Red Wolves - IU East

Looks like the Red Wolves can set that bar pretty high.

The Indiana University East volleyball team measured up to the task in a scrimmage on Aug. 18 at Indiana Institute of Technology, the No. 11 team in the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll.

No official score was recorded in accordance with NAIA scrimmage regulations, but the Red Wolves seemed to fare much, much, much better than they did in a one-sided three-game loss at Indiana Tech in 2008.

IU East coach Charlie Brown told his team to use the day as a chance to "set the bar" for the Red Wolves' level of play for the 2010 season.

How high, coach?

"We talked about earning our national ranking (38th in the national preseason poll) by competing well against a high-level team, and I think we set the bar tonight by doing just that," Brown said.

"I would give us a solid seven or eight (on a one to 10 scale). We're just getting started so we can't be at the top of our game, but this is a tremendous day to build on."

IU East sophomore middle hitter Breezy Strete (Troy, Ohio/Troy High School) said the Red Wolves did a bit of everything well.

"We just wanted to get a good look at how we've been doing after this long summer and preseason," Strete said.

"We had great defense, great serve receive and great communication. Our blocking was amazing and our setting was on point."

The Red Wolves open the regular season Aug. 20 at the Grace College Ramada Plaza Tournament.

"We can't be satisfied with just playing well in a scrimmage," Brown said. "We need to learn from it, grow from it and get better as a result of it."