Health and Safety the Top Priority as Indiana Volleyball Takes First Road Trip

Indiana and Rutgers will both be looking for its first win of the season as the two square off this weekend in Piscataway.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Plane, bus, hotel room, bus, match, bus and plane.

That's how Indiana head coach Steve Aird described his team's plan for their upcoming road trip this weekend to Piscataway, New Jersey, to take on Rutgers.

This is Indiana's first road trip of the season, and traveling in a pandemic is uncharted waters, so as safe as Indiana is trying to make it, Aird admits it's hard to feel comfortable.

"I think we're gonna do absolutely everything we can within our control," Aird said. "But there's unknowns, and that's what's on your mind when you're on a plane, on buses, in a hotel and in a different building. We just gotta be extra careful."

One of Aird's favorite parts about traveling to other cities is going out with his staff and having meals the night before a match at different restaurants.

That's off the table for the road trips this season. Aird said he's just bringing an HDMI chord so he can watch the Toronto Maple Leafs play in his hotel room and that'll be the highlight of his night.

"Wins and losses come and go," Aird said. "We gotta keep each other healthy."

With health and safety being the top priority for the Hoosiers this weekend, the next important thing is trying to pick up their first win of the season.

Indiana is coming off two 3-0 losses to Nebraska at home last weekend, where the Hoosiers started four freshmen and two sophomores against the No. 5 team in the country.

"We've had a great week of training," Aird said. "Had two tough matches against a really good team, but we learned a lot. Had a lot of film. We feel good with where we're at."

Much like Indiana, Rutgers lost both matches it played opening weekend 3-0 to Northwestern.

The Scarlet Knights have a new coach this year in Caitlin Schweihofer. Schweihofer was the head coach at Northeastern before coming to Rutgers. She was the 2018 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.

"I know she's an awfully good coach and they got a great staff," Aird said. "If they have a really good night, it's going to be a challenge."

The Hoosiers hold a 12-0 all-time record against Rutgers. Last season the teams played once, in Piscataway, and Indiana won in three sets.

Both teams will be searching for its first win this season, and for Indiana, the freshmen feel more comfortable now that their first collegiate matches are behind them.

"I think that was the biggest step in competition I've ever had," Indiana freshman middle blocker Savannah Kjolhede said. "My last game was at a local tournament in club, and just going straight to Nebraska made me believe in myself a little bit more."

After looking over film of that match, Kjolhede said Aird told her and freshman Leyla Blackwell that they can hang with the best in the Big Ten. 

"It makes me really excited for what's to come, especially only being freshmen," Kjolhede said.

Indiana's two matches this weekend will both be at 2 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday, both airing on BTN Plus.