With the game on the line midway through the third set, Indiana volleyball freshman setter Teodora Kričković stepped up to the service line. The Hoosiers were down just two points to the Cornhuskers.
Kričković made a bold decision: she went for the aggressive serve, one more prone to errors but more likely to yield an ace. The aggressiveness paid off for Indiana as she picked up the ace point.
She went back to the service line and again; another aggressive serve gave Indiana another ace point and tied the set at 16.
While Indiana was ultimately unable to keep control of the momentum Kričković created, that was the kind of fight the Hoosiers displayed all game in their 3-0 loss to No. 1 Nebraska on Saturday inside Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington.
Indiana entered the match ready to play with the undefeated Nebraska squad. The Hoosiers took leads in the first two sets and were within just two points toward the end of the third but were just unable to fully close any sets out.
“I think we have a spirit about us that’s not afraid to compete,” Indiana head coach Steve Aird said postgame.
Throughout the match, there were 10 ties and four lead changes. No matter how much Indiana found themselves down, they continued to make plays and compete.
Nebraska’s block proved to be especially difficult for the Hoosiers to overcome. As a team, the Cornhuskers tallied eight blocks and held Indiana to an uncharacteristic .147 hitting percentage.
Indiana struggled to get past the block, and when they did, Nebraska was often there to dig the hit. Nebraska tallied a total of 38 digs through three sets.
Despite the tough Nebraska defense, the Indiana hitters continued to fight through. Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles still managed to record 10 kills, which became her 49th career conference match with double-digit kills. Alonso-Corcelles was the only Hoosiers to finish with at least 10 kills in the match.
Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager hitter had to battle through an uncharacteristically poor offensive performance fueled by the Nebraska defense. Jager found the floor for seven kills despite tallying eight errors and only hitting -.042.
While the Indiana offense struggled and had to find other ways to score, the Hoosiers defense kept battling as well. The Cream and Crimson got the crowd of over 2,800 fans on their feet cheering numerous times throughout the game on hustle defensive plays. Indiana finished the night with a total of 31 digs against a highly efficient Nebraska offense.
While the Hoosiers were ultimately unable to defeat Nebraska or even take a set off — something only UCLA has been able to do all season long — Indiana showed they could compete with the top squad in the country.
“I thought we were brave,” Aird said. “I thought we were tough. I thought we played hard. They competed, and as a coach, that’s what you look for.”
The loss moved the Hoosiers record to 22-6 overall and 13-5 in the conference, while the Cornhuskers remained perfect in both.
Indiana will finish its regular season with matches at Illinois on Wednesday and Purdue on Nov. 29. The Hoosiers are just one win away from matching a single-season program record for victories.
While Indiana just has two regular season games remaining, its season is not yet over, as the Hoosiers are looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
Indiana can go into the postseason having learned from a loss to the best team in the country, which Aird said will give his squad confidence moving forward.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
