IU Southeast ,3-2, faced off against the Patriots of St. Catharine, 4-1, Aug. 21 in the Activities Building.
The newly renovated crimson bleachers contained a fairly large crowd of St. Catharine and IUS fans for the first home game of the Lady Grenadiers season.
During the summer session, the Athletics Department updated the bleachers in the gym to accommodate for a safer environment for the Grenadier fans.
“The old bleachers had been there for 30 or 40 years,” Joe Glover, athletic director, said. “They were just out-of-date and not up-to-date with new safety standards.”
The fans were met with a night of heavily competitive collegiate volleyball. The two teams faced off in a five-set game, with the Grenadiers prevailing.
The game showcased the talented underclassman that are new to the crimson team. One of the outstanding debuts came from Coral Maybrier, freshman outside hitter, who clinched nine kills in the fifth set and was a key factor to the Grenadier win.
The Patriots were down two players due to injury, and Head Coach Adam Stevenson said that was a partial factor to the Patriots loss.
“It’s the beginning of the season, so we’re starting off on a rough note with injuries,” Stevenson said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, but it should have been a competitive game.”
The Grenadiers got off to an early lead, taking the first set 25-14. The aggressive start from the Grenadiers failed to translate to the rest of the game. The early win turned out to be the only quick win for IU Southeast.
The Patriots came out more defensive in the second set, getting an early lead on the Grenadiers and maintaining that pace up until the last two points of the game.
The Patriots served for the first four points of the game shutting out the Grenadiers. After a long rally, Sara Schum, sophomore middle back, put the first point on the scoreboard for the Grenadiers with a kill.
The Grenadiers found their break in the second set with a kill from Schum to put the Grenadiers ahead of the Patriots for the first time in the set at 24-23. A Patriots hit, placed just outside the back court clinched the second set for IU Southeast.
The Patriots came into the third set with similar aggression. The Grenadiers trailed by a deficit of five to seven points for the duration of the game.
Patriots’ Rebecca Just, freshman outside hitter, ended the set by a forced Grenadier error off her serve.
The Patriots went into the fourth set with the same aggression. They found holes in the Grenadier defense placing kills just out of reach for IU Southeast. The Grenadiers failed to break the Patriots in the third set and ended the set in an unforced error 25-14.
Stevenson said his team came out playing timid, and in the third and forth set there was a change in the team’s dynamics.
“We showed up, and we played well,” Stevenson said. “In the first two sets, we made a lot of mistakes. If we don’t make errors, we play really well.”
The final set was more contested by both teams creating a lead of no more than 3 points by either opponent for the duration of the final set.
The break point came from a Patriot error, forcing the ball into the net for the Grenadier lead 6-5. Maybrier found her stride in the fifth set with nine kills. She broke down the Patriots defense, putting the Grenadiers ahead for the second half of the set.
The Grenadiers defeated the Patriots 15-12 in the tie-break set.
Schum lead the Grenadiers with 13 kills. Jade Trouter, junior middle back, followed, picking up 12 kills.
Lesley Drury-Prather, IUS volleyball head coach, declined an interview to comment on the game.
Stevenson said part of the loss for his team was due to the lack of experience on the court.
“We’re playing six freshmen, and I think she is playing one,” Stevenson said. “Experience will beat talent in collegiate volleyball.”
The two teams will meet again at St. Catharine on Oct. 9, and Stevenson said he expects a different outcome in scoring.
“By the time [IUS] comes to our place we will be in school, and we have a very large ruckus crowd,” Stevenson said. “My girls playing at home gives them at least five points, two points in every game.”
By HANNA WOODS
Sports Editor
hrwoods@umail.iu.edu
