TERRE HAUTE, IN ? The Indiana State volleyball team begins the second half of the 2007 Missouri Conference season with a difficult assignment. The Sycamores will be on the road this weekend, visiting Wichita State on Friday and Missouri State Saturday.
“It is going to be a tough weekend,” Julie Krofcheck, Indiana State volleyball coach said. “The venues at both Wichita State and Missouri State are tough places to play.”
The Sycamores have lost 10 straight in falling to 3-14 overall and 0-9 in the Valley. With five of their last nine matches on the road, Indiana State is faced with the difficult task of winning on the road in the Valley.
“There used to be times when you could say that you had an easy road trip because one team may not be as strong as another,” Krofcheck said. “But there are no easy road trips anymore. The Missouri Valley has evolved into an outstanding, highly competitive volleyball conference.”
Indiana State has played well enough at times during the conference season to win games and matches but have not yet broken through into the win column. Being in a position to win and then not winning has been a drain on the team spirit.
“We are a little beat up, not physically but mentally,” Krofcheck said. “That is the hardest thing to overcome as a coach. We have to make the girls believe in themselves, keep their spirits up, and let them know that we believe that they can win. They are a good group of young players who are just down on themselves with the losing streak.”
Indiana State hosted then 32nd ranked Missouri State on Sept. 21 and fell in three games 24-30, 16-30 and 17-30. The next night (Sept. 22), the Sycamores took on then 38th ranked Wichita State and also lost in three games 16-30, 19-30 and 27-30. In several of the games, Indiana State went point for point with the visitors and had chances to earn a win in a couple of the games.
“Physically, we can compete with the rest of the Valley teams,” Krofcheck said. “We just have to eliminate the large number of errors we are committing. I thought we played well enough against Illinois State Saturday and they gave us plenty of opportunities. We had six service errors in the second game against Illinois State and that was the difference in the game. We just have to reduce the amount of errors we are committing.”
The Sycamores are averaging nearly three service errors per game and almost two receiving errors per game. Those are points that could have changed outcomes in games and matches.
“We played well against Missouri State and Wichita State when they were here and I hope that we can repeat that performance this weekend,” Krofcheck said. “We need to remain competitive, eliminate the mistakes and win a game or two. If we do, then I think that we have a good chance to win a match. You know, anything can happen on any given Sunday.”
Wichita State and Missouri State are currently tied for first in the Valley, both posting 8-1 marks through the first half. Overall, Wichita State is 16-4 while Missouri State is 19-3. The Shockers are currently 30th in the nation and the Bears are 34th according to the latest CSTV/VCA Coaches' Poll.
