The postseason outlook for Indiana is starting to face its first test of the season. After opening Big Ten play strongly, the No. 15 Hoosiers have been swept in back-to-back matches against No. 1 Nebraska and unranked USC. The Hoosiers conference record now sits at 3-3, raising questions about where they stand in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
Going back to Indiana’s loss against Nebraska, the alarm bells of worry were not sounding. Nebraska is the last undefeated team left in the country. Everyone gets swept by Nebraska. Everyone including No. 7 Wisconsin who got swept in Lincoln on Saturday. Seeing Wisconsin also get swept by Nebraska, could have made Indiana feel better about the sweep that happened to them.
Prior to Sunday's match against USC, the Trojans were just 1-4 in conference play, that lone win being a sweep against Northwestern. Going into Wilkinson Hall on Sunday, Indiana was looking to bounce back against a reeling but hungry USC squad. Indiana would go on to be swept by USC in a match where they never really looked like themselves. This marks the first time Indiana has lost back-to-back games this year meaning uncharted territory for Indiana as they are in the thick of Big Ten play.
The next AVCA poll is still yet to come out, but I would expect Indiana to drop from the No. 15 spot when it does. Several teams just below them in the poll all had really strong weekends. Teams like Purdue, Penn State, Washington and Minnesota all had a really good weekend. I don’t anticipate the poll voters being harsh enough to drop Indiana out of the top 15, but I suspect they will likely drop out of the top 15.
“The league is tough. Everyone is good,” head coach Steve Aird said following the USC loss. “If you don't play well, then you’ll lose. The goal is to try to regroup before the west coast trip and try to get a little bit better in training.”
The Big Ten is one of the best, if not the best, conferences in college volleyball. Now, in mid October, Indiana finds themselves 3-3 in the conference with plenty of games to go. The Hoosiers still have 11 conference games to help bolster their postseason résumé, and with matches against Nebraska and Wisconsin behind them, they have an opportunity to heat up down the stretch. That is not to say they do not have any tough matches left, because they do, and they will have two this weekend.
Indiana gets five days of rest before heading out to the west coast to take on both No. 13 Oregon and No. 20 Washington. If Indiana can find a way to leave out west with a record of 1-1, I believe they will have put themselves in a good position to carry some much needed momentum back into the Midwest in matches against Ohio State on the road and No. 18 Penn State at home.
This is arguably the most crucial stretch of the season for the Hoosiers because of the massive postseason implications it carries. Last year’s Indiana team finished with a conference record of 14-6 and found themselves in the NCAA Tournament as a four seed. With the strength of the Big Ten, Indiana will need to improve quickly in order to carry momentum in the Big Ten Tournament and beyond.
“A good reset time,” Aird said after the USC game. “You’re .500 in the Big (Ten) and you’re 10-5 on the season. You just gotta get back to the drawing board.”
