At match point in a tight fourth set, Ohio State graduate student outside hitter Emily Londot fired a powerful kill at Indiana junior outside hitter Avry Tatum. The ball struck Tatum's chest with force as she attempted to dig it. She absorbed the impact, getting the ball airborne.
The ball soared over the net, seemingly headed for an open spot on the floor. A few Buckeyes dove but came up short. Tatum dropped to her knees as Indiana fans raised their hands in celebration. Hoosiers swarmed Tatum as they secured the four-set win, keeping their undefeated streak alive Sunday at Wilkinson Hall.
While Tatum made the marquee play to finish the match, head coach Steve Aird was considering whether to put her in to serve or put in a player who is, in his eyes, better defensively.
“It’s do we want Tatum to serve or not?” Aird said, “I was back and forth in my head on that: to bring in someone like Carly Mills who’s a little bit better defensively.”
With the score being 24-22 in the fourth set, it was crucial Aird made the right decision on who to have behind the serving line. If the Buckeyes forced a deuce and won, they would’ve forced a fifth tiebreaking set on the Hoosiers.
Indiana's 10-point win in the first set was an outlier, marking its largest margin of victory. The Buckeyes fought hard in the other sets, winning set three and losing sets two and four by just three and two points.
Londot was key for Ohio State. Limited to one kill in set one by the Hoosiers’ defense, she shined in the other three sets as she earned 22 kills.
“She’s a fantastic volleyball player,” Aird said. “She was really good late in the match: 22 kills in three games is real.”
The Hoosiers fell in the third set against Michigan State on Oct. 4, and Sunday was no different. Graduate student defensive specialist Delaynie Maple said she knows her team is resilient after 10 tie scores in the fourth set.
“You can see in set four we were down in the beginning,” Maple said. “It could’ve been really easy to let that go. We know that no matter what we can come back at any point.”
Aird gives his credit to the fans showing up for every game.
“I can’t tell Bloomington, surrounding areas, the student section, the people who come out how much we appreciate it,” Aird said. “It’s an amazingly tough place to play and the crowd affects it: they’re supportive, they’re behind us. It’s a remarkable thing to be a part of.”
In recent matches, Aird was disappointed with his team’s execution behind the serving line, but he described Sunday’s performance as “phenomenal” with the Hoosiers recording seven aces and only seven service errors. Senior setter Camryn Haworth led the effort with three aces. In contrast, the Buckeyes struggled from the line, tallying just one ace and 17 errors.
Senior outside hitter Mady Saris rebounded against the Buckeyes. In the last game against the Spartans, she managed only six kills. But Sunday she nearly tripled that with 16 kills. Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles highlighted the small but crucial things Saris does that contribute to her success.
“Every time I receive next to her, we hold our hands, and we smile,” Alonso-Corcelles said. “And that for me is a huge part, having her next to me gives me so much confidence.”
Indiana aims to push above .500 in conference play and maintain its undefeated home streak, but the road ahead is tough. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Hoosiers will travel to face No. 12 Minnesota. Then, at 1 p.m. Oct. 13, they'll return home to Wilkinson Hall to host No. 3 Penn State.
Follow reporter Parker Rodgers (@parrod153) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
