Skip to main content

New season, new location: IU volleyball is ramping up the energy

Aug 20, 2019

Indiana University volleyball is ready for the new season.

The team has multiple new players, a new state-of-the-art facility and an energetic head coach who is starting his second season. After setting a new average season attendance record in University Gym, head coach Steve Aird said he’s expecting even more fans this year.

Why?

Wilkinson Hall is closer to the heart of the Bloomington campus, there’s more parking, tickets are affordable, the games are high energy – Aird could go on and on.

Description of the following video:

[Words appear in lower-left corner: Indiana University presents]

[Video: An Indiana University volleyball player prepares to serve the ball. She is surrounded by some of her teammates. Next, another player bounces the ball, in preparation of her serve. Then IU volleyball coach Steve Aird is next to the volleyball nets talking to two team members.]

Aird speaks in voiceover: Women’s volleyball in the Big 10Ten is a pretty big deal – one of the top, if not the premier women’s sport.

[Video: Aird appears on camera.]

[Words appear: Steve Aird; Head coach, women’s volleyball]

Aird speaks: We have a really challenging preseason, and we have all of these new players on the roster.

[Video: A volleyball player is shown in a close-up, preparing to serve the ball. Then the same player is seen from behind in a wide shot of the court. She jumps and hits the ball, which goes over the net. Next, a team member practices with the other players by continuing to serve balls over the net. Lastly, Aird is seen talking with a few of his players.]

Aird speaks in voiceover: The tough part about college volleyball is we only have two and a half weeks before we play, to figure out the best possible lineup and the best possible core of what we are trying to do. The challenge of that is exciting.

[Video: Aird appears on camera.]

Aird speaks: There’s a culture within the game, and I think people will pick up on it, because it’s a very, very fast sport.

[Video: A volleyball player prepares to serve the ball. Next, a team member stands next to a bin of volleyballs. Then another team member is seen serving the ball over the net. Another team member receives the serve, and hits the ball. Lastly, Aird appears, about to blow a whistle at practice.]

Aird speaks in voiceover: You know, it’s a whistle and then eight to 10 to 15 seconds of play. There’s a point every single play. It’s a very fast-paced game. It’s a lot like “Hot Potato.” You’ve got to get rid of the ball. There’s a lot of big blocks, a lot of big kills.

[Video: Aird appears on camera.]

Aird speaks: I think if you’ve never seen it, and you’re kind of excited to touch or feel a new sport at IU …

[Video: The exterior and interior of Wilkinson Hall is shown, followed by a final scene showing another volleyball player preparing to serve the ball.]

Aird speaks in voiceover: … in a new building that’s comfortable, with great food, and easy parking, and fairly inexpensive; I think it’s pretty much worth your while to check it out once.

[Screen goes to black]

[IU trident appears]

[Words appear: Indiana University]

[END OF TRANSCRIPT]

IU volleyball

So whether it’s your first IU volleyball game or your 100th, here’s what you need to know about cheering on the Hoosiers in their new home.

Aird and the team

Last season, the Hoosiers had a record of 16-15 and 7-13 in Big Ten play. Indiana swept Ohio State for the first time since 2008. Plus, the Hoosiers beat No. 14 Michigan.

Aird said he expects his team to be better than in the past and fueled by the added energy around the program, the team and the new gym. “We’re excited to carry the momentum into year two.”

Getting tickets

IU students, faculty and staff can get in free with a university ID. For everyone else, adult tickets are $7 and youth tickets are $5. A family ticket package costs $40 for four people and includes general admission seating, plus an entrée and a drink per person.

Get tickets here.

When to go

The first matches of the season take place Aug. 30 and 31. The team has four matches over that weekend, two each day, and Aird said he expects the evening matches especially to have an exciting atmosphere. Aug. 30 is the grand opening of Wilkinson Hall, and it will have the feel of the opening of a new hotel or restaurant, Aird said.

If you can’t wait for the first match, the team’s Cream & Crimson scrimmage starts at 7 p.m. Saturday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and a meet and greet with the team is planned from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but fans are encouraged to bring a canned good for Hoosier Hills Food bank.

See the full schedule.

What to wear

Just like you would to cheer on any other IU team, make sure to wear your cream and crimson. Aird added that one of the best things about volleyball is you always know the temperature. “It’s 70 degrees inside; whether it’s raining or hot or cold outside, it doesn’t matter.”

Where to go

Wilkinson Hall is on the corner of East 17th Street and North Fee Lane. And that means volleyball fans have the same parking options as basketball fans and plenty of spaces to choose from.

Where to sit

The new facility seats just under 3,000 people. When you walk in, general admission is on the east side of the court – opposite the student section, where Aird hopes to have hundreds of dedicated students who can now walk to games.

What to expect

Volleyball games are high energy and quick. Expect the team to start warming up about 30 to 40 minutes before the game starts. An actual match lasts about 2 to 2.5 hours.

Expect it to be loud, with music playing and fans cheering.

If you’re new to the game, know that it’s fast paced, but easy to pick up and know when to cheer, Aird said.

“It’s a whistle, and then 8 to 10 to 15 seconds of play,” he said. “There’s a point every single play. … It’s a lot like hot potato; you’ve got to get rid of the ball quickly.”

Media Contact

IU Newsroom

MJ Slaby

Internal Communications Specialist, IUPUI

More stories

News at IU  
News at IU