After a 7-22 season in 2019, head coach Lindsey Froehlich knew that her IUPUI volleyball team was not where she wanted it to be. Neither the road nor home court were kind to the Jaguars that year as they faltered en route to a 3-13 conference record. But Froehlich believes that the record doesn't tell the whole story.
 
"We were very close in a lot of matches," she said. "Very close. So I think that was encouraging to know that if we can fix a few things, we can propel ourselves to a new level."
 
Indeed, the Jaguars managed to play at least a fourth set in 12 of their losses, with six of those games being decided in the fifth and final set. Their 2019 record could have looked quite different, had a few of those close matches gone their way.
 
2019 was also Froehlich's first full campaign as head coach after being promoted from the interim role in February of that year. The former Alabama Crimson Tide middle blocker learned to helm the ship without any assistants, and doing so taught her the importance of prioritization. Knowing how to manage her time between training, administrative work and recruiting—the latter of which is a full-time job by itself—Froehlich looked forward to a 2020 overhaul of the program's approach.
 
Needless to say, COVID-19 threw a wrench into the gears.
 
"This year has been so much out of our control, and there is a lot of increased anxiety in general, so keeping in mind what's in your circle and what's outside of your circle is definitely a lesson that I had to learn pretty quickly," Froehlich revealed.
 
On top of the pandemic, IUPUI also had to deal with losing a number of key players. Outgoing middle Haley Hoffman led the team with 116 total blocks in her senior year, and her average of 1.20 blocks per set was the second-highest in program history. Hoffman was deservedly named a 2019 Horizon League Honorable Mention.
 
Also departing were McKayla Wright, Maddie Dean and Rebecca Schlechte. At just 5'8", Wright impressively led the Jaguars with 227 kills and 27 aces in 2019, while Dean came second with 215 kills. Schlechte quarterbacked the offense with a team-leading 809 assists and was third amongst her teammates with 201 digs.
 
In order to replace their outbound talent, IUPUI signed five newcomers: Maddie Haines, Emily Alan, Millai Madison, Darragh Dixon and Rachel Funkhouser. And these acquisitions have already begun to pay dividends.
Dixon, a sophomore from Waukesha, Wisconsin, has replaced Schlechte as the team's only setter. With 179 assists through six matches, she's a coachable and competitive player with sound fundamentals and the ability to remain composed under pressure. Funkhouser, a junior libero from Brownsburg, Indiana, brings energy and positivity to the bench.
 
And yet, on a squad full of veterans, it is the rookies who have stepped up to play leading roles on both sides of the ball. Haines has been a freshman sensation at outside hitter: with 55 kills so far, she ties former Horizon League All-Freshman selection Allie Pogue for the team lead in that category. The Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin native is also a capable defender, third amongst her peers in digs (43) and blocks (eight).
 
"In her very first match, 20 kills," Froehlich said, referring to Haines' breakout performance during IUPUI's season opener against Youngstown State. "First-ever collegiate match. I mean, I could have never predicted that. She's got a high ceiling."
 
Haines added 16 digs and five aces to her 20 kills that day, but admitted to not always knowing what to expect. Regardless, she is learning how to stay confident in every match, holding her own against players who may be up to four years older than she is.
 
Meanwhile, Alan and Madison are the future at middle blocker. With 40 kills each, they're a key source of secondary offense next to Haines and Pogue. Defensively, Alan leads all Jaguars with 16 blocks, and Madison is not far behind with nine.
 
Alan in particular has become known for her relentless work ethic. The freshman from Burlington, Wisconsin had an excellent game on February 2 against Green Bay, notching six kills and two blocks. Her .286 hitting percentage was second amongst Jaguars that day, and Froehlich praised her effort in a tough loss.
 
But Alan wasn't satisfied.
 
"I've always had the mindset of: hard work will always pay off," she explained. "Me being just a smaller middle blocker, you need to work hard to own your position. I'm not as tall as some other girls, so I'm just always busting my butt at every practice and every game, no matter what."
 
So why have IUPUI's freshmen found individual success early on? Their autumn training was a key factor. With COVID-19 delaying the season to spring, Horizon League volleyball teams could train their athletes during fall semester, giving rookies in particular time to acclimate to the college game. Froehlich focused on developing technique and detail-oriented skills in her players, calling the extra training "a blessing in disguise".
 
"Having the practices in the fall was a lot of work," Haines admitted. "We would have five or six days of practice and three days of weights. It was physically tolling, and a bit mentally [tiring] with schoolwork and everything. But it paid off, especially since a lot of us worked out over the winter."
 
With that said, the Jaguars have gotten off to an inauspicious start. They lost the first six matches of the season, dropping their last four by a score of 3-0. Additionally, four games have been cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols, resulting in an unscheduled break similar to what the Lady Jags women's basketball program experienced in mid-January.
 
IUPUI will next see action on March 2 in a home double-header against Wright State. Hopefully, the lessons learned in training last fall will help them stay game-ready. And if there is a silver lining, it's that the newcomers have been bonding well with their teammates. For instance, Haines and Pogue are both mechanical engineering majors, and the latter has given the former plenty of academic advice.
 
Moreover, Haines and Alan both played on the same club team (the Wisconsin Juniors) for three years before becoming Jaguars. Haines was recruited first and essentially referred Alan to IUPUI by mentioning that the team needed a middle. The two have become as close as sisters, and their friendship reflects the culture in the locker room.
 
"We're just so supportive of each other and we just love each other so much," Alan said of her teammates. "It's a big family. And what Coach Lindsey has been saying in practice is: trust the process. We have so much potential, we see that, and once we put everything all together, the sky's the limit."