-1, improving its conference record to 6-3 and its overall record to 16-4. The result also counts as the first conference loss Indiana has taken inside Wilkinson Hall this season, a building in which the Hoosiers had previously lost just one set against Big Ten opponents all year.
The Golden Gophers emphatically set the tone early in the match, swiftly winning the first and second set through their efficient hitting and imposing service. The third set told a much different story, as Indiana reversed the momentum and rode a feverish offensive wave to a 24-14 lead and an eventual 25-18 set victory. Minnesota reestablished its dominance in the fourth set, once again winning 25-19 to secure its 20th victory in its past 21 clashes with Indiana.
Senior Julia Hanson led the way with 17 kills for the Golden Gophers, hitting at an impressive 47.5% while freshman McKenna Garr logged 12 digs. For the Hoosiers, senior Candela Alonso-Corcelles posted 15 kills and graduate student Jessica Smith ended the evening with 13 digs.
The most prominent statistical disparity in the match was hitting percentage, as Indiana’s success rate of 28.6% paled in comparison to Minnesota’s 41.2%. Minnesota set the tone early, and dictated the majority of the contest through threatening serves and an unrelenting offensive attack.
Minnesota also racked up nine blocks, outpacing Indiana’s three. The athleticism at the net displayed by the Golden Gophers and the schematic wizardry of head coach Keegan Cook backed Indiana into tricky situations throughout the match. The Hoosiers had trouble stringing together multiple consecutive points while attempting to chip away at deficits because of the strong defense they were faced with.
Conversely, Indiana’s defense turned out to be its greatest liability in this match, as Minnesota amassed 61 total kills. The middle of Indiana’s court was its greatest weakness, and one that Minnesota attacked early and often. The exploitation of that weakness accelerated the momentum on the side of the Golden Gophers, and the offense rolled through the first, second and fourth set as a result.
Although Minnesota took control of and won the match in convincing fashion, Indiana put forth a strong showing in the third set, which they won 25-18. The Hoosiers took the intensity up a notch in their lone set victory, allowing them to establish a rhythm through which they could effectively execute their offense.
The loss to Minnesota drops Indiana to 2-2 against ranked opponents this season, but their dominance in the third set and peskiness in the other three supported the idea that the Hoosiers belong amongst the Big Ten’s elite. The Cream and Crimson stand at 6-3 in conference games following this result, perched safely in the upper half of the table with 11 matches to come.
Indiana opened conference play 5-0, but has since stumbled, suffering losses in three of its past four contests. Minnesota, on the other hand, has struggled to establish consistency in the first half of the Big Ten season. This win, paired with a successful road trip to Seattle, creates a sense of momentum as a difficult stretch of the schedule looms.
Minnesota is next in action at noon on Oct. 26 at Purdue, where they will challenge the No. 11 Boilermakers. Indiana remains in Bloomington for a 1 p.m. match against the Northwestern Wildcats, also occurring on Oct. 26. As the NCAA volleyball postseason nears, the Hoosiers look ahead to Sunday’s opportunity to swing momentum back in their direction after a tough home loss to Minnesota.
